Frenchie

The Frenchie at Aces & Ales

acesandales.com

C-

Everybody loves greasy bar food, and a bar with a special menu section for crazy grilled cheese sandwiches sounds like a wonderful idea. It is. But you still have to execute. A tasty grilled cheese requires thoughtful effort. Adding wacky ingredients is fun but seldom results in delicious success. Such is the case with the Frenchie, which playfully pairs American and cheddar cheeses with bacon and French fries. The rich, buttery toastyness of the bread overwhelms and the only other thing you can taste is the bacon. These cheeses are bland and melt together into a globby, greasy mess, and the fries offer nothing other than more mushy, soggy texture. That's not what you want to add to a grilled cheese. It needs something crunchy and/or crispy, something bright and maybe acidic to cut through the tempting richness of tons of melted cheese. Next time we're feeling cheesy at this otherwise impressive bar, it'll be time to try the Moondog: provolone, salami, pepperoni, olives and jalapeños. 

The Reuben

The Reuben at The Spread

downtowngrand.com

B

Could there be a more fitting first bite of a new Vegas casino than a classic sandwich from its sports book deli? I think not. The Downtown Grand is a true boutique hotel, it couldn't possibly be in a more hip location, and it's got terrific Vegas bones—this joint used to be the Lady Luck. The new operators have squished a whole lotta stuff into a relatively small space, including the sleek, cozy little book with this tiny deli counter connected. It's called The Spread and the menu's got all the basics … except pastrami. How come no pastrami? The Spread almost makes up for that misstep with this meaty, creamy, tangy Reuben. Deli lovers might prefer a more substantial meat pile within these thick, nicely grilled slabs of rye, but the corned beef that is there is solidly savory. Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and sweet Russian dressing and we're good to go. This is a nice first impression of the DTG; now let's go check out the lobster roll and the Cubano at the coffee shop.

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.

Denver Po' Boy

Denver Po' Boy at Roadrunner Saloon

roadrunnerlasvegas.com

C-

I feel like I should grade this sandwich on a curve because it's something of a halfway effort: It's on the football game day menu only, a $6 special, so should it count? I'm not sure. It's a pretty hearty meal for $6, but there's not much flavor to speak of. Tender shrimpies fried crisp bring some pretty nice texture, but they're woefully under-seasoned. That's all there is to it. The rest is lettuce, tomato, and a very big, very dry toasted bun. This sandwich is in serious need of moisture. And some salt would be nice.

Porchetta

Porchetta at Echo & Rig

echoandrig.com

B+

The new suburban Las Vegas steakhouse Echo & Rig is a pretty impressive joint; it's fancy but comfy, open for brunch, lunch and dinner, and the menu's stacked with fresh, creative vegetable side dishes and solid steaks priced affordably. Most importantly, there are a handful of stellar sandwiches on that menu. When working your way through a restaurant's sandwich list, start with pork, right? We can assume any restaurant with a built-in butcher shop is going to do some pretty delicious roast pork, yes? Absolutely. It's juicy and savory, tenderloin trimmed with a bit of yummy fatty goodness. There's some slightly pickled shaved red onion, a little red chili and lime juice, and thin slices of sweet potato. It's an interesting, balanced combination of flavors and textures, all piled neatly on a crusty ciabatta roll. Like we said, pretty impressive.

Filet and Egg Slider

Filet and Egg Slider at Honey Salt

honeysalt.com

A

Lord. Whichever chef at Honey Salt came up with the idea to put creamed spinach on what is essentially a breakfast sandwich deserves to be knighted. This slightly sweet, puffy little brioche bun gets a liberal slathering of that rich, utterly indulgent veggie-stuff as its foundation, then it's stacked with medium rare grilled filet mignon, a puff cloud of egg that is described as scrambled but far too texturally perfect to be called that, plus a little white cheddar. This is the next evolution of the killer breakfast sliders chef Kim Canteenwalla used to serve at Society Cafe on the Strip. This is an amazing improvement, decadent and over the top in the best way possible.

Jambon and Pork Roll

Jambon and Pork Roll at Lee's Sandwiches

leessandwiches.com

B-

There's over 1,000 milligrams of sodium in this. What does that mean? You shouldn't eat two of these every day. But in my own personal nutritional strategy, two delicious banh mi sandwiches every day seems like the right prescription. Jambon is pretty much just ham that lasts forever; you don't even need to refrigerate it. That's a little scary. Maybe you shouldn't eat two of these a day. But the salty cured goodness of this ham plus fatty slices of slightly less savory pork roll is one of the meatier banh mi combos you can find at Lee's. The obligatory cilantro, onions, pickled carrots and jalapeños are on board, of course. The determining factor in how good your Lee's banh mi will be depends almost entirely on how fresh the baguette is. We lucked out this time. It's probably a bit better than a 50-50 shot.

Freddy's Original Double

Freddy's Original Double at Freddy's

freddysusa.com

B

So many burgers are so much like In-N-Out. That's not a bad thing. Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, a chain with roots in Kansas stretching back to the '50s, may have been doing their "steakburgers" the same way for decades, but they sure do taste like In-N-Out. Fresh (never frozen) lean beef in hand-formed patties sizzled to nice, almost crisp charred-ness, loaded with lots of melty American cheese-type stuff. There's mustard, onions and really nice, thick medallions of dill pickle on this bad boy, all sandwiched in a butter-toasted bun. It's a classic American cheeseburger times two, and it works. Freddy's shoestring fries are good, too. Freddy's frozen custards are good, too. As far as nostalgia burgers go, you could do so much worse.

Gobbly Gook

Gobbly Gook at Avogadro's

avogadros.com

B-

The holidays cometh, and usually that means it's time for the annual allsandwich trip to frosty Colorado to spend time with family and … eat great sandwiches. This year will be different as we have a more tropical destination in mind, so here's a flashback from our last visit to Fort Collins and its outstanding Avogadro's. The Gobbly Gook is a celebration of roasted turkey, loaded with thin slices of tasty bird, slabs of cheddar and mozzarella cheese, sweet red peppers, raw onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo and creamy dressing on a fluffy hoagie roll. Like most of Avo's sandwiches, it's simple but delicious. There's a chance that we'll be craving one of these while sitting on the beach come December. Maybe.

Peppermill Pastrami Burger

Peppermill Pastrami Burger at Peppermill

peppermilllasvegas.com

B+

Does this not look amazing? The more I eat at Peppermill, the more I want to eat at Peppermill. Come on! Look at those onion rings! As soon as you put the top bun on this mofo and bite away, you'll get a meaty dose of a half-pound burger, melted Swiss, super-lean griddled pastrami, and a drizzle of mayo-mustard sauce. The toasty buttered buns make it all the sweeter. There's lettuce, onion, tomato and pickle on the side for your own add-on glory. Diner food is supposed to be simple satisfaction, nothing more, nothing less. Peppermill gets it. 

Pretzel Pub Chicken

Pretzel Pub Chicken at Wendy's

wendys.com

B-

Okay, Wendy's is on to something here. Capitalizing on that early 2012 food trend known as pretzel bread, the fast food giant has created a chicken sandwich that almost doesn't taste or look like fast food. The pretzel bun itself is actually a bit of a drawback … though it offers a unique, chewy texture, it doesn't have a lot of fresh pretzely flavor. Still, it scores significant presentation points, and the rest of the ingredients here seem upgraded: A slightly crispy breaded chicken breast filet, nicely spiced but not spicy; spring mix instead of plain green lettuce; tomato; muenster cheese; and "smoky honey mustard," which is not smoky but plenty sweet and gooey. Less sauce would have made this sandwich better. Overall, a pleasant surprise from the pigtailed one.

Roasted Turkey, Ham and Coppa

Roasted Turkey, Ham and Coppa at 'Wichcraft

mgmgrand.com

B+

So the great sandwich shop in the back of MGM Grand, 'Wichcraft, has dropped a new menu since I last visited. The good news is they kept their amazing breakfast sandwiches. The bad news is there are fewer sandwiches in general, making room for more salads. Bleck. Salad. Some of the bigger, meatier sandwich options are gone, replaced by a few more panini choices. We can live with the change, though we will miss some of those flavors. One of the new additions is this chewy ciabatta filled with thick slabs of roasted turkey and great country-style ham, plus coppa (a salty, somewhat light salami), white cheddar cheese, a relish of green olives, red peppers and pickled red onion, and a creamy aioli. The meat is plentiful and fantastic, and the briny, bright relish is a great if unspicy contrast to the richness of the two porks. It's another winner from this spot, even if we might not make it back as often as we used to.

Fresh Morning Sandwich

Fresh Morning Sandwich at SkinnyFats

skinnyfats.com

C-

I wanted to rank this incredibly bland breakfast sandwich—composed of egg whites, sauteed spinach (sauteed in other spinach?), turkey bacon (pure tasteless evil), tomato and agave ketchup on a honey wheat kaiser roll—a full letter grade lower, but the fact is, it's my fault. The menu at this trendy new eatery is divided into healthy alternatives, which is where this bitch lives, and "happy" items, which roughly translates into things that actually taste like food. So the "happy" version of this sandwich has scrambled eggs (Glory! There's probably salt and pepper in them, too!), real bacon, tomato, avocado and a spicy mayo spread, and it's on a brioche roll (which has butter!). So I could have ordered that thing instead of this thing. The healthy breakfast sandwich isn't the worst bite ever; all the ingredients are fresh and it's well-assembled. They just forgot the flavor. That's my favorite part.

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.

Double Chili Cheeseburger

Double Chili Cheeseburger at Original Tommy's

originaltommys.com

F+

Nope. No, no no. Not a chance. The plus on this grade is because the bun was fresh and the vegetables were crisp, but they were smothered in beef grease and the dirt-flavored brownsauce characterized as "chili." I remember stopping around Barstow on family road trips to eat at Tommy's as a sort of joke, or a dare, really, as in "Can we make it all the way to LA without having to stop and use the bathroom after eating a chili burger?" You can see why. But you know what? It's not funny. Not at all.

Le Burger

Le Burger at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

mgmgrand.com

A+

If ever there was an obvious A+ sandwich, here ya go. As you can tell by this photo, this baby burger was not consumed inside L'Atelier, hands down of the best restaurants in Las Vegas (and beyond). Food & Wine magazine's annual All-Star Weekend brought many mega-events to the Strip this month, including a burger contest featuring restaurants of the MGM Grand judged by Mr. Robuchon himself, among other celeb chefs. All eight of the burgers were delish, but it's tough to beat this tiny masterpiece. It's very small, and each of the ingredients are basically the best, most fresh version of standard burger accoutrement ... except for that unbelievable, perfectly seared slab of foie gras perched atop the juicy mini-patty. Yeah, kinda hard to hang with that. The problem now is we can pretty much never eat another slider again.

Turkey Club

Turkey Club at Grand Cafe

redrock.sclv.com

B

Should I stop writing about club sandwiches? There's really not a lot to say about a club sandwich if it's made with honor and decency, as is the case with this triple-stacked thang at the Red Rock Resort's totally honorable, decent coffee shop. Plenty of bird, nice, thick strips of pig, fresh veggies. It's all good. Does that make it boring? Hmm. Sounds really good right now, actually.

Waffle Sandwich

Waffle Sandwich at Bread & Butter

breadandbutterlv.com

A-

Is this even a sandwich? Waffles are not bread, but these waffles are sweet and light, and would be nice and crispy if they weren't saturated in old-school white sausage gravy and a pre-drizzle of maple syrup. Layered in between them are ham (or you can order yours with turkey), scrambled eggs and melty cheddar cheese, basically everything you need to make an ideal breakfast sandwich. Just because you need a knife and fork to take it down doesn't mean it's not a sandwich, right?

Pho-Licious Q

Pho-Licious Q at Wa Da Pho

wadapho.com

A

Now this is what we want out of a food truck—fun, imaginative eats with big, powerful flavors. Las Vegas' Wa Da Pho truck offers a unique twist on Asian fusion, including this juicy, scrumptious sandwich that borrows its massive deliciousness from traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup. The truck serves actual pho, too, which sounds like an ambitious attempt for street food. But who are we to judge, especially when they pull off a sandwich this great? A spongy pretzel bun is stuffed with thinly sliced beef brisket, basically the same meat you attack with chopsticks as soon as a steaming bowl of pho is dropped in front of your face. Think of a French dip, Vietnamese style. The extras are cabbage and cilantro, a bit of Thai-influenced papaya slaw, and a creamy special sauce with a little richness to bring the bite out of that beef. It's not easy to drop a completely fresh sandwich on us, one we've never experienced before. Wa Da Pho did it with delicious style.

Super Sub

Super Sub at Jersey Mike's Subs

jerseymikes.com

C+

Jersey Mike's feels like the underachieving slacker of sandwich franchises. I'll take it any day of the week over big boys Port of Subs or Subway, but even though eating a sandwich here is never disappointing, it never really satisfies, either. Perhaps that's due to the absolutely mediocre bread, which has decent texture but no flavor to speak of. The Super Sub, with provolone cheese, ham, prosciutto and capacola, should pack enough savory goodness to offset the bread's blandness, but it doesn't really get there. The overall product quality just isn't what it should be. The produce, however, was fresh and crisp, lettuce, tomato and red onion, and Jersey Mike's is always beyond generous with condiments, oil and vinegar. I added hot cherry pepper relish to spark this bitch up, and it was a decent bite. I guess that's all you can expect from a shop like this.

French Fry Burger

French Fry Burger at Burger King

bk.com

F

I don't know who should be more embarrassed—Burger King, for putting this on their menu, or me, for buying it. It only cost a dollar, so maybe it's on them. But I didn't just buy it, I ate it. So I guess I'm the loser. Does it look tiny? Because it is. Any other restaurant in the world would call this a slider. Dry bun, drippy ketchup and mayo, shitty baby patty, lettuce flakes, and four or five crispy fries. They were crispy. I'll give you that, Burger King. Despite the classic American flavor of burgers and fries together, this sucker should have been aborted.

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.

Flagship Sandwich

Flagship Sandwich at Beecher's

beechershandmadecheese.com

A

Pardon the already munched photo, but it's hard not to chomp on a deadly-delicious grilled cheese once it's in your hot little hands. The famous Beecher's at Pike Place Market is always packed, and worth the wait, no matter if you're getting one of these, a dungeness crab sandwich, the killer mac and cheese or just stocking up on other cheesy goodness. The Flagship is layered with Beecher's eponymous signature cheese, a cow's milk cheese with a nice nutty flavor, plus their ridiculously creamy Just Jack cheese. It's quite the combination, melted or not. Fresh basil, tomato, and a smooth spread round things out, all panini-pressed between toasty sourdough. First rule of a great grilled cheese is using great cheese, pretty easy to come by at Beecher's.

Beer Steamed Hot Dog

Beer Steamed Hot Dog at the Orleans Casino Sportsbook

orleanscasino.com

B-

The $1.50 hot dog served from a street-style cart right behind the sportsbook at the aging, locals-oriented Orleans Casino is still one of the best dogs in Las Vegas, an all-beef meat tube that's alway been cooked by steaming over bubbling beer. The price used to be 75 cents, including all the condiments you wanna splash on top, but inflation is a bitch, I suppose. Still, it's a good deal, and you find similar ones at other Boyd Gaming-owned casinos that once operated under the Coast Casinos banner. But for some reason, the Orleans dog just tastes better. Maybe it's because this casino is a little grimy and worn, and it feels like the kind of place where lunch or dinner should be a quick wiener between hands or slot machine pulls.

Meatball

Meatball at Port of Subs

portofsubs.com

D

I wanted to remember this sandwich, and how I used to eat (sometimes two of) them in high school for lunch. How did I do that? There's something about the contrast of the thick, bittersweet tomato paste that passes for marinara-ish sauce to the pale, tasteless whiteness of the sub roll that feels like a murder scene. Don't you think? Also, it's impossible to eat this without making a mess, as halved spheres of forcemeat squish around within the soft roll, lubed by the paste, sliding down sheets of slick, miraculously unmelted provolone and plopping on the paper below. Yes, I did ask for banana peppers. I was trying to make it work. But alas, I'm not in high school anymore, and this is not a suitable sandwich.

BLTA

BLTA at Eat

eatdowntownlv.com

A+

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the definitive Las Vegas bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. We're willing to cop to the fact that the Club must be the official sandwich of Las Vegas because it is the de facto room service order. But the BLT has got to be right there behind it, and though it seems like a simple task to assemble one, it's often fucked up somehow (just like the Club). But not at Eat. Like it does with just about everything on its compact, perfect menu, Eat takes the basic ingredients of this classic creation, emphasizes that each element is the best it can be, and then elevates everything with some special little twists. You can see those twists right here in the picture: there's bright, fresh, creamy wedges of avocado topping things off, and the bread is unbelievably thick, toasty and buttery. The layers of crunchy, wonderful bacon, crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes are distinct and generous. There's a slight spread of chipotle mayo on each piece of toasty awesomeness, too. Usually when a sandwich is built to look good, it tastes good, too. This skyscraper isn't easy to bite, but it's worth the effort. Best BLT in Vegas, hands down.

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork at Lulu's Bread & Breakfast

lulusonthemove.com

A-

You better hurry up if you wanna eat this baby, a mass of tender pulled pork crisped together into a brick of barbecue goodness and then panini'd in a perfect French baguette with chunks of pickled carrot and daikon and fresh cilantro. Act fast, because the sandwich guy at Lulu's is switching up the menu soon. This will become a version of a Cuban sandwich, which will almost certainly be just as delicious as this pulled pork. Lulu's is quietly and quickly becoming one of the best sandwich spots in Las Vegas. Stay tuned as we'll have more beautiful bites from this up-and-comer.

Red Rock Dog

Red Rock Dog at Pink's

redrock.sclv.com

B+

Now we're talking. The Red Rock Resort way out on the west side of Vegas has its very own Pink's hot dog shop, hiding in the casino corner near the sports book and poker room. The signature, namesake dog is a slightly spicy, extra garlicky Polish sausage topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions, cheese sauce and full strips of bacon. I call it a delicious disaster. One of the things that sets the Las Vegas versions of Pink's (there's one at Planet Hollywood, too) apart from other local hot dog joints is that they always serve their crazy creations on warm, soft, fresh buns. Buns are so important. They can never be dry or crumbly; that's just hot dog blasphemy. Pink's buns are great, especially when you get a bite smothered with nacho cheese and bacon.

Grilled Cheese and Peppers

Grilled Cheese and Peppers

homemade

B-

It's nice to have a garden. The thought of walking out back, grabbing something and eating it is very soothing. And then there's the thought of plucking some sweet banana peppers and pepperoncinis from that backyard garden, slicing 'em and sizzling 'em up with some olive oil, and melting them in-between toasty bread with gooey cheese. And then you take that thought, and you make it real. And then you bite that thought.

Bacon Jalapeño PBJ

Bacon Jalapeño PBJ at Border Grill Brunch

bordergrill.com

A

You already know this is a winner because of its name. Seems like it gives everything away, and it also makes you think Of course, why hasn't someone thought of this already? But there are a few delicious elements to this breakfast sandwich not described in its lengthy moniker. Yes, there are crispy strips of swine, nice-sized coins of raw, bright green pepper, salty peanut butter and sweet jelly, but there's also a fried egg. Usually, we're all about runny egg goodness, but on this sandwich it's the only thing that doesn't add much to the package. It doesn't take anything away, either, it's just that the egg doesn't seem to meld with the other ingredients in the same perfect way as they do with each other. But the oozy yolk and crispy-edged white part of the egg do pair nicely with the house-made biscuit that provides this masterpiece's foundation, and the biscuit really makes the whole thing. It's dense and slightly buttery, and just adds a rustic touch to a bite that could be a little over-the-top otherwise. Basically, this baby—one of the most popular items on the all-you-can-eat small plates brunch at Border Grill—is the breakfast sandwich to end all breakfast sandwiches.

Mr. Ho's Burger

Mr. Ho's Burger at Bachi Burger

bachiburger.com

A

I know, I know ... too many burgers on allsandwich. We're trying to mix it up more, but the fact is we are eating mostly in Las Vegas, and there's a whole lotta burgers here. They're impossible to avoid. And though we sometimes get sick of burgers, many are delicious enough to keep us wanting more. This is usually the case at Bachi Burger, where lots of different Asian ingredients get incorporated into lots of different, delicious burgers.

Mr. Ho's might be the most bizarre of Bachi's burgers. An angus beef patty is blended with pork, garlic and ginger, lacquered in some sort of sweet soy after being charred to perfection, and dropped on a taro bun. That's right: it's purple. It's soft and sweet with a very gentle yam-like flavor, and it's a nice contrast to the super savory burger. Adding to this mouth rainbow are sauteed mushrooms, crisp lettuce and some Chinese sausage. There are a lot of varying elements that somehow work together on this burger, but that's pretty much what they do at Bachi.

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz at Beach Hut Deli

beachhutdeli.com

C

Beach Hut Deli, a franchise new to the Las Vega area, is kind of like Port of Subs did a bunch of steroids then smoked a huge joint. The sandwiches are gigantic, and while a huge sandwich is not inherently problematic, they are cramming way too much stuff onboard rather bland, dry hoagie rolls. Restraint is important when you're making food for people to eat, especially when you're trying to make exciting food that people will talk about and blog about and take Instagram pictures of and be hungry and come back for more. Be creative, try some wild combinations, but draw the line the somewhere or else you're gonna drop a monstrosity in which PASTRAMI AND CREAM CHEESE ARE ON THE SAME SANDWICH. (Capital letters indicate sandwich blasphemy, in case you hadn't noticed.) So this thing, the Santa Cruz, has those two unhappy partners, plus avocado, bacon, mayo, mustard, pickles, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, peppers and more cheese, melted. I think it was provolone. I don't know. How can you keep track? Look at this photo: ridiculous. Now look at it and imagine it without the pastrami—which, by the way, was decent and there was a lot of it—melted cheese or pickles. All of a sudden you've got a killer BLT, no? I know there are those of you who see a sandwich like this and get excited. Keep it coming, you'll say. No, friend, that is not the way. Restraint is important.

Turkey Burger

Turkey Burger at Terrace Pointe Cafe

wynnlasvegas.com

B

Ah, the turkey burger. The blandest burger you can order, right? For when you don't really want to enjoy your burger, the turkey burger. It's just the truth, people. So under what circumstances would we order one? Lunching alone at Wynn's lovely Terrace Pointe Cafe, of course. Turns out, it's a delicious choice. Maybe the best turkey burger ever. There was a savory outer crust on this turkey patty that is usually unattainable due to the fact that turkey is so lean. Leave it to casino coffee shop chefs to work some magic. Fancy toppings include avocado, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and pea tendrils. The bread: a rather robust honey wheat bun. Next time we'll get the blackened blue cheese burger. You know, stop fucking around. No pea tendrils on that one.

Banana French Toast

Banana French Toast

homemade

C

Look, it's a sandwich if we say it's a sandwich. Honey wheat bread griddled in cinnamon egg batter, sliced bananas and a drizzle of pomegranate honey inside. Damn ... forgot the peanut butter.

Double Del Cheeseburger

Double Del Cheeseburger at Del Taco

deltaco.com

D+

On one hand, there's a little voice inside us that thinks Del Taco deserves a little extra credit as the rare fast food franchise that combines fake Mexican food like tacos and burritos with traditional drive-thru eats like burgers, fries and shakes. On the other, there's the undeniable fact that while Del Taco does a lot of stuff, it doesn't do anything particularly well. The Double Del is Del Taco's version of the Big Mac or Double-Double in two ways: it offers standard toppings of two questionable beef patties, two slices of American cheeseness, tomato, lettuce, onions and "burger sauce" on a sesame seed bun; and secondly, it offers flavors that are similar to other burger chains while simultaneously tasting singularly like Del Taco. Only someone who has eaten too much fast food will understand what we're talking about. Should you eat this? No. Should you eat something else at Del Taco? Depends on what you were drinking and what time it is.

Chicken Parkers

Chicken Parkers

homemade (sort of)

B+

Two ingredients and mighty tasty. You know that thing where you go out to dinner at a great Vegas steakhouse (in this case, Brand at Monte Carlo) and they give you a whole, fresh batch of Parker House rolls to take home with your leftovers? Yeah, well, it's cool when that happens.

Farm Burger

Farm Burger at Gordon Ramsay BurGR

gordonramsay.com

A

A super celebrity chef fancy burger joint! This would not usually excite us, but Gordo's spot at Planet Hollywood is putting it down. This is our favorite burger on the menu so far, topped simply and perfectly by English sharp cheddar cheese, duck breast bacon and a lovely fried egg. The beef is a wonderfully composed grind, fatty and juicy, and though we are getting a bit tired of sweet brioche buns for burgers, the goodies here are so savory that it's a nice counterpoint. This is an awesome burger. Look, people are going to complain about the prices and the service at a place like this. You just have to remember you're on the Vegas Strip. Take a bite and enjoy yourself, and if this isn't for you, head south to Fatburger and spend less for a lesser burger.

Denver Omelet

Denver Omelet at Einstein Bros Bagels

einsteinbros.com

C-

Apparently it wasn't enough for Einstein Bros to bastardize bagels, they had to go and fuck up omelets, too. I mean, really. Call it a Denver sandwich at least. Doesn't the stuff have to be mixed in with the eggs to even merit the word omelet? So maybe this is a deconstructed Denver, with slices of ham, cheddar-ish cheese and diced green bell peppers atop an unholy disc of egg (Is it scrambled? Fried? Why does it look like that? What color is that?) all piled into your choice of bagel. We went with plain. Call us boring. Whatever. It still beats a McMuffin.

Caesar Steak

Caesar Steak at Those Guys Pies

thoseguyspies.com

B

This is one of the weirdest sandwiches we've ever eaten, but it was good enough that we'd like to try it again. This pizza shop also claims to specialize in cheesesteaks, but we just had to try this Caesar Steak,  chopped and griddled ribeye steak, ribbons of romaine in a creamy dressing and plenty of hard-to-see but easy-to-taste parmesan cheese. It tastes exactly like what you think it would, but the chewy-soft Italian roll elevates this sandwich, a super-delicious foundation with the perfect texture for these ingredients. We need to get back to Those Guys Pies and try their basic cheesesteak—expectations are high.

Flyin' Hawaiian

Flyin' Hawaiian at LBS Burger

lbsburger.com

B+

There are lots of Asian burgers around these days, but whenever someone tries to put a Hawaiian twist on our classic American sandwich, it usually involves little more than some teriyaki sauce and a pineapple ring. (And yes, there is pineapple on this bad boy, but it comes in the form of a subtle, sweet chutney on top.) But this burger, thanks to the masterpiece-making kitchen crew at LBS (of Block 16), brings all the flavor without going the cheesy route. (Don't take that literally; there is melted pepperjack on this bitch.) The beef patty also is topped with grilled spam, frisee and chili mayo, and it goes great with onion rings. Now if only somebody would upgrade the Hawaiian pizza, we'd be set.

Muffaletta

Muffaletta at Bread & Butter

breadandbutterlv.com

A

Our favorite Las Vegas Valley sandwich shops have been in a state of upheaval recently. One of our favorites, Johnny McGuire's, no longer exists. Likewise for Eddie D's Italian deli. The amazing chef and baker Chris Herrin (formerly of Bouchon) has sold his great Bread & Butter bakery/cafe, which all but guarantees menu changes and differences in quality and food focus. But the last time we checked, B&B was still serving the best muffaletta in town. A thick layer of meat and cheese—stripes of ham, salami, mortadella, capicola, Swiss, provolone and mozzarella—becomes something else, greater than the sum of those parts, almost impossibly savory, hearty and rich. Cutting through the indulgence is a slathering of briny olive spread and a bit of vinegary giardiniera. Everything is stacked on the house version of a Sicilian loaf, which is more like buttery deep-dish pizza crust than Italian bread. One bite is filling. Change may continue here and all over town, but hopefully this beauty will be maintained in good faith.

Chicken Waldorf Salad

Chicken Waldorf Salad at Fanny's Bistro

fannysbistro.com

B-

People still make chicken waldorf salad? People still eat it? This slightly Italian deli/cafe in Henderson is a cozy, old-fashioned place to eat, so it makes at least a little sense to serve this throwback. And it's tasty: plump white-meat chicken diced into cubes and blended in a creamy, not-too-mayonnaisey mixture with lots of crunchy celery, apples, cashews and onions, slabbed onto fresh panels of bread with lettuce and tomato. (I feel like there were grapes, but I don't see any. Do you?) This feels like a guilty pleasure sandwich, something you won't order very much, but you'll be glad when you do.

Sandwich Sundays Presents: Cappy Ciabatta

Cappy Ciabatta

homemade

B+

If you can only have one meat for your sandwich, you could do a lot worse than Boar's Head Hot Cappy, fatty, salty, melt-in-your-mouth Italian ham laced with red pepper heat. For our holiday edition of Sandwich Sunday, we kicked off a multi-sandwich feast with this soft mini-ciabatta slathered with deli mustard and stacked with cappy and pickled banana peppers. Simple and delicious, and certainly full of festive flavor.