The best sandwiches in America

Don’t we all feel like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally when eating one of these babies? Perhaps the most classic sandwich in America, Katz’s juicy, sliced-to-order pastrami has been perfected over more than a century, since back in 1888 when the classic Lower East Side deli was founded. Slathered with mustard, perched on chewy rye and accompanied by sour pickles, this is a NYC must-eat. $19.95 

Located just outside of Boston, this beloved sandwich shop crafts drool-inducing creations such as the Spuckie (salami, capicola, mortadella and mozzarella layered on ciabatta) and a Saturday-only roast pork with broccoli rabe and provolone on a seeded roll. Our favorite is the impressively sized Roast Beef 1000, rich slices of brioche stuffed with rare-roasted beef and sharp cheddar, slicked with housemade Thousand Island dressing and sprinkled with crispy shallots. $9.95 

This Portland BBQ joint is perennially packed with pork-lovers who seek out various preparations of expertly smoked cuts: dry-rubbed ribs, sliced shoulder and ham. Its sandwiches, served on excellent sourdough rolls, are fantastic: our favorite features those juicy slices of pork shoulder, stacked with braised greens and shot through with spicy vinegar. $10 

This Seattle butcher shop certainly knows its way around meat, which shows in an excellent roster of sandwiches graced with the likes of crispy pork belly, house-smoked ham and pulled pork. We’re partial to the over-the-stop Swinery Spectacular, a pork-glorifying triple dose of all those aforementioned meats, plus melty Swiss cheese, creamy Dijon aioli and briny house pickles. $13.50

The conceit behind this Mission sandwich shop is genius: all ‘wiches are served “Pittsburgh style,” heaped with coleslaw and fries in between the bread. The Italian-American spot specializes in all manner of Old World meats but we’re partial to the spicy capicola, layered, along with provolone, between two slices of an excellent Italian load. $8.50

Denver is graced with no shortage of excellent Mexican food, among which Torta Grill’s overstuffed sandwiches stand out. These bad boys tend to double down on rich meats such as breaded fried steak and pork loin, but the Carlito keeps it simple: just excellent, tender carnitas (pork braised in its own fat), anointed with creamy avocado salsa. $8.33

Hang your head in shame, Philadelphia: the best cheesesteak in the country is whipped up across the Delaware in Camden, New Jersey. Served on a soft, poppy-seed-sprinkled Kaiser roll, the sandwich features tender, griddle-sizzled steak and plenty of soft caramelized onions and melty American cheese. Buyer beware: you might need to devour more than one. $8

This seasonal food truck parks itself in Portland’s beautiful coastal Fort Williams Park each spring and summer, serving up fresh Maine lobster that’s pristine and perfectly cooked. Three types of lobster rolls are available, and they’re all unimpeachable: Maine style, with fresh chives and just a bit of mayo; Connecticut style, with hot butter; or picnic style, with hot butter, fresh coleslaw and celery salt. $17.49

Though po’ boy loyalty is fierce in NOLA, many residents and tourists alike agree that one of the very best is found at Parkway, a family-run spot that’s been crafting excellent, seafood-piled po’ boys since 1911. It’s hard to decide between the fried oyster and fried shrimp iterations, but we usually go for the latter, the plump crustaceans outfitted in a crisp golden crust and piled into an airy loaf “fully dressed” with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo. $7.85

This Philly eatery, around since 1930, does just a few things—cheesesteaks, roast beefs and roast pork sandwiches—but it does them right. Our favorite of the three is the roast pork: meltingly tender slices of meat, sharp provolone cheese and garlicky wilted spinach. Yum. $6.50