The best sandwiches in New York City, according to a bona fide sandwich hound

New York City has no shortage of fabulous restaurants. Steakhouses! Small plates! Omakase! Whatever you want, we've got it. But I'd argue there is no finer dish than the sandwich. Humble, maybe, but when a sandwich is done right, it's a delightful dance that weds disparate textures and flavours.

Let's take a classic Italian deli sub. You're telling me there's a better combination out there than salty cold cuts, crunchy veggies, and the satisfying blend of zingy vinegar and creamy mayo between two pillowy-yet-crunchy slices of bread? I don't think so, honey. The same logic applies to hefty reubens from an uptown Jewish delicatessen, or bánh mì Vietnamese from a hot spot in Lower Manhattan. It's all about a mix of ingredients that push and pull each other into a beautiful embrace. The best sandwiches toe the line between pure hedonism and health – the bite of vinegar and brine, the crunch of fresh vegetables.

For someone like me, who is always called by the siren song of bread and its fillings, there is no shortage of great sandwiches in New York City. I have stumbled into countless nondescript mom-and-pop butcher shops to learn they really know how to put together a solid sub; I can walk to my corner deli and get a perfect chopped cheese 23 hours a day (they close around 3am each night to clean the grill, which I unfortunately know from experience). Which is all to say, the quick, grab-able nature of a sandwich is a match made in heaven for a city that never sleeps, a population that is always on the go, a place where you're always five minutes late but so is everyone else – and yet we all still expect the very best from every meal.

Below is a start at a list of my favourite sandwiches: these are the spots I know will never disappoint, whether I'm just passing by on my way to somewhere else, or bringing a gaggle of out-of-towners I want to impress while we stomp around town. It's hardly exhaustive of the city's offerings, but it's a start. And if there is usually a line? I've warned you, with my tips for navigating the crowds and getting the sandwich you deserve without too much agita. I promise, every sandwich here is worth its salt.

Sal, Kris & Charlie's Deli

This spot in Astoria has been open since 1940! So yeah, they know their way around a deli sandwich. These sky-high, foot-long sandwiches are feats of engineering, with a pretty quintessential Italian deli approach: Some mix of cold cuts or deli meats, with the option to add sweet peppers, hot peppers, provolone or American, oil and vinegar, lettuce and tomato. They're known for a sandwich called “The Bomb,” which combines the ingredients of two sandwiches on the menu and is therefore twice as tall as your average sandwich – it has more types of meat than I can count (or personally need). Obviously TikTok loves it, but I prefer the classic Italian or to build my own with turkey. Bring cash and a friend (or two) to share. There's no seating, so these are best picked up on your way to the Astoria waterfront – though I have just eaten my order standing outside on the sidewalk, and I wouldn't blame you for doing the same.

Address: 33-12 23rd Ave, Astoria
Website: salkrisandcharlies.com

Bánh Anh Em

When Bánh Anh Em opened, we added it to our list of the Best New Restaurants in New York City. The city certainly has its great bánh mi joints, most of which are mom-and-pop shops that have been around for decades (Saigon is a favourite among our team; I also love Ba Xuyên in Sunset Park). But Bánh Anh Em has set the bar so high – it's literally an entire sit-down restaurant focused on bánh mis, a grab-and-go sandwich most commonly offered via counter service – that I can barely complain about the line that forms 30 minutes before opening because the sandwiches are that perfect (tips on how to beat the wait in a minute). The bread is baked fresh, and you can tell when you bite into the perfectly crunchy exterior and feel how fluffy it has remained inside. There is no shortage of choices when it comes to your main filling, from the classic “O.G.” with Vietnamese cold cuts, to the ribeye grilled over charcoal – though there are also niche offerings you won't find on many nearby menus, like lemongrass beef wrapped in betel leaf or a homemade paté and sausage combo topped with sunny side up eggs. There's a lightly fried tofu and pesto duo for vegetarians, or, in the very opposite direction, my favourite: the crispy pork belly with the kind of perfectly fried skin that crackles between your teeth, which I usually order in addition to the miniature yet decadent 2-piece pate starter (share both with a friend or lover and you're set). What they nail is the light, zesty mix of veggies and tangy sauces, and the overall ratio which means that, just like the great bành mi you might buy on the streets of Hanoi, each closes in on itself and can be held in one hand without spilling its guts like a hoagie. If you want to eat inside, you will have to queue, but my move is to place an online order (usually ready in less time than it takes to finish a beer at the pub next door) and eat it sitting on the plastic stools outside.

Address: 99 3rd Ave, East Village
Website: banhanhem.com

Faicco's

My sister Heather gets credit for taking me to Faicco's for the first time – we were marathon training and wanted to end a long run at a perfect sandwich. If you are ever marathon training, or want to eat like you are, Faicco's is the spot. This tiny deli has Italian flags hanging from the ceiling and the walls are crammed with imported tins of fish and olives and brined veggies. Of course there's an Italian with tons of gabagool and fresh mozz, and oozing hot sandwiches like the chicken parm. But there's also a muffuleta! Sausage and broccoli! Eggplant parm for the veggies. Go wild, work your way through the menu. Yes, each sandwich is $20-something, but half will be more than enough for now – the rest can make another meal later.

Address: 260 Bleecker St, West Village
Website: order.online

Farmer in the Deli

Farmer in the Deli is so nondescript – it looks like any corner deli in Brooklyn because, technically, it is. I actually ended up at the original 357 Myrtle location by chance, only to get to the front and realise this spot was doing things differently. Their slogan, which always cracks me up, is “We don't make sandwiches, we build them”. The sandwiches are your standard build-your-own deli fare until you reach one crucial juncture: You can have yours chopped, meaning that all the inside ingredients are laid on butcher paper then lovingly hacked at, until you're left with a tuna salad-style filling that is slid into the bread like a bricklayer's mortar. Maybe you do a simple turkey-lettuce-mayo-mustard concoction that feels anything but boring in its new format; maybe you actually do a tuna sandwich with all the crunchy little veggies inside. There are no rules. And yes, a generous squirt of mayo tends it to hold together, so speak up quickly if you want them to go light. When the weather is nice, take your Frankenstein of a sub over to Fort Greene park so you can people watch while making an absolute mess. It's worth it.

Address: Two locations: Fort Greene & Clinton Hill
Website: instagram.com

Court Street Grocers

Court Street Grocers is the New School of NYC sandwich shops. This isn't a deli counter where you build your own, but a cutesy little storefront where dudes with beards and Sharpies tucked into their Carhartts offer a pretty solid menu of sandwiches that don't require any alteration. The bread may be ciabatta if you're going for a pork shoulder sandwich; the reuben (also available with turkey) comes on a perfect seeded rye; semolina heroes add a toasty flavour to the American sandwiches and a simple-but-satisfying Clean Turkey. Almost every sandwich on the menu has a veggie alternative, and in some cases, the veggie is so good as to stand alone from the original; I choose the Vegetarian made with roasted sweet potato instead of the meat option every time, and I am very into eating meat. There are also tuna and salmon sandwiches, for your pescatarian friends, plus Dr. Browns sodas and Zapp's chips (get the voodoo flavour and shove it into your sandwich, please).

Address: Multiple locations: Williamsburg, Carroll Gardens, Washington Square Park
Website: courtstreetgrocers.com

Sunny & Annie's Deli

If you're on SandwichTok, you've seen Sunny & Annie's Deli. This 24/7 Korean-owned corner shop, opened in 1997, has been making a range of creative sandwiches, many named after politicians, for years, but recently the phones have turned on the pho sandwiches – that is, sandwiches stuffed to the brim with pho-ingredients-minus-the-broth. The thing is, the famous pho combos all make for a messy meal (they might as well have broth given the drippings coming off these things), and it only gets more interesting when you factor in that this is a takeout-only joint, meaning you will be enjoying your sloppy S&A on a bench at nearby Tompkins Square Park. Ask for many napkins, and trust you will enjoy the tender stewed meat in blissful harmony with crunchy bean sprouts, zesty cilantro, jalapeño slices, and the bite of sriracha. The current special with spicy squid is really something (and it's not squid-y, if that's your concern) but there are half a dozen options for pho sandwiches alone, so don't hold back. Explore. And bring cash.

Address: 4 Ave B East 6th Street, East Village
Website: instagram.com

Defonte's Sandwich Shop

When you walk in and see photos of Sopranos cast members posing with staff on the wall, you know you're in the right spot. Defonte's has been at it for 100 years. Their sandwiches are worth trekking to Red Hook for (bonus points if it's summer and you ride your bicycle along the waterfront, then enjoy your sub at the park with a view of the Statue of Liberty), but Defonte's has its regulars – teachers, firefighters, construction workers, neighbours – who come in day in and day out for a reliably good sandwich. It has that everyday appeal: the menu is large (and in addition to deli subs and hot Italian sandwiches, they have simpler options like egg and cheese), and while their sandwiches will fill you up, they aren't so colossal as to feel ridiculous for a workday lunch. I love their bottled soda selection (Stewart's, etc., including sugar-free flavours), and buying a few stuffed peppers on the side.

Address: 379 Columbia St, Red Hook
Website: defontes-sandwich-shop.placejoys.com

Pisillo Italian Panini

Maybe I shouldn't spill on my own lunch spot? But whatever. The Pisillo I go to, just above the Fulton Street subway station, is a storage-unit sized sandwich shop with a menu that lists 35 options, all of which are subtle variations on the same ingredients: meats like speck and prosciutto, veggies like sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes, cheeses like fresh mozz or provolone. Each sandwich is named after somewhere in Italy (Trieste, Sant'Agata, Pompeii!) and the walls are covered in Italian memorabilia (plus a ton of articles that have already featured them). Whatever you do, I suggest adding the hot spread of peppers and/or balsamic if they aren't already included (they add the perfect bit of moisture), and bring cash.

Address: Multiple locations: FiDi, Times Square, Chelsea
Website: pisillopanini.com

S&P Lunch

Court Street Grocers team took over this longstanding delicatessen and the sandwiches came out on top. I love hustling into S&P for a workday lunch meeting: Just stand in line by the hostess stand, even if you're still waiting for your dining companion to arrive, and when it's your turn you'll be whisked to the counter or a table where you can enjoy a perfect tuna melt, turkey club, or the Mel Brooks, which balances the healthy choice of roast turkey with a single slice of tender corned beef, plus mustard, slaw, and Russian dressing. There are also breakfast sandwiches that make use of the likes of pastrami and lox, plus a dairy section (hello melon with cottage cheese!), and great sides. Fountain sodas round out the retro experience, so go on and get an egg cream to wash it all down.

Address: 174 5th Ave, Flatiron
Website: sandwich.place

Katz's

Groundbreaking, I know, but when you're walking by at just the right moment when the line to enter is waning or – gasp – nonexistent, few things are as delightful as popping into Katz's deli and being reminded why those tourists are always willing to wait for it. I don't condone line-waiting for food in a city so bursting with great options, but when fate allows you to stroll in, do so. Grab a number and line up at the counter, and definitely ask for a sample if you're torn between the corned beef, juicy brisket, or (my favourite) the pastrami. Definitely get some pickles, and enjoy the spicy mustard on every table. Classics are classics for a reason – the meat is ridiculously juicy (this is New York City's oldest deli, open since 1888, so I guess you learn a thing or two with that kind of time), and the atmosphere is undeniably as movie-worthy as it always was. Yes the sandwiches are expensive, but like most of these spots, you can plan to share.

Address: 205 E Houston St, Lower East Side
Website: katzsdelicatessen.com

Nishaan

It took me a while to try Nishaan, because their Pakistani chopped cheese was so popular when this tiny restaurant opened that I wanted to avoid my greatest fear: a line. Who can blame the masses? A chopped cheese – the griddle-diced mess of ground beef and American, slid onto a bun and usually topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayo – is already a perfect sandwich. And this one, which swaps in a Chapli patty of spiced minced meat, and adds grilled peppers and onions plus a second cheese (pepperjack), while delivering even more flavour via side servings of lime cilantro sauce and tamarind chutney, has the volume turned way up. The toasty flavour of the Pakistani spices is perfectly at home here. Unsurprisingly, other combos they offer like the bihari barbacoa tacos also work so well that you'll wonder why nobody thought of them sooner.

Address: 160 1st Ave, East Village
Website: eatnishaan.com

Liebman's Deli

If you want great pastrami without the Katz's line, it's Liebman's in the Bronx. This Jewish deli does far more than pastrami, with a full deli counter and dine-in menu – there are frankfurters with sauerkraut and other pickled things, knishes and latkes, matzo ball soup, and even gefilte fish – but the sky-high sandwiches are the reason to take the train all the way uptown. Here the pastrami is thin sliced and layered like a mille-feuille between pillowy slices of rye; their addictive coleslaw and pickles are included on the side, and you can have your pick between deli mustard, Russian dressing, or a horseradish mayo.

Address: 552 W 235th St, Bronx
Website: liebmansdeli.com

All'Antico Vinaio

In Florence, locals will bemoan the lines at All'Antico Vinaio, because there are so many other incredible focaccia sandwich shops around that don't require a wait. I agree. Luckily, in New York City, there are never lines at any of the locations, and if you're craving two massive squares of foccacia slathered in burrata and pistachio sauce or gorgonzola and balsamic, and holding the likes of arugula and cured meat, this is your very best bet. It's like lifting an entire charcuterie board to your face and diving in. While other sandwiches are best to share, my take on this one – don't ask me why – is that you will probably only want half now, but you'll want the other half in a few hours.

Address: Multiple locations: Times Square, Grand Central, Nomad, FiDi, etc.
Website: allanticovinaiousa.com

This article was originally published by Condé Nast Traveler US