Fairfax

Fairfax at Eggslut

eggslut.com

A

Can a simple breakfast sandwich really live up to the hype surrounding Eggslut, the former food truck that has taken Los Angeles mornings by storm and now expanded to Las Vegas with a shop at the Cosmopolitan on the Strip? When its makers concentrate on making each ingredient as delicious as possible, the answer is yes. Our first taste of the 'slut is the Fairfax, probably the most popular sandwich on the menu: cage-free soft-scrambled eggs with a bit of chopped chives blended in, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese and sriracha mayo in soft brioche. Avoiding rookie mistakes, we added bacon and avocado, and the result is pure indulgence. It really needs the crispy, salty bacon to punch through all the warm, creamy goodness, and that mayo brings the tang. The eggs are in the spotlight, of course, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and fresh flavor. We're not sure if Eggslut is worth waiting in hours-long lines like they do in L.A., but the Vegas version will become a regular stop on the allsandwich rotation, in the morning and after hours.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Buttermilk Fried Chicken at Bruxie

bruxie.com

B-

When this thing was brought out to me, I was less than excited. You can't just call something a sandwich if it's not, and the combo of fried chicken and waffles—though unanimously delicious—does not just become a sandwich because you say so. But then I picked this thing up, California chain Bruxie's original and most popular offering of a buttermilk fried chicken breast with cider slaw and chili honey plopped into a light, crisp, Belgian waffle, folded it over, and took a few bites, and it did in fact behave like a sandwich. Mostly. Though Bruxie does manage to mitigate the sweetness of the waffle, the texture is a bit dry and crumbly, and the flavor is muddled. But the airyness of the waffle is a fine complement to the crispy breading of the chicken, creating a nice texture in each bite. The chicken itself is stellar, juicy and tender inside and seasoned well outside. The slaw is a little odd at first, and there's not much of it, but the chili honey goes a long way in bringing everything together. Bruxie, a new addition to the Las Vegas Strip, has potential. My guess is this basic chicken waffle sandwich is only the starting point and tastier options await. To be continued.

Montecristo

Montecristo at Truffles N Bacon Cafe

trufflesnbacon.com

B+

This charming southeast valley (Henderson area) cafe continues to evolve into a tasty little jewel. Truffles N Bacon does everything a little bit differently, including the preparation (and one-word spelling) of this bygone-era sandwich. The Monte Cristo is traditionally a thick-breaded, deep-fried, melty-savory sandwich, an indulgence you'll probably regret having for lunch or brunch. TNB's version combines ham, turkey and cheese, with plenty of honey mustard, layered inside a pillowy bread that is battered and griddled, French toast-style. It's a super-soft, lovely bite, with a nice balance of meat and cheese, and perhaps not as guilt-inducing as the original. Another solid sandwich offering from these fine folks.

Chicken and Waffle Sliders

Chicken and Waffle Sliders at PKWY Tavern
pkwytavern.com
C+

Syrup. So much sticky syrup. You can't see it here because we moved this slider to a separate plate, but the platter these three mini waffle and chicken sandwiches were served on was absolutely drenched in it. And the stuff wasn't even advertised as syrup; the menu describes it as bourbon glaze. It was tasty, if super-sweet and messy. Just too much of it. And it didn't really complement the other ingredients here, which include perfectly decent waffle wedges, crisp and fluffy, with fried white meat chicken chunks and strips of bacon inside them. This creation qualifies as pretty solid drunken snackery, but it's barely a sandwich.

The B.A.T. Shi(p) Crazy

The B.A.T. Shi(p) Crazy at Lulu's Bread & Breakfast

lulusonthemove.com

A-

You didn't think we'd go very long without revisiting the breakfast sandwich capital of Las Vegas, did you? This Lulu's treat, which may or may not be on the ever-changing menu at any given time, stars thick-cut peppered bacon, avocado, tomato relish, cheddar cheese and over-easy eggs stacked on the bakery's signature "everything" brioche, which has all the tasty seeds and things of an everything bagel. It's one of the greatest rolls you'll ever taste, a textural delight dabbed with savory brilliance, and adding rich eggs and crispy bacon to such beautiful bread is an automatic win.

Breakfast Rye

Breakfast Rye

homemade

B-

The best breakfast sandwiches are the ones you make. Dark rye toast, soft scrambled eggs with a fuckin' Kraft single melted on top, and a layer of pre-cooked turkey sausages sliced in half so they they won't roll around. That's it, dude. That's all you need.

Ham, Egg and Cheese

Ham, Egg and Cheese at Chocolate & Spice

chocolatenspice.com

A

Just killin' you, Burger King. Fuck yo' croissan'wich. Because this is what a breakfast sandwich is supposed to be, a carefully crafted marvel of simple, top quality ingredients. It's not really fair, though, because superchef Megan Romano's croissants at Chocolate & Spice are some of the best you'll find in Las Vegas, incredibly flaky and tender, and wonderfully buttery in a light, cloudy way. They're amazing all alone. Stock them with soft scrambled eggs, melted cheddar cheese and thinly sliced Black Forest ham, and you have pure bliss. You'll try not to eat it all so you can save room for something sweet, another pastry creation from this brilliant westside shop, but you can't help yourself. This is the breakfast bite of your dreams.

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?

Spinach Muenster Breakfast Ciabatta

Spinach Muenster Breakfast Ciabatta

homemade

B+

This was an easy win. A fried egg sandwich on a soft, spongy ciabatta roll? Of course. Melt way too much Muenster cheese all over everything? Boom. Sautée baby spinach and garlic and stuff some of that rich goodness on this sucker? Absolutely. There is, of course, one obvious omission, and that's crispy bacon. There's always next breakfast.

Cheese Breakfast Biscuit

Cheese Breakfast Biscuit

homemade

A

If you want a great breakfast sandwich, make it yourself. You don't have to go all-out like we did: making cheddar jalapeño biscuits from scratch, slicing one open and melting even more sharp cheddar cheese on both sides, frying coins of capacola until crispy and bacon-esque, and wrapping everything around a fried egg with yolk ready to explode. Super-rich, slightly greasy, a little spicy, pretty much perfect. After building and devouring this sucker, we almost dare you to make a better breakfast biscuit bite.

The Fugazi

The Fugazi at Lulu's Bread & Breakfast

lulusonthemove.com

A-

Of course it's a delicious sandwich, it's from Lulu's. There's so much flavor on this thing, it doesn't even need that buttery ribbon of prosciutto. It coulda been a veggie sandwich with absolutely no drop off. But that slice of piggy is there, along with thick, juicy slices of ripe red tomatoes, a nice slathering of bright pesto, all topped with fried eggs. It's an exquisite combination, but the real winner is the roll, a soft, puffy brioche-kaiser hybrid decked out with everything bagel spices. Can you even believe that? It's outstanding. You could literally put anything on this roll and it'd be scrumptious. Of course, Lulu's, of course.

C.B. Hash

C.B. Hash at The Goodwich

the-goodwich.com

A

Is the breakfast menu at The Goodwich the greatest thing ever? Six sandwiches for $3, $5 or $7, impossible to choose a favorite, each crafted with love and talent. We are determined to work our way through what is surely the best breakfast sandwich selection ever assembled, starting with house-made corned beef hash plastered between two tasty, toasty slabs of marble rye with melty Swiss cheese, a fried egg and liberal splashes of green Tabasco. The hash is melt-in-your-mouth lovely, a blend of salty, fatty, and toothsome, flavor-absorbing potato morsels. And look at that cheese stretch! It's a work of art, and it tastes beautiful, too.

Egg Sandwich with Salami

Egg Sandwich with Salami at Capriotti's

capriottis.com

C

So a few select locations of Capriotti's serve a simple breakfast menu. This is mostly occurring at mini-Cap's stores in food court locations. At the Green Valley Ranch Resort spot, it seemed like a good idea to snag an eggwich before work. It turned out to be a mediocre idea. This is a version of the NYC egg sandwich, a soft kaiser roll with a quick scrambled egg, cheese and maybe a meat of your choice. I went the salami route, and was happy to discover they actually grilled the slices of meat for a bit on the flat top to achieve some crispy, greasy goodness. The roll was nice and fluffy, too. But overall, this is just too bland a bite. Don't be afraid to put a spicy, creamy spread of some sort to make breakfast come alive. Or, maybe don't be so skimpy with your salami. 

B.E.A.C.H.

B.E.A.C.H. Breakfast Sandwich at Kono's

konoshawaii.com

B+

We wrapped up vacation week in Oahu with a killer breakfast sandwich that makes all kinds of sense. First, Kono's in Haliewa is known for stuffing hungry surfers, so of course they're making hearty grub that hits the spot for not a lot of money (this thing is $7). Second, it's called the B.E.A.C.H. because it's a crusty roll crammed with bacon, eggs, avocado, cheese and ham. But yes, we had to screw up the acronym by replacing the ham with sliced roasted turkey. Not sure whether we improved on the sandwich or not, but no one was complaining. The creamy hunks of avocado really makes this one, turning a piled-high breakfast sandwich into something special.

NY Style Egg Sandwich

NY Style Egg Sandwich at La Cave

lacavelv.com

B

Simple and spicy, this breakfast sandwich is a key component of the lovely "butler style" brunch at La Cave, the wine-centric restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas. I don't know if New York-style egg sandwiches typically have great, juicy slabs of fatty, well-spiced chorizo—made in house at La Cave—or are normally assembled on soft, baguette-like rolls, but who cares? The combo of eggs, sausage and a slightly smoky aioli is greater than the sum of its parts. When a platter of these things is passed around La Cave's patio, it's a bite that's impossible to pass on.

Pancake PBJ

Pancake PBJ

homemade

B

This is how we do peanut butter and jelly over here. That's crunchy peanut butter, homemade plum jam from a friend, and the silver dollar buttermilk pancakes are just right. Boom.

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.

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.

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?

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.