Best Sandwich Shops
Sandwiches are an American staple. But they range from lame to wonderful. Here’s where to find the best ones in VanPort. Several are also on our Philly Cheesesteak list too.
1. Fuel Bistro & Wine
Ridgefield
Ridgefield is blessed to have Fuel Bistro. They serve a variety of dishes, but the star attraction are their sandwiches. They offer eleven different savory and delicious handhelds. The hard part is choosing which one. Most are toasted with cheese oozing over delicious meats. The photos they post on Facebook are almost criminally addictive. I’m fonf of The Gunmen Melt. It’s shaved prime rib, Gruyère and cheddar cheese, bacon, horseradish aioli, and spicy bacon jam on grilled garlic Texas toast.
2. Philly Bilmos Cheesesteaks
Vancouver – East
A good variety of sandwiches and sides but their cornerstone are Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. On my first visit mine I did take-out The bun was kind of soggy when I got home, but I gave them another try and it was spot on. The meat has a really great flavor. Bilmos cost a few bucks more than most but they have plenty of fans who feel it’s worth it.
3. Steak Your Claim
Vancouver – EastPastrami and Philly cheese steaks by the same owner as Magnolia Tavern next door. SYC takes pride in serving authentic East coast sandwiches. The Broad Street Bully is a great value at $10.50. Their Reuben and Brooklyn Midnight pastrami are the best we’ve found in VanPort.
4. Lardo
Portland – South
One the best carnivore sandwich shops in Portland. Everything is delicious so far. We tried the Korean pork shoulder and Nashville hot sandwiches. Street parking is catch as catch can.
5. Crave Grille
Vancouver – East
Crave rocks! One of the best Vancouver eateries. Even their salads are amazing. People often focus on their burgers but Crave one of the best selection of sandwiches in town like their Prime Rib Dip and Not Your Grandma’s Grilled Cheese. They have the best Cuban sandwich I’ve had. PRO TIP: If you like spicy ask to sub pickles for Jalapenos.
6. Steakadelphia
Portland – Southeast and Beaverton
One of the better Philly cheesesteak joints in the territory. This one’s been on my list for a while to try. A few of the cheesesteak snobs I know hold Steakadelphia high regard. I ordered a Philly with pepper jack cheese, black olives and jalapenos. All the Phillies come with onion. The end result is super tasty. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is that makes it so delicious. It has a lot of flavor and I don’t think it’s just due to the jalapenos. The sauce was just a little bit of mayonnaise. The sandwich is not huge. I ate the whole thing for lunch. It’s a good size for that. The sandwich and my soda came to just under $20 before tip. It’s pretty pricey for what it is. For some people it’ll be too much but I have to say I was pretty happy with it. There’s not much room inside but the weather was great so we sat outside. The street parking is a bit challenging. I was lucky enough to find a spot not far away.
7. City Sandwich
Vancouver – Downtown
City Sandwich has been serving sandwiches, burgers and salads downtown Vancouver for 20 years. I count 21 varieties of sandwiches on their menu, plus six “Vegwiches”. They’re all stacked high with fresh ingredients on quality bread. A half sandwich is plenty for lunch.
8. Proof Pizza
Portland – two locations
Proof’s focus is pizza but they’ve added a fantastic Chicago beef sandwich. They use slow-roasted, Italian beef with mozzarella cheese and house made giardiniera all on a Turano bread roll. And of course, a side of au jus.
Video Review: https://vanportinsider.com/reviews/trying-an-italian-beef-sandwich-at-proof-pizza/
9. Sammich
Portland – Central
Sammich’s Chicago Italian beef handheld has beef, sweet peppers, and giardiniera on a baguette with a side of beef juice. I had to pay extra for provolone cheese.
I also ordered their pastrami zombie, which has house-smoked pastrami, Swiss cheese, slaw, and mustard on rye.
The pastrami sandwich was a little surprised and underwhelmed ’cause it was so small. I’m really used to pastrami sandwiches from Steak Your Claim, which are a pretty big size. But the flavor was pretty good but I wouldn’t order it again just based on size.
The pastrami sandwich normally has slaw, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted that on the sandwich, so they put it on the side. It tastes very good. But I wouldn’t want it on that pastrami sandwich. It’s more like a side to me.
The Italian beef sandwich, which actually cost less than the pastrami sandwich had more substance to it. I liked that the beef was sliced very thin. The toppings were okay, but it didn’t have as much flavor as the Italian beef sandwich I had at Proof. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both sandwiches and this is a solid sandwich shop.
Video Review: https://vanportinsider.com/reviews/sammich/
10. Billy Blues Bar and Grill
Vancouver – West
They have an amazing French dip sandwich. The cobb salad and quaso dip are really good too. They serve beer, wine and pedestrian cocktails. Some of the bands are fantastic. Only 21 after 9pm. Decent parking.
11. Philadelphia’s Steaks & Hoagies
Portland – South and West Linn
Philadelphia is one of the places cork sniffing cheesesteak enthusiasts mention when debating on where to find the best. I tried their Pepper Cheesesteak that has rib-eye, Swiss-American cheese, bell peppers and onions. The bread was moist and not too thick. (They sell a package of 6 their hoagie buns.) The sandwich tasted good but I would have liked more flavor. If I go again I’ll try their Pizza Steak. The shop has a relaxed vibe. One guy was running the whole operation. They have a couple TVs. Unfortunately it conflicts with the classic rock played over the system. Street parking was ok but I’m sure it could be challenging during peak hours. Philadelphia’s is a great choice if you’re in the area. If you’re a cork sniffer you might like Grant’s or Philly Bilmo’s more.
12. Bruchi’s Cheesesteaks & Subs
Vancouver – North
Their Philly cheesesteak variations are fantastic. Perhaps not as traditional by I really like them. My go-to is the Pepper Steak (Steak topped with jalapeños, pepperoncinis, and melted white American cheese) and add pepperoni. The flavor is delicious. I can’t put my finger on what makes it taste so good. All the flavors are just working together. PRO TIP: Get the larger sandwich and save half for the next day. I find it’s just as good.
13. Judah’s Delicatessen
Portland – Rose City Park
Judah’s is a new, very popular cart in the Rose City Food Cart Park. They serve pastrami, turkey, burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Video Review: https://vanportinsider.com/reviews/judahs-delicatessen/
14. La Bottega Cafe Deli Wine Shop
Vancouver – West
Very popular Vancouver Italian restaurant that has an extensive deli that can make just about any sandwich you can think of. They don’t take reservations. The joint is popular so there’s always a wait. It’s good place but I feel I can get better Italian in Portland without the hassle of the wait. Street parking is decent.
15. Michael’s
Portland – Central
Michael’s is connected to Angelo’s bar by a common seating area between the two. They have a Chicago Style Italian beef with peppers and onions. It’s not bad but not great. I wished I had ordered the sausage sandwich. Perhaps it would have had more flavor. The high regard for this place could be a nostalgia thing. But this guy will take a Philly Cheesesteak over this anytime.
16. Jersey Mike’s Subs
Multiple Locations
Wonderful sandwich shop. I know it’s a chain but they still serve some of the best handhelds in the area. I always order the Philly cheese steak. I haven’t been able to bring myself to order anything else there because it’s exquisitely delicious. Oftentimes the bread at deli joints are thick and stiff. This one is soft and moist. I don’t know what they season it with but it is wonderful. I can’t comment on their other offerings but the cheesesteak is a winner.
17. ToGo’s
Vancouver – East
ToGo has come to Vancouver. They serve all the classic deli sandwiches like the Italian, French Dip and the California Club. The large is 10″ long but it’s wider than Subway and has a lot more content. The “regular” is 6″. In the case of the California Club and Italian it’s plenty enough for a meal. The French dip isn’t as wide. I’d always order a large for that one. The upgrade price to large is worth it. The French dip has a spicy chipoltle sauce and is really tasty. Like Subway, they have choices of bread and optional chips. Unlike Subway, they want you to communicate all your choices at the register. That isn’t easy if you’re not familiar with the what they have available. They don’t have much seating. But since it’s called ToGo’s….
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