Grilled Tomato Sandwich

Grilled Tomato Sandwich

homemade

B-

What do you make to accompany homemade beer-cheese soup? Grilled tomato sandwiches, of course. Get it? It's the reverse? It's the best way to annoy your dinner guests with your sense of culinary whimsy? Nevermind.

On toasted dill rye, you've got some crispy bacon, some watercress, some brie, some garlic mustard, and then a somewhat messy serving of heirloom tomatoes. They'd been cooked for a bit in a grill pan with the tiniest droplets of balsamic vinegar added at the end. Those droplets ended up adding a bit too much sweetness to a sandwich with a whole circus of different flavors. Everything tasted good, it was just a bit muddled.

Ham & Cheese Croissant

Ham & Cheese Croissant at Sambalatte

sambalatte.com

B-

Once again we're back at one of suburban Vegas' finest coffee spots, eating food. I never plan to eat a sandwich at a coffee shop due to the risk of eating something that might have been made days ago, but Sambalatte keeps things relatively fresh. The croissant is wonderful, a warmed-up, flaky, buttery bite of splendid sweet-and-savory pleasure. There's nothing more to this sandwich than average slices of swine and melty Swiss, a fine combination. Not bad.

Cheez Whiz Steak

Cheez Whiz Steak at Pop's

popscheesesteaks.com

A

Pop's serves the quintessential cheesesteak in Vegas. It's undeniable. Anybody who has been in Vegas for long knows the funny little A-frame building on Decatur Boulevard that was once an original Weinerschnitzel -- the structure is nearly 50 years old now -- is the absolute top spot for a cheesesteak, the closest point to Philadelphia in Sin City.

We only eat the whiz steak at Pop's. So what you're looking at is a fluffy-soft, 9-inch roll baked by the Amoroso company in Philadelphia, completely packed with paper-thin slices of grilled sirloin, sauteed onions, bell peppers and mushrooms, and a generous slathering of original Kraft-brand Cheez Whiz. It's the perfect combination of tangy cheesishness, crispy veggies and savory, satisfying meat. It's huge, and it's about 10 bucks. The best part is eating it outside on the patio at Pop's, where you would never know you're in Vegas.

Double Croissan'Wich

Double Croissan'Wich with sausage and bacon at Burger King

bk.com

D-

I'm not sure why I eventually end up having fast food breakfast at Burger King. Every few months, strange conditions arise, and I'm eating a fucking croissan'wich. Of course, this has to stop. BK has proven to me that it is willing to go to all sorts of trouble to set new, lower breakfast standards. This sounds like an abusive relationship.

The Double Croissan'Wich: Because a 570-calorie sandwich is a great way to start the day. Same soggy wet cardboard scrambled eggs, only now there's flavorless sausage AND bacon along with melted fake cheese. The only thing BK breakfast has ever had going for it is the mouth-coating butteryness of its half-ass croissants. Have you ever even had a real breakfast sandwich on a real croissant? It's pretty awesome, the whole sweet-savory thing. BK will never get there.

BBQ Pork Sliders

BBQ Pork Sliders at Bottles & Burgers

tivolivillage.doublehelixwine.com

B

Kudos to the folks at Bottles & Burgers for their courage. They've opened yet another Vegas burger joint, they've done it in the struggling Tivoli Village shopping center, and they've gone above and beyond to make it interesting. Of course, a pulled pork slider sandwich is nothing new, but these are pretty damn good. The meat is tender and flavorful but not too soft, the apricot barbecue sauce is not too sweet, the chiptole coleslaw has a delicious zesty, creamy kick, and the baby brioche bun is wonderful. There's event a sweet pickle chip on top, just for fun. Of the several sandwiches we tasted in our first visit to Bottles & Burgers, these baby barbecue bites were the standouts.

Baby Dragon

Baby Dragon at Fukuburger Truck

fukuburger.com

A+

One of Vegas' favorite food trucks, Fukuburger recently opened a restaurant in Los Angeles. We haven't made the trip to Cali yet to see if their Hollywood burgers are as good as the ones off the truck, but clearly the cuisine here in Vegas isn't suffering. At all.

When Chef Mags comes up with something crazy for the daily special, you'd be wise to check it out. Hopefully this masterpiece will make the permanent menu some day, as it's one of the best burgers we've ever had the privilege to devour. This was the Chinese New Year special, hence the funny name. The key to this burger is that they took the standard Fuku patty, already legendary for its bold Asian flavors and tendency to be perfectly cooked, and pepper crusted that bad boy. So the Baby Dragon already comes out with a Sichuan peppercorn crust, then adds applewood-smoked bacon, smoked gouda cheese, and an insane wasabi-hoisin-serrano chile sauce. It's just spicy enough, beautifully balanced by the sweetness from the hoisin and the creamy cheese.

Fukuburger's experiments with umamification continue. Chalk up another victory.

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.

Pigstrami

Pigstrami

homemade

A+

Pastrami is kind of a big deal 'round here. It might be the single best sandwich stuffing ever created. It's so important, we've tried to make our own version. But it's not easy, and it's very complicated to accurately re-create something you love so much (especially when others are doing it so well.)

But the hunger for pastrami is omnipresent. So we decided to twist it up a little, really make it our own. Thus was born Pigstrami. We grabbed a five-pound bone-in pork shoulder, and dry-brined it for almost three days with an incredibly powerful spice rub of traditional pastrami seasonings: black pepper, coriander seed, garlic, red pepper flake, other stuff. Then we slow-roasted this porktacular creation for six hours, rendering fatty, glossy, beyond-tender meat that falls apart in your fingers and melts spectacularly in your mouth. Plus, tastes like pastrami. (The only signature element we didn't try to incorporate is smokiness, but we're still very happy with the results. Obviously.) Dropped a pile of this decadent goodness on garlic mustard slathered rye, and added some homemade pickled banana peppers for some extra bite and texture.

Sandwich success is a beautiful thing.

The Hangover Burger

The Hangover Burger at Binion's Cafe

binions.com

B+

Binion's in downtown Las Vegas is one of the true old-school spots left in the city. Anybody who was hanging out downtown before the current hipster redevelopment knows the best place to grab a burger in the area -- and one of the best burgers in Vegas overall -- was always the greasy-wonderful "snack bar" counter in the casino. A couple of years ago, Binion's closed its cozy subterranean coffee shop and expanded this "snack bar" spot, and now it's known as Binion's Cafe. And they're still serving up badass burgers.

This is the only way to upgrade that nice, juicy, straight-from-the-flattop-grill cheeseburger. The Hangover has two big strips of bacon, an egg fried hard in butter, a thick slice of American cheese and a nice ground beef patty on a soft, fresh bun. Toss on lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion served on the side, and Binion's superior French fries make this meal a complete breakfast, no matter the hour. The best burgers are from sketchy little diners. It's a fact.

Spicy Baja Black Bean Burger

Spicy Baja Black Bean Burger at Smashburger

smashburger.com

A-

The burgeoning Smashburger chain switched up its vegetarian offerings recently, offering a new black bean patty available as a cow or chicken substitute on any of its sandwiches. It's pretty good stuff, too: a soft, delicate, almost crumbly patty with plenty of flavor. They smash it on the grill and quick-cook it, just like they do with their beef burgers. The obvious choice for this specialized faux burger is the Spicy Baja option, with pepperjack cheese, guacamole, fresh jalapeno, lettuce, tomato and onion. The hot-to-cool balance is particularly effective against the lighter flavor of the black bean burger, resulting in an ultimately satisfying veggie experience.

Salami Sandwich

Salami Sandwich

homemade

C

So one time I was making a salami sandwich at home, and I put the thing right on the counter, no plate, just like this picture here. I left the kitchen for all of 45 seconds and when I returned, the sandwich was gone. But my dog was there. He turned away from me. When I cornered him, I saw small half circles of salami jutting out from around his mouth. He had the whole sandwich in his mouth, hadn't even chomped it at all. It was just resting in there. He was smuggling it.

This is regular old plastic-package, store-bought salami, piled three layers deep on dill rye bread. That's it. Nothing else. I've been eating this since I was a kid. That will probably continue forever, dog smugglers notwithstanding.

Sicilian Tuna

Sicilan Tuna at 'Wichcraft

mgmgrand.com

B-

A few words about 'Wichcraft: Yes, it is created by Tom Colicchio. Yes, it's a Vegas sandwich shop located on the Strip, way way back in the restaurant walk of the MGM Grand, near the pool. Yes, We had lunch there of two sandwiches, a bag of chips, a soda, a beer and a banana for $37. And yes, I felt compelled to revisit 'Wichcraft because I had heard and read some negative things, that it wasn't so great, that maybe the food there had fallen off.

I disagree with that last part. It may be a little spendy, but hey, that's the Strip for you. If you yanked this joint out of MGM and dropped into a Vegas suburb, all the people who say it's not good or it costs too much would be falling over themselves, blogging and Yelping and talking about how great this little gourmet sandwichery is, how the ingredients and breads are wonderful and rustic and innovative. It's a great little neighborhood sandwich shop, it just happens to be in a huge casino resort. Accept it.

This is the 'Wichcraft version of a tuna salad sandwich, way better than the average version. The fish is light, like fluffy cloud of oceanic deliciousness, and there's no sign of glop mixed into the meat to yuckify it. Just lots of tasty fish, a little fennel and olive relish dabbed here and there, with a thin spread of mayo and some sharp lemon on the bottom layer of a soft, chewy baguette. It's quite good, I just wish it had some greens to add a little healthy, vegetably crispness. But overall, this is good stuff, and emblematic of what you'll find at 'Wichcraft.

Hot Pastrami

Hot Pastrami at Zoozacrackers

wynnlasvegas.com

A

To the short list of spectacular pastrami sandwiches on the Vegas Strip, add this beauty from the underrated Zoozacrackers deli at Wynn. Give it a few extra points because unlike the offerings at imported joints like Canter's and Carnegie, the Zooza crew makes all this stuff in-house: pastrami, corned beef, even the latkes. And it's very steady.

This simple, sublime sandwich comes on some pretty great bread, also baked in the resort. It's soft but firm seedy rye with just enough flavor. The pastrami is very different from those other places, and from what you're used to eating with store-bought meat. It's incredibly tender with zero bites of weird fattiness or gristle, thanks to a very complicated and lengthy cooking process. All the familiar tastes are there, including a subtle smokiness, black pepper, garlic and coriander. It's not overly salty. The flavors are round and smooth, beefier than other pastramis. Great stuff. They tack on some Swiss cheese and let you go at it yourself with the mustard.

Scrumptious bites like these make us continue to hit the Strip for our regular deli fix. It's hard to say this is better than the rest, as it's so different. But for now, there's not another place anywhere in Vegas I'd rather get a pastrami sandwich.

Juicy Lucy

Juicy Lucy at Crossroads at House of Blues

houseofblues.com

C-

If you watch a lot of food TV, you might be pretty excited about this. The "Juicy Lucy" burger, originated somehow, somewhere, is all over TV whenever I switch to the Food Network or the Travel Channel or the Cheeseburger Channel or what the fuck ever. I've even seen a show where two different versions of this burger battled each other, and were judged by alleged experts. (Okay, maybe I'm jealous. Maybe we like to think there is no greater assessment of burger greatness than what is done right here at allsandwich.) What seems like a simple concept is portrayed as revolutionary through all this hype. The cheese is inside the burger! And armageddon ensues.

Whether or not the Juicy Lucy is a phenomenon that is sweeping our nation, this is the first time I've seen it on a Las Vegas menu actually called a "Juicy Lucy." And it's at an odd place, not because the House of Blues restaurant in Mandalay Bay is kind of a glorified bar and grill, but because it's traditionally been a soul food-inspired eatery which is now swinging toward Mexican food. Confusing, right? And smack in the middle of this mess is this rather basic burger, stuffed full of two different cheeses, overcooked, and dropped on a completely mediocre bun. The only flavor besides melty-gooey-cheesiness comes from the roasted peppers, which only make sense because of this vague new southwestern theme. Things are weird here. This burger isn't weird, but it sure is boring.

Turkey Sandwich

Turkey Sandwich at Bread & Butter

breadandbutterlv.com

A

Don't worry: I'm not still eating and blogging turkey sandwiches this far after Thanksgiving. No, this beauty comes to you because Bread & Butter, a new breakfast-lunch-bakery spot in the suburban town of Henderson (yeah, it's all still Vegas) is building quite a buzz. It's known for its sweet stuff and artisan breads, like this soft, fresh, light, perfect roll that somehow falls somewhere between brioche and pretzel. Baking isn't the only thing they do well here ... stuffed inside is house-roasted, shredded turkey, melted swiss, mayo and a tasty veggie relish with bell pepper, red onion, sunflower seeds and a light, refreshing dressing. This kitchen is always working on something new, and we can't wait to try its other sandwich creations.

Steakhouse Burger

Steakhouse Burger at The Barrymore

barrymorelv.com

A

I don't know if there's a better burgermeister in Vegas than Chef Anthony Meidenbauer. Dude started up both LBS Burger in the Red Rock and Holsteins in the Cosmopolitan, and at his latest restaurant creation --boutique throwback joint The Barrymore inside the Royal Resort -- the burgers are simply outstanding.

Behold the Barrymore's Steakhouse Burger, a juicy grass-fed beef patty resting on a delicious, almost flaky muffin-style bun, topped with bacon marmalade, a bit of fresh frisee, oven roasted tomatoes, garlic mayo and melty gruyere. It fits snugly between the concept of a back-to-basics, all-about-the-beef burger and a creatively crowned, wildly flavored burger. Besides the sturdy bun and the unbelievably tasty cow, my favorite element is the roasted tomatoes, adding a bit of fresh garden richness to every bite. Bravo, burgermeister.

The Rave

The Rave at Johnny McGuire's

johnnymcguires.com

A+

In honor of the endless leftovers and turkey sandwiches being consumed today, allow us to introduce you to a proper Thanksgivingy masterpiece. The Rave, ordered here on a whole wheat sub roll, is packed with sliced turkey, cranberry sauce, provolone, sprouts, tomatoes, lettuce, green bell pepper, sunflower seeds, red onion, horseradish and hot pickled peppers. It is outstanding, vinegar-spicyness and nostril-burning horsey action mingling with fresh vegetable crunch and sweet-sour crantasticness. It is a bite of beauty and definitely our favorite Thanksgiving tradition buster. Johnny McGuire's continues to consistently amaze.

Clubhouse

Clubhouse at Peppermill

peppermilllasvegas.com

D

Time to rant: I love the Peppermill. The restaurant and the bar. They're great. You can't beat the old-school Vegas awesome atmosphere. But the food is just okay, never great. And you know what? Fuck a club sandwich. Who invented this thing? Is it not just an excuse to force you to eat an extra piece of super-dry, mouth-stabbing toast? Come on ... it's a BLT with turkey, right? Perfectly fine sandwich. And then you  go and ruin in by corrupting the sacred bread-to-goodies sandwich ratio. Also, most clubs I've eaten tend to go heavy on the mayo. Fucking why? Unnecessary.

To recap: club sandwiches are generally lousy, and the Peppermill's is particularly bad. But those fries were really good.

The Hungry Pitmaster

The Hungry Pitmaster at Sassy Sal's BBQ

sassysalslasvegas.com

B

This is a daily special, a monstrous sandwich not on the everyday menu at this friendly little barbecue joint in northwest Vegas. And it's got the perfect name, because you better be more than hungry if you're planning to tackle this bitch, and pretty much everything in the barbecue pit is on top of this toasted bun. There's a pile of smoked beef brisket, a pile of pulled pork, a huge, wildly spicy hot link split down the middle, shredded cheese and yet another pile of creamy coleslaw. The coleslaw is actually pretty good, a nice cool counterpoint to the spicy and smoky flavors embedded in these juicy meats. There's a few squirts of barbecue sauce somewhere in this delicious mess, too. But as is the case with so many multi-meat sandwiches, the varying flavors of the brisket and pork get lost here, blending together into a muddled-yet-tasty mashup. Not the hot link, though. This guy stands strong, refusing to be outshined. A sandwich with just this link would be great ... oh wait, Sal's has that, too.

Teri Sliders

Teri Sliders at Anime Ramen

animeramenlasvegas.com

C+

What the hell are these? Tiny, slightly Asian burgers at a brand new ramen bar themed with Japanese anime? Wait a minute, that doesn't sound crazy after all. It makes all kinds of sense. And these sliders, though painfully sweet with their sugary teriyaki glaze and Hawaiian-style sweet buns, are actually pretty tasty and almost addictive. The meat is something of an afterthought, a little beefnugget without much flavor, but there is crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, melty American cheese and extra sugar sauce on top. We might not be able to get into the anime stuff, but it's pretty easy to sit in this funky little joint and munch on these baby burgs.