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A Mexican cemita sandwich loaded with fried chicken seen in cross section.
A fried chicken sandwich from Cemitas El Tigre in Queens.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

The Best Sandwich Shops in NYC Right Now

From banh mi to Italian subs

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A fried chicken sandwich from Cemitas El Tigre in Queens.
| Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

In New York, a sandwich is an argument waiting to happen. While Americans all over can name their favorites, in Manhattan alone, the variety of delis, pita spots, torta-slinging Mexican cafes, and newfangled American luncheonettes is enough to keep any enthusiast of the bread-based meal busy for years.

But each genre has its stars. These are the sandwich-devoted venues both old-school and new to check off the bucket list. And no, burgers still don’t count.

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Casa Della Mozzarella

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The old-school shop in Bronx’s Little Italy gets all the credit it deserves for its housemade cheeses, sold alongside other Italian prepared foods and packaged goods. Have the staff fold its exceptional cream-filled burrata and prosciutto into a ciabatta with olives and peppers.

Sal, Kris & Charlie's Deli

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As if to outdo its many deli competitors, this Astoria shop introduced the Bomb, which quickly became cultishly beloved. The footlong beast is awe-inspiring even before consumption, filled with a veritable rainbow of meats and cheeses packed on a crusty sub roll with vegetables: pepperoni, ham, salami, turkey, mortadella, American, Swiss, and provolone. Finishing it deserves some kind of award.

969 NYC Coffee

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Since opening in Jackson Heights in 2016, 969 Coffee has been a favorite of neighborhood regulars — both for its onigirazu (a rice-based sandwich) and its genial owner Mitsumine Oda (the business name is reportedly related to his favorite number, not the address). Though it serves coffee it’s really known for its Japanese snacks. There’s no menu listing for the variations on onigirazu but try the chicken katsu or shrimp patty, layered with avocado, carrots, and American cheese.

Left to right: chicken katsu, right shrimp patty.
Onigirazu, rice-based sandwiches, at 969 Coffee.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Cemitas El Tigre

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Cemitas are the name of the game at this Woodside spot. Eater critic Robert Sietsema has long touted it as one of the best fried chicken options and he’s right. Their fried chicken cemita comes with perfectly-crispy chicken, layered with crunchy pickled red onions, avocado, black bean puree, Oaxacan cheese, lettuce, and tomato, with a thick swipe of mayo on a seeded bun. It’s a behemoth portion and a great deal for around $15.

The fried chicken cemita in Queens.
The fried chicken cemita in Queens.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Faicco's

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A West Village institution, Faicco’s serves its fragrant sausages and other meats to faithful customers, but it also assembles enviable sandwiches, including a mouth-watering Italian special with a dense layering of prosciutto, ham, and soppressata. There’s also a take on a muffuletta. Whatever you order, wash it down with one of their Italian sodas.

A hand holds a slice Italian sandwich on a hero.
Faicco’s is a sandwich institution.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Little Kirin

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Little Kirin is located on St. Marks serving reinvented Vietnamese sandwiches, sometimes with Japanese twists. There are breakfast sandwiches — including one called hangover cure with bacon, Spam, and hash browns — as well as a pho short-rib sandwich.

Two haves of a hero with broth on the side.
A sandwich at Little Kirin.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Sunny & Annie's Deli

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New Yorkers know there is no better park meal than a deli sandwich and no one is doing them like Sunny & Annie’s, open 24/7. The creativity of the options here is unparalleled with combinations like bulgogi and cantaloupe on a roll, with names often referencing pop culture or politics. It’s just a block from Tompkins Square Park.

A sandwich from Sunny & Annie’s.
An 11-ingredient sandwich sometimes does the trick.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Frankel's Delicatessen & Appetizing

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Upper West Side-raised brothers Zach and Alex Frankel opened Frankel’s to bring Jewish fare to Greenpoint, particularly smoked fish and meats. Get the pastrami with egg and cheese at breakfast, or opt for The Number One bagel with pastrami salmon and dill cucumber.

A pastrami and egg sandwich.
Frankel's
Frankel’s

Parisi Bakery

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A stroll through Little Italy isn’t quite the same without a stop into Parisi Bakery, a bakery established in 1903 that also turns out its own inimitable heros. The admirably uncompromising Dennis melds fried chicken cutlet, prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, balsamic vinegar, and herbs into one joyful mess. Cash only.

A green storefront with the title Parisi Bakery and people standing out front.
A line forms at Parisi Bakery.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Datz Deli

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Datz Deli has gone viral for TikToks of its beef patties, stuffed with ingredients like mac and cheese. Owner Joshua Dat, an alum of Sybil’s and great-aunt’s bakery in Little Guyana, pulls from his background to creative modern riffs on bodega classics, such as bacon, egg, and cheese with coco bread. 

Salty Lunch Lady's Little Luncheonette

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Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette is the most recent sandwich addition to NYC on this list and the latest in a string of modern luncheonettes to debut this year. The menu from chef and owner Dria Atencio includes sandwiches with mortadella, chicken meatballs, and green goddess egg salad, plus sweets like rotating layer cakes.

A sandwich topped with pickles at Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette.
A sandwich topped with pickles at Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Foster Sundry

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Butcher shops consistently serve some of the best sandwiches in the city, and Foster Sundry follows that rule in Bushwick. The kitchen slings various biscuits with eggs and ham all day, and its other options get thoughtful toppings, as well as other versions stuffed with potatoes, mushrooms, and roast beef.

Mama Yoshi Mini Mart

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What started as a pop-up has grown into a permanent counter-service operation with cauliflower and katsu sandwiches (some of the biggest cutlets around town) and Spam grilled cheeses. Mama Yoshi Mini Mart also doubles as a convenience store selling drinks, Japanese snacks, and pantry staples.

A person in an orange sweatshirt and jeans sits behind a table with trays of sandwiches.
Spam grilled cheeses and chicken katsu.
Evan Angelastro/Eater NY

Defonte's Sandwich Shop

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Since 1922, this local Italian sandwich shop has served heaping portions of cured pork on heros to workers and passersby in Red Hook. The signature sub is the colossal Nicky Special, layered with a trio of ham, salami, and capocollo, plus fried slices of eggplant, provolone, and hot peppers mixed with oregano and pickled vegetables.

Two sandwich halves held aloft with cold cuts and cheese visible.
You can’t go wrong picking a sandwich at Defonte’s.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

R&D Foods

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R&D, which sells prepared foods like soup quarts, turns a kale sandwich into a transcendent experience. Order one served hot with mozzarella and balsamic vinegar with add-ons like salami, egg, and anchovy. It’s a surprisingly stellar vegetarian option with lots to love for everyone.

Two halves of kale salad sandwich from R&D Foods in Brooklyn, New York.
The kale sandwich at R&D Foods.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Court Street Grocers

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Court Street Grocers has sprouted locations all over the city and for good reason. Not only are they consistently serving some of the city’s best sandwiches, with an expansive menu of options, but also some of the most creative (just see the version with pulled pork and duck sauce). If more of a full-service experience is what you’re after, the team also owns S&P, a luncheonette known for its old-school charm and affordable pastrami sandwiches as well.

Don Pepe Tortas y Jugos

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This Sunset Park Mexican spot juices an epic number of fruits and vegetables, but it also makes some mean tortas, or rolls stuffed with an equally diverse number of ingredients, from chorizo to breaded chicken, thrown on a griddle.

Ba Xuyên

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While banh mi may have become fashionable in all kinds of restaurants, this no-frills Vietnamese restaurant in Sunset Park delivers the sandwich in fine form with a number of variations but no unnecessarily fussy spins. Get one with pate and cold cuts, grilled pork, or meatballs. The pale-green, creamy avocado shake is a favorite accompaniment.

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Casa Della Mozzarella

The old-school shop in Bronx’s Little Italy gets all the credit it deserves for its housemade cheeses, sold alongside other Italian prepared foods and packaged goods. Have the staff fold its exceptional cream-filled burrata and prosciutto into a ciabatta with olives and peppers.

Sal, Kris & Charlie's Deli

As if to outdo its many deli competitors, this Astoria shop introduced the Bomb, which quickly became cultishly beloved. The footlong beast is awe-inspiring even before consumption, filled with a veritable rainbow of meats and cheeses packed on a crusty sub roll with vegetables: pepperoni, ham, salami, turkey, mortadella, American, Swiss, and provolone. Finishing it deserves some kind of award.

969 NYC Coffee

Since opening in Jackson Heights in 2016, 969 Coffee has been a favorite of neighborhood regulars — both for its onigirazu (a rice-based sandwich) and its genial owner Mitsumine Oda (the business name is reportedly related to his favorite number, not the address). Though it serves coffee it’s really known for its Japanese snacks. There’s no menu listing for the variations on onigirazu but try the chicken katsu or shrimp patty, layered with avocado, carrots, and American cheese.

Left to right: chicken katsu, right shrimp patty.
Onigirazu, rice-based sandwiches, at 969 Coffee.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Cemitas El Tigre

Cemitas are the name of the game at this Woodside spot. Eater critic Robert Sietsema has long touted it as one of the best fried chicken options and he’s right. Their fried chicken cemita comes with perfectly-crispy chicken, layered with crunchy pickled red onions, avocado, black bean puree, Oaxacan cheese, lettuce, and tomato, with a thick swipe of mayo on a seeded bun. It’s a behemoth portion and a great deal for around $15.

The fried chicken cemita in Queens.
The fried chicken cemita in Queens.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Faicco's

A West Village institution, Faicco’s serves its fragrant sausages and other meats to faithful customers, but it also assembles enviable sandwiches, including a mouth-watering Italian special with a dense layering of prosciutto, ham, and soppressata. There’s also a take on a muffuletta. Whatever you order, wash it down with one of their Italian sodas.

A hand holds a slice Italian sandwich on a hero.
Faicco’s is a sandwich institution.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Little Kirin

Little Kirin is located on St. Marks serving reinvented Vietnamese sandwiches, sometimes with Japanese twists. There are breakfast sandwiches — including one called hangover cure with bacon, Spam, and hash browns — as well as a pho short-rib sandwich.

Two haves of a hero with broth on the side.
A sandwich at Little Kirin.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Sunny & Annie's Deli

New Yorkers know there is no better park meal than a deli sandwich and no one is doing them like Sunny & Annie’s, open 24/7. The creativity of the options here is unparalleled with combinations like bulgogi and cantaloupe on a roll, with names often referencing pop culture or politics. It’s just a block from Tompkins Square Park.

A sandwich from Sunny & Annie’s.
An 11-ingredient sandwich sometimes does the trick.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Frankel's Delicatessen & Appetizing

Upper West Side-raised brothers Zach and Alex Frankel opened Frankel’s to bring Jewish fare to Greenpoint, particularly smoked fish and meats. Get the pastrami with egg and cheese at breakfast, or opt for The Number One bagel with pastrami salmon and dill cucumber.

A pastrami and egg sandwich.
Frankel's
Frankel’s

Parisi Bakery

A stroll through Little Italy isn’t quite the same without a stop into Parisi Bakery, a bakery established in 1903 that also turns out its own inimitable heros. The admirably uncompromising Dennis melds fried chicken cutlet, prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, balsamic vinegar, and herbs into one joyful mess. Cash only.

A green storefront with the title Parisi Bakery and people standing out front.
A line forms at Parisi Bakery.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Datz Deli

Datz Deli has gone viral for TikToks of its beef patties, stuffed with ingredients like mac and cheese. Owner Joshua Dat, an alum of Sybil’s and great-aunt’s bakery in Little Guyana, pulls from his background to creative modern riffs on bodega classics, such as bacon, egg, and cheese with coco bread. 

Salty Lunch Lady's Little Luncheonette

Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette is the most recent sandwich addition to NYC on this list and the latest in a string of modern luncheonettes to debut this year. The menu from chef and owner Dria Atencio includes sandwiches with mortadella, chicken meatballs, and green goddess egg salad, plus sweets like rotating layer cakes.

A sandwich topped with pickles at Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette.
A sandwich topped with pickles at Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Foster Sundry

Butcher shops consistently serve some of the best sandwiches in the city, and Foster Sundry follows that rule in Bushwick. The kitchen slings various biscuits with eggs and ham all day, and its other options get thoughtful toppings, as well as other versions stuffed with potatoes, mushrooms, and roast beef.

Mama Yoshi Mini Mart

What started as a pop-up has grown into a permanent counter-service operation with cauliflower and katsu sandwiches (some of the biggest cutlets around town) and Spam grilled cheeses. Mama Yoshi Mini Mart also doubles as a convenience store selling drinks, Japanese snacks, and pantry staples.

A person in an orange sweatshirt and jeans sits behind a table with trays of sandwiches.
Spam grilled cheeses and chicken katsu.
Evan Angelastro/Eater NY

Defonte's Sandwich Shop

Since 1922, this local Italian sandwich shop has served heaping portions of cured pork on heros to workers and passersby in Red Hook. The signature sub is the colossal Nicky Special, layered with a trio of ham, salami, and capocollo, plus fried slices of eggplant, provolone, and hot peppers mixed with oregano and pickled vegetables.

Two sandwich halves held aloft with cold cuts and cheese visible.
You can’t go wrong picking a sandwich at Defonte’s.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

R&D Foods

R&D, which sells prepared foods like soup quarts, turns a kale sandwich into a transcendent experience. Order one served hot with mozzarella and balsamic vinegar with add-ons like salami, egg, and anchovy. It’s a surprisingly stellar vegetarian option with lots to love for everyone.

Two halves of kale salad sandwich from R&D Foods in Brooklyn, New York.
The kale sandwich at R&D Foods.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Related Maps

Court Street Grocers

Court Street Grocers has sprouted locations all over the city and for good reason. Not only are they consistently serving some of the city’s best sandwiches, with an expansive menu of options, but also some of the most creative (just see the version with pulled pork and duck sauce). If more of a full-service experience is what you’re after, the team also owns S&P, a luncheonette known for its old-school charm and affordable pastrami sandwiches as well.

Don Pepe Tortas y Jugos

This Sunset Park Mexican spot juices an epic number of fruits and vegetables, but it also makes some mean tortas, or rolls stuffed with an equally diverse number of ingredients, from chorizo to breaded chicken, thrown on a griddle.

Ba Xuyên

While banh mi may have become fashionable in all kinds of restaurants, this no-frills Vietnamese restaurant in Sunset Park delivers the sandwich in fine form with a number of variations but no unnecessarily fussy spins. Get one with pate and cold cuts, grilled pork, or meatballs. The pale-green, creamy avocado shake is a favorite accompaniment.

Related Maps