Best Sandwiches in Utah

Best Sandwiches in Utah
REVISED 2 June 2018

Check out Best Chicken Salad Sandwiches in Utah, Best Cheesesteaks in Utah, Best Steak Sandwiches in Utah, Best Burgers in Utah, and OTHER FOOD REVIEWS at TasterTestersClub.BlogSpot.com 

This list is in no particular order, but it's the best of dozens (if not hundreds) we've tried at dozens of places, for BREAKFAST and LUNCH-DINNER SANDWICHES.

Note 1: All specific sandwiches are rated an "A" below, except where noted. But not every sandwich available at each of these places gets an A. In some cases only the sandwich listed below is any good!

Note 2: Our 4 favorite breakfast sandwiches are at the top of the list below. At one time, several years ago, we tested every breakfast sandwich in Utah Valley, and a number in Salt Lake Valley. Occasionaly we update the list.

BREAKFAST SANDWICHES

Jerry's Sub Shop, Orem. The Champ breakfast sandwich with sausage, bacon, and ham, with eggs. A-

Hickory Kist, national chain. Breakfast sandwich with bacon, sausage, egg. Their hoagie bun is amazing. But unfortunately they use pre-cooked bacon (horrible anywhere) vs. freshly fried - the great stuff they exclusively used until a few years ago. Still, the bread on this sandwich makes it worth getting, but leave off the bacon. If freshly fried bacon, this would get an A. As it is: B+

Gandolfo's, national chain, Rocco's, Provo (same food). sandwich on a bun. Worth getting. B+

Village Inn (national chain). BLT with egg. The BLT is so-so, not bad, very pedestrian, but the added egg gives it life. We preferred fried over scrambled, and ask for it over-easy or they'll overcook it. Runny yolk makes a BLT sing, as you'll discover. Also order it on wheat bread - the white is way too cheap, like the 99 cent loaves in supermarkets. B+

Great Harvest Bread Company, national chain. 3 meat sandwich, panini style B

 
LUNCH & DINNER SANDWICHES

Note that we have a separate post for Best Chicken Salad Sandwiches. The ones mentioned below are an incomplete sampling of CSSs, so if you have an interest in CSS's, check out that post.


Best Club Sandwiches we've tried (all 4 winners in Utah County, although #4 is a Utah chain now)
1. Station 22, Provo. "Turkey Bacon Club" A
2. Communal, Provo.  Club. A
3. Zubs, Springville and Provo. Cold club sandwich A-
4. Jerry's, Orem. "All-Star" turkey sandwich A-
5. Kneaders, Utah chain. "Kneader's Turkey" CUSTOM REQUEST IT on French country bread A-

("Kneader's Turkey" comes standard with (thick) focacia C+, so don't get that - customize to the above.)

Note: Dozens of other club sandwiches are served in the state, and we've tried many of them. Typical of the better ones are:

6. Cafe 300, Provo. Gouda Turkey. B

7. Cafe 300, Provo. Club. B
8. Shirley's Bakery and Cafe, Provo B

9. Paradise Bakery and Cafe, national chain. B-
10. Arby's C-/C

Best Fish Sandwiches - our favorite 3 of any sandwiches in the state
1. Sammy's Bistro (Park City). Mahi sandwich. Pricey, but worth it. Note that Mahi is not our favorite fish - it's heavy and dense - but what they add to it makes this sandwich sing. pricey at $18 as of Oct 2014 A+
2. The Harvest, Thanksgiving Point, Lehi. Salmon sandwich. They lowered price to $11.75 and dropped their silly service charge for take out - so it's worth getting it for take-out now. grade A
3. OUT OF BUSINESS: Gloria's Little Italy, Provo. Salmon with sage and other herbs in a top-notch sub bun. A-

Great (and very good) Sandwiches listed by Individual Cafes


#1 fave place: 
Feldman's Deli, Salt Lake City
a. chicken salad sandwich (too much chicken, but we're not fans of white meat) (filling alone b). Adding tomato, pickle and red onion and rye make it: b+
b. Rachel sandwich (house recipe grilled rye bread with pastrami and slaw and housemade thousand island dressing and swiss) A
c. rachel with ungrilled bread A-/A
d. Jewish salami sandwich, comes with mustard on rye: B (but if you customize it and take out 3/4 of the meat and add slaw it's an A-)
e. salami alone B-/B
f. fries B+
g. potato salad B+
h. rye bread (made to their specifications) A+
i. marinated beef tongue B+
j. ham A-
k. Hemmingway sandwich (rye ungrilled, slaw, thousand island, white cheese, ham, beef tongue - a nice cut of beef) A+
l. rachel combo (pastrami and corned beef, slaw, thousand island, white cheese, grilled rye) (we believe the corned beef lowers the grade, so stick with pastrami, which is the Rachel sandwich) B+

Antonella's, Orem
a. capresse vegano A-
b. ciabatta bread for that and other sandwiches: B+/A-
c. chicken salad sandwich A-

Zubs, Springville, Provo
1. Cold club sandwich A-
NOT SO GREAT, BUT WORTH CONSIDERING THERE:
2. hot club sandwich B+/A-
3. cold vege sandwich (has great housemade bread) (B if mushrooms not sauteed). If mushrooms sauteed A
4. hot vege sandwich (their provolone too strong, customize it with jack cheese) B

Eating Establishment, Park City
a. grilled cheese and veges sandwich A

Blue Plate Diner at Sugarhouse, SLC.- 2 great ones:
a. Cheese and Tomato sandwich. A
b. Pulled Pork sandwich, house smoked. Fabulous. A
c. Reuben (they use great corned beef from local meat packer, then they smoke it in-house; served on grilled rye. BUT they DON'T HAVE SLAW - THEY ONLY HAVE SOURKRAUT. So it's a B. Remove the kraut and it's a B+. If they had slaw it would be an A.

Chubby's, PG
shrimp po boy sandwich A

DP Cheesesteaks, 4 Utah locations (check out our post under Cheesesteaks for more details). Try the cheese whiz (Philly style!) (but ask for extra whiz) and also try the provolone on a separate sandwich, for a different effect, both equally good - 3 great ones, in order::
1. the creamcheese steak
2. garlic cheesesteak
3. customized sweet red peppers and onions

Communal, Provo - 3 great ones + 1 very good one:
1. Heirloom Tomato & Avocado (also has sprouts and cucumber, on good wheat bread and amazing creamy herb dressing that makes this sandwich come alive!
2. Slow Roasted Pleasant Creek Beef. (Actually, this is an  A grade sandwich due to everything but the beef, which is a C. The great bun, amazing herb dressing sauce, carmelized onions (done right!) and melted white cheddar make this amazing.
3. Turkey cheese panini ("Turkey Cuban Panini"). (Actually it's grilled ciabatta, not Cuban "hoagie" bun, nor is it "flatttened." (Miami is my old stomping grounds. Had many a Cuban sandwich.) If you get it as a half sandwich plus side salad thrown into the sandwich (high quality greens) for only $10, it shoots from an A to an A+.
4. Christensen's Berkshire Pork Nah Mi (a tropical pork sandwich). The Asian flavor on this sandwich is too odd for many people. Pork marinated in herbs is a B/B+. As a sandwich with cilantro and pickled vegs and Asian mayo, it's a B/ B+.

Station 22, Provo 
SANDWICHES: 
a. OUR FAVE CLUB SANDWICH: Club Station 22 (roasted turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickled onion, avocado, roasted garlic mayo on focaccia) A+
b. Cheese sandwich on TX Toast (order cheese sandwich "old school" - with cheese crusts on BOTH slices, not just one slice, which they have done sometimes over the years. AND add 3 slices cheese, not their other way of just one) ALSO: they have more recently added pesto mayo sauce, making it even better. BUT TELL THEM TO CUT THE AVOCADO AND ADD EXTRA TOMATO! TOTAL SCORE in 2016, same as before, if you ask for it customized: A-   
c. n/a
d. pig n cheese sandwich, first test: pork B-, texas toast B-, green apple slices B+, cheddar cheese) total: B/B+; second test (Feb 2013) pork alone C, sandwich A-
e. chicken salad sandwich (filling too dry, focacia bread too dry also; if filling creamier, grade would be higher) B
f. Breakfast sandwich B-
g. "freedom dip" beef sandwich B+?
h. chicken sandwich with spice glaze B
i. memphis chicken sandwich (chicken B, bun and dressing A) total B+
j. the Ratatouille (vegges and spinach) on ciabatta roll C-
k. Ratatouille (veges and spinach) on focacia A
l. catfish burrito (catfish, some tomato, spring mix, peach chipotle sauce) B+
m. catfish sandwich: A
n. catfish alone (order outside of sandwich): A (now tied for best catfish in Utah, with fish and chips place, "Sea Bass" on Washington Blvd in Ogden and Boudreau's Bistro, Salem.
o. Cheese Sandwich. B+ 
p. Pig and Cheese sandwich. A
q. 22 Club (Turkey Bacon Club) BEST CLUB SANDWICH IN UTAH we have found. A


Cubby's, Provo. Tri-tip sandwich. We've had it with very good cuts of meat, and once way overcooked, semi-burnt ends. If you like medium (pink) or medium rare, order it specifically and they'll try to accomodate you perhaps like they did us, although their standard explanation is that it cooks a long time and often there're not pink cuts of meat. One other A grade item on their menu: the Dragonslayer burger.

Left Fork Grill, Midvale
pulled pork sandwich meat C, soft bun A-. Total C+
Pork belly BLT sandwich, meat alone B+, total B+

Pho Noodles, Provo, Ban Hi sandwich - rates an A (we tried honey pork, which as the meat only rates only a C, B+ bun, carrots, cilantro, lettuce. But the brown sauce pulls it up to an A.

Zupa's, various locations
1. Turkey Cranberry Sandwich. A nice touch is adding sliced cucumbers and very mild honey-mustard sauce.

Pantruca's - Chilean cafe next to Days Market, on Canyon Road, Provo
1. Chicken sandwich. BUT SPECIAL ORDER IT IN UN-GRILLED BREAD. They make their own, and always served it grilled, but it is much better when not grilled.

La Jolla Groves, Provo.
1. Tenderloin sandwich on potato roll: A - but only if you add the mixed greens side salad with pomegranite balsamic dressing. Otherwise, B.
2. Chicken marsala sandwich. B+ with side salad inside the sandwich; otherwise, a C+. (The marsala chicken is decent but some of us are not white meat chicken fans.)

Kneader's Cafe and Bakery, Several Utah locations. 
a. turkey bacon avocado with their own sauce on FRENCH COUNTRY (not the default focacia!) A-
b. Club Sandwich on French Country B+
c. turkey cranberry sandwich on ciabatta (ciabatta bun B+, cranberries b+, spring mix, smoked turkey C/C+, munster, cucumber slices, honey mustard) A-
d. turkey cranberry croissant , pulled turkey B++, pastry A) total B+/A (compares to Shirley's french bread version B-)
e. cold club sandwich B- (compared to Zubs A-)
f. hot vege sandwich, with avocado B/B+ (compared with Zubs B and Charlie's Grilled Subs grade A, and DP Cheesesteak's hot vege B+) (Don't get it cold: B-)
g. "Kneader's Turkey" standard on (thick) focacia C+
h.  "Kneader's Turkey" CUSTOM REQUEST IT on French country bread A-

Note: AS NOTED IN OUR TEST: "BEST CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES IN UTAH":

Their Chicken Salad Sandwich is a B. Great croissant. Nice moist filling. BUT no fruit or nuts in it - bad idea!

Charlie's Philly Steaks, national chain, in malls
1. hot vege sandwich A-
2. hot club sandwich B/B+

Rumbi Grill, chain
a. kalua pork sandwich, A-. (pork alone rates a C+ but the Asian slaw and mayo brings the grade up).

Quisnos, national chain.
1. Seasonal: lobster sandwich B+ (best lobster sandwich we've had in the West, even beating out fish and lobster places; although certainly some in the West must be better, as this one only rates a B+. The Food Channel has shown some on the East Coast that look much better, and of course from fresh lobster!). Still, this is a surprising find. Must put butter on it, plus tomato and spring mix lettuce and their herb seasoning! Without butter it drops an entire grade!

Firehouse Subs, national chain. Grilled Club sandwich with turkey is decent and beats Subways sandwiches

Carrabbas Grill. National chain. Steak sandwich rates a B+.
(The select grade sirloin rates a C-, but everything else pulls it up to a higher grade.)

Bailey's Best, Orem
a. all vege/cheese B/B+
(cheese, onion, spinach, mayo, cheddar, cabbage, lettuce, tomato, carrot, sprout, cucumber, red pepper, sweet. This sandwich also included, but next time don't get: olives, jalapeno, banana peppers green peppers, pickle, mustard. It might rate higher than B/B+)
b. housemade dressings: best: red wine vinegar, olive oil, greek oregano.
2nd best: turkish
3rd: french.
c. tuna salad (with house sweet pepper relish, mayo, white chunk tuna, sweet red pepper, provolone, sprouts, lettuce, tomato) B/B+

Iggy's. Utah chain. Prime Rib sandwich rates a B/B+.
(The Select grade beef rates a C-, but it's pulled up a notch by the wonderful, buttered grilled sourdough bread.)


Great sandwiches at places now out of business
Madison's Gastro Pub, Provo. Salmon sandwich with cajun seasoning. A
Big Bones BBQ, Spanish Fork.  
1. Brisket sandwich on high quality bun. (#1 best BBQ sandwich in the state!)
2. Pulled Pork sandwich with slaw extra - it always helps a pork sandwich! (Also check out the "Pig & Cheese" at Station 22, listed below.)

Gloria's Little Italy, Provo. - 2 great sandwiches:
1.The above salmon sandwich, and

2. Caprese Sandwich. Don't get it pannini style - their bread when non grilled is amazing. Note that other places we've tried this sandwich - Tony Caputo's Deli (which is a great deli!) and Romano's Macaroni Grill - had this style of sandwich grade lowered by the pesto sauce and harder mozerella cheese compared to Gloria's.. Gloria's makes it right, with the best, softest mozzarella cheese for this sandwich we've ever had - and the best and softest hoagie buns!