Some regional sandwiches hit the big time, like the New Orleans muffuletta or the Los Angeles-born French dip, while others are famous only to those who grew up eating them. From Kentucky's Hot Brown to Chicago's Italian beef sandwich, there are enough regional specialties around the country to keep a traveling sandwich eater well-fed and happy. What is your favorite regional sandwich?
Lonely Planet has a list of 20 great regional sandwiches that is a good place to start for those interested in expanding their meat-and-cheese horizons. Some are a little terrifying (yet intriguing!), like the Horseshoe from Springfield, Illinois, an open-faced sandwich made with two pieces of toasted bread and two hamburger patties piled high with cheese-sauce-smothered French fries.
Others are well-known favorites, like the lobster roll, the po'boy and the Cuban, which fans argue was either invented in Tampa or Key West — or was it Cuba? If it ever comes up, just nod and keep eating; we've found that when it comes to great regional sandwiches, emotions run deep.
→ Check it out: A field guide to 20 great regional sandwiches of the USA at Lonely Planet
Do you have a favorite regional sandwich? Share your recommendations in the comments!
Related: Sandwiches of All Shapes & Sizes: 20 Sandwich Recipes for a Better Lunch
(Image: Flickr member Southern Foodways Alliance licensed under Creative Commons)
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Pork roll and cheese! (South Jersey)
Hot Brown! Turkey, bacon and cheese sauce - who needs anything more?!
Taylor ham, egg & cheese. (NJ - - sadly I have moved to NH and cannot get Taylor ham - a.k.a. pork roll. What was I thinking??)
Primanti's Famous Sandwich - Pittsburgh, PA
My favorite growing up in Texas was a chopped beef sandwich!
Primanti's Sandwich (Pittsburgh)
good call on the pork roll and cheese ashliej! visiting the folks in sj this weekend, i'll have to make one!
Chicago's Italian Beef, wet and hot (dipped in jus and topped with spicy giardinera). Even better, order a "combo" and you'll get it with an added Italian sausage.
I do love a NY pastrami sandwich. Mmmm mmm!
Lobster roll, but CT style: lobster and butter on a hot dog roll.
NO CONTEST: Primanti's Famous Sandwich - Pittsburgh, PA!
Chitown Italian Beef, dipped in jus and add giardinara or sweet peppers. FTW.
Hard choice... I only like muffulettas from Central Grocery. But po-boys are pretty good *almost* anywhere you go in NOLA. I would say my favorite is either a sloppy roast beef po-boy with lots of gravy or a dressed shrimp po-boy with Crystal hot sauce.
Buffalo's Beef on Weck
Primanti's! Pittsburgh Represent!
I'm with Maggie13 all the way. Nothing like a CT-style lobster roll. First thing I get whenever I am in state.
Saw a documentary on PBS a while back called "Sandwiches That You Will Like", exploring the different regional sandwiches across the US and the people who make them. I remember offhand po' boys, muffalettas, chipped ham, pastrami, Chicago Italian beef (with dip), Primanti's and lobster rolls. A real eye-opener and appetite-starter.
Crab Cake Sandwiches from Southern Maryland. These yummy sandwiches are made with local Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs. YUM!
Primanti Bros.
I would give my right arm for a lobster roll right now. I'm also partial to a good shrimp or oyster po' boy.
Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis from Matt's Bar.
I learned this as an old-fashioned regional sandwich (southeastern PA) but haven't heard much about it from others. The "combination" sandwich: Toast two slices of bread and put mayo on each. Layer inside the sandwich (in order): an egg scrambled with slivers of chipped ham, some very thin slices of sour pickle, lettuce, and lightly salted slices of tomato.
Try it! More than the sum of its parts.
Forgot: in the combination sandwich (posted above), don't use round pickle slices from a jar. Get high-quality whole ones and slice them the long way, very thin.
Pilgrim/Thanksgiving sandwiches in New England - my favorite!
Schwartz's smoked meat, with a kosher dill, fries and a Cott black cherry cola. Must get back to Montreal soon.
Fried pork loin (Iowa)
I have family in Massachusetts and grew up eating lobster rolls on hot dog buns. Did not realize it was unique to Connecticut. I just thought that was how it was supposed to be done.
In Philly - hot roast pork with extra sharp provolone and brocolli rabe
In Northern NJ - the sloppy joe which up here is a triple decker sandwich with cole slaw and russian dressing.
hellcat-- Connecticut vs. Maine is about the treatment of the meat: a Maine roll has mayo and is cold and a Connecticut roll has butter and is hot. I think they are pretty much all on hot dog rolls.
Baltimore Area-
Pit Beef (avoid Chaps, all hype)
and Lump crabcakes made with saltines...mmm
Glad to see so many Primanti Brothers fan here!
I don't know if the Primanti sandwich qualifies as a regional sandwich. It's basically a creation of one particular restaurant in Pittsburgh, right? Nitpicking, I know..