According to the web scraping service SmartScapers, there were 89,361 sandwich shops in America as of Jan. 9 of this year. Not surprisingly, the states with the most such establishments were also those with the largest populations, led by California, with almost 9,500 sandwich shops, and followed, in order, by Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois.
That’s not counting delis, whether freestanding or within supermarkets or other places of business — of which there were another 43,441 in early January by SmartScapers’ calculations. And of course, sandwiches are also sold at diners and restaurants of other kinds, and at countless food trucks and food hall stands. All in all, it’s pretty safe to say that we’re a sandwich-eating nation.
A lot of sandwich purveyors are chains, of course. Subway rules them all, with more than 21,000 locations around the U.S., dwarfing even McDonald’s, which has only about 14,300. Though much smaller, other chains, like Jimmy John’s, Jersey Mike’s, Potbelly, and Firehouse Subs account for another large segment of the sandwich business.
And then there are the independents, many more thousands of them — specialists who may sell other kinds of food as well but are best-known for what they put between two slices of bread (or on a roll or a bagel, or in a wrap). (Here’s a list of the one must-try sandwich in every state.)
When the review site Yelp released its “Top 100 Places to Eat in the US 2024” in late January of this year, along with restaurants of many other kinds, sandwich shops were certainly included. 24/7 Tempo has extrapolated some 11 restaurants from the list — all those that were tagged with the keywords “sandwich” or “deli,” or in one case “cheesesteak.”
Click here to see the top places to eat sandwiches in 2024, according to Yelp.
Yelp doesn’t offer a detailed methodology explaining how it made its selection, but states that it “analyzed submissions, ratings, review volume, and community input” to construct the list. (Restaurants appear in random order, and are not ranked.)
As is usually the case with Yelp “best” lists, the choices may seem arbitrary (and perhaps geographically unbalanced, since four of the 11 are in California, and quantity doesn’t necessarily equal quality), and it is likely that your own favorite sandwich place, wherever it might be, doesn’t appear here. Nonetheless, these are all places that have found favor with eaters, for everything from grilled cheese and BLTs to more exotic choices referencing Asia and the Middle East, and they are all worth trying.
Sunny Side Kitchen
- Location: Escondido, CA
- Yelp stars: 5 (1,108 reviews)
“We don’t do deli meat!” exclaims the website for this casual counter-service breakfast-and-lunch establishment in northern San Diego County. Instead, they offer a classic BLT, an assortment of panini (the Chicken Bacon Ranch variation is made with roasted hand-shredded chicken, bacon, tomatoes, ranch dressing, and Havarti, Muenster, and Parmesan cheeses on sourdough or gluten-free bread), and breakfast choices including a Nashville-hot-chicken-inspired Wake Up Escondido!
Sierra Subs and Salads
- Location: Three Rivers, CA
- Yelp stars: 5 (604 reviews)
In the Sierra Nevada foothills near Sequoia National Park, this country-style place offers everything from a four-meat Manwich to a Wasabi Stinger (involving grilled chicken with wasabi-sesame mayo) to a veggie muffaletta. Quesadillas, burgers, and a range of salads fill out the menu.
Gino’s Deli Stop N Buy
- Location: San Antonio, TX
- Yelp stars: 5 (2,064 reviews)
Gino’s gains plaudits regularly for its Philly cheesesteak, made with ribeye steak and smoked provolone, but its menu also offers deli sandwiches (turkey, pastrami, etc.) and such creations as the Dirty Derrick (grilled chicken, sautéed peppers and onions, sharp cheddar, bacon, and Caesar dressing) and the TurkRoni (smoked turkey, pepperoni, roast beef, provolone, and an egg).
Uncle Af’s
- Location: Agoura Hills, CA
- Yelp stars: 5 (799 reviews)
“Uncle Af’s is not just a restaurant,” according to its website, “it’s a celebration of good food, good company, and good times.” They’ve got the restaurant part pretty well covered, too, though, with a sandwich menu that includes everything from an American-and-Swiss grilled cheese on sourdough to imported prosciutto on a ciabatta roll to the Zaboon (beef tongue, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and garlic aïoli on a French roll).
Express Deli
- Location: Brook Park, OH
- Yelp stars: 5 (292 reviews)
For 25 years, Pierre Aboukhaled and his family have run this neighborhood favorite near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The wraps and sandwiches, all available in regular or jumbo size, include a pastrami and pepperoni combo, a turkey-and-ham club, and falafel and hummus options (a reference to Aboukhaled’s Lebanese heritage).
Ekiben
- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Yelp stars: 5 (1,787 reviews)
The menu is brief at this white-tiled counter-service Baltimore original, but the choices are irresistible. Among them: Thai chicken meatballs with coconut black peppercorn sauce, tofu with spicy peanut sauce, and ancho chile pork “swimming in bold sauce made with 10 different herbs and spices” — all served on bao buns. And while it doesn’t exactly qualify as a sandwich, there’s also a phở-spiced cheesesteak eggroll with chipotle mayo.
Worth Takeaway
- Location: Mesa, AZ
- Yelp stars: 4.5 (1,383 reviews)
Despite its name, there are some eat-in tables at this sleek morning-to-evening sandwich specialist in downtown Mesa. The menu offers just the kinds of sandwiches you’ll want — chicken salad, Cuban, French dip, grilled cheese, Reuben, Italian grinder, turkey bacon club, and so on — and they’re all also available in wrap form or as bowls or over greens.
Rosemarie’s Burgers
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Yelp stars: 5 (145 reviews)
Recently opened in Mission Beach after gaining a following with its Bay Park food truck (also still in operation), Rosemarie’s is — despite its name — not so much a burger place as a slider place. The sliders, which are oversized, do include several burger choices, but there are also four chicken sandwich variations (the Gnar is fried chicken with teriyaki grilled pineapple, house-pickled cabbage, and Kewpie mayo) plus one with fried eggplant and another with grilled shrimp and jack cheese.
Leven Deli
- Location: Denver, CO
- Yelp stars: 4.5 (539 reviews)
A bustling, plant-bedecked deli, wine bar, and bakery, Leven Deli shines with such generously proportioned sandwiches as a Reuben, a pastrami on rye, a chicken shawarma, a turkey club, and a smashed chickpea (the last of these on house-made flatbread).
R Town Pizza
- Location: Reno, NV
- Yelp stars: 4.5 (277 reviews)
Yes, this is a renowned local pizzeria (the pies are rectangular, Detroit-style), and yes the menu offers “snacks” like meatballs and provolone in a cast-iron pot and Calabrian shrimp — but have you seen the gargantuan grinders? Choose the Alphonse (soppressata, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, provolone), the Renaissance (chicken, capicola, fresh mozzarella), or one of the five other sandwiches, and you’ll forget all about the pizza.
Perly’s
- Location: Richmond, VA
- Yelp stars: 4.5 (1,448 reviews)
Beyond the brunch menu (blintzes, corned beef hash, etc.) and the Jewish-deli appetizers like cabbage rolls and latkes, Perly’s proposes a menu of sandwiches with imaginative names, guaranteed to fill you up. The Shpringen Katz! involves a griddled smoked whitefish cake and white anchovies on a toasted kummelweck roll. The Oy Vey! is a half-pound each of pastrami and corned beef with mustard on rye. The Jewbano is presumably self-explanatory. (Click here to read about the best deli in every state.)