When you’re in Cleveland experiencing all the world-class local cuisine from award-winning chefs, it’s easy to forget that this is a blue-collar city at heart. We may like a good white linen tablecloth as much as the next town, but boy do we love a nice crisp piece of white butcher paper, too – especially when it’s wrapped around one of these unbelievable sandwiches. Check out some tasty two-handers from the best sandwich shops in The Land.
With ingredients fresh from the Great Lakes and local farms, Larder is all about seasonality. Their Hingetown locale suits their food—weird in the best way—with a punch of umami. You’ll find yourself heading back again and again for the ever-rotating sandwich menu.
Grab a smoked turkey club with a side of tomato bisque, or let them make your hangover grilled cheese with black fig jam to add a little kick. With fresh-baked bread each day, these sandwich spot’s fare is far from crummy, but might be a bit crumb-y.
As their tagline suggests, La Bodegais all that and a bag of chips. See for yourself with this massive sandwich list featuring gems like the top-selling spicy turkey and bacon sub. Sure, they have salads, but let’s be honest: No one wants to be with that friend that orders a salad.
Foodies flock for the legendary corned beef sandwich at Slyman’s, which has three locations and a roving food truck. Roughly the size of one’s head, this recipe has gone unchanged since 1964 and is straight-up perfection. Make it a “Freddie combo” with fries and a soda or signature beer.
We love when native Clevelanders come back to start restaurants. Anthony Zapolla has done just that in the Van Aken Market Hall, where he offers Jewish deli sandwiches like the lox-topped Ridge Lane, and the Lincoln Park (crispy buttermilk schnitzel on an egg bread bun).
Grab a sandwich and get properly caffeinated! From gyros to the cheekily-named “Family Jewels” meatball sandwich, you can’t go wrong with anything on this extensive menu. If you want to pretend you're healthy, snag a side of zucchini fries.