There’s no food quite like a sandwich is there? I could wax rhapsodic now, extoll the virtues of this inherently humble food, but that would go against everything that makes a sandwich so perfect. What’s great about sandwiches is that they can be as simple as you want them to be, but they can also be elevated to such a degree that they’d belong on the menu of the finest of restaurants. Plus, they’re unfailingly satisfying. And so, in celebration of the sandwich, we’ve chosen twenty of Brooklyn’s finest examples, each from a different neighborhood, and from a variety of cuisines. We can’t recommend highly enough that you try them all. It’s a tough mission to set for yourself, but we believe in you. Enjoy. And try not to drool on your keyboard.
All photos by Austin McAllister
Smoke meat sandwich from Mile End, (mayhaps?). Also, glad that there’s no sandwich in this list that has kale or incorporating kale.
Where’s Lionis? Bensonhurst baby!
Mimi’s in Ditmas Park is a local spot i go to a couple times a month, but i’ve never seen that sandwich on the menu, i’ll have to ask about it next time. I usually get the mushroom hummus with warm whole wheat pita, and their cauliflower salad is to die for.
Roll n’ Roasters is worth the trip out to Sheepshead bay, but personally I prefer Brennan and Carr’s roast beef.
And the commune BLT is outstanding, I almost hesitate to mention it because it’s still a well kept secret.
Yeah. To talk about brooklyn sandwiches without lionis, mile end, or court street grocers is insane.
Clearly, there needs to be a part two of Brooklyn’s best sandwiches.
Love the list cept for one minor error. The Trinidadian amazing little pocket of heaven “doubles” are never called a “double” (singular). Because they always consist of TWO pieces of bara (the bread). So even though it sounds strange to an American ear…. You would order one by asking for “one doubles… Slight peppa”. : ). Now let me get back to working my way through your list!
Jen
Oh, man. Embarrassing! Thanks for the correction, and it’s all fixed now.
The Michelle My Belle sandwich at Lorimer Market in Wburg is top 5 in NYC. These guys are legends, I’ll put them up against anyone.
[…] Commune (601 Greenwood Avenue on the corner of Prospect Avenue)? If you haven’t tried their pumped-up BLT yet, consider doing so. The sandwich ($8.50) was just named one of Brooklyn Magazine’s 20 […]
Umm..there is a really old school Italian hero shop in Lefferts Gardens called Mama Louisa’s. It rivals and is even better than DeFonte’s in Red Hook.
The best sandwich in Clinton Hill is the Hot Bird at Brooklyn Victory Garden.
John’s Deli?!?!?!? Been in business for 80 years out in gravesend with other locations in staten island. but the brooklyn shop is the original. Shrimp parm is outstanding but you really come here for the roast beef. The bread is perfect, roast beef slow cooked and juicy with some smothered onions but the secret ingredient is the gravy. Black and thick, it looks like motor oil and has a sweet syrupy consistency that goes so well with the sandwich that they sell it on its own as a side for you to dip things in. and whenever you tip the guys behind the counter, they all yell out “Subway” which has a rich history all its own.
So so sad, 20 sandwiches and most reside in the gentrified nightmares locals hate.
How about going deeper into Brooklyn and checking out the authentic flavors.
Bay Ridge, Brighton Beach, Midwood, Mill Basin, Canarsie. So many neighborhoods that make up the heart of this borough. But no, you chose the hipster hell, from that which the rest of us run.