The Iconic Sandwich That Defines Each State

Similar in texture to pulled pork, this Southern favorite is made with roasted, shredded chicken. Piled on a bun, the chicken is slathered with Alabama white sauce, a mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, salt, pepper, sugar, and cayenne.

Reindeer were brought to Alaska from Siberia in the late 19th century to diversify the state’s food industry. Although reindeer never became the main source of meat for Alaskans, reindeer sausages are often consumed for breakfast or on a bun. To make the sausages, the reindeer meat is typically mixed with equal parts pork and beef.

If you travel to Phoenix, Tucson, or anywhere in southern Arizona, you’ll see carts lining the streets selling Sonoran hot dogs. Wrapped in bacon and grilled, the hot dog is then placed into a bolillo-style bun (a savory bread bun similar to a baguette) and smothered with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, and condiments including mayonnaise, mustard, and jalapeño salsa.

Fried catfish, typically served with coleslaw and hush puppies, reigns as an Arkansas tradition. It’s easy to see why: The fish are abundant in the state – some caught in its streams, lakes, and rivers, and a lot of it brought over from Mississippi next door, where it is farmed in huge quantities. The catfish filets are first marinated in a mixture of buttermilk, water, salt, and pepper, then dredged in flour, cornmeal, and seafood seasonings. A quick fry of three minutes and the catfish is ready for the bun.

Philippe’s and Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet are two longtime downtown Los Angeles restaurants that claim to have invented the French dip sometime in the early 1900s. Wherever it was first made (possibly by mistake when a bun dropped into a pan of meat drippings), the French dip is a mouthwatering combination of tender slices of beef nestled in a jus-soaked French bun.

On a visit to Denver in 1976, Elvis Presley reportedly loved the Fool’s Gold Loaf served at the Colorado Mining Company. And why not? The “sandwich” is made from a hollowed-out loaf of bread stuffed with peanut butter, grape jam, and bacon strips, all baked for 15 minutes to give it a golden brown hue.

There are two different versions of lobster rolls, one in Connecticut and one in Maine. Connecticut’s version of the lobster roll features warm lobster meat instead of the cold meat served elsewhere in New England. The warm lobster is tossed with butter and then stuffed into a toasted, buttered hot dog or hamburger bun.

The peak season for crab pots in Delaware is between March 1 to Nov. 30, although crabbing can be done year-round, with soft shells usually fading away in September. In the state, the soft shell crab is typically fried and then served on a bun with a variety of toppings from tartar sauce to bacon as well as lettuce and tomato.

When Cubans migrated to Southern Florida, they brought along their favorite sandwich, appropriately named the Cuban. Today, the sandwich has become a source of a friendly rivalry between Miami and Tampa. Whoever created the sandwich, the Cuban is a pork lover’s delight. Made with pork, ham, swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles, the sandwich is toasted in a plancha, a press similar to a panini press but without the grooves.

Georgia’s pimento cheese sandwich is one of the few meatless sandwiches on this list and has earned a special spot at the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta. Served on white bread, the sandwich is filled with what has been called the pâté of the South – a spread made of cheddar or processed American cheese with pimentos and mayo.

Kālua refers to the traditional Hawaiian method of cooking pork in an underground oven, or imu, and is a standard luau dish. As a popular Hawaiian sandwich filling, it’s more likely to be slow-roasted in an oven with liquid smoke, then pulled or shredded.

Home to one of the largest Basque populations in the country, Idaho is known for its Basque lamb sandwich, which has risen to iconic status there. It’s similar to a sub but made with sliced roast lamb, melted cheese, caramelized onions, and jalapeños.

Illinois’s famous Italian beef sandwich dates back to the 1930s if not earlier, when Italian immigrants worked for Chicago’s Union Stock Yards. The sandwich now rivals deep-dish pizza as a Chicago favorite. It’s made of seasoned slices of roast beef served on a long French roll. Toppings include giardiniera or sautéed green Italian sweet peppers.

Indiana’s pork tenderloin sandwich is a crispy delight that consists of a breaded and fried piece of pork loin on a bun. The sandwich was born at Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington, which opened in 1908. The recipe is similar to that for Wienerschnitzel, except that the pork is deep-fried, not pan-fried. With Indiana fifth in the country for pork production, it’s not hard to find a pork tenderloin sandwich anywhere in the Hoosier State.

Iowa’s iconic loose meat sandwich resembles a sloppy Joe, but there is a main difference. Iowa’s version is less saucy. Loose ground beef and chopped onions top a hamburger bun with dill pickles and yellow mustard as the final flourish.

Burnt ends are the pieces of meat cut from the “point” half of a smoked brisket and are considered a delicacy. Because of the high-fat content in the brisket point, cooking time is long and slow. Popularized in Kansas City, the flavorful burnt ends are often served alone, but also make a great filling for sandwiches.

The hot brown was created during the Roaring 20s when it was first served at the Brown Hotel in Louisville to satisfy famished guests. It’s basically an open-faced sandwich made with thin slices of roasted turkey and tomato, sometimes with ham and/or bacon added, all topped with a cheesy mornay sauce. Best to use thick slices of Texas toast when making a sandwich this substantial.

Louisiana’s staple is the oyster po’boy. Although the po’ boy may also be stuffed with other meats, including roast beef, shrimp, or crab, Louisiana French bread is what holds it all together. With its fluffy center and crisp crust, the bread is the perfect pocket for the po’boy. One theory as to the origin of the name is that it was first made and served at a New Orleans restaurant that fed striking streetcar workers for free.

Maine’s traditional lobster roll, which is different from Connecticut’s warm lobster roll, is made with chunks of fresh cold lobster meat tossed with mayonnaise and sometimes celery for a bit of crunch. The mixture is then stuffed into a buttered and toasted split-top hot dog roll.

The East Baltimore area has been known for its pit beef since the 1970s. It is basically, sliced roast beef cooked over charcoal and served with a horseradish-mustard sauce and sliced raw onion – but the sandwich gained real popularity after Chaps Pit Beef began serving the barbecue favorite in 1987.

The fluffernutter is a favorite lunch sandwich for Massachusetts schoolchildren. This is a sweet and salty concoction of peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff spread on white bread. The marshmallow confection, originally called Marshmallow Creme, was invented in the early 20th century, but the fluffernutter name was coined by an advertising agency only in 1960. Today, the fluffernutter is a mainstay in kid’s lunch boxes across New England. It’s rare to find it in a restaurant, but it’s a staple at Springfield’s annual Eastern States Exposition.

Another version of the Sloppy Joe originated in Detroit in the 1960s. This relative of the sloppy Joe starts with loose ground beef topped with sautéed onions and American cheese on a grilled submarine bun. What sets this sandwich apart is the addition of a slightly sweet, herb-flavored barbecue sauce originally called Jean’s Sauce of the Island.

Minnesota’s state fish is the walleye or walleye pike. Once the walleye filet is breaded and fried, it’s put on a soft bun and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and sometimes a dash of tangy sauce.

The Slugburger or Doughburger was introduced to Northeast Mississippi in 1917 when Chicagoan John Weeks took his hamburger recipe with him to Corinth. Weeks asked local butchers to grind his burger meat with potato flakes and flour. Today, the classic Slugburgher is a pork-and-beef patty mixed with a meat extender (typically soybeans). Deep-fried, the burger is served on a bun with pickles, mustard, and onion.

Missouri’s St. Paul sandwich pays homage to the state’s Asian immigrants. The sandwich takes the classic egg foo Chinese-American dish and makes it into a patty. The hot patty is then nestled between slices of white bread and topped with pickles, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Think of it as a Chinese-American version of an egg sandwich.

Montana’s spin on the classic hamburger is the elk burger, except the meat used is elk, not beef. Compared to beef, elk has more protein and less fat, which means it can dry out easily when cooked, so when ordering, ask for it medium-rare.

Many people might think the Reuben originated in New York City. However, even though some reports claim the overstuffed sandwich was first served at Reuben’s Restaurant and Deli in Manhattan in 1914, Nebraskans counter it was first created at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha in the 1920s. Whoever had it first, the Reuben is a savory mixture of salty corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on rye bread.

Pastrami descends from cured, seasoned meat originally from Romania and possibly Turkey. It was brought to New York by a Lithuanian immigrant in the late 19th century and quickly became a deli essential. Just why it should be so popular in Las Vegas isn’t certain – other than the fact that the city boasts many great delis, in casinos and otherwise – but many sources name it as Nevada’s most popular sandwich meat.

Moe’s Original Italian actually refers to the shop where the sandwich got its name in 1959. Owner Phil “Moe” Pagano sold only one type of sandwich – a sub made with mild salami, provolone, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and olives with a splash of olive oil. But New Englanders couldn’t get enough of the salty savory treat and today Moe’s Italian sandwiches are sold throughout the region.

Although some historians say Taylor ham originated during the Revolutionary War, the more likely scenario dates back to 1856 when John Taylor sold his special pork roll in Trenton. New Jerseyans continue to argue over whether to call the salty processed meat (think of it as a relative of Spam) Taylor ham or pork roll – it depends on what part of the state you’re from – yet they all agree it is a perfect accompaniment to an egg and cheese on a bun.

The green chile cheeseburger was first served at restaurants along Route 66 in New Mexico during the 1920s and 1930s. Today, the sandwich is simply a classic American hamburger of cooked ground beef topped with melted cheese and green chiles.

New York is a state that can claim many different sandwiches as its most iconic, from the kebab-like spiedie of upstate Binghamton to the beef on weck of Buffalo to the inevitable bagel with lox and a schmear. Somehow, though, none of these seem as definitive as the classic New York breakfast sandwich: a combo of eggs, cheese, and sometimes bacon, ham, or sausage on a bagel, roll, or English muffin.

North Carolina has its own style of barbecue, and pulled pork is a prime example. Considered the oldest form of barbecue in the U.S., the pork is rubbed with a spice mixture before it’s smoked atop oak or hickory wood. During smoking, the meat is slathered with a spice and vinegar liquid. The meat is then pulled, chopped, or shredded and heaped on a bun or between slices of white bread.

North Dakotans call their version of a sloppy Joe a slush burger. The story goes that sloppy Joes were invented in Iowa when a cook named Joe mixed loosely fried ground beef with tomato sauce and slapped it on a bun. (Of note, Key West, Florida, also lays claim to the sandwich.) Today, Sloppy Joes are a staple of Midwestern cuisine.

If you go to Cincinnati, you’re sure to see goetta on the menu in restaurants. Brought to the city by German immigrants, it’s a meat-and-grain sausage, usually made with ground pork, oatmeal, and spices. Similar to scrapple and livermush, it was originally developed to extend meat over several meals, but fried crisp has become a sandwich favorite.

Chicken fried steak is so beloved in Oklahoma that in 1988 the state legislature placed the dish on the official Oklahoma state meal list. Similar to German schnitzel, chicken fried steak begins with a piece of round steak, cut thin and tenderized by pounding. The meat is dipped in a milk-and-egg mixture and then dredged in flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. The breaded meat is then fried to a golden, crisp brown, and served either on a plate (typically with gravy and mashed potatoes) or overflowing from a bun.

The concept of a burger made with plant-based ingredients rather than meat may have originated in London when restaurateur Gregory Sams made his VegeBurger in the early 1980s. Around the same time, however, Paul Wenner, a restaurant owner in Gresham, Oregon, mixed leftover vegetables with rice pilaf and molded them into a loaf for what he called the Garden Loaf Sandwich, and today Oregon claims the vegan burger as its own.

Philadelphians are fiercely proud of their signature sandwich – the cheesesteak. How the classic got invented is under debate, but some give credit to Philadelphians Pat and Harry Olivieri who started serving chopped steak on an Italian roll in the early 1930s at their hot dog stand. Today, you can go to many establishments in the city and order the treat made with thin slices of beefsteak “wit” or “witout” melted cheese.

The curious name of Rhode Island’s New York System wiener is a reference to the popularity of hot dogs in New York’s Coney Island. The Ocean State’s version, developed in the 1940s in Providence’s Greek community – where short order cooks prepared the dish “on the arm,” or by lining an outstretched arm with buns and then adding the wieners and other ingredients with the other hand – is traditionally a four-inch pork, beef, and veal sausage in a steamed bun, topped with yellow mustard, onions, celery salt, and ground beef sauce – never ketchup.

The fried bologna sandwich is the epitome of Southern comfort food. Simple lunch meat is warmed up on a griddle and served on white bread with a smattering of mustard or mayo and yellow cheese. Although bologna originated in Italy, German immigrants are said to have brought it to America, where it gained popularity as a cheap meat during the Depression.

South Dakota is famous for two things: Mount Rushmore and pheasants. During World War II, soldiers passing through the state were handed free pheasant salad sandwiches at a canteen in Aberdeen. The salad was a mixture of pheasant, carrots, onions, celery, relish, hardboiled eggs, and mayonnaise.

The hot chicken sandwich is a hot-and-spicy delight that debuted at Prince’s Hot Chicken in Nashville. The chicken is breaded and fried, but what makes it special is the sweet and hot sauce that coats the meat. Today, Nashville holds city-wide competitions for the best hot chicken sandwich.

Jewish immigrants to Texas began selling smoked brisket at delis in the early 1900s. From there, BBQ brisket has become a Lone Star State tradition. Toppings may vary, but the real star of the sandwich is the slow-smoked slab of beef either sliced or chopped and put on a roll and slathered in hot sauce.

Call the pastrami burger the ultimate fusion food – thin strips of pastrami cover a cheeseburger on a sesame seed bun. Toppings include sliced tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and Thousand Island-like dressing. Although the pastrami burger has origins in California, Utahans have taken it as their own.

In the 1990s, Jason Maroney, a cook and waiter at Sweetwater’s in Burlington, reportedly created the Vermonter. Although the sandwich has many variations, its original form is made with roast turkey, cheddar, and apples on cranberry bread.

Virginia’s country ham is different from other hams in how the meat is processed – cured and then smoked over apple and hickory wood fires. The ham is then aged in a smokehouse to give it its distinctive sweetness. Sliced thin and piled on a biscuit, it’s hard to beat.

Smoked salmon in Washington is a Pacific Northwest food staple. It is typically dry-brined in a solution of sugar and salt. sometimes with dill or pepper, then hot-smoked. Sliced, the fish is often served on toast or dark bread with cream cheese or a layer of ricotta (or garlic mayo in some versions), often with sliced raw onion added. Some Washingtonians also add it to a BLT.

You can argue as to whether or not a pepperoni roll is a sandwich, but it’s meat inside bread, so we’d say it qualifies. It has its origins in the early 20th century when Italian immigrants toiled in West Virginia’s coal mines. In 1927, a Calabrian immigrant named Giuseppe Argiro had the idea of rolling the thin-sliced spicy sausage in bread dough at his bakery in Fairmont. Easy to carry and satisfying, it became a favorite miners’ food not just in its home state but throughout the Appalachians.

Wisconsin isn’t just famous for its cheese. It is also well-known for its “brats” or bratwurst, a German-style pork (usually) sausage made with pork – perfect on a long roll with sauerkraut and mustard. The sausage was popularized in the state beginning in the 19th century when German immigrants made their way to the Badger State.

Bison burgers are made with the meat of bison, not cows. Less fatty than beef, bison has a similar protein content. In 1985, Wyoming designated bison as its state mammal.