Santa Barbara Style Charburger

Santa Barbara Style Charburger at The Habit Burger Grill

habitburger.com

B

Another highly regarded burger chain comes to Las Vegas? Yes, that. The Habit started making its "charburgers" in Santa Barbara, so it only makes sense that our first taste is the menu's Santa Barbara Style Charburger, right? Right. There is significant char on these fresh beef patties, adding some nice flavor—kinda what Burger King should taste like. But it's the dominant flavor; the meat is mostly underseasoned. This mighty, satisfying double burger comes on grilled sourdough with melty American cheese, avocado, juicy tomatoes, shredded lettuce and mayo. The avocado and tomato brought plenty of gardeny goodness to the party, helping distinguish this concoction from all the other signature burgers at the various burger joints we've sampled. Is the Habit habit forming? We're not sure, yet.

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.

Ninth Island

Ninth Island at Steamie Weenie

steamieweenie.com

C+

Putting some sort of Hawaiian ingredients on a hot dog and calling it the "ninth island"—a common nickname for Las Vegas due to its high number of islander expats—is kinda cute. Piling a load of fried Spam on top of a tube of also processed meat? Not so cute. It's too much weird meatstuff, even for me. Granted, the soft bun and frank on this dog are nice and tasty, and the pineapple relish and scallions are flavorful additions. I wish there was more of them, and a little less Spam. I mean, I love Spam, but ... not this much.

Hoagie

Hoagie at Herringbone

herringboneeats.com

B

One of our all-time favorite Vegas chefs, Geno Bernardo, has returned to the city and taken up residency at Herringbone, a casual yet still fancy seafood-oriented restaurant at Aria. What do you get when a great Italian chef runs the show at a Strip seafood spot? Great Italian food in an unexpected venue, of course, including this legit sub. The bread is a bit softer than our favorite versions of this classic sandwich, but all the flavors are on point, from the sharp provolone and thinly sliced red onions to the oregano-laced oil-and-vinegar dressing decorating the shredded lettuce. Pickled cherry peppers bring some extra fun to the party and help cut through the rich, fatty goodness of this neat pile of salami, prosciutto and mortadella. There's plenty of other great dishes on this lunch menu, but this will always be an option.

Macau-Style Crispy Pork Chop Sandwich

Macau-Style Crispy Pork Chop Sandwich at Hong Kong Cafe

venetian.com

D+

Behold the weirdness that ensues when a mostly Chinese restaurant inside a major Las Vegas Casino decides it needs to diversity its menu to attract Asian tourist families and not just Asian tourist gamblers. If this sandwich is a big deal in Macau, fine. But we think we'd rather have some noodles. This kind of reminds me of that old Eddie Murphy standup bit where he's a little kid and he wants McDonald's but his mom says, no, I can make you a better burger than McD's, and she proceeds to create a very odd, not-quite-right homeburger that is as far from what he wants as could possibly be. This pork sandwich is the same: A kid wants a fried chicken sandwich from a fast-food spot while on vacation in Las Vegas America but gets stuck at Hong Kong Cafe eating this. The pork "chop" (it's boneless) is actually fried quite nicely, with a crispy, medium-thick coating, but the meat was very fatty. There were great globs of mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion on this sesame seed bun, but the lettuce was sogged out and the onions were peppery and perhaps sauteéd a bit. On the bright side, decent French fries.

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.

Shackmeister Dog

Shackmeister Dog at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

B

We thought this special Shack dog was a new addition to the menu but it now seems like a limited time item as we can't find it anywhere. But maybe it'll come back sometime. If so, consider eating it: A Vienna beef dog split and grilled on the flat-top in a potato bun with fried onions and lots of that cheese sauce that makes Shake's Shack otherwise pedestrian crinkle fries taste so good. It's a messy treat.

The 1/3 LB Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger

The 1/3 LB Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger at Carl's Jr.

carlsjr.com

F

I really don't know what to say here ... For some reason, every so often I feel compelled to try the new Carl's burger creation, and it's always disappointing but this one made me feel bad about myself. Allegedly 100 percent Black Angus beef, roasted peppers and onions, pepper jack cheese, bacon and—sweet lord, no—"Santa Fe sauce." What could that possibly mean? The only joy here is how this burger's name reminds of Will Ferrell doing his Dubya impression and claiming that Tex-Mex is his favorite kind of food. I bet the real Dubya wouldn't eat this thing.

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.

Ham and Cheese

Ham and Cheese

homemade

B

Go to a French bakery. Take home a baguette. Spread mustard on each side, throw some provolone on there and drop it under the broiler for a couple minutes. Add some Back Forest ham. Crunch it up. Toasty, salty, satisfying. Done deal.

Pâté de Campagne

Pâté de Campagne at La Belle Terre

labelleterrebakery.com

B+

Pretty sure a classic country terrine on baguette needs some dijon, no? La Belle Terre doesn't serve it, but it doesn't really matter because this baguette is one of the best in the biz, and this pâté is soft, moist, savory and wonderful. Topped only with some sliced cornichons and served with a bit of salad with zingy, creamy balsamic dressing—yep, I used that instead of mustard—and roasted potatoes, this is a simple sandwich worth a return visit. Or several.

Land & Sea Burger

Land & Sea Burger at Cafe 6

palms.com

B-

When you go to a goofy gourmet burger joint, consider getting the goofiest burger on the menu. It turned out well at Cafe 6 at the Palms, where this surf-and-turfwich includes a sweet Hawaiian bun with a fairly juicy Angus beef patty and the sushi joint mainstay crab dynamite (there's a chance no actual crab was harmed in the making of this burger) plus red onion, fennel, kale, radish, havarti cheese and tomato tartar sauce. Shockingly, you could actually taste the sauce and it was nice. The kale, radish and fennel brought some necessary crunch to the mix, and the beef and creamy seafood combo was funky in an acceptable way. This burger certainly isn't for everybody, but it was an overall success.

Sandwich Sundays presents: Provolone Arugula Pizza Veggie Burger

Provolone Arugula Pizza Veggie Burger

homemade

A

Trader Joe's pizza-flavored veggie burger patties are legit. Or at least as legit as frozen soy protein discs could possibly get. They are packed with tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese, which actually do get that familiar pizza-ness across when you heat and eat. But go the extra mile, like we did for Sandwich Sundays. Grill them, and melt some thick-sliced provolone on top. Toss some peppery arugula in olive oil and lemon juice and red pepper flakes and pile it high on your patty, and mount everything on a toasty ciabatta bun. We took a solid idea and maximized its deliciousness. This was an easy victory.

Zydeco Special

Zydeco Special at Zydeco Po-Boys

zydecopo-boys.com

A+

So Zydeco's debris po-boy might have been our favorite new sandwich of 2015. Its luscious combo of slow-cooked brisket, classic Leidenheimer bread from New Orleans and spicy jalapeño mayo is simply fantastic, and we couldn't imagine eating a better po-boy sandwich. But that was before we tried the Zydeco Special, which is the same exact sandwich perfection with the addition of thick, juicy slabs of house-brined turkey breast and sweety, salty ham (also cooked here and used to flavor other dishes like red beans and rice). It's way, way over the top, so much incredible meat stacked and stacked, along with lettuce and tomato and provolone cheese. But you can still taste each amazing ingredient. You know you're overdoing it, but that's kinda the point. It's great on great, the crispness of the bread pushing you along each savory, meaty bite. Could this be our favorite sandwich of 2016? We're gonna go get another one right now and see.

Double Shack Burger

Double Shackburger at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

A

Since we got a little obsessed with Shake Shack this year (as it came to Vegas with not one but two locations) it only seems appropriate to close 2015 with another go 'round at the Shack and a definitive statement, for once and for all, whether it has tested our fast food burger loyalty to In-N-Out. As originally discussed last December upon our first-ever Shackburger tasting, the only way to properly compare the two chains is to get a double from both, and make sure they have the same toppings. So we did it. And In-N-Out still wins. Although every Shake Shack product reviewed here at allsandwich has received an A grade—and we love the fries and ice cream, too—the Double Shackburger, for all its indulgent, nostalgic deliciousness, just can't top the Double-Double. The beef is higher quality at the Shack, with thicker patties for more fatty flavor and greasy fun, and all the other ingredients are fresh and satisfying in all the right ways. But when it all comes together, turns out the champ is still the champ. Out of the many, many times we've grabbed a Double-Double at In-N-Out, it's never been anything other than perfect. Ever. We ate plenty of Shackburgers this year and enjoyed them all, but it wasn't as consistent an eating experience. It just wasn't. Love you, Shack. Don't be mad.

Sandwich Sundays presents: Spicy "Grilled" Cheese

Spicy "Grilled" Cheese

homemade

A

The secret to making a crunchy, gooey grilled cheese is to not grill it; use the broiler. And way too much delicious cheese. Thin tiles of Jewish rye got doused in olive oil and tossed in the oven, crispy toasted on one side and then flipped over, layered with thick slices of yellow jalapeño cheddar and aged white peppadew cheddar, melted to perfection, stacked together and flipped over a couple more times for a few minutes under the oven's flame. The end result: Cheese. Crunch. Yes.

Beef on Weck

Beef on Weck at Anchor Bar

anchorbar.com

B+

We love some chicken wings, but when we found out Las Vegas was getting its own version of Anchor Bar—the Buffalo bar where the wing was originated, according to legend—we were equally exciting to try the traditional Beef on Weck. Our first introduction to this northeast specialty was actually at the very first Buffalo Wild Wings franchise to come to Vegas. Believe it or not, back before it was the corporate mega sports bar chain it is today, BWW actually was trying to stay as loyal to Buffalo as it could be, and there was a Beef on Weck on the menu. But it wasn't as good as this one from the Anchor Bar inside the Venetian's food court. The kimmelweck roll is what makes this simple roast beef sandwich pop, its soft, fluffy texture and sprinkling of caraway seeds and coarse salt drawing out every savory note in the stack of thinly sliced beef. Served with some seriously spicy horseradish on the side, it's an easy winner. It's satisfying but also leaves you wanting more. It's everything Arby's should have been. And it goes great with a dozen spicy hot wings.

Asiago Ranch Chicken Club

Asiago Ranch Chicken Club at Wendy's

wendys.com

C-

Do the names of the types of chicken at Wendy's make sense? I mean, spicy is spicy, sorta, but it doesn't exactly explain that the spicy chicken is still breaded and fried. The plain breaded and fried chicken sandwich is called homestyle, which is confusing because nobody makes cardboard fried chicken at home. And this option is called grilled, which actually should be homestyle, but it's hard to say exactly how this chunk of poultry was cooked. All I know is it seemed like the best style of chicken to go with bacon, asiago cheese, ranch, lettuce and tomatoes. Because these toppings just don't seem like a good fit with a spicy or fried chicken chunk. And really, this doesn't go that well, either. But I'm not sure if it's the chicken's fault, or the sweet, gooey ranch sauce. Maybe they should call this chicken style "the boring."

Kefta Pita

Kefta Pita at Crazy Pita

crazypita.com

B-

Finally got around to trying Crazy Pita, a homegrown mini-chain serving Mediterranean food at malls and shopping centers and things, and it's pretty tasty. The gateway sandwich is this "kefta" pita, which is built around meatball-ish things made of beef—there's no lamb, but it's still heavily spiced so it tastes like the traditional Moroccan/Middle Eastern ground meat specialty. Wrapped in a soft, crispy-edged pita with creamy hummus, romaine lettuce, and a relish of marinated tomatoes and cucumbers with a bit of mint, it's a satisfying lunch bite, with a little more heat and flavor than we would have predicted. We'll be back, Crazy Pita.

The Grandfather

The Grandfather at Cheffini's

cheffinis.com

B

Most of the dogs at Cheffini's are instantly placed, upon first bite, into contention for our favorite dog in town. The Grandfather isn't quite up to that level, but it's still delightful, which proves Cheffini's is the top dog in Vegas. Even its second-tier franks kick ass. This dog is grilled and dropped into a soft bun before being layered with crisp bits of pork belly, chopped red bell pepper, pickled mango, crunched-up potato chips, caramelized onions and a fried quail egg—that's the thing that gets most people—and then fired up with a couple of sauces: spicy  mayo and basil aioli. The basil is hard to see but easy to taste, the mango adds sweet and sour, and the bacon and onions bring the richness. It's quite powerful.