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.

Pabellon

Pabellon at Viva Las Arepas

vivalasarepas.com

A

I dream about this sandwich. Slightly spicy, endlessly rich, succulent and tender beef in the style of mechada (Puerto Rican pot roast) is stuffed into a savory grilled cornmeal cake, crowded with queso fresco, black beans and plantains for a sweet and salty explosion. The texture of the juicy meat inside the crisp arepa "shell" is sublime, but that meat is just so good. I had this one for breakfast. It's also the perfect lunch. And dinner. It's not huge but it's unbelievably satisfying and filling. It's perfect. And it's $7. Why am I not eating this right now?

Hangover Slopper

Hangover Slopper at Tom's Urban

tomsurban.com

A

Temporarily straying from the Tom's Road Trip Sandwiches section of the menu, we discover one of the specialties of the house at Tom's Urban—the unfortunately named, incredibly craveable Hangover Slopper. This is the late night/early morning version of the Slopper, a super-solid Angus beef burger on buttery brioche smothered in pork chile verde, pico de gallo, queso fresco and cheddar and jack cheeses. And yep, you guessed it, now it has two fried eggs on top. It's a huge mess. It must be eaten with knife and fork. It's a silly something that could have only been conceived by someone drunk or stoned … and it's fantastic. The meat patty is satisfying in every way, the surprisingly spice green chile soaks into the bread to fabulous effect, and the eggs and cheese add over-the-topness. The burger or the chile would be great by themselves but they're better together. Two straight As for Tom so far.

The S.O.B.

The S.O.B. at Lulu's Bread & Breakfast

lulusonthemove.com

A

At this point, I really don't know why I'd eat a breakfast sandwich anywhere other than Lulu's. The S.O.B. is a fried egg sandwich on a puffy, beautiful brioche bun with a southwestern slant—diced green chilies, pepper jack and cotija cheeses, avocado and spicy chicken chorizo offer an amazing contrast of textures and flavors. There's richness and sharp heat, satisfying unctuousness and plenty of bright freshness. And the damn egg is just cooked perfectly. Who does it better than these guys?

Panchero

Panchero at Cheffini's

cheffinis.com

A

Cheffini's refuses to disappoint. A holiday hot dog tasting presented the opportunity to try several of their wild wiener variations, including the Panchero—a lovely grilled frank topped with caramelized onions, red bell pepper aioli, diced and grilled bits of chorizo and a classic chimichurri sauce. And wow, do these flavors sing. Rich, sweet onions. Creamy, zingy mayo. Fatty, spicy, caramelized bliss from those squares of chorizo, which seem to magically work their way into every bite. You gotta give it up for sausage on top of other sausage. And the chimi, which could overpower any standard hot dog due to its powerful garlickyness, somehow fades into the background, a soft blast of brightness when you least expect it. Cheffini's hot dogs are magical.

Torta Pescado

Torta Pescado at Pinches Tacos

pinchestacos.com

A-

Frequently we snap an underwhelming photo of an outstanding sandwich and this, amigo, is one of those times. Are we surprised that a truly great torta came from one of our favorite Vegas taco shops? Not at all. Pinches is consistently delicious, and maybe a bit overlooked due to its location in the Downtown Container Park. Up until now, we've overlooked its tortas, instead opting for pollo mole tacos. This fluffy yet firm, slightly sweet roll is absolutely stuffed with crispy fried, fleshy white fish, moist and flaky and lovely. There's a spread of refried pinto beans and another of guacamole, plenty of Mexican sour cream, cilantro, onion, and a Veracruz-style slaw. The sandwich is tender and crisp, meaty and fresh, hearty yet not heavy. The sign outside of Pinches reads "Real Mexican food made by real Mexicans," and we can't help but think how well Mexicans do sandwiches. We need to do a whole lot more tortas.

José Andrés Burger

José Andrés Burger at Umami Burger

umamiburger.com

A

At the California locations of Umami Burger, the porktacular José Andrés burger was a one-month special. At the Las Vegas Umami, planted firmly at the new SLS resort, this decadent bite is a regular item on the menu. Just another reason why Vegas rules. José creates a patty out of ground pork and cured ham, of course, and the Umami crew cooks it through but keeps it juicy, sweet and savory. There's also piquillo pepper confit—which is pretty much our favorite side dish at José's insane Bazaar Meat just down the hall at SLS—offering robust, rich sweetness; pure gluttony in the form of creamy, roasted garlic aioli; a little more depth from caramelized onions; and some nutty, sharp goodness from the addition of manchego cheese. It's truly delicious when you get a bit of everything at once, and it really doesn't eat or taste like any burger you've ever had. It's a true sandwich, and you should try one.

Pan Manchego

Pan Manchego at Julian Serrano

aria.com

B+

Okay, this traditional tapas dish is barely a sandwich, and a small snack of a sandwich at that. But it's so simple and delicious, it deserves all the love it can get. A sort of mini-baguette is toasted to crisp, savory perfection and filled with a sauce of fresh garlic and tomatoes plus year-old manchego cheese, that Spanish sheep's milk goodness with a nutty, caramelish flavor that blends so nicely with the acidic brightness in that tomato sauce. The simpler dishes at Julian Serrano are so brilliant, and this is one of our favorites. Think of it as a Spanish grilled cheese if you like, but just be sure to eat it.

Vampiro

Vampiro at Tacos El Gordo

tacoselgordobc.com

B-

There are people who try to tell me a burger isn't a sandwich, or a hot dog isn't a sandwich. That's just illogical bullshit. There will be someone telling me a Vampiro isn't a sandwich, either. But look at it. Furthermore, if those crispy corn tortillas were soft, would it be more of a sandwich? What if they weren't tortillas at all, but some other form of the same corn masa, perhaps griddled into a cake and used as bread like a Venezuelan arepa or a Mexican gordita or a Salvadoran pupusa? What then, hater? Would it be sandwich enough for you? That's what I thought. Instead of arguing with me, go to Tacos El Gordo and enjoy this crunchy creation, which I filled with caramelized carne asada to go along with toasted quesadilla cheese, guacamole, salsa, cilantro and onions. It's not as easy to handle as TEG's sublime tacos, but you're probably eating here because you're drunk/hungover, and a Vampiro is just as much fun. Maybe more.

El Mexicano

El Mexicano at Cheffinis

cheffinis.com

A+

Congratulations! You are reading the 300th post at allsandwich. What an accomplishment this is for you! For almost five years now, you've been reading all about all kinds of delicious (and sometimes not-so-delicious) sandwiches in Las Vegas and many other places, demonstrating your commitment to this most important of foodstuffs. We salute you. And it's no coincidence that the 300th is an absolute treasure, maybe the best hot dog in Las Vegas. We've been fans of Cheffinis for years, happily and drunkenly munching its street cart goodies after wild nights downtown, and now these crazy-talented hot dog craftsmen have taken up permanent residence at Container Park. Do check out their new spot, and do sample El Mexicano. Somehow these guys make the bacon-wrapped and grilled frank into something that seems like it occurs naturally. It's like the skin of the dog is bacon, thin and crisp and savory and wonderful. Stacked on that meaty foundation are fresh chunks of avocado, onion and tomato, a bit of cilantro, plus a tangy green sauce, a tangier chipotle guava sauce, creamy garlic aioli and an acidic cherry pepper relish. It sounds like topping overkill but when you get a bite of everything—and you do, on almost every bite—it's absolute bliss, full, wild flavor balance with the familiar sensation of soft bun and snappy meat tube. The Cheffinis crew knows what they're doing.

La Sureña

La Sureña at Rika Arepa Express

rikaarepaexpress.com

A

The Rika Arepa Express food truck hasn't displaced Viva Las Arepas as our go-to spot for these scrumptious masa cake sandwiches, but damn, this thing is delicious. The toasty griddled corn concoction is a little sweet and savory—maybe just a bit on the dry side—and absolutely stuffed with juicy, marinated and grilled chicken meat (dark and white), succulent slabs of a spicy smoked sausage, and mounds of creamy, rich avocado. It's one of the most satisfying bites you can imagine, hearty and bold and impossibly cheap ($7). It's a fantastic meal all by itself. Grab yourself one whenever you get the chance.

Baja Vegetarian

Baja Vegetarian at Sausagefest

sausagefestfoodtruck.com

A

If you're lucky enough to come across the Sausagefest food truck in Las Vegas, attack it. The flavors are magnificently huge, and maybe most impressively, they stay that way if you go the vegetarian route. This is a veggie version of a smoked apple and sage sausage, and every morsel pops with sweet and savory awesomeness. Inside its soft bun, it's topped with the truck's Baja style selections: avocados, tomatoes, onions and smoky chipotle salsa. It's spicy, it's fresh and it's crazy delicious. You'll never know or care that this baby is meatless.

Torta de Pierna

Torta de Pierna at Las Cazuelas

Las Cazuelas at Yelp

A

Tortas are supposed to be blowing up right now. Maybe they are; in recent weeks in Las Vegas, at least two Mexican eateries have popped open with an emphasis on tortas. But at Las Cazuelas, which has been open for four or five months now and serves spectacularly satisfying Poblano food, there are different kinds of sandwiches to choose from. This porky beauty is a great starting point, a puffy sub-ish roll with soft texture and chew and great flavor, packed with adobo-syle marinated and roasted pork which has been cooked down to shreddy, juicy bliss. There's creamy avocado and a smooth bean spread, too, adding to each wonderful bite. Next time we'll have to munch the sauced up, slider-sized creations known as chanclas, but after finishing off this baby, we're full.

Woodfired Chicken Arepa

Woodfired Chicken Arepa at Viva Las Arepas

vivalasarepas.com

A+

There are those who would say a Venezuelan arepa is not a sandwich because its "bread" is not bread but a split cake of corn masa stuffed with delicious ingredients. My response would be that it's simply a different version of bread, flour and water cooked in a different matter, so shut yer yapper. Once you get a bite of this thing, you can call it whatever you want, because it's undeniably fantastic. Viva Las Arepas makes some killer hickory and charcoal roasted chicken, imparting luscious, slightly smoky flavor into your everyday boring bird for lip-smacking results. One of the most popular arepas on the ridiculously cheap menu stuffs this shredded chicken into the crisp, griddled masa with lettuce, tomato and onion, with optional cheese. Blow the flavors into overdrive by squirting on the house hot sauce and/or avocado crema. Is this the best $5 sandwich in all of Las Vegas? Find me a better one.

Cuban Sandwich

Cuban Sandwich at Lulu's Bread & Breakfast

lulusonthemove.com

A+

At last. At last! There are very few Cuban restaurants in Las Vegas, which means a killer version of the classic Cuban toasted ham and cheese sandwich is almost impossible to find. What you have instead instead is whitewashed (and white breaded) deli shops doing a lightweight Americanized version, which comes up short 99 percent of the time. But not at Lulu's. This bakery, breakfast and lunch joint is fast becoming one of our favorite sandwich spots in town because they just do everything right. Their sandwich lineup changes with the seasons and fall has bestowed upon us the best Cuban we've ever tasted in Vegas. The bread is thick country white, but it's panini-pressed to create the hefty crunch and flavorful chew that must occur in any respectable Cuban. Inside, Swiss half-melts luxuriously around ample portions of pickles and yellow mustard, masterfully avoiding any sort of cheese goo effect. Thick slices of ham and generous mounds of roasted, shredded pork offer a meatier mouthful even that what appears. It's simple savory perfection. Thank god for Lulu's.

Torta

Torta at Los Chilangos

loschilangos.com

A-

We sampled the grub from Los Chilangos, a food truck and caterer operating in the Seattle area, at the spectacular Sunday farmers' market in Ballard. The true treasure on the menu was the chupacabra quesadilla, combining chorizo and carne asada into a savory, fatty blast of meat bliss. If we would have wisely ordered that on our torta, it'd be an A+  sandwich with ease. But the vegetarian version is beyond solid, a pillowy, slightly toasted sourdough roll filled with hearty black beans, salty, gooey cheese, shredded lettuce, cilantro, onions, and spicy salsa verde. There was definitely a dose of fresh jalapeño in that salsa, giving it an extra kick that cut through the rich layer of cheese and beans. It's the perfect thing to cradle and devour while walking through one of the best street markets we've ever experienced.

Tortas Sampler

Tortas Sampler at T&T

tacosandtequilalv.com

B+

Available only on the lunch menu at Luxor's Mexican joint Tacos & Tequila, these tasty friends are just too good to limit yourself to just one flavor. I would usually never review three sandwiches at once, but these tortas are equally delicious, mostly because of the soft, spongy, sweet, perfectly absorbent bolillo rolls. This light, lovely cloud of a bread is the quintessential component in these sandwiches, which are surprisingly authentic considering this is the Vegas Strip. They have been made a bit more friendly by this outgoing kitchen, but the flavors are staying in the spirit of tradition. From the left, you've got carne asada (tender and juicy with a bit of sour funk), carnitas (succulence personified) and shredded chicken (moist and slightly spicy), plus each also has lettuce and tomato, fresh pico de gallo, and a thin layer of soft, long-simmered bean puree for extra texture. If you happen to find yourself in the Luxor at lunchtime, allow me to introduce option numero uno.

Torta Ahogada

Torta Ahogada at El Birotazo

elbirotazo.com

A+

A tiny eastside taco shop in Las Vegas. You would never find this place, in a million years, and if you drove past it, you wouldn't consider stopping in for a torta. This is the kind of sandwich in the kind of restaurant someone has to tell you about, and that's what happened. And now I'm telling (writing) you about it, and you're going to go try it. For simplification, let's call this the Guadalajaran version of the French dip, only with pork, and WAY BETTER. The roll is dense and crusty. The meat, piled on top of a thin layer of refried, mashed beans, is carnita-syle pork, roasted to succulent perfection. And there's quite a bit of it. That glossy orange sauce it's swimming in? Drenched in? Totally saturated in, so that the sponge-like roll is absorbing every drop of that sweet-and-earthy spiced tomato salsa? It's fantastic. What you can't see is in that silver bowl in the back: spicy chile de arbol, another smooth salsa rich and thick and hot as hell, with raw white onion shards hanging out. For fun. You need to pile that stuff on each bite of porky wonder to get the full effect. That's what this sandwich should be called: The Full Effect.

Sandwich Sundays Presents: The Taco Muffin

The Taco Muffin

homemade

B-

Does anyone else remember when Taco Bell served Bellburgers? Or am I super old? This breakfast mini-sandwich is Bellburger-inspired, a whole wheat English muffin with green chili-spiced, taco-style ground turkey, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and jack cheese. It's not quite there: the sweetness of the muffin struggles against the spicy taco meat, but overall it's a satisfying, meaty bite. Just think of it as a hybrid between a Bellburger and an Egg Mcmuffin.

Lomo Completo

Lomo Completo at Rincon de Buenos Aires

Rincon de Buenos Aires at Yelp

B+

Whoa. Seriously. These days lots of places make sandwiches so huge, you'd be crazy to try to down them in one sitting. That's the way I feel about half of the Lomo Completo, a cheesy-beefy-eggy masterpiece found in this humble Argentinean outpost hiding in the neighborhood of Vegas' Chinatown. Super-stacked on top of rustic, crusty pressed bread is steak, thinly sliced ham, melty white cheese, fried eggs, lettuce, tomato and onion. All of the components taste great, particularly the ham, cheese and egg that seem to steal their way into every mouthful. The steak is no joke, juicy, tender filet that easily adds up to twice the size of what you get if you order a petite cut in any steakhouse. It's simply the most filling sandwich we've encountered yet in Vegas, and it's delicious, too.