Eating a sandwich is a two-hand operation. You can’t have one hand on a sandwich and the other one on your phone or givin’ a high five. Its delicious contents will be falling out every which way. A sandwich demands your full attention, especially these local finds.
BreadHive
Buffalo | breadhive.com
This West Side mainstay keeps the sandwich lineup fresh, based on ingredient availability, but you can always count on unusual combinations. Take the Bjork, which co-owner Elizabeth Dashnaw told me is the epitome of fresh, funky, crunchy and savory. With tempeh bacon (a vegetarian substitute for animal bacon), avocado, spicy mayo, Barrel & Brine kimchi, sprouts and greens—I certainly agree.
There’s also the Natalie (all sandwiches bear the name of a pop diva). It’s scrambled eggs, pesto, roasted peppers and onions. Though billed as “breakfast,” you can order this one all day. All sandwiches are offered on BreadHive’s own made-by-hand selection of breads, bagels and pretzels. While you’re there, snag a half dozen of your favorite to enjoy at home.
People are also reading…
Clarksburg Cider Co.
Lancaster | clarksburgcider.com
By the end of your visit here, you won’t remember if you came for the cider and stayed for the sandwiches or came for the sandwiches and stayed for the cider. That’s how seriously Clarksburg takes both.
Their Reuben, for starters, is smoked in-house (for 14 hours!) and not braised. General manager Joe Robare told me he knows that every restaurant in Western New York has one. So they set out to stand out by smoking it instead and then elevating every single other ingredient, too.
The smoky pastrami is accompanied by Thousand Island dressing infused with cider, kraut and stacked on a delicious rye bread.
You’ll notice Clarksburg cider makes several inventive appearances on the food menu. Robare said cooking with hard cider is much like cooking with wine. It brings a welcomed acidity to a dish, while also making it easier to caramelize certain elements. Like on their delicious Pulled Pork, which uses a house-made BBQ sauce that features one gallon of their own cider per batch. The sammy also has a fennel-and-sprout slaw and pickles that both include of heavy dose of the sweet stuff.
I would be remiss not to mention the hand-cut fries that are paired with every sandwich. Clarksburg offers two unique dipping sauces, Smoked Chipotle Ketchup and Cider Pickle Ranch. Try ‘em both!
Frank’s
Kenmore | findfranknow.com
I’m not here to start a debate on whether a hot dog is a really sandwich (it’s not). Because Frank’s offers more than redhots anyway. Like their Nashville Spicy Chicken Sandwich that started as a special but became so popular it had to be added to the menu permanently. The chicken marinates in a five-pepper buttermilk drench then it’s fried and topped with house-made bread-and-butter pickles and coleslaw.
Speaking of specials, co-owner Paul Tripi tipped me off to a limited-run Pastrami Sandwich coming around January 14 for National Pastrami Day. Frank’s plans to smoke about 500 pounds of beef brisket to serve piled high with deli brown mustard and a side of matzo ball soup.
Joe’s Deli
Buffalo | joesdelionline.com
If you like a sandwich packed with ingredients, look no further than the Muffuletta at Joe’s Deli. The muffuletta is said to have been thought up by a Sicilian immigrant who owned a deli in New Orleans in 1906. It’s ham, salami, provolone and olive salad.
Joe Lyons, owner of Joe’s Deli, told me their olive salad has 18 ingredients in it and is tangy with a little kick. He stressed that it’s not a spread, but instead like having chunky salad on your sandwich. It can be served hot or cold, but Joe’s tosses it in the oven to bake until it’s perfectly crunchy.
Moriarty Meats Café Bar
Buffalo | moriartymeats.com/café-bar
With their whole animal butcher shop next door, the Café Bar utilizes whichever meat is available at any given time. Because of this, they embrace a chalkboard menu that changes weekly with a couple of staple items.
You can always get their Boeuf on Weck, which is half spelled in French as a nod to the particular style of butchery on display at Moriarty’s. It’s thinly sliced homemade roast beef served on a buttery scratch-made kimmelweck roll that is less salty than the usual version. A house-made horseradish mayo tops it all off. The bun is grilled, but the sandwich is not served warm, which gives the beef a whole new flavor profile.
Try this, and as many weekly specials you can, because how food makes its way to the plate at Moriarty Meats Café and Bar is truly unique.
Off The Wall Sandwich Company
Orchard Park | offthewallsandwichcompany.com
As the name implies, Off The Wall Sandwich Company specializes in extreme sammies. These are grilled cheeses on steroids, demonstrating a real understanding of what makes Buffalo tick.
The Ralph features Buffalo chicken wing dip, fried chicken tossed in Buffalo sauce with sharp cheddar, bacon and blue cheese. Then there’s the Buffalo Standard, which is their version of a pizza sub, but with the sauce on the side, which I feel is a critical improvement to a classic favorite.
The sandwiches are the stars, but you have to start with cheeseburger rolls, which are house-made egg rolls stuffed with a special ground steak blend, pickles and cheese.
Taqueria Los Mayas
Cheektowaga | taqueria-los-mayas.com
A torta is a Mexican sandwich served on a soft roll filled with your choice of meat plus lettuce, onions, tomatoes, jalapeño, avocado, mayonnaise and melted cheese. Taqueria Los Mayas has a must-try version. You can stuff it with chorizo, steak and even beef tongue.
I went with Torta Chorizo and appropriately laid off the complimentary tortilla chips to ensure I had enough room for this exceptionally meaty sandwich. It comes wrapped in aluminum foil, which I encourage you to use as part of your strategy. This is a sandwich that can get away from you, if you let it. Take in every bite, especially the cheese that is perfectly melted on one half of the roll giving it a buttery crunch.
Sue’s Deli
Buffalo | suesnydeli.com
A quintessential deli experience can be had at Sue’s. They do the classics very well, but absolutely do not ignore their vegetarian options.
The Chewy Nut Veggie is legitimately hearty with lettuce, jack cheese, dates, raisins, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sprouts and miso dressing. The Avocado Wrap (sandwich adjacent, I know) is lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, crispy noodles, sunflower seeds, sprouts and miso dressing.
The spot is pretty popular during the downtown lunch hour, but you can also place your order for pickup online or by phone.
Zio’s
Buffalo | ziosbuffalo.com
The newest deli on a Buffalo block is Zio’s on Elmwood Avenue—in the former Poster Art building. It’s owned by husband-and-wife duo, Annie Doyle and Ben Tronolone, along with Ben’s brother, Mike Tronolone. The trio was inspired by New York City-style heroes (otherwise known as submarine sandwiches) and wanted to offer their unique take to Elmwood Village.
The house specialty is anything with Ben’s famous breading on it. The Luther is a chicken cutlet with pomodoro or vodka sauce and fresh mozzarella, basil and topped off Romano and parmesan. If you’d like a vegetarian option, try out the Rocco, which has a crispy eggplant, arugula, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella and a balsamic glaze. These two sandwiches repeatedly sold out when the sandwich shop first opened in November 2021.
