What’s on the menu for lunch today? Whatever your answer, chances are that it’s very different today than it would have been roughly a century ago. In the time that’s elapsed, many sandwich shops have tempted our taste buds with dishes that would go on to become legendary, and some even changed the way we get lunch — drive-thru, anyone? Here’s a look at some of the places that have changed what, and how, we eat.
New Haven, Connecticut
An unpretentious hole in the wall founded in 1895, Louis’ Lunch is recognized by the Library of Congress as the birthplace of the burger. It’s also one of the nation’s oldest family-run businesses, with fourth-generation owners. Loyal patrons say time has stood still inside, and the burgers are cooked on cast-iron grills dating to 1898. Just don’t expect traditional buns — they’re served on toast — and the only allowable garnishes are cheese, tomato, and onion so that the five-meat blend shines through.
Springfield, Missouri
What makes this retro Route 66 restaurant a game-changer isn’t necessarily its food, though the burger-joint fare certainly harkens back to a simpler time. Red’s Giant Hamburg earns a spot on this list because it changed how we grab lunch: It had the nation’s first drive-thru, which opened in 1947. It was quickly followed by a West Coast competitor you might have heard of: In-N-Out Burger, which opened in Southern California in 1948.
New Orleans
The muffuletta, made with a mouth-watering combination of ham, salami, provolone, onions, olives, and more, is closely associated with the Crescent City. And locals will tell you there’s one place to go to get the real deal: Central Grocery. It was there that Salvatore Lupo slapped all this together on Italian bread in 1906, in an attempt to ease the lunchtime rush for nearby market workers and farmers. Today’s sandwich remains largely unchanged, with meat sliced and bread baked in this family-owned store.
Los Angeles
Though a rival restaurant, Cole’s, also lays claim to inventing the French Dip sandwich, most experts agree that Philippe the Original was where this iconic, au jus-slathered comfort food was born. The story goes a little something like this: In 1918, Chef Philippe was making a sandwich for a policeman when he accidentally dropped a French roll into a pan filled with juices fresh from the oven. The policeman agreed to take the soaked sandwich anyway — and returned the next day with friends, wanting more. Today, patrons can choose from French dips made with roast beef, pork, ham, lamb, turkey, or pastrami. Just don’t dare ask for ketchup.
Cleveland
Melt is a newbie compared with many of the legendary shops on this list, but any comfort food-lover can argue the store has made history. When it opened in 2006, Melt elevated the humble grilled cheese into a gourmet dish that could carry an entire menu (nay, an entire chain, as there are now a dozen Melt restaurants scattered across Ohio). Just don’t expect a measly slice of cheese between a couple pieces of bread. As the chain’s beloved Mighty Macaroni sandwich shows, you’ll need to bring your appetite — and maybe your elastic-waist pants.
Nashville
You can get hot chicken at KFC these days, but if that’s your first taste of this sinus-clearing sandwich, well, you’re only cheating yourself. For the real deal, head to Prince’s. As the story goes, Thornton Prince’s jilted lover tried to exact revenge on her man by cooking up a devilishly spicy chicken sandwich that would make him beg for mercy. But he loved it, and turned it into a full-fledged restaurant. Feeling extra spicy? Try the “XXX Hot” — if you dare.
Wiccaset, Maine
Red’s Eats didn’t invent the lobster roll — that honor goes to a restaurant named Perry’s in Milford, Connecticut, that’s no longer around — but plenty of New Englanders might say this seasonal seafood shack has perfected it, and the long lines are proof. Open for more than 80 years, Red’s plunks an entire lobster’s worth of meat on every roll, and is the first spot to offer lobster rolls plain (butter or mayo comes on the side here, so as not to distract from the main attraction). In an average summer, it serves a whopping 14.5 tons of lobster.
Huntington, Indiana
Chances are good you can fill any hole in a Midwesterner’s heart (or stomach) with a pork tenderloin sandwich. To find the original, head to Nick’s Kitchen in the Hoosier State to chow down. Nick’s has been around since 1908, and its massive pork tenderloin has remained largely unchanged, served simply with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, mayo, and fries on the side. And if you're not up for a plate-sized slab of pork, go for the mini version.
Los Angeles
Langer’s, which opened in 1947, is famous for good reason, including delicious classics like the No. 19: Hot pastrami, cole slaw, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on double-baked rye bread. But a more recent innovation helps cement its place in history even more. In 1990, it started offering curbside pickup for customers who wanted to order in advance, drive up, grab their food, and go. Today, curbside service is as ubiquitous as the drive-thru.
Philadelphia
In the famous battle of Pat’s versus Geno’s, the flashy rival across the street, Pat’s is the more classic choice, and it has history on its side. Founded in 1930 as a hot dog stand, it was here that Pat Olivieri himself decided to cook up some chopped meat, plunk it on an Italian roll, and top it with onions. In later years, cheese was added, officially beginning the era of the cheesesteak. Planning on making the pilgrimage? Just make sure you have your cash ready, and know how to order: “Whiz wit,” for instance, means with Cheez Whiz and onions.
New Orleans
Between the muffuletta and the po’ boy, New Orleans sure has cemented its place in the sandwich hall of fame. The po' boy, traditionally made on French bread piled with roast beef or fried seafood like shrimp or catfish, plus all the fixins’, has been around for at least a century. Parkway has been serving the concoction since at least 1929, and the restaurant and sandwich have practically become synonymous.
New York
If you want a pastrami on rye, this is the temple of all that is holy. Additionally, many consider Katz’s, established in 1888, as the best of New York’s many kosher-style delis — it’s certainly one of the oldest. Bring cash and expect a crowd, not least of which because tourists still flock here to see where Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal famously dined in “When Harry Met Sally.” The corned beef and pastrami served here can take up to a month to cure, the deli says, so you know you’re getting the real deal.
Minneapolis
If you’ve never had a Jucy Lucy, it’s time to take a trip to the Twin Cities, where this twist on a cheeseburger originated. Instead of plunking the cheese on top of the meat, the cheese is surrounded by the meat, oozing out when you bite down. Matt’s Bar lays claim to the original Jucy Lucy (yes, no “i”), which was invented shortly after the bar opened in 1954 by slapping cheese in the middle of two patties for a customer. The rest, as they say, is history, and the sandwich can be found all over, but especially in the Midwest.
St. Louis
St. Louis Bread Co. isn’t exactly some decades-old mom-and-pop sandwich shop. In fact, outside the St. Louis area, it’s better known as Panera Bread. In the mid-1990s, the small regional chain of bakeries became the framework for Panera, one of the nation’s first and most successful fast-casual chains. And though the fast-casual concept itself has changed the way we grab lunch, so has Panera’s drive to be not just a restaurant, but a gathering place — for everyone.
Atlantic City, New Jersey
The appearance of the first submarine sandwich is open to some debate, as is the name itself: Depending on where you live, you may call it a hoagie, a grinder, a hero, or something else entirely. What’s not up for debate is that Atlantic City’s White House Subs is one of the most iconic spots to grab a sub in all of the U.S. This James Beard Classic award-winner has even served the likes of Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones, to name just a sliver of the celebrity clientele. For the most authentic experience, dig into the No. 1 seller, the Italian.
Did you know you don’t have to journey all the way to Jersey to get a taste of one of these famous subs? You can get White House, and many of these other iconic delights, delivered across the country and direct to your door with GoldBelly.
Muscatine, Iowa
The loose-meat sandwich has been a favorite in the Midwest for nearly a century, and if you talk to a true fan of this sauceless Sloppy Joe, they’ll inevitably point you in the direction of Maid-Rite, a chain of humble sandwich shops founded in 1926 that dot Iowa, Illinois, and a few other nearby states. Though the sandwich probably originated at a tavern in Sioux City, Maid-Rite made it an institution.
Miami
“The world’s most famous Cuban restaurant” may also have one of its most famous Cuban sandwiches. Versailles, opened in 1971, can’t lay claim to the sandwich itself, which likely originated with cigar-factory workers who came to Florida from Cuba more than a century ago. But this Little Havana landmark certainly can make a case for having helped popularize the tasty concoction, a combination of pork, glazed ham, Swiss, mustard, and pickles, all pressed into mouth-watering, specially baked bread.
Cleveland
What Katz’s is to pastrami on rye, Slyman’s is to corned beef on rye: A place more than worth a pilgrimage. This mom-and-pop deli opened in 1964, quickly earning a reputation for its mountains of mouth-watering meat; the restaurant still attracts a line, especially on St. Patrick’s Day. And though you may balk a little at paying $18 for a corned beef sandwich, the heaping portion can easily feed you for a few days.
Topeka, Kansas
White Castle isn’t a small, independent restaurant, but it was when it got its start in the Sunflower State in 1921. White Castle, in fact, had a lot of firsts that changed how America lunched: It was the first fast-food burger chain, it pioneered carryout, introduced promotional coupons, and even had the first website for a quick-service restaurant starting in 1996. Whew!
Chicago
No list of history-making sandwich shops would be complete without Al’s Beef, long-standing inventor and king of the Italian beef sandwich. A street peddler named Al Ferreri opened up a humble family beef stand in Chicago’s Little Italy in 1938, and that stand morphed into an institution that has earned endless kudos for its signature sandwich. But don’t take our word for it: Just check out the endless list of awards and TV show appearances on its website.
