The Grinder

The Grinder at Which Wich

whichwich.com

B

There's a new sandwich in Vegas, and it's this crazy joint Which Wich. The concept comes from a company that also slings smoothies and burgers via similar methods: You arrive at the shop, become confused, and then realize that you're supposed to pick up a Sharpie and a brown paper bag that has the ingredients of your choice. You specify what you want on your 'wich, they put it together (a bit slowly) and make it nice and toasty, and there you have it.

Getting past a complicated process that is meant to be simple, my first Which Wich 'wich comes from the Italian category. The Grinder has salami, pepperoni and capicola, a familiar and savory combination of meats. I added provolone, lettuce, tomato, pepperoncini, oil and vinegar. The sub rolls here are just fine, and toasted to a pleasant crisp that makes for a pretty satisfying bite. I don't think I've had a straight-up Italian sub toasted like this before, as I ususally prefer it cold, but the heat did bring out some different flavors in the meats.

The sandwich choices at this place seem infinite, so yeah ... expect to see more soon.

Banh Mi Burger

Banh Mi Burger at Bachi Burger

bachiburger.com

A+

I love banh mi. When presented with this masterpiece at the popular Henderson-area Asian-inspired burger joint Bachi Burger, my first thought is: Why? Why combine two perfectly good, separate sandwiches? I didn't think it would turn out well. (Other burger joints have failed with this concept, and I'm talking about you, BLT Burger on the Strip.)

Incredibly, delightfully, this sandwich provides the classic taste of banh mi with the meaty, satisfying bite of a powerful burger. It really does the impossible. It's accomplished with a patty that blends Angus beef, pork and shrimp, seasoned sweet and sour with sugar and fish sauce. Those familiar Asian flavors pack a punch, but the juicy consistency of this new meat stays true to burgerness. Also on board are typical pickled carrot and daikon, lettuce, and fresh jalapeno slices that came on the side but should be considered mandatory, and the extra special kicker: a totally unnecessary but very welcome slice of pork pate. This element really brings it home, along with the fresh, soft, slightly sweet bun.

There are tons of other Asian burger creations on the menu here, which is exciting. Now we just have to find out if the Banh Mi Burger is head of the class or the tip of the tasty iceberg.

Amy's Turkey-O

Amy’s Turkey-O at Jason's Deli

jasonsdeli.com

B+

Like virtually everything offered at Jason’s Deli, this is a fine, workable sandwich. It’s tasty, even. There’s plenty of turkey. The vegetables are fresh and ripe and it comes with avocado, which is always a plus on a turkey sandwich. The onion roll it’s served on is fresh and provides the right proportion of bread to other sandwich ingredients.

There is very little here to set Amy’s Turkey-O apart from a zillion other turkey sandwiches from a zillion sandwich shops, but that’s OK. Every sandwich doesn’t need to be a masterpiece lovingly created by a zen sandwich master in a fancy, artisan sandwicharium. Sometimes, a sandwich can just be sandwich from a plain old run-of-the-mill sandwich shop, and all things considered, this is a perfectly nice sandwich.

Fried Egg Sandwich

Fried Egg Sandwich at 'Wichcraft

mgmgrand.com 

A+

In case you’re wondering, when someone talks about artisan sandwichariums, this is the place they are referring to. This divine sanctuary of all that is good, holy and delicious, was lovingly bestowed upon the people of Las Vegas by Tom Colicchio, and is perhaps the best reason to set foot in the MGM Grand.

The fried eggs, bacon, gorgonzola & frisée creation comes on a ciabatta roll and is one of the most fabulous things to ever happen to the mighty sandwich. The fried egg positively sings in concert with the bacon and cheese, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has ever feasted on any of these ingredients, separate or combined. The surprise is in how well it all works with the slight bitterness of the greens, and in how nicely the ciabatta roll complements the rest of the ingredients. It is listed under ‘Wichcraft’s breakfast sandwiches, and it is a perfect breakfast food, but I would gleefully eat this sandwich at any time of day. It is a full-on master-class in sandwich perfection, packaged between two pieces of delightful bread, just begging the world to come take a bite. Don’t mind if I do.

Really Big Chicken Sandwich

Really Big Chicken Sandwich at Jack in the Box

jackinthebox.com

F

Consider my consumption of this disasterpiece a compromise to all those people (and there have been a few) who've asked "When is allsandwich going to review the KFC Double Down?" The answer, friends, is never, because first of all, ew, and second of all, it's not a sandwich. Where's the bread? No bread, no sandwich.

But at least the chicken at KFC kinda tastes good. There is no evidence the fried chicken patties at Jack in the Box, which have the consistency of some kind of forcemeat and no flavor whatsoever, contain any actual poultry. The outside is crisp, but the inside might as well be soggy cardboard. To stack two of these on top of each other in a single sandwich is criminal. The rest of the ingredients are bacon, a white, unidentifiable cheese mess, lettuce, tomato and mayo. There really is no reason to eat this, and it makes me question Jack's marketing plans.

The Lovelock

The Lovelock (King of Clubs) at Steiner's Nevada Style Pub

steinerspub.com

B

All the menu items at Steiner's, a friendly neighborhood Vegas bar, are named for something in Nevada. That would explain why this absolutely respectable club sandwich is named after a western desert town that's known mostly for a big prison. Also, it comes with Steiner's great homemade, crispy, waffle-potato chips.

You get to pick your own bread for any sandwich here, so marble rye it is. Good stuff. When you're having such a common sandwich, mix it up with fancy bread. Roasted turkey, avocado, crisp bacon, tomato, lettuce and Swiss cheese round out a familiar but well-balanced bite. And it's a big bite, as you can see, since this sucker is double-deckered, another reason to go for fancy bread. Bountiful avocado and juicy turkey are the dominant flavors, and it's a satisfying combination.

Pulled Porkie

 Pulled Porkie from Slidin' Thru

slidinthru.com

A

We at allsandwich have outdone ourselves with this, the crappiest sandwich picture of all time. Great apologies to you, dear reader, and to the fine crew at Slidin' Thru, for this picture is a poor representation of one of the tastiest morsels to ever come out of a gourmet food truck. For a group that specializes in gourmet sliders, these guys sure know how to do some barbecue.

The typical slider bun is just fine, fresh and soft, but it's what's on the inside that counts. The slow-cooked pulled pork is wonderfully tender and avoids overseasoning. It's always best to let pig do its own thing. Topped off with beautifully caramelized jalapeno and a sweet, slightly spicy barbecue sauce, the Pulled Porkie is three to four bites of awesomeness. No wonder this is a crowd favorite when the Vegas slider truck is cruising the streets.

Red & Yellow Veggie Burger

Red & Yellow Veggie Burger

homemade

B-

The veggie burger adventures continue ... Here we have grilled up an ordinary Boca Burger and tossed it on a fresh kaiser roll, with a little splash of balsamic to wake things up. The colorful toppings include green leaf lettuce, sauteed red onions, roasted sweet yellow bell pepper (out of a jar from Trader Joe's) and a bit of goat cheese. It looks pretty. It tastes good, too, particularly the sweet, juicy pepper mixing with the creamy cheese. The biggest drawback here is the lack of crunch or textural alternatives; when you're eating a veggie burger you need to avoid the possibility of mush. But hey, that's what the crispy pickle spear is for.