8 Iconic Regional Sandwiches From Across the U.S.

Food fads come and go — no one’s lining up for liver and onions or tapioca pudding these days — but the sandwich has remained at the top of the charts since the first human slapped some form of tasty filling between two pieces of bread. And although sandwiches exist around the world, immigrants brought their favorites to American cities over the years, creating what’s arguably the best sandwich culture on Earth. Here are eight great sandwiches and the cities that wouldn’t be the same without them.

Cuban – Miami, Florida

Unsurprisingly, the Cuban sandwich originated in Cuba, derived from the popular sandwich mixto. Consisting of roast pork (often marinated in citrusy mojo sauce), ham, cheese, mustard, and pickles (the sole nod to vegetables) and served on buttered pressed Cuban bread, the mixto made its way north with Cuban immigrants from the streets of Havana to Florida. 

The Tampa version of a Cuban adds salami, a contribution from the city’s many Italian immigrants, while in Key West you’ll often find mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato added. But Miami proudly claims the title of “Cuban Sandwich Capital,” and it’s hard to find one that’s not simply delicioso. Favorite spots include Sanguich, which cures their own ham, makes their own mustard, and brines their own pickles, and Puerto Sagua, which has been serving them for decades.

Muffaletta – New Orleans, Louisiana

Whether you pronounce it “moofaletta” or “muffaletta” (or spell it muffaletta or muffuletta) is a matter of taste, but this scrumptious New Orleans sandwich is a winner any way you say it. It was invented in the early 1900s by Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant and proprietor of the French Quarter’s Central Grocery. Italian workers in a hurry would come in and order lunches of bread, cheese, meat, and olives — Lupo invented the time-saving recipe that combines them all.

The classic is served on a round of sesame seed-speckled Italian bread, with layers of ham, salami, mortadella, Swiss cheese, Provolone, and a briny marinated olive salad filled with chopped olives and other pickled vegetables. 

Hot Chicken – Nashville, Tennessee

Legend has it that a lover’s quarrel is responsible for Nashville’s favorite sandwich, made famous by Thornton Prince, who founded Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in 1945. According to Prince, a jealous girlfriend once fried up chicken dusted with a punishing amount of peppers, and he loved the concoction so much that he opened a restaurant. Typically served on white bread (or occasionally a brioche bun) with pickles and a mayonnaise-based sauce, Nashville Hot Chicken can now be found nationwide. (Don’t tell Prince’s, but we like Hattie B’s, too.)

Kālua Pork – Honolulu, Hawaii

Earthy, smoky, and bursting with sweet and tangy flavors, Kālua pork captures the spirit of Hawaii. Traditionally prepared by slow-roasting a whole banana-leaf-wrapped pig in an imu — an underground oven lined with hot stones — the food is a staple of luaus. Kālua pork is delicious plain on a plate, but in sandwich form, the succulent meat is piled on a soft roll, dressed with crunchy cabbage coleslaw, and drizzled with barbecue sauce. Macaroni salad is the superior side accompaniment, and although you can find the sandwiches all over Honolulu, one of the most beloved places to try it is Helena’s.

Cheesesteak – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“You want it ‘wit’ or ‘witout?’” When ordering a cheesesteak sandwich in Philadelphia, the steak is implied. You begin the order by stating cheese preference — prov (provolone), American, or Whiz (yep, that Whiz) — then you indicate if you prefer the sandwich with fried onions or without. Green peppers and mushrooms aren’t traditional, but are optional add-ons.

Wit or witout, the classic Philly cheesesteak consists of thinly sliced ribeye on a soft roll (preferably Amoroso’s) with melted cheese (or “Cheez”), ordered quickly and served briskly with a little attitude. Pat’s (the establishment credited as the inventor of the dish) and Geno’s have a legendary rivalry over who serves the best cheesesteak in town, but we also like John’s. 

Italian Beef – Chicago, Illinois

A hundred years before FX’s The Bear swept the Emmy Awards, Chicagoans were happily tucking into Italian beef sandwiches (“beefs”) at joints all over the city. Tough (and thus cheap) cuts of meat are roasted slowly in a well-spiced jus, sliced paper-thin, piled on Italian bread, and garnished with peppers (hot or sweet) and spicy giardiniera, a mix of pickled green olives, peppers, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and cauliflower. Order it dry (jus shaken off), wet (with a spoon of jus), or dipped (where the whole sandwich is quickly submerged in gravy). Al’s #1 Italian Beef on Taylor Street claims to be the original, but every Chicagoan claims that their neighborhood spot is the best. 

French Dip – Los Angeles, California

“French” refers to the bread, not the birthplace, of this made-in-L.A. sandwich, which (similar to Chicago’s Italian beef) piles thinly sliced roast beef on bread (in this case, French bread) and tops it off with savory beef jus. Two downtown restaurants still duke it out over the invention: Philippe’s claims an accidental sandwich drop led to the creation in 1918, while Cole’s swears they deliberately softened a sandwich for a customer’s tender gums in 1908. Either way, horseradish sauce remains undisputed as the accompanying condiment of choice.

Sonoran Hot Dog – Phoenix, Arizona

Argue all day that a hot dog isn’t a sandwich: Arizona remains unbothered. A staple from the Mexican state of Sonora, this tasty dog has now spread throughout the region, with hundreds of dogueros offering the Sonoran at carts and restaurants throughout Phoenix. The sky’s the limit with this version of the hot dog, which starts with a bacon-wrapped dog and then piles on everything your heart could desire. The basics are beans, tomatoes, onions, and mayonnaise, but aficionados often add cheese, jalapeños, mushrooms, and guacamole. Cash-only Nogales is the gold standard.