The 15 best sandwiches in America

What makes a great sandwich? Is it the bread? The fillings? The quality of the ingredients? Or is it how all the components work together? Whatever the formula, these 15 sandwiches have it down pat, because they’re the absolute best restaurant sandwiches in America.

The 15 Best Sandwiches in America (Slideshow)

The sandwich is one of the most versatile and far-reaching types of food in existence. For all intents and purposes, as long as it’s between two slices of bread or between two halves of a roll, you can call it a sandwich (so, yes, that does mean hamburgers and hot dogs are sandwiches, but we’re not including those, or breakfast sandwiches, in this ranking). Sandwiches can be boring or they can be life-alteringly exciting; they can be super healthy or they can be gut-bustingly greasy; they can be super cheap or they can be outrageously expensive; they can be hot or they can be cold.

For today’s purposes, the following sandwiches all fit the bill for perfection in several regards. Not only is there a perfect harmony between bread and fillings, not only is every ingredient sourced with pride and made with love, not only are these sandwiches insanely delicious, they’re also culinary icons. These are sandwiches that should be sought out. Eating one of these sandwiches is like meeting a famous celebrity: For a brief moment in time, the two of you shared a space and had a moment, and it’s an experience you’ll never forget.

If we appear to be waxing philosophical, well, these sandwiches are just that good. They’ve managed to transcend the mundane and reach stratospheric levels of fame with a rabid fan base. These sandwiches may get a lot of hype, but one bite will tell you that they’re worth it.