With Dallas’s diverse population comes a diverse range of cuisines, and if there’s one dish every culture can boast, it’s some version of a sandwich. Dallas offers countless ways to eat meat, cheese, and veggies packed between a couple of slices of bread, with international flavors well represented. Whether you’re on the hunt for a saucy Italian sub, a lobster roll loaded with plump meat, or a solid banh mi lathered with pate, consider this list a guide to some of the city’s best. Go forth, and wrap your hands around seven of the best sandwiches in the Metroplex.
Quôc Bao Bakery
Dallas has no shortage of top-tier Vietnamese restaurants, but this bakery in Garland is the place to go for banh mi. Because it’s a bakery first and banh mi shop second, the baguettes are made fresh on site and achieve the perfect crunchy-to-soft ratio. The meat is plentiful and the price is right—between five and six dollars per sandwich, or buy-two-get-one-free. The Combination Banh Mi stands among the most popular, layered with pork belly and two types of ham with all the fixings, including cucumber for a refreshing bite. 3419 W Walnut St. #104, Garland
Jimmy’s Food Store
For those who long for the classic Italian delis of the East Coast, Jimmy’s is a worthy Texas alternative. The grocery store and wine shop, which stocks only Italian wines, is the Dallas go-to for satisfying subs. The shop slings sandwiches the size of birthday cake rounds, and customers polish them right off. Jimmy’s enthusiasts can’t agree on a favorite, but the Muffuletta is a must-have, brimming with mortadella, ham, Genoa salami, Provolone cheese, and olive salad. The Italian Stallion and Cuban are close seconds. 4901 Bryan St., Dallas, jimmysfoodstore.com
Weinberger’s Deli
People who have no reason to go to Grapevine veer out of their way just for Weinberger’s Deli. The casual, counter-service institution stays true to its Chicago-deli roots, and its claim to fame is the Italian Beef sandwich. Served “wet” or “dry” on fresh Italian bread, the sub holds plenty of beef, homemade pepper relish, and a choice of fixings. Owner Dan Weinberger is a sandwich buff who prepares the Italian beef daily according to an old family recipe. 601 S. Main St., Grapevine, weinbergersdeli.com
Pizzeria Testa
Pizzeria Testa is as authentic a Neapolitan restaurant as you’ll find in Dallas. In addition to tasty pies, the menu features Panuozzi, wood-fired sandwiches cooked dome-shaped ovens. The Caprese layers sliced tomatoes grown in the soil of Mt. Vesuvius with fresh mozzarella and basil, and seasoned with sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil. Frankly, it’s worth popping into Pizzeria Testa just to smell it. 8660 Church St., Frisco, pizzeriatesta.com
Urban Seafood Company
It might come as a surprise that land-locked Dallas has such a long list of fine seafood restaurants, and in turn, lots of worthy lobster rolls to choose from. Urban Seafood slings the purist version. A toasted hot-dog bun teems with giant chunks of lobster meat dressed only in drawn butter. Every bite is ecstasy, even once you’ve finished and moved on to the crispy fries. 1104 14th St., Plano, urbanseafoodcompany.com
El Atoron
There’s a reason why this grab-and-go taqueria has four locations around the Metroplex – its enormous tortas have a rabid fan base. The popular Mexican street food is known for its fluffy buns filled with various meats, cheeses, beans, and condiments. At El Atoron, the buns are baked fresh in house, and the variety of sandwiches is geographical. There are Spanish, Hawaiian, and German offerings, with the fillings reflecting each location’s cuisine. The Cubana is among the best, made with pork sausage, ham, hot links, fried steak, and your choice of fixings, including avocados and onions. Enjoy with the made-in-house salsas, which are delightfully spicy. Multiple locations, elatorondallas.com
Ocean Prime
Folded into other ingredients, crab sometimes fades into the background. What makes the Maryland crab melt on Ocean Prime’s lunch menu so special is that the crab is front and center, with other ingredients only highlighting its flavor. What could be better than a blue-crab cake on a toasted bun with a thick slice of Tilamook cheddar melted over the top? 2101 Cedar Springs Rd., Dallas, ocean-prime.com
Yokozuna Bento•Sando
Visually appealing with their clean, triangular cuts and perfect filling stripes, Japanese sandos (aka sandwiches constructed with pillowy Japanese milk bread) make for a tasty grab-and-go lunch. This Plano-based spot offers classic sandos, including chicken katsu, tamago (omelet), and fruit-filled. 2711 West 15th St., Plano, yokozunaplano.com
Sachet
It’s tough to find delicious falafel outside of the Middle East, but this upscale Mediterranean restaurant knocks it out of the park—in no small part thanks to fresh pita baked in the wood-fired oven. Cucumber and tomato, homemade hummus, herb tahini, and hot sauce top the falafel balls, and diners may choose between a side of fries or a cucumber salad. This sandwich is only on the lunch menu, but don’t let that stop you from sampling from the gin-and-tonic list. The Zephyr (lemon, lime, juniper berries, fennel frond, and house-made tonic) makes a nice pairing. 4270 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, sachetdallas.com
Dallas Grilled Cheese Co.
This little sandwich shop across from SMU, with the warm woods and steel drop lights, slings every variation on the ultimate comfort food. Think bacon-and-jalapeño-popper grilled cheese on white bread, chicken fajita grilled cheese on jalapeño-cheddar bread, and even a grilled peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich with cream cheese. Don’t knock it until you try it. 5319 E. Mockingbird Ln., Dallas, dallasgrilledcheese.co
S&D Oyster Company
It’s all oysters, all the time, at this iconic seafood mainstay with red-and-white checkered tablecloths and servers clad in old-timey bowties. Try them on the half shell raw or grilled, or sink your teeth into the fried oyster loaf. The toasted buttered bun has just the right level of crunch and teems with deep-fried oysters. 2701 McKinney Ave., Dallas, sdoyster.com
The Po Boy Shop
As the newest joint on the Dallas sandwich-shop scene, this fast-casual Cajun fusion spot offers six hot po boy options, including the Dirty Cajun, made of house-prepared boudin (pork and rice sausage), pickled jalapeños, and cheddar jack. Diners can also choose to customize a cold po boy, mixing and matching deli meats, cheeses, sauces, and toppings. 8421 Westchester Dr., Dallas, thepoboyshop.com
Cadot
The most classic of French sandwiches, the straightforward Croque Monsieur (toasted bread, ham, and melted cheese) is the ultimate comfort food. At this adorable bistro, with white tablecloths and still-life paintings in ornate vintage frames, the Provolone on the Croque Monsieur is a nice departure from the typical gruyere, and Texas toast provides a local twist. 18111 Preston Rd., #120, Dallas, cadotrestaurant.com
Billy Can Can
Swanky Victory Park steakhouse and saloon Billy Can Can offers an off-the-charts Skatefish Sandwich, the mild, tender skate wing crisped to perfection with jalapeño gribiche (a piquant mayo-like sauce), pickles made in-house, and tangy comeback sauce. The Billy Burger is a close second, piled high with cheddar, bacon, caramelized onions, and pickled jalapeños. 2386 Victory Park Ln., Dallas, billycancan.com
Sourdough Bread Deli
It would be impossible to pick just one “best sandwich” from this deli, where the bread is baked from scratch every morning and every ingredient is fresh. That means no frozen vegetables, no bleached flour, and no pre-cooked meats. Try the chicken bbq sandwich with mozzarella and homemade coleslaw. 4120 W. 15th St., Plano, sourdoughbreaddeli.com
Cattleack BBQ
If there’s one thing Dallas has a bounty of, it’s top notch barbecue, which means there is no shortage of sandwiches loaded with tender smoked meats. Cattleack BBQ, recently awarded Michelin’s Bib Gourmand, draws snaking lines for its burnt ends, wagyu baloney, and cornbread. You can’t go wrong with any of the sandwiches, but the Toddfather, built with brisket, pulled pork, sausage, and homemade slaw with barbecue sauce, is downright famous in town. 13628 Gamma Rd., Dallas, cattleackbbq.com
