Where to Find a Good, Cheap Sandwich in Every State

Everyone has a favorite sandwich spot that never fails them, a place where a simple meal brings anticipation overload and satisfies deep cravings. And finding a cheap sandwich that elicits these feelings and costs less than $20 (and usually closer or even under $10)? Priceless, as they say, whether it's a deli classic or an indulgent fried chicken sandwich. We winnowed our list of favorites to a single sandwich in each state and Washington, D.C. from our own experiences, word-of-mouth recommendations from locals, and reading a slew of mouth-watering reviews.

Related: The 50 Best Subs, Grinders, and Hoagies Across America

Montgomery
Dreamland is a standing-room-only sort of place that serves a lot of sandwiches under $11 assembled with house-made ingredients. Of particular note is its bestselling traditional barbecue sandwich for $9 that will fill you up Southern style. John "Big Daddy" Bishop built his first location himself in Tuscaloosa in 1958 and now with 10 locations, Dreamland serves as one of the hottest bargain joints in 'Bama for a righteous meal. 

Related: Bucket List Barbecue in Every State

Anchorage
A tiny eatery better known for its award-winning, Cajun-seasoned burgers,  Tommy's Burger Stop has sandwiches that aren't bad either, according to locals. A Chicken Philly is $13.50 and comes with onions, peppers, and American cheese. There are salads and fries on the menu, too.

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Phoenix
This sandwich style is a cross between a panini and a croque monsieur. At Zookz, you can order uniquely grilled sandwiches like turkey, ham or vegetarian for $10.80. The owner's Libyan nana, Berdjoui, brought a special sandwich iron from the old country that to this day makes incredible sealed and crispy grilled works of art. 

Related: 25 Amazing Sandwiches From Around the World

Little Rock
There's truth in advertising here as Jimmy's, in business for 44 years, has some serious eats and a huge menu of sandwiches. But a standout deal is the Thai-1-On, a clever flatbread sandwich stuffed with a hot and spicy chicken breast, a non-fat lime dressing, cilantro, bok choy, and shredded lettuce and carrots. Refreshing, filling and costing $9.75. Save room for famous house-made lemon bars.

Santa Monica
Go for Bay Cities' signature sandwich, the Godmother ($9 to $12). This piled-high delight is made in-house on freshly baked Italian bread with prosciutto, ham, capicola, mortadella, Genoa salami, and provolone cheese. Make sure to order it with the works and add mild or hot peppers. There's a huge selection of Italian groceries and bakery items, too, with intoxicating aromas that torture diners waiting for their sandwiches. 

Related: 50 Best Old-School Italian Restaurants in America

Denver
This neighborhood mom-and-pop shop has a limited menu, but its reviews are overwhelmingly positive. A veggie sandwich with portobello mushroom, red pepper, zucchini, red onion, goat cheese, and house-made pesto gets high marks and costs $10.52. Its meat deli sandwiches are gushed over, too, and even though this is a deli, before coronavirus it was known also for serving all meals on real plates — with the latest edition of the Denver Post and chilled bottled water at each table. 

Related: Hearty Meatless Meals Even Carnivores Will Devour

Shelton
You have many options for variety and size of sandwich at SuperSandwich, and a standout is its take on a chicken cutlet Italian sandwich. The "Skinny" size is $9.49 and is loaded with fresh chicken cutlet, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, baby arugula, balsamic vinaigrette, and Prosciutto di Parma.

Wilmington
What began as a small shop in Wilmington's Little Italy opened by siblings Lois and Alan Margolet in 1976 and named for their grandfather, Capriotti's has grown into a popular nationwide chain. For the signature sandwich, The Bobbie — named for the siblings' aunt — the shop slow roasts whole turkeys and serves the meat, hand-shredded, on a fresh roll with cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo — essentially the perfect combo of Thanksgiving leftovers, but available year-round. The medium sub is a thankfully low $12.49.

This beloved Georgetown institution attracts long lines for its Polish eats, but the deli sandwiches get extra love on social media. Don't be scared off the pastrami sandwich by the sizable price tag ($18) — the thick-cut meat and brown bread classic easily feeds two.

Fort Myers
The Wicked Good Deli has a smorgasbord of sandwich options under $10, but a standout that gets high marks is its $7 turkey club, piled high with shaved turkey, with crisp bacon and dressed up with fresh lettuce, tomato slices and mayo to your liking on toasted whole wheat bread. Lots of choices here to get your cheap sandwich on.

Atlanta
At Alon's, make sure to order the Tunisian tuna sandwich box. The sandwich comes with capers, preserved lemon, potato, hard-boiled egg, onion, tomato, and spicy harissa sauce on a demi-baguette along with a fruit cup, a signature cookie and a bag of chips for $19.25. Executive chef and owner Alon Balshan has brought an authentic European market to the Peach State with his made-from-scratch selection of baked breads, European-style cakes, handmade pastries, gourmet sandwiches, freshly prepared foods, fine cheeses, chocolates, and more.

Honolulu
Hawaii is a tricky place to find great cheap anything, but for a righteous $11 you can get a fantastic craft sandwich at Earl. Order its Fun Goat, made with goat cheese, sauteéd mushrooms, fennel onion marmalade, cherry tomato, cucumber, basil pesto and spinach, and dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic reduction drizzle.

Boise
Since 1978, Idaho's beloved Cobby's is a Gem State treasure offering a wide menu of deals under $10. Go for a soup and sandwich combos for $10.75, which lets you build a sandwich the way you like it. Sandwiches also come with a side of chips and fresh fruit.

Chicago
Nothing fancy, this landmark is a sub shop favorite of Chi-town with prices so low you'll be shocked. Order the Vinnie's Special sandwich — the 9-inch is $9 and filled with fresh shaved ham, hard salami, provolone, and Vinnie's in-house special oil dressing on a crusty sesame bun. Go before the lunch rush has you waiting on the sidewalk. 

Bloomington
The stromboli from Nick's English Hut in Bloomington, home to Indiana University, is a hallowed institution with locals. The half sub sandwich is $10 and is plenty big for one person. Opened in 1927, this family-owned restaurant is a delicious must-see and do in Indiana — even visited by Barack Obama when he was on the campaign trail in 2008.

Iowa City
At New Pioneer, Cashew on a Hot Tin Roof ($8.99) is made with sourdough bread slathered with a spicy jalapeno cashew cheese. Both are made in-house. It's topped with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and spinach — all organic. They offer gluten-free breads and have carved out a real name for great vegan and vegetarian food in cow country. 

Related: 40 Best Neighborhood Food Co-Ops Still Thriving After Decades

Lawrence
The Sandwich Bowl's huge menu is filled with tempting items that range from vegan to barbecue, but its Rachel, which is made with turkey, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut grilled on fresh marble rye and dressed with Thousand Island dressing for $11 gets loads of love. There are also plenty of cheap, tasty in-house-made sides and salads to choose from, too.

Versailles
Chef Ouita Michel has a small group of amazing little restaurants throughout the state, but for a real deal on a sandwich, look no further than her Wallace Station, where all ingredients are made in-house and its "Sammi's Super Saver Special" is the steal. You get a cup of chili or soup and a half sandwich. Choices include roast turkey and white cheddar; pimiento cheese; a BLT; tuna salad; and fresh all-natural chicken salad, each for just $9.

New Orleans
A trip to the Crescent City is a foodie's dream come true. One place not to be missed on your culinary journey is Parkway Bakery & Tavern, where they've been serving up delicious fare since 1911. Taste what Eater calls one of New Orleans' most iconic sandwiches, the Shrimp Poor Boy, for $10 for a small.

Yarmouth
Famous for giving diners home cooking for when they don't want to cook at home, Clayton's has built much of that reputation on a hearty chicken salad sandwich that comes with a touch of sweetness and heat depending whether you grab the classic, curried, or Mediterranean version — all just $10.50. Don't be afraid to trade up to the roast beef with cheddar-horseradish spread for $11.50.  

Baltimore
Have you ever had Baltimore-style pit beef? It's a blow-your-socks-off moment. You need to order The Famous Pit Beef Sandwich if it's your first time at Chaps Pit Beef. The $9.45 sandwich features layers of shaved beef atop a fresh bun and secret sauce. Proprietor Gus Glava began this in 1987 in a shack and now has four Maryland locations. 

Related: The Best Things To Do In Baltimore

Revere
Since 1951, this beachside spot has slung the best sandwiches and fried seafood and sides around. People often fly into nearby Logan Airport in East Boston and head straight to Kelly's. The sandwich to start your love affair is its small classic roast beef sandwich ($9.75). Don't leave without getting its addictive onion rings.

Clarkston
Summer is the best time of year to order Essence on Main's caprese sandwich at $9, made with fresh mozzarella, olive oil, herb-roasted tomatoes, and feta topped with fresh basil leaves. They toast it and serve it warmed up. Its tomatoes are locally grown, and the bread and many of its sides and sauces are made in house. They are an organic cafe and only serve locally sourced meats and veggies.

Minneapolis
Tortas are a Mexican sandwich, and Manny's classic jamon (ham) torta is a filling treat prepared with cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, avocado, jalapeño peppers, refried beans, and chipotle pepper, and dressed with mayo and served with chips for $9.

Columbus
Yes, this deli is tucked inside of a gas station. And yes, it's going to forever change your perception of what a gas station deli can make. While you'll find solid Southern specialties such as a muffuletta, po'boys, and even a gyro, the big winner is Mike's Deluxe, which features ham, turkey, roast beef, avocado, cheese, bacon, and your choice of condiments, piled high on a roll.

St. Louis
Ruma's Deli is the likely birthplace of The Gerber, a hot, open-faced sandwich of heaping ham and melted provel cheese — a $7.50 local specialty blending Swiss, provolone, and cheddar — on an Italian or French loaf dripping in garlic butter. (There's a variation called the Prosperity sandwich, which swaps in roast beef and gravy.) It's the closest Missouri comes to having an official state sandwich. 

Billings
The Chalet Market's croissant sandwich menu is full of picks and the bestseller that people love to review is its Berrylicious Turkey Croissant made with shaved fresh turkey, cream cheese, sunflower seeds, and a choice of Becky's Berries Raspberry Jalapeño or Huckleberry jams. The combination is reminiscent of Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sandwiches and is a steal at $7.99.

Lincoln
At Banhwich Café, order the Spicy Thai Chicken (Ga Thai) for $6.75 made of shredded chicken or fried tofu served up with its in-house Thai cilantro sauce in a traditional Vietnamese-style sandwich topped with aioli, cucumbers, pickled daikon, and finely shredded carrots and jalapeños on either a fresh baguette or croissant, or in lettuce wraps for the carb watchers.

Reno
Yosh's does its sandwich platters up with style and really generous portions. For $8.5, order the whole Classic French Dip. There's enough sandwich there to feed two people. The French Dip has paper-thin roast beef piled high with au jus on a fresh, aioli-dressed French roll.

North Hampton
There are loads of great sandwich choices under $10 at Joe's Meat Shoppe. Proximity to locally sourced seafood makes its seafood salad sandwich the pick at $8. All subs and sandwiches include cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion. Upon request, they will add leaf lettuce, green peppers, sprouts, and hot peppers.

Newark
There's a long list of generous sandwiches $9 and under on its menu at Cafe Airlie, but the one that gets loads of ink and raves is "The Airlie," which is a splurge at $9.50. It's made with a hot chicken cutlet, grilled pastrami, mozzarella with grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato grilled up all nice and melty.

Albuquerque
For just $9, order the albacore solid white tuna sandwich served either hot or cold with chips on Friends' signature multi-grain bread with your pick of mustard or mayo and a choice of lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. You can add a choice of either Swiss, provolone, or American cheese for 50 cents more.

Brooklyn
New York City has some of the best Italian sub shops in the country. Defonte's was started by an Italian immigrant almost a century ago, so it's about as old-school as you can get. Their hot roast beef sandwich is stuffed full of shaved rare roast beef, fresh melty mozzarella cheese slices, and the shop's specialty: fried eggplant slices. It's a unique combination well worth seeking out and standing in line to get.

Related: 23 Restaurants With Crazy Lines That Are Still Worth the Wait

Asheville
At Old School Subs, a delicious classic muffaletta sandwich made with bakery bread made in house, and ham, salami, provolone, house-made olive spread, seasoning, sub dressing all pressed and lightly toasted will run you $8.95 for a regular. High marks from happy diners can be found online.

Bismarck
Grand Junction is set apart from many chains by being family-owned and its care with food — it grills its meats and serves them up on fresh baked, private-recipe French batard sub rolls. Order the Chicken Cordon Bleu, made with premium chicken breast, Virginia honey ham, fresh lettuce, and sliced fresh Roma tomatoes, dressed with honey-mustard, mayo, and melted Swiss cheese to seal the deal. A regular (which is reportedly huge) sandwich is $11.

Dayton
Charlie's Import Foods is a bit of the old country, having survived a sale in 2018 — the transition from Charlie's Deli saw the original owners' recipes handed down — and its Irish-inspired "Blarney" sandwich continues to get lots of love from loyal customers. Corned beef slathered with Swiss cheese, smashed Irish potatoes, cole slaw all toasted and melted on fresh swirl rye and dressed with Woebber brown mustard is the play.

Norman
At Tino's, the bestseller is the Tino's Philly Cheese Steak, made with tender ribeye steak  cooked in-house, chopped, and covered in cheese, grilled onions, and peppers. The generous 6-incher comes stuffed and costing $9.

Portland
This popular spot was featured on chef Guy Fieri's "Diner, Drive-Ins & Dives" TV show. With the famed "Porkstrami" sandwich gone for now from Tails and Trotters, turn to the roast pork sandwich, with roast pork, aged provolone, arugula, pickled fennel, mama lil's pickled peppers, garlic aioli on a fresh hoagie roll for $12.75. 

Related: How Drive-In Restaurants Are Catering to Customers Amid the Pandemic

Altoona
Bob Sheetz had a vision back in 1951, and to this day his family still runs this hot spot, serving up the calorific and delicious bestseller The Big Mozz (less than $7). Made with a crispy chicken breast or a burger patty, this sandwich is topped with fried mozzarella sticks, melted provolone cheese, and marinara sauce served up on a toasted bun.

Providence 
It's cash-only at this Providence institution, but every penny will go further than you think. A large chicken Parmesan sandwich is $12, but can easily feed two (or be lunch for a second day). A small pastrami and Swiss will only set you back $5.

Columbia
There are various cheap-but-tasty sandwich options at Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli, including the Palmetto ($6.95) with two eggs, cheddar cheese, barbecued pulled pork, and grilled onions. Specialty sandwiches include Meet the Reubens! ($9.50), a grilled rye bread, butter-roasted sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing masterpiece with your choice of meat. This sandwich also comes with "Devine" chips and a mini cinnamon roll.

Watertown
What they call the "hot beef combination" at The Wheel Inn is the same as a hot beef commercial, or just hot beef in other parts of the country. Two slices of fluffy white bread are filled with sliced roasted beef, then topped with a generous scoop of real mashed potatoes and covered in thick, luxurious beef gravy. In the cold South Dakota winters, you need meals like this.

Nashville
You have loads of choices under $10 at Rae's. Go for the "Rae's Hot Brown" made with honey-smoked turkey topped with crisp bacon, cheese sauce, and tomato, or the classic Monte Cristo made with honey smoked turkey and deli ham topped with bacon, cheese sauce, and tomato (both $9.11) and served on a New Orleans' style baguette.

Houston
Authentic Vietnamese sandwiches, noodles, and rice dishes here have been raved about for more than 20 years. Mekong Sandwich is a local favorite, and its bestseller is the Banh Mi Thit Nuong (grilled pork sandwich) for $5.75. Add fish sauce or peanut sauce for an extra 75 cents and a fried egg for a dollar-fifty.

Orem
We're not sure how they do it in the rest of Orem, but they sell sandwiches by the inch at Sensuous Sandwich. The double-entendre names of its sandwiches are hilarious. Go for "The Tantalizer" made with pastrami, roast beef, turkey, and jack cheese. An 8-incher will run you $8.69. 

Jericho
You'd be hard-pressed to find a deli or sandwich shop in Vermont that didn't serve some variation on the state's namesake sandwich. And while there are plenty of excellent options to choose from, many Vermonters themselves favor this historic country store's version. It features sweet ham, apple slices, honey mustard, Vermont cheddar, tomato, and onion, served on locally baked bread that's grilled in a panini press. 

Arlington
At The Italian Store, the Philly is much raved about and is every bit an Italian masterpiece of fresh Danish ham and provolone piled high on a bakery hard crusty roll with lettuce, tomato, onions, peppers, oregano, and olive oil dressing made in house. A small-size version is "huge" according to locals and will run you around $10.

Seattle
When in Pacific-Northwest Viking country, do what the Norse-Americans in this region would do: Visit family-owned Valhalla Sandwiches and order the Ragnar's Club ($10.25) made with sliced chicken breast, bacon, Swiss, apple-jalapeño slaw, and sweet-hot Beaver mustard on a freshly baked telera roll.

Fayetteville
House-made fixings, dressings, beers, and breads are part of the rustic charm of the Secret Sandwich Society. This spot has a huge menu with a vegetarian-pleasing bestseller. The Churchill is piled high with Swiss, provolone, white cheddar, sauteed spinach, and marinated roasted red peppers on toasted sourdough for $11.55, and it comes with house-made chips and pickles.

Evansville
Naming sandwiches after famous song lyrics, Rock'N Rollz is known for its "rollz" breads. Pigs On The Wing is a top pick for $8.73. You get roasted turkey breast, smoked ham, Wisconsin provolone cheese, dressed with fresh crisp lettuce, locally sourced tomatoes, and mayonnaise.

Buffalo
There are a ton of sandwich combos to choose from under $10, and the generous portions make The Breadboard a good place to bring a friend. Order its famous Freight Train made with roast beef and turkey dressed however you like on a fresh sub roll: The 10-inch hungry size can feed two.