The New Yorker

The New Yorker at PT's Brewing Co.

pteglv.com

B

In the history of meat-stacked, deli-style sandwiches, have you ever found one done the right way in a bar? How about in a brewery? It seems like it can't possibly work out, but PT's Brewing Co.—the new beer-making arm of the ubiquitous Las Vegas tavern company—delivers a monster of quality here, especially impressive because the pastrami and corned beef are made in house. Thick, salty slabs of those two sandwich faves, plus tender, medium-rare roast beef, all somehow stay upright between two holding-on-for-dear-life pieces of marbled rye. Provolone and Swiss cheeses are added to the mix to add a different kind of richness, while coleslaw brings a nice fresh crunch and Thousand Island rides in with a little tang. This is a true meat mountain, and there aren't a lot of delis around the Vegas valley that you can find legit sandwich monuments like this one. Here, you can wash it down with a cold brew made in the room on the other side of the wall, and that's pretty cool.

The Mayor of Flavortown Burger

The Mayor of Flavortown Burger at Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar

caesars.com

B-

The thing I notice most about the food at Guy Fieri's Las Vegas restaurants—there are two now—is the presentation. This burger is not just put together. It's carefully constructed for maximum height and to make sure it looks like you could never get your mouth around it, but it also needs to be a bit sloppy, as if the kitchen crew didn't use any tweezers placing a single strand of the caraway seed coleslaw intentionally out of place. And the fries, even ... they're not in an kind of container. They're just pile-mounted onto a metal frame with a piece of paper holding them up. It's quite scientific. It's pretty tasty, too, especially if you can manage to order this sucker by name without giggling. The burger is good quality meat, smash-grilled for juiciness and nicely textured outside (but mine was just a bit overdone), and piled with pastrami, Swiss cheese, that slaw, pickles, fried onion strings and Dijon mustard, all on top of a garlic-buttered pretzel bun. All those flavors get a little bit muddled; it still tastes like a burger first and foremost. But you do get little tingles of the 'strami and the pickles and the mustard, and the chewy bun makes it even more satisfying. This probably isn't the best burger at Guy's first Vegas spot, but it's pretty close to being on the money.

Dallas

Dallas at Bobby's Burger Palace

bobbysburgerpalace.com

C-

Perhaps it was inevitable. When Bobby Flay expanded his Burger Palace chain to the Las Vegas Strip, we didn't really care, until we went and ate the burgers (and drank the shakes) and goddamnit if we didn't love this place. The fancy burgers were a little less expansive and a little less fancy than the other casino burger shops, and it was glorious. So we kept coming back. But at last, disappointment. We ordered the Dallas, allegedly a spice-crusted patty with coleslaw, jack cheese, barbecue sauce and pickles, and we "crunchified" it by adding potato chips because even though this seems ridiculous, it has worked for us in the past. This was just short of a titanic fail. I don't know what spices were crusted on this burger, but salt was the only thing we could taste. Combine some Lay's and a runny barbecue sauce that was more savory and steak sauce-ish than sweet and tangy, and you have a one-note salt bomb from which there is no escape. Pickles usually make everything better but this just wasn't going to happen. The meat, though cooked medium rare, was bland and mushy on the inside. We'll always have fond memories of Bobby's, but with Shake Shack, Fatburger and Fukuburger within Strip walking distance of this shop, I don't think we'll be able to find a reason to return. It was yum while it lasted.

Regular Combo Beef & Sausage

Regular Combo Beef & Sausage at Al's Italian Beef

alsbeef.com

A

This is a once-a-year kind of sandwich, and by that I mean I'll probably die if I eat it more often than that. But it's so good. Al's classic Italian beef, super tender and savory meat sliced thin enough to melt into your face and saturated in "gravy," is augmented here not only with provolone, hot giardiniera and sweet peppers but also a char-grilled spicy pork sausage. You can't really see the link in this pic but it's there, lurking beneath the meaty, saucy mountain, piled into a soft, delicious roll. It's almost impossible to pick this thing up and eat it like a proper sandwich; you're better off knife and forking your way to glorious gutbomb satisfaction. Worth the effort, and the occasional splurge.

Chili Cheese Grilled Dog

Chili Cheese Grilled Dog at Burger King

bk.com

F

Pretty genius, actually ... the other fast-food burger chains don't do dogs. Why not throw this mess on the menu for a couple bucks? Some sucker will tack it on to their Whopper meal order. Some sucker indeed.

The French Dip

The French Dip at Therapy

therapylv.com

B-

It's hard not to order a French dip for lunch when you see it on a menu, even if you're having lunch in a place that probably doesn't specialize in French dips ... say, a hip downtown bar, where you should probably get a charred kale salad or baked ricotta gnudi or a chicken and red velvet waffle slider. But really, don't you just want a French dip? This one is serviceable, bolstered by delectable horseradish cream and high quality roast beef. The jus was savory and fine, as well, but there was something missing. It was the hoagie roll. It wasn't toasted well, as advertised, and you need a little more crisp, toasty goodness on your French dip if it's going to stand up to all that juicy meat and an extra dip. Whatever. Still not going to get the salad.

Fatburger

Fatburger at Fatburger

fatburger.com

A

How is it possible that in more than five years of allsandwich we've never reviewed one of our all-time favorite burger joints? Crazy, huh? Yet here it is, for the first time, the classic Fatburger. This is the Medium Fatburger, to be precise, since these days they come in five different sizes; it's plenty big, though. It's got the works—mustard, relish, onions, pickles, tomato, lettuce, mayo, plus added cheese—decorating a 5.3-ounce patty of fresh, beef, griddled to near crispyness on the outside. (The Large Fat is a half-pounder, and then it just gets crazy from there.) I've been eating Fatburgers in Las Vegas for more than 20 years and it's always good; its consistency is second only to In-N-Out. It's a messy delicious treat—the combination of condiments and the overwhelmingly beefy flavor are the defining factors here—and combined with a thick milkshake and thick-cut "fat fries," this is pure fast-food bliss. We might not have reviewed it until now, but we've been eating it all along.

Santa Barbara Style Charburger

Santa Barbara Style Charburger at The Habit Burger Grill

habitburger.com

B

Another highly regarded burger chain comes to Las Vegas? Yes, that. The Habit started making its "charburgers" in Santa Barbara, so it only makes sense that our first taste is the menu's Santa Barbara Style Charburger, right? Right. There is significant char on these fresh beef patties, adding some nice flavor—kinda what Burger King should taste like. But it's the dominant flavor; the meat is mostly underseasoned. This mighty, satisfying double burger comes on grilled sourdough with melty American cheese, avocado, juicy tomatoes, shredded lettuce and mayo. The avocado and tomato brought plenty of gardeny goodness to the party, helping distinguish this concoction from all the other signature burgers at the various burger joints we've sampled. Is the Habit habit forming? We're not sure, yet.

Taco Sandwich

Taco Sandwich

homemade

B+

So I invented this. You've never made this before. No, it's not a torta. It's close, though. I used a traditional torta roll, a fluffier version of a bolillo, one with a really nice, soft chewiness to it. It's a pretty great roll, actually. I toasted it and melted slices of pepper jack cheese on both sides, then layered some ground beef with the traditional gringo taco flavorings. Then on top of the meat, I basically placed a tostada—not tortilla chips but a crunchy taco shell, snapped in half so it'd be flat, then coated with chunky red salsa, fresh cilantro and sour cream. Then, top bun, with top cheese. You bite it and simultaneously get the soft, meaty, spicy goodness of your favorite torta with the crunchy, zesty, cheesy sensation of a taco. Which is why I named it the taco sandwich, and I get to name it, because I invented it.

Ninth Island

Ninth Island at Steamie Weenie

steamieweenie.com

C+

Putting some sort of Hawaiian ingredients on a hot dog and calling it the "ninth island"—a common nickname for Las Vegas due to its high number of islander expats—is kinda cute. Piling a load of fried Spam on top of a tube of also processed meat? Not so cute. It's too much weird meatstuff, even for me. Granted, the soft bun and frank on this dog are nice and tasty, and the pineapple relish and scallions are flavorful additions. I wish there was more of them, and a little less Spam. I mean, I love Spam, but ... not this much.

Shackmeister Dog

Shackmeister Dog at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

B

We thought this special Shack dog was a new addition to the menu but it now seems like a limited time item as we can't find it anywhere. But maybe it'll come back sometime. If so, consider eating it: A Vienna beef dog split and grilled on the flat-top in a potato bun with fried onions and lots of that cheese sauce that makes Shake's Shack otherwise pedestrian crinkle fries taste so good. It's a messy treat.

The 1/3 LB Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger

The 1/3 LB Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger at Carl's Jr.

carlsjr.com

F

I really don't know what to say here ... For some reason, every so often I feel compelled to try the new Carl's burger creation, and it's always disappointing but this one made me feel bad about myself. Allegedly 100 percent Black Angus beef, roasted peppers and onions, pepper jack cheese, bacon and—sweet lord, no—"Santa Fe sauce." What could that possibly mean? The only joy here is how this burger's name reminds of Will Ferrell doing his Dubya impression and claiming that Tex-Mex is his favorite kind of food. I bet the real Dubya wouldn't eat this thing.

Land & Sea Burger

Land & Sea Burger at Cafe 6

palms.com

B-

When you go to a goofy gourmet burger joint, consider getting the goofiest burger on the menu. It turned out well at Cafe 6 at the Palms, where this surf-and-turfwich includes a sweet Hawaiian bun with a fairly juicy Angus beef patty and the sushi joint mainstay crab dynamite (there's a chance no actual crab was harmed in the making of this burger) plus red onion, fennel, kale, radish, havarti cheese and tomato tartar sauce. Shockingly, you could actually taste the sauce and it was nice. The kale, radish and fennel brought some necessary crunch to the mix, and the beef and creamy seafood combo was funky in an acceptable way. This burger certainly isn't for everybody, but it was an overall success.

Zydeco Special

Zydeco Special at Zydeco Po-Boys

zydecopo-boys.com

A+

So Zydeco's debris po-boy might have been our favorite new sandwich of 2015. Its luscious combo of slow-cooked brisket, classic Leidenheimer bread from New Orleans and spicy jalapeño mayo is simply fantastic, and we couldn't imagine eating a better po-boy sandwich. But that was before we tried the Zydeco Special, which is the same exact sandwich perfection with the addition of thick, juicy slabs of house-brined turkey breast and sweety, salty ham (also cooked here and used to flavor other dishes like red beans and rice). It's way, way over the top, so much incredible meat stacked and stacked, along with lettuce and tomato and provolone cheese. But you can still taste each amazing ingredient. You know you're overdoing it, but that's kinda the point. It's great on great, the crispness of the bread pushing you along each savory, meaty bite. Could this be our favorite sandwich of 2016? We're gonna go get another one right now and see.

Double Shack Burger

Double Shackburger at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

A

Since we got a little obsessed with Shake Shack this year (as it came to Vegas with not one but two locations) it only seems appropriate to close 2015 with another go 'round at the Shack and a definitive statement, for once and for all, whether it has tested our fast food burger loyalty to In-N-Out. As originally discussed last December upon our first-ever Shackburger tasting, the only way to properly compare the two chains is to get a double from both, and make sure they have the same toppings. So we did it. And In-N-Out still wins. Although every Shake Shack product reviewed here at allsandwich has received an A grade—and we love the fries and ice cream, too—the Double Shackburger, for all its indulgent, nostalgic deliciousness, just can't top the Double-Double. The beef is higher quality at the Shack, with thicker patties for more fatty flavor and greasy fun, and all the other ingredients are fresh and satisfying in all the right ways. But when it all comes together, turns out the champ is still the champ. Out of the many, many times we've grabbed a Double-Double at In-N-Out, it's never been anything other than perfect. Ever. We ate plenty of Shackburgers this year and enjoyed them all, but it wasn't as consistent an eating experience. It just wasn't. Love you, Shack. Don't be mad.

Beef on Weck

Beef on Weck at Anchor Bar

anchorbar.com

B+

We love some chicken wings, but when we found out Las Vegas was getting its own version of Anchor Bar—the Buffalo bar where the wing was originated, according to legend—we were equally exciting to try the traditional Beef on Weck. Our first introduction to this northeast specialty was actually at the very first Buffalo Wild Wings franchise to come to Vegas. Believe it or not, back before it was the corporate mega sports bar chain it is today, BWW actually was trying to stay as loyal to Buffalo as it could be, and there was a Beef on Weck on the menu. But it wasn't as good as this one from the Anchor Bar inside the Venetian's food court. The kimmelweck roll is what makes this simple roast beef sandwich pop, its soft, fluffy texture and sprinkling of caraway seeds and coarse salt drawing out every savory note in the stack of thinly sliced beef. Served with some seriously spicy horseradish on the side, it's an easy winner. It's satisfying but also leaves you wanting more. It's everything Arby's should have been. And it goes great with a dozen spicy hot wings.

Kefta Pita

Kefta Pita at Crazy Pita

crazypita.com

B-

Finally got around to trying Crazy Pita, a homegrown mini-chain serving Mediterranean food at malls and shopping centers and things, and it's pretty tasty. The gateway sandwich is this "kefta" pita, which is built around meatball-ish things made of beef—there's no lamb, but it's still heavily spiced so it tastes like the traditional Moroccan/Middle Eastern ground meat specialty. Wrapped in a soft, crispy-edged pita with creamy hummus, romaine lettuce, and a relish of marinated tomatoes and cucumbers with a bit of mint, it's a satisfying lunch bite, with a little more heat and flavor than we would have predicted. We'll be back, Crazy Pita.

The Grandfather

The Grandfather at Cheffini's

cheffinis.com

B

Most of the dogs at Cheffini's are instantly placed, upon first bite, into contention for our favorite dog in town. The Grandfather isn't quite up to that level, but it's still delightful, which proves Cheffini's is the top dog in Vegas. Even its second-tier franks kick ass. This dog is grilled and dropped into a soft bun before being layered with crisp bits of pork belly, chopped red bell pepper, pickled mango, crunched-up potato chips, caramelized onions and a fried quail egg—that's the thing that gets most people—and then fired up with a couple of sauces: spicy  mayo and basil aioli. The basil is hard to see but easy to taste, the mango adds sweet and sour, and the bacon and onions bring the richness. It's quite powerful.

Meatball Sandwich

Meatball Sandwich at Great American Food

greatamericanfoodlv.com

B

The oddly named Great American Food specializes in sandwiches, mainly of the Italian variety. Sure, you can grab a burger or a Reuben here, but at its core this is an Italian deli, so ... let's go meatballin'. On a toasty French roll, homemade all-beef meatballs—firm and well spiced—are slathered in melty mozzarella and fresh, bright marinara sauce. It's a nice hot bite through and through, super satisfying and flavored with familiar. If you like your sandwiches straight-ahead, maybe Great American Food is for you.

Shack Stack

Shack Stack at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

A

Compared to pretty much every other burger joint—especially the much-hyped ones here in Las Vegas—Shake Shack is decidedly sane. Logical. Rational. Simple, even. I mean, you could say the same thing about In-N-Out, but they've got that secret menu stuff, Animal Style and Four-By-Fours and all that, and that's pretty crazy. Shake Shack is not crazy. Until you find your way to the Shack Stack, the only insane item on the menu. It basically slaps together the standard, delicious Shack Burger with the Shroom Burger, which is (laughably) the Shack's vegetarian option: crispy fried portobello mushroom caps filled with gooey, molten muenster and cheddar cheeses. Maybe it's vegetarian, but it certainly doesn't eat like something that's supposed to be better for you. Anyways, put the Shack's melty-cheese-topped Angus beef patty under one of those crunchy, explosive portobello pucks of glory—and put it all between the puffy bun with lettuce, tomato and Shack Sauce—and you've got a cheese-messy, wonderful accident waiting to happen. It's silly, but it's good. It might not be what you go to Shake Shack for, but mix it up sometimes. Keep it interesting.