The Absolute Best Sandwich In Every State

If you truly want sandwich bragging rights, hop in your car and plan a cross-country venture through all 50 states to take a bite out of the sandwich each one is famous for. Your own sandwich guru status is only these 50 stops away. One of the greatest things to come out of Alabama, sandwich-wise, that is, is their mayonnaise-based white barbecue sauce. And the best place to scoop some up is Decatur's Big Bob Gibson's Barbecue. After a three-hour slow cook over hickory wood, each fillet is dunked into a vinaigrette white sauce bath and plopped onto a toasted bun with slaw. If you're the kind of person who loves salmon, skipping the faraway state of Alaska when creating your itinerary is a huge mistake, namely because you won't visit the sultry restaurant in Halibut Cove for their incredible salmon sandwich. This isn't the only place you can get a salmon sandwich in Alaska, of course, but just one bite earns this town a valid reason to visit. You might find yourself one of the people at the heart and center of the is a hot dog a sandwich debate, but regardless of where your answer falls, you have to dabble in Arizona's famous Sonoran Hot Dogs. It's a dog dressed to the nines in fixings, and BK Tacos in Tucson is one of the legendary locations to snag one. Here, each link is wrapped in bacon before it cooks. Then, pinto beans, onions, diced tomatoes, jalapeno sauce, mayo, and mustard are added for the greatest hot dog you'll ever experience. Bologna gets a bad rap. It's almost as if it's meant for kids, but in Arkansas, people of all ages embrace bologna. That's the way they fry it up and throw it on bread to create their staple sandwich. Head to Johnny B's Grillhouse in El Dorado to scoop up this classic. You might not find it on their website's menu, but you better believe they have the ingredients to make one. It's easy, thick-cut fried bologna slices placed between toasted bread. There's a few different origin stories behind the French Dip, but one thing that's true beyond a shadow of a doubt is that you've got to try one at the source. Or rather, sources. One is Los Angeles' century-old Philips, the original. The biggest seller is the Beef Double Dip, where both pieces of bread are soaked in savory jus. Alternatively, swing by Kohl's to try their original. And you'll agree, details shouldn't get in the way of a great sandwich. In addition to creating some legendary music, did you know Elvis also helped create one of the most iconic — and unhealthy — sandwiches of all time? The Fool's Gold. And you should definitely head to Nick's Cafe in the town of Golden for one. Legend states, one evening, Elvis hopped on his plane and traveled to Colorado just to order the Fool's Gold sandwiches. That meant a plate of hollowed-out loaves of French bread, coated in margarine and stuffed full of bacon, peanut butter, and jelly. If fried clams are your thing, you'll have to head to Connecticut, the state that shouts loud and proud and implores you to eat a fried clam sandwich. One of the best locations to snag one is Costello's Clam Shack in Nowonk, where they simply pile a heap of fried clams onto a warm toasted roll. There are no frills or gags here, just morsels of batter-dipped clams and your eager appetite. Wouldn't it be nice to eat an entire meal, sides included, in one single sandwich? That's Delaware's iconic Bobby sandwich. It's basically an entire Thanksgiving dinner between two pieces of bread, and Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is the place that makes them best. The item hit the menu over 40 years ago, and people were immediately drawn to the busy concoction of ingredients. Turkey runs the show, but the addition of stuffing and cranberry sauce brings on the nostalgia of the holiday season, without all the hassle. Our friends in Florida sure know how to soak up the beach sun, but they also know good food. When it comes to sandwiches, all they have to do is look to their island neighbors. There are plenty of places slinging up awesome Cuban sandwiches, but Versailles Restaurant in Miami's Little Havana is a huge favorite. They keep it simple with sweet ham, roast pork, and Swiss cheese on toasted Cuban bread. Drizzle a little mayo and mustard on as well, and you have yourself a Cuban worth writing home about. Pimento cheese usually finds itself towards the bottom of any list of cheese popularity. However, Georgia knocks it up several pegs with their pimento cheese sandwiches, and Fox Bros. Barbecue in the capital of Atlanta puts an insane take on this classic. Add bacon, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, and jalapeno mayo to a brisket burger, and even though it's a tall ask for any bread to hold everything in place, it does the job like a professional. Hawaii is one of those states many of us dream of one day visiting, but never really get a chance to. It's so far away, and plane tickets ain't cheap, but foodies know it's the place to go if they want an authentic Kalua pork sandwich at Kono's. The only thing that makes the scenery of Hawaii even better is admiring it while munching down on the old-school, 12-hour-roasted Kalua pork, guava-infused barbecue sauce, grilled onions, and slaw. Island life sure does have its perks. When you're cruising through Idaho, if you're looking for something unique to the area to eat, you should know that Idaho's claim to fame is the huckleberry industry. That's why Trillium and Boise is a go-to spot for a huckleberry-smeared sandwich. Huckleberry pairs well with a ton of ingredients, but what Trillium pairs with it is pulled turkey, slaw, and a thick slice of brie cheese on ciabatta bread. Sure, you can opt for Chicago's famous deep-dish pizza when you're in Illinois, but what if you took a route that led you to a sandwich called the Horseshoe instead? Head to Six Degrees for an open-faced sandwich with your choice of meat, a pile of shoestring fries, and a hefty drizzle of their signature cheese sauce. Still hesitant? You shouldn't be. Fried pork tenderloin is huge in Indiana, and there are tons of places to go to enjoy one. However, Nick's Kitchen in Huntington, the original creator, is a necessary stop. The people in the kitchen at Nick's don't worry about adding bells and whistles to dress up their iconic creation. An oversized breaded pork tenderloin joins lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and mayo on a bun to make a pork enthusiast's dream come true. Iowa leaves you rethinking any criticisms you might have about this oddly named sandwich because their loose meat sandwiches are pretty amazing, and made right is the chain to find some of the best. The loose refers to the crumbles of hamburger meat as opposed to a firm patty. They're delicious. Just have a napkin ready. When referring to food, the word burnt is an adjective best left out of the description. That is, until you head to Kansas and take a mouth-watering bite of a burnt end sandwich. Gates Bar-B-Que in Leawood has a stronghold on the burnt game. They gather all the little crispy bits of brisket left over from the entire slab and let them roast separately in spices. Then the little morsels of meat bark are plopped onto a hoagie for a jam-packed mouthful of savory burnt taste. Cold weather calls for warm food, but in Kentucky the sun could beat down with an army of UV rays and it wouldn't deter anyone from ordering a hot brown. Created during the 1920s at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, the hot brown contains roasted turkey breast, toast points, Mornay sauce, and Pecorino Romano cheese. After the whole thing's baked, bacon and tomatoes are added, along with an optional egg. Ah, New Orleans. The city is known for their food, and nothing says Louisiana quite like their Oyster Po' Boys. Oyster Po' Boys are prevalent wherever you go in the city, but Dom Elise's has garnered a cult following for its fresh ingredients, especially on the sandwiches. Fresh-fried oysters come together with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayonnaise for a bite of the ocean that'll have you scheduling a return trip sooner than you think. Is there really anything better than lobster? Nope. Maine does its lobster like no other, and Kennebunk's Clamshack is where anyone can get their crustacean fix satisfied. Customers can choose from two types of lobster-filled rolls, one with mayo or one dressed in drawn butter. It's definitely a tough choice when you're in the mood, but no matter which you pick, you made the right decision. Can't get enough crab? If the answer is a resounding yes, then Maryland has you covered. They tackle the crab game like a boss, and Jimmy's Famous Seafood in Baltimore flaunts its crab cakes as the best in town. Served in both five- and eight-ounce patties, the Jumbo Lump Cakes are fried golden brown and served with lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a roll. It's a must-have menu item. For those of us who grew bored with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as kids, our love of lunchtime was quickly reinvigorated with Fluff, the marshmallow spread that replaced jelly. Most people have no idea where the idea for a Fluffernutter came from, but Massachusetts holds the answer. A Somerville man named Archibald Query created the sandwich in the early 20th century, and it managed to stay relevant for decades. You can't beat childhood favorites. At first, you're inclined to think there's nothing special about a ham sandwich. But that's only because you never trekked through Michigan and had one of theirs, because there's no better place to get one than Mike's Famous Ham Place in Detroit. The recipe is so simple, yet Mike's makes it seem as though flavor replication is impossible. Thick cuts of glazed spiral ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard find their way onto an onion roll. They call it the Juicy Lucy, and one of the top places to find one is at Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis. Instead of placing the cheese on top of their Juicy Lucifer, the chef stuffs each patty with cheese, creating a hot pocket of queso topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and house-made red pepper jelly. Thinking outside of the box led Minnesota inside the burger. There are a lot of parts of a pig you can eat. However, not every part is as appetizing, and when it comes to the ears, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone chomping at the bit for some. That is, until you're at the Big Apple Inn in Jackson. The ears are rendered tender via a pressure cooker and then served on a bun with mustard, hot sauce, and slaw. It just goes to show you never, never count out any part of an animal. What about you? What do you want to do? Okay, well, I would like to get a chicken sandwich, but I think I want to get the beak on the side. After you're finished oohing and aahing at the state's Big Ol' Arch, wrap up your day the Missouri way by indulging in a Gerber sandwich. Created in 1973 at Ruma's Deli, this open-faced creation will certainly outshine the arch's glamour. Customers can order the toasted sandwich with ham or turkey, but both meats are smothered in the same two amazing fixings, garlic butter and St. Louis-style cheese. There are plenty of reasons to visit Montana, and perhaps the most important one is for a pork chop sandwich at the Freeway Tavern in Butte. They call it the Wop Chop, and it comes in two sizes, large for adults and baby for kids. A burger patty slab of pork is delicately fried and put on a bun with pickles, raw onions, mayo, and mustard. New York City makes such a great pastrami sandwich, it'd be easy to assume the Reuben is the staple sandwich of New York. However, Nebraska actually holds this honor due to the fact that it was created at Omaha's Blackstone Hotel in the 1920s during a poker game. If you want to play your culinary cards right, Swartz' Deli in Omaha is where your royal flush resides. Las Vegas is arguably the biggest draw in the state, but in between activities, you're gonna need to eat, and that's when you search for a Patty Melt. DuPars serves them up inside the Suncoast Hotel and Casino. The restaurant took a grilled cheese on rye and stepped up its game by adding caramelized onions. Just keep in mind you'll have a hard time going back to regular grilled cheese after trying one. New Hampshire. It's quiet, scenic, and you can wake up every weekend and enjoy an incredible Monte Cristo sandwich to start the day off right. But it's gotta be from Banner's Restaurant, because this restaurant won a major award for its Monte Cristo. The people came, they ate, and they voted the combination of turkey, ham, Swiss cheese, and syrup the state's very best. This state has an unsurprising sandwich favorite, Italian hoagies. One place that's earned a reputation is Cosmo's Italian Salumeria in Hackensack. If you order up the number one, get ready to enjoy a full spectrum of top-quality meats, including ham, salami, and capicola. But that's just the start. Toss on some fresh mozzarella, provolone, and sweet peppers for the win. Green chilies are one of those foods that really need to make their way up from the south. Until it does finally happen, the city of Albuquerque boasts some fine green chilies. Relish is the spot to try some, and it's the Albuquerque turkey you want to order. Start with honey-roasted turkey on toasted sourdough. Then add Havarti cheese, tomatoes, chipotle mayo, and the star of the show, the green chilies. The Big Apple is an overwhelming place to visit. Before you run out the clock if you're visiting, however, it's imperative you dine at the famous Katz's Delicatessen for the NYC staple, pastrami on rye. We're talking a pile so high, even the most devout carnivore would stare in disbelief. While you can add whatever toppings you want, it's advised to stick with only mustard. So how long do you see yourself living in New York? Like forever. At least I did. Really? You want to end up like that? Few states love their barbecue like North Carolina, which means the pork sandwiches are next level. Especially at Stammy's BBQ in Greensboro, a whopping handful of slow-roasted pork is piled onto a bottom bun, and the only topping it needs is their house-made slaw, which is a super-secret recipe. And if you love the sandwich enough, you can order a bucket of pork and a bucket of slaw to make your own at home. Sometimes it's fun to get messy, and few foods offer a messier experience than Sloppy Joe's. The name describes exactly how the meal's about to go down. But if you want to make the most delicious mess possible, head to the fabulous Keg's Drive-In in Grand Forks. They keep their recipes simple — ground beef, onions, and tomato sauce. But for whatever reason, that place works the kind of wonders no home kitchen can achieve. When a hot dog craving strikes, there's really nothing else that can satisfy the urge. And if you're in Cleveland when one hits, you're in luck. They have something called Polish Boys, and a quick trip to Setti's Polish Boys gets you one. Using fat, glistening links of kielbasa sausage, Setti's plops each one in a bun and piles on fries, barbecue sauce or hot sauce, and slaw. Do you know what Oklahoma has? The best chicken fried steak sandwich around. And no one boasts about theirs quite like the people who founded Ann's Chicken Fryhouse in Oklahoma City. The kitchen serves half-pound cuts of steak, hand-breaded and deep-fried to perfection before being placed on their final resting place of a bun, with cream or brown gravy. Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day. Oregon received this memo, and the state responded accordingly with a breakfast sandwich known as the Reggie Deluxe. Pine State Biscuits is the place to go when you wake at the crack of dawn. You really can't start a day off better than with fried chicken, bacon, cheese, and gravy on a buttery biscuit — egg optional. Cheesesteak is the clear winner for the state's legendary sandwich, and one place that brags extra loudly is Tony Luke's. Their thinly-sliced ribeye steak is both hormone- and steroid-free, making for a clean eating experience. Of course, that feeling of healthy eating tends to take a backseat once you start adding Cheez Whiz and other toppings, but come on now, you're not ordering a cheesesteak to make your cardiologist smile. It's natural to feel awkward hesitation asking anyone for a hot wiener, please, but in Rhode Island, you're far from the first person to speak those words. Here, the hot wieners are similar to hot dogs, but any resident will tell you they're so much better. The best wieners are made with a mixture of meat, so they pack a savory punch. Len's Hot Dog Haven in Pawtucket is one of the best spots to order one, and it comes topped with mustard, meat sauce, onions, and celery salt. South Carolina takes a deep dive into the ocean for a tuna melt so good it hurts, and Groucho's Deli is one of the hot spots to get one. The tuna is caught fresh, and once it's combined with mayonnaise and spices to make the salad, Colby Jack and cheddar cheese are melted on top. All it takes is the addition of lettuce and tomato to complete this simple yet incredible staple. The pheasant is an animal that doesn't find its way onto many menus, but South Dakota wanted to change that, and the aptly named Pheasant Restaurant and Lounge in Brookings has a pheasant salad sandwich that establishes a newfound love. Ring-necked pheasant salad, a combination of shredded meat, dried cranberries, apples, and roasted pecans, rests on a bed of greens and veggies. Nashville is known for its hot chicken, and the people at Hattie B's Hot Chicken really take the cake when it comes to making a great hot chicken sandwich. Five ounces of chicken breast is breaded and fried in spicy oil to give every piece a hefty punch. Then the glazed cut is tucked into a bun and topped with pickles, slaw, and a one-of-a-kind condiment. Everything is bigger in Texas, or at least that's what native Texans say. And when it comes to food, Texas serves up some of the biggest and tastiest brisket sandwiches in the country. Just head to Le Barbecue in Austin if you want proof. You have the option of getting your brisket either chopped or sliced, and both are choices that both lead you down the road of happiness. Why would something called fry sauce dress any food other than, well, fries? You can find the answer at any one of Utah's Arctic Circle restaurants. A delicately fried fillet of halibut finds its home on a toasted bun with lettuce and, you guessed it, fry sauce. Bonus? If you really can't get enough of the sauce, Arctic Circle also sells it by the bottle. Vermont didn't mess around when it came time to name this iconic sandwich, so you better find yourself in line soon at Klinger's Bread Company in Burlington ordering one. This sandwich is perfect for anyone craving something savory with a hint of sweetness. Ham, cheddar cheese, and Granny Smith apples are topped with raspberry mayonnaise, then nestled between two delicious slices of bread. It's sweet, savory, and well worth the trip. Anyone who's spent even a short time in Virginia knows they can't travel too far without seeing the state's emblematic country ham sandwich advertised somewhere. But if you want to end up at one of the best ham-slingin' spots, venture to Old Chickahominy House in Williamsburg. You can order up the salted ham solo on a hot biscuit, but you can also up the game by adding bacon as well. Thanks to Seattle's large Vietnamese population, you don't have to save up for a trip to Vietnam to get your mitts on a fantastic banh mi sandwich. There are plenty of restaurant options to choose from, and Ye Ye's is right up there at the top of the list. Regardless of which protein you choose for the sandwich, it gets the standard banh mi treatment. Cucumbers, a heap of cilantro, and mayonnaise served on a baked French demi-baguette. Sure, you can ride off to your local McDonald's if you're looking for a quick and cheap sausage biscuit sandwich for breakfast, but the stuff served there is child's play compared to what Tudor's Biscuit World slings up for patrons in the city of Charleston. Start with a sandwich called the Ron, but finish wherever your appetite takes you. It's no shock that America's largest cheese-producing state, Wisconsin, rolls through with an absolute killer grilled cheese. Head to the city of Madison, where a food truck called Melted whips up a different menu all the time, and it seems like they never run out of astounding ideas. Take the gold standard, for example. You get not one, not two, but three kinds of cheese — sharp cheddar, muenster, and swiss. Why mess with perfection? People in Wyoming know their beef, and finding amazing cuts isn't difficult. If you want the most bang for your buck, T. Joe's Steakhouse & Saloon in Cheyenne has you covered. The restaurant offers a more-than-affordable lunch menu so you don't break the bank on your beef. Dive headfirst into the prime rib sandwich for an au jus-covered fiesta served on a hoagie bun. Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Mashed videos about local favorites are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.