Where Can You Get the Best Sandwiches in Atlanta?
Decatur Metro | August 20, 2015 | 9:15 am
I was recently blown away by a cheesesteak I had at Fred’s Meat and Bread in Krog Street Market, which got me jazzed up about sandwiches again. And it’s been a while since we discussed “best sandwiches” around here, so it seems as good a time as any to resurvey the landscape.
What are your favorite sandwiches in and around Atlanta?
Photo courtesy of Decatur Wine & Food Dude, who wrote a nice review of Fred’s late last year when it first opened.
Not so long ago I stumbled into a cheesesteak dive in Stone Mountain village called Weeyums. Holy shnikeys! Sort of an eastside Woody’s catering to decidedly less hip clientele. Deelish.
Best cheesesteaks I’ve had in Atlanta were at Roy’s Cheesesteaks, way over in Smyrna. The Roy in question is the guy who started Philly Connection, subsequently became disillusioned with all the corporate compromises of running a franchise business, and sold his stake. This is a single location, allowing him to keep the quality of the product where he wants it. And you know it’s authentic when you walk in the door and see birch beer in the soda fountain and Tastykakes for sale.
Another vote for Weeyums. Delicious!
Lee’s Bakery, Buford & Clairmont. Amazing Bahn Mi and an even amazing price of $3.50!
I know Lee’s gets all the banh mi press, but my personal banh mi go-to is Huy’s Bakery up on Jimmy Carter. We get a sack of grilled pork banh mis (they carefully pack the hot and cold ingredients separately), bring them home and add a fried egg and some sriracha to each. Hard not to love life at that point.
Newks is the best sandwich shop I have ever had. The one at 921 Peachtree St. NE is the best, they have 2 other locations Brookhaven & Briarcliff.
The “Crazy Dave” from Dave’s Cosmic Subs
Second place on my list:
Pulled Pork on Jalapeño Bread from Red’s BBQ on the Westside
The roasted lamb at Sawicki’s gets my vote for best sandwich. And for commissioner. Maybe for president, too.
There’s a food truck around town, whose name might be something like Mac the Cheese, that has a meatloaf sandwich on toasted sourdough bread with some sort of tasty chutney on it, and maybe pimento cheese if memory serves. Ridiculous.
Victory’s sandwiches are delicious, not the cheapest or largest, but reasonable. I like that they are small because sometimes one is enough. I’d rather buy a second if needed than be forced to order a huge sandwich I can’t finish.
The lamb at Sawickis is pretty off the charts, and I maintain the roast beef at Alon’s (vahi) is fantastic.
Where to start?
Star Provisions has some amazing sandwiches and a line out the door at lunch time. On a recent trip, their falafel was maybe the best I have had in Atlanta.
Lee’s, already mentioned, but has to be on the list.
I’ve heard that Woody’s cheesesteak is ever bit as good as Fred’s. I haven’t had it. I do love Fred’s like you read about.
Crazy Cuban, on 14th street, has my favorite Cuban sandwich. Havana is also solid.
Toscanos, in ViHi, has great pannini sandwiches.
I think you also have to mention Victory. Those little sandwiches are all good.
Although technically not a sandwich, the W.O.W food truck arepas (maybe sandwich-type thingies?), are incredible. Especially the cilantro sauce that goes on many of them.
I’ll go ahead and say it before he does: anything made on J_T’s big green egg.
Well Duh! After washing down a shot of Jager with a PBR, of course the next thing you put in your mouth will be the best tasting food you have ever eaten!
Screw you guys. I’m taking my spatula and going home!
And good luck ever getting a pulled pork or brisket sandwich from me ever again!
Eat at Arby’s.
We miss you, Jon Stewart.
This thread makes me miss 5th Earl.
The smoked peppered turkey sandwich from Alon’s is one of the best I’ve had. It doesn’t hurt that their bread is ridiculously good.
The cheese steak at Skips is fantastic. Beef or chicken. I add the hot peppers.
For value, it’s hard to beat the banh mi at Quoc Huong. I prefer their’s to the other places on Buford Hwy.
Nothing fancy, but I’ve been enjoying the chicken salad melt at Brick Store for years.
I prefer Quoc Huong over Lee’s as well. They put more meat in the sandwich. The pork belly sandwich at Brick Store should be mentioned as well.
Quac Huong beats Lee’s on banh mis. And Pho Dai Loi is the place for pho. But Lee’s is the best compromise for both at the same time.
Agreed.
put me in the Quoc Huong banh mi camp as well.
FWIW, the cheese-steak at My Parent’s Basement was good, but it was hard to swallow the $12 price tag. This was for the sandwich only – fries are an extra $2.50.
For $12, you’d better be able to swallow the price tag. And it better taste good and come with extra onions!
Italian sub/hoagie: Baldino’s. Nothing else is close. There are fancier and maybe even qualitatively “better” but Baldino’s is the only place that will make you think you’re at the Jersey Shore, in a good way.
Cheese Steak: Woody’s. See above re: fancier and better, but Woody’s is the only place that makes me think I’m actually in South Philly. There are even sometimes pigeons pecking at the bread crumbs like at 9th and Passayunk. [Note: I have not been too Weeyum’s or Roy’s, but I totally need to check them out too now.]
New York Deli: Corned beef/pastrami/reuben at General Muir.
Cuban: Havana Sandwich Shop.
Cheap Sandiwch: Lee’s banh mi and Victory’s $4 selections, especially the Beast on Yeast and the Beeter.
Fancy Sandwich: Sun in my Belly and Alon’s.
Damnit. I just ate lunch and I’m starving again already now.
Oops. The Havana iteration with the good sandwich is apparently now called Havana Restaurant. It’s the one in the shopping center behind the Aldi’s on BuHi at Clairmont.
On a side note, I drove by the original location on BuHi just south of NDH the other day and there was a sign saying it was open again. Anybody know what’s up with that?!?
Yea, verily. It is open and it is good. Seems like the same menu, more or less.
Run by who? One of the factions of the feuding family? I can’t keep the Havana Sandwich Shop story straight. There was the original shop that burned down, then two on Buford, each run by a faction of the family that ran the original shop, then only one….now two?
My understanding is that it is a member of the feuding family. However, I think they are getting along better as the Aldi location was advertising the opening of the Druid Hill location.
Why would I ever want to imagine being in South Philly or the Jersey Shore?
Because eff you, that’s why. Yankees get homesick too. Capiche?
I see what you did there.
The medianoche extra toasted with maduros at Coco Cabana on Lavista. All other Cuban sandwiches should take a lesson.
Lynn Sawicki’s tri-tip and lamb sandwiches and Alon’s roast beef and lamb sandwiches.
Roy’s cheesesteak – I can vouch for that!
Quoc Huong on Buford HIghway for banh mi.
General Muir for the best burger.
And finally a shout out for the St. James Gate Guinness braised brisket sandwich with onion gravy at the Marlay House. I like it better as the non-sandwich entrée (more of it and mashed potatoes) but the sandwich is a close second.
Coco Cabana, eh? Never been. Better than Havana? Sorry, I cannot just take your word for it. Looks like I’ll have to try it myself 😉
Just tried the St. James Gate at the Marlay for the first time last weekend. Quite tasty indeed. The more I visit the Marlay, the more impressed I am with their food. They probably have my favorite pimento cheese in town, and my favorite fish and chips. But lots of other good stuff besides.
I just want to commend everybody here for the good taste in sandwiches and for making it to 30+ comments without a Jared Fogle footlong joke.
it’s because we’re always thinking of the kids
So was he, unfortunately.
I agree with a lot of what’s been said here. But how has no one mentioned the Rooben from Community Q?
ich bin ein sandwich
I was disappointed with the Cheesesteak from Fred’s, too expensive and rather bland. I like Woody’s and The Mad Italian for cheesesteaks.
Victory’s need more filling. Brickstore’s turkey sandwich is pretty tasty.
I just stopped by to lament the loss of the crispy kale sandwich from Twains. I’m not a vegetarian, but I LOVED that sandwich.
+1 on that SuzyQ. I was going to name it as a fave until I remembered it was no longer on the menu. It was the best thing I ever had there.
Ten minutes after writing my first comment the wife and I headed out for Coco Cabana to get a couple of sandwiches. I hadn’t realized Mr. Subliminal had gone to work at Decatur Metro.