There are good sandwiches and then there are truly great sandwiches, epic sandwiches that make you want to fall to your knees and thank the Great Gods of Bread—and All the Great Things You Can Put Between Two Pieces of Bread— for being smart enough to come together in such a beautiful way. In our search to map Vancouver's truly amazing sandwiches, we asked an expert to put together his definitive list. Meet Kevin Wood; Kevin loves sandwiches (and great craft beer) and writes the This Sandwich That Beer blog. He also hosts the "This Sandwich, That Beer Throwdown" which raise money for various local charities. So with no further ado; and in no particular order, here are Vancouver's Most Amazing Try Before You Die Sandwiches - and yes - a couple from just out of town too. Got beef with the list? Have we missed an especially epic sandwich? State your case in the comments or on the tipline
Sandwich Pick: Beast It!
This place is worth the drive out of the city and just so happens to be only a few minutes from the beautifully scenic Crescent Beach, which is a great place you could go with your delicious sandwich from Beast and Brine. Design your own sandwich with basically any item they stock, check out the daily featured sandwich, or just trust them and get them to “Beast it” for you.
Sandwich Pick: Pulled Pork
These guys started with their downtown food trucks, which you can still find at various spots around the city. But their awesome pulled pork and beef brisket sandwiches led to a wicked brick & mortar in the New West Quay. Nice spot to sit and enjoy some serious BBQ.
Sandwich Pick: Crisp Pork Belly
They are known for their much talked about brunch and rightly so. But if you’d like to go and avoid the large morning line-up, head in later in the day and grab a Crisp Pork Belly sandwich for a late lunch instead.
Sandwich pick: Panini
Real deal Italian Deli in Vancouver’s most diverse neighbourhood. The paninis are huge and come any way you like. I always go for the half foccacia with prosciutto, salami, provolone and ALL the vegetables.
Sandwich Pick: Cochinita Pibil Torta
I’m fairly certain this is one of only three places (other two also on this map) in Vancouver where you can get a Mexican torta sandwich. These guys may be the most traditional of them all. Best torta I’ve had outside of Mexico or an LA food truck.
Sandwich Pick: Carne Guisada Bocadillo
Ever heard of a bocadillo? Neither had I until I had this Latin-American-style sub sandwich, done to perfection at El Camino’s in trendy Mount Pleasant. The Carne Guisada is my favourite coming with slow-braised beef short rib, caramalized onion, chimmichuri, manchego cheese and arugula. It's juicy!
Sandwich Pick: Oyster Po`boy
The Fish Counter is just as the name suggests, offering the freshest sustainable seafood and various prepared items. They also have a full service take out counter serving up a killer Oyster Po’Boy sandwich, as well as made-to-order fish and chips, crispy cod tacos and soups.
Sandwich Pick: Lamb Cilantro Torta
This classic Mexican sandwich always satisfies and these guys nail it every time. Traditional buns, flavours and ingredients proves that Mexican doesn’t always have to be tacos, when there are tortas this delicious!
Sandwich Pick : Porchetta
Cute little cafe doing awesome baguette sandwiches and a damn fine porchetta that will satisfy that need for crispy pork fat that we all have. We all have that, right?
Sandwich Pick: Cubano
Pete’s Meat is a gem of a find for some serious sandwich mastery. A full service butcher shop with a nice selection of made to order standards done with their own unique twists that utilize the vast selection of meat cuts. Give their "elevated version" of the Cubano a try and be extremely happy that you did!
Sandwich Pick: Grilled cheese
Fable is one of the highest regarded restaurants in the city with their “Farm to Table” concept by chef Trevor Bird. Head in for lunch and give their amazing grilled cheese a try. The addition of their house-made onion jam is what makes this one special.
Sandwich Pick: The Cowboy
If you’re looking to find a real Philly Cheesesteak in Vancouver, look no further than this spot. Try the classic with shaved prime rib and cheese or The Cowboy covered in BBQ sauce and crispy fried onions.
Sandwich Pick: Pulled Pork
Hubbub is a must when it comes to sandwiches in this city! They offer only one sandwich,which starts with a base of pickled jalapenos, creamy garlic sauce, romaine lettuce, cilantro, and crunchy caramelized onions atop a toasty baguette. But you order that sandwich with your choice of protein, choose between Pulled Pork, Turkey Sausage, Chicken Breast, Veggie or Shrimp. This odd combination of flavours comes together to become one of the best sandwiches in the city.
Sandwich Pick: Salumi Panini
The Italian Kitchen would fall into the “upscale” category of Vancouver restaurants, but I recently learned that tucked in the lobby of the building next door is an adjoining full service lunch counter. The quality does not go down, but the price and time to get lunch sure does!
Sandwich Pick: Mattina Breakfast Panino
Breakfast sandwiches need to be both delicious and $5 or less. At Scuie all of them are just that; including the Mattina which comes with Scrambled Eggs, Prosciutto Cotto and Fontina. Roman-inspired, freshly-made and authentic flavours are what you can expect at Scuie.
Sandwich Pick: Chopped Beef Po`boy
Carolina –style southern BBQ in Vancouver’s most historic neighbourhood. Head down to Gastown for their pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs and a mouth-watering chopped beef po’boy. Also give the hush puppies a try while you’re there, because HUSH PUPPIES.
Sandwich Pick: Big Lou’s Roast Beef
A small and friendly butcher shop on the edge of Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood with a sandwich counter featuring a top notch Roast Beef sandwich, their take on the “Banh Mi” and a finely crafted Porchetta alongside others.
Sandwich Pick: Tofu Banh Mi with fried egg
Now there are a lot of places in the city where you can get pretty standard and super tasty Banh Mi sandwich. But if you feel like hanging out in a really nice room with some killer cocktails and great craft beer, then head here for their top notch version of the classic Vietnamese sub.
Sandwich Pick: Prosciutto, Pear and Blue brie
Here you’ll find the best baguette style sandwiches in the city in a quaint little room with a small town feel. Hit the downtown location for a little oasis in the city.
Photo credit: Sherman's Food Adventures
Sandwich Pick: Braised Short Rib
The Meatery is tucked inside Windsor Meats, a popular butcher shop of West and North Vancouver residents since 1948. They utilize the freshest cuts on a finely curated menu of butcher-to-bun carvery-style sandwiches. Grab a house-made sausage roll while you’re there too!
Sandwich pick: Gooey Cheese Grillers
Best grilled cheese in the city. Hands down. The true secret that makes this sandwich so good? It’s done open-faced in the pan and then finished in the oven to ensure that the very generous amount of cheese is as the name suggests “gooey”.
Photo credit: Sherman's Food Adventures
Sandwich Pick: Cubano
Cubano sandwiches are just the best and this one is true to the original. Make the trip over the bridge to North Vancouver and stop in to S’wich Cafe before heading up to the mountains.
Sandwich Pick: Beast It!
This place is worth the drive out of the city and just so happens to be only a few minutes from the beautifully scenic Crescent Beach, which is a great place you could go with your delicious sandwich from Beast and Brine. Design your own sandwich with basically any item they stock, check out the daily featured sandwich, or just trust them and get them to “Beast it” for you.
Sandwich Pick: Pulled Pork
These guys started with their downtown food trucks, which you can still find at various spots around the city. But their awesome pulled pork and beef brisket sandwiches led to a wicked brick & mortar in the New West Quay. Nice spot to sit and enjoy some serious BBQ.
Sandwich Pick: Crisp Pork Belly
They are known for their much talked about brunch and rightly so. But if you’d like to go and avoid the large morning line-up, head in later in the day and grab a Crisp Pork Belly sandwich for a late lunch instead.
Sandwich pick: Panini
Real deal Italian Deli in Vancouver’s most diverse neighbourhood. The paninis are huge and come any way you like. I always go for the half foccacia with prosciutto, salami, provolone and ALL the vegetables.
Sandwich Pick: Cochinita Pibil Torta
I’m fairly certain this is one of only three places (other two also on this map) in Vancouver where you can get a Mexican torta sandwich. These guys may be the most traditional of them all. Best torta I’ve had outside of Mexico or an LA food truck.
Sandwich Pick: Carne Guisada Bocadillo
Ever heard of a bocadillo? Neither had I until I had this Latin-American-style sub sandwich, done to perfection at El Camino’s in trendy Mount Pleasant. The Carne Guisada is my favourite coming with slow-braised beef short rib, caramalized onion, chimmichuri, manchego cheese and arugula. It's juicy!
Sandwich Pick: Oyster Po`boy
The Fish Counter is just as the name suggests, offering the freshest sustainable seafood and various prepared items. They also have a full service take out counter serving up a killer Oyster Po’Boy sandwich, as well as made-to-order fish and chips, crispy cod tacos and soups.
Sandwich Pick: Lamb Cilantro Torta
This classic Mexican sandwich always satisfies and these guys nail it every time. Traditional buns, flavours and ingredients proves that Mexican doesn’t always have to be tacos, when there are tortas this delicious!
Sandwich Pick : Porchetta
Cute little cafe doing awesome baguette sandwiches and a damn fine porchetta that will satisfy that need for crispy pork fat that we all have. We all have that, right?
Sandwich Pick: Cubano
Pete’s Meat is a gem of a find for some serious sandwich mastery. A full service butcher shop with a nice selection of made to order standards done with their own unique twists that utilize the vast selection of meat cuts. Give their "elevated version" of the Cubano a try and be extremely happy that you did!
Sandwich Pick: Grilled cheese
Fable is one of the highest regarded restaurants in the city with their “Farm to Table” concept by chef Trevor Bird. Head in for lunch and give their amazing grilled cheese a try. The addition of their house-made onion jam is what makes this one special.
Sandwich Pick: The Cowboy
If you’re looking to find a real Philly Cheesesteak in Vancouver, look no further than this spot. Try the classic with shaved prime rib and cheese or The Cowboy covered in BBQ sauce and crispy fried onions.
Sandwich Pick: Pulled Pork
Hubbub is a must when it comes to sandwiches in this city! They offer only one sandwich,which starts with a base of pickled jalapenos, creamy garlic sauce, romaine lettuce, cilantro, and crunchy caramelized onions atop a toasty baguette. But you order that sandwich with your choice of protein, choose between Pulled Pork, Turkey Sausage, Chicken Breast, Veggie or Shrimp. This odd combination of flavours comes together to become one of the best sandwiches in the city.
Sandwich Pick: Salumi Panini
The Italian Kitchen would fall into the “upscale” category of Vancouver restaurants, but I recently learned that tucked in the lobby of the building next door is an adjoining full service lunch counter. The quality does not go down, but the price and time to get lunch sure does!
Sandwich Pick: Mattina Breakfast Panino
Breakfast sandwiches need to be both delicious and $5 or less. At Scuie all of them are just that; including the Mattina which comes with Scrambled Eggs, Prosciutto Cotto and Fontina. Roman-inspired, freshly-made and authentic flavours are what you can expect at Scuie.
Sandwich Pick: Chopped Beef Po`boy
Carolina –style southern BBQ in Vancouver’s most historic neighbourhood. Head down to Gastown for their pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs and a mouth-watering chopped beef po’boy. Also give the hush puppies a try while you’re there, because HUSH PUPPIES.
Sandwich Pick: Big Lou’s Roast Beef
A small and friendly butcher shop on the edge of Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood with a sandwich counter featuring a top notch Roast Beef sandwich, their take on the “Banh Mi” and a finely crafted Porchetta alongside others.
Sandwich Pick: Tofu Banh Mi with fried egg
Now there are a lot of places in the city where you can get pretty standard and super tasty Banh Mi sandwich. But if you feel like hanging out in a really nice room with some killer cocktails and great craft beer, then head here for their top notch version of the classic Vietnamese sub.
Sandwich Pick: Prosciutto, Pear and Blue brie
Here you’ll find the best baguette style sandwiches in the city in a quaint little room with a small town feel. Hit the downtown location for a little oasis in the city.
Photo credit: Sherman's Food Adventures
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