Meh. I’ve only been to Cole’s once, and I really wasn’t impressed. I thought Philippe’s was miles ahead of them.
And now I’m wishing I had chosen differently when a friend asked what I wanted to do for lunch today…
True, but the fun of eating one then the other for a whole week? Both places are rather dump-like last time I visisted, altho I heard they re-did Coles.
My trip to Cole’s was maybe 7 years ago. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the decor, and the area around it is slowly improving with the rest of downtown. And I wouldn’t turn down a free sandwich or ten from either place.
That being said, I still think Langer’s is well-justified in being on this list (although the comments here make me wonder if most of the others belong here).
If it’s an ‘eat here before you die’ sandwich place you want, Chicago should be represented by Manny’s.
The “cram everything between two slices of bread and wrap it in paper” thing goes back to when they served mainly truck drivers who were delivering stuff to The Strip. The idea was that it was something they could eat with one hand while driving. They were just another cheap, working class place with a small gimmick. Nobody would have described it as a place you “needed” to visit. The Strip, itself, was occupied principally by wholesalers at the time.
Then yuppies and hipsters “discovered” The Strip. Although there are still wholesalers in business there, The Strip is now yuppified and hipsterized and full of foo-foo and, suddenly, Primantis is on the food channels_despite the quality of their food not having changed.
Katz’s is a tourist trap. When it was in Time’s Square, Lindy’s was my favorite deli sandwich in NYC. Since they moved they are not quite as good but still great and worth eating.
I would vote for Bari’s or Johnnie’s (Italian Beef) myself. (ETA: Or J.P. Graziano’s). Manny’s is great, but Katz’s (or Carnegie Deli) better represents that type of sandwich shop.
In my list of “greatest sandwiches I’ve ever eaten,” I would have to include Tony Luke’s Italian roast pork sandwich (Philly.) And, while it’s really simple, Charlie the Butcher’s Beef on Weck (Buffalo, NY) is also one of my absolute favorites.
Capriotti’s seems to have a huge variation between stores. There’s a location on Paradise and Harmon that I go to for lunch pretty regularly, and it’s consistently great. There’s another on the corner of Eastern and Warm Springs that’s consistently terrible (although mercifully glass-free). I haven’t tried other locations repeatedly, but it’s always been pretty variable.
Weisz’s Deli in Green Valley also has some pretty great sandwiches, but they’re expensive and slow as molasses. If you’re craving a reuben, though, it’s worth the wait.
"The Yellow Deli, open 24 hours a day, is extremely cozy and serves the best sandwiches in Rutland, Vermont. "
Talk about damning with faint praise! (Rutland, VT not particularly known for being any kind of cultural/food mecca).
Heh! Let’s see, I’ve been there once for the movies (ETA: and terrible Chinese buffet in that strip mall near the movies) and once to the bus station. I will have to look for this deli next time I am passing through.
I just noticed this:
Lee’s Sandwiches (Chandler, AZ)
Now, Lee’s is part of a giant chain, and their sandwiches are inexpensive, with fresh baguettes. if they serve the Vietnamese style you can try some interesting options.
But a “Sandwich Shop in America to Eat at Before You Die”??? Hardly. And I pity poor Az if Lee’s is the best they got.
Yeah, I was surprised by that one, too. My in laws live out in that direction, and they do make a fine banh mi, but I can’t imagine that place making a list of Top 21 sandwich destinations in the country. That said, I wouldn’t mind a location or two out here…
Zingerman’s is great, as long as you don’t panic when you see the menu boards. They have a lot of fucking sandwiches, and whatever you order, you will see many people get things that you would have rather gotten.
Wow, it never occurred to me that the Lee’s mentioned in the poll had anything to do with the Lee’s sandwich shop off Bellaire, here in Houston. Take back what I said about bahn mi then, but Jeez, Lees isn’t in the top 5 in Houston, never mind the US.
Primantis and the Melt Bar I was OK with but the Cheese Shop really matched its rep IMHO.
Huh, I didn’t realize Melt was that big a deal. I mean, they’re good, but they’re not “you have to come to Cleveland just to go there” good.
Damn, now I’m jonesing for a big greasy Primanti’s cheesesteak. Haters gonna hate.
(Hipsters? In Pittsburgh?)
There are a couple places outside I would have picked more. From Cleveland I’ll often run over to Tiffin for Shellshuckers (or whatever its current name is) and their bacon wrapped grinders. Imagine a hoagie wrapped in a bacon crust without it getting soggy. There is almost a cardiac event in each sandwich but it is soooooo worth it.
I’ve eaten Zingerman’s. Never been there, but I’ve eaten a sandwich from there.