Hungry? Need carbs plus meat (or maybe a vegetable)? Sandwiches are the king of lunch, so skip the sad desk salad and go with what feels good. From a super fancy lobster rolls to a spicy banh mi to meaty monstrosities, Charleston offers a range of sandwiches to satisfy every palate. Here are our picks for the can't-miss selections around town.
Note: Map points are listed in geographicalorder and are not ranked. Did we miss your favorite spot? Show it some love in the comments, send us an email, or start a forum thread in its honor.
Shortly after Boxcar Betty's opened the doors, it was crowned the king of Lowcountry chicken sandwiches. This West Ashley stop brings fried poultry to a new level of good. Sample the Boxcar with pimiento cheese, peach slaw, pickles, and spicy mayo.
With the right care and a practiced hand, classics can sometimes be combined to make something greater than the sum of their parts. Case in point: the Fried Green Tomato Po Boy with Pimento Cheese from West Ashley's Southern food stalwart The Glass Onion. The menu item is as simple as fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese, but as writer Timmons Pettigrew says, it's a "hearty, meatless, yet soul-affirming option."
With an endless supply of ingredients, it's only natural that this little cheese shop would get into the sandwich game. Down on Church Street, goat.sheep.cow. utilizes what they have on hand to produce a small amount of highly covetable handheld lunches every day. One of their favorites to assemble is prosciutto cotto, Big John's Cajun cheddar, Lusty Monk whole grain mustard, Vermont Creamery cultured butter and cucumber slices on an EVO semolina baguette.
This storied Harleston Village corner shop offers pressed paninis any time of the day. The Tenacious Turkey with a secret honey basil sauce is their most popular staple, while the Happy Houdini with Virginia ham comes in a close second.
It's almost as if the lobster roll didn't exist in Charleston until 167 Raw opened its doors. This luscious sandwich features feature large chunks of ocean-fresh lobster tossed in a light aioli, sprinkled with chives, and placed on a buttery Butcher & Bee bun.
Ted's Butcherblock knows meat, and Ted's definitely knows bacon. Stop by this East Bay shop for the BLT of the month. The featured pork changes each month, so you can be a bacon expert by the end of the year.
The couple that opened this tiny soup and sandwich shop is redefining the meaning of convenience food. Get your fix of sophisticated comfort with an Adult Grilled Cheese with gouda, prosciutto, green apple, and cheddar.
Food truck Pink Bellies can usually be found on the corner of St. Philip and Calhoun Streets. While there, order the pulled pork banh mi. This sandwich full of pork, blueberry jam, pickled onions, mayo, cilantro, and jalapeños — and it's only $5.
Most food aficionados who visit beer joint Closed for Business probably sample the notorious Pork Slap sandwich. The menu item is a piggy pile of pulled pork, fried pork cutlet, green tomato pickles, Swiss cheese, and a house sauce. Food GPS writer Joshua Lurie once called it "downright pornographic."
Smoke BBQ is known for its "elevated" sandwiches. For the Beef & Chedda, chef Roland Feldman pickles the jalapeños with a special blend of spices, smokes the brisket out back, sources buns from Brown's Court, and uses a reduction of Funkmaster Brett IPA from Revelry Brewing in his cheddar ale sauce.
There's an abundance of menu choices at Artisan Meat Share, so it's difficult to pick a single stack. However, the Italian, full of house-cured meats, Auricchio provolone, shaved lettuce, onion, tomato, pepper rings, and a special sub sauces seems to be the most popular. For parties, you can order one of these meaty monsters big enough to feed eight people.
If your tastes run a bit more Vietnamese, then this Spring Street shop has the sandwich and Sriracha for you. You can pick your fillings from red curry beef to five-spice tofu to accompany the traditional banh mi condiments.
Vegetarians rejoice, because non-meat sandwiches don't have to be a greasy portabella smeared with aioli. At Butcher & Bee, the vegetarian sandwich is exalted with a barbecued pulled squash option that rivals its porky cousin.
Leon's Oyster Shop might be one of the few restaurants where "Can I buy you a fish sandwich?" is a handsome proposition. Whether fried or grilled, this stack is finished with Duke's mayo and hot sauce — it's everything a fast food fish sandwich isn't.
The famous triple-decker duck sandwich at Tattooed Moose practically needs no introduction. Duck confit, apple-smoked bacon, hickory-smoked cheddar, garlic aioli and red onion all get stuffed between two slices of Hawaiian bread.
If you're craving a taste of the ocean, stop by family-owner Roadside Cafe for the Split Decision. This creation is half shrimp po' boy and half oyster po' boy, with lettuce, tomatoes, and "BAM" sauce served on a fresh baked hoagie roll.
The pork loin hoagie at sunny spot The Park Cafe has a loyal following. Succulent pork topped with crunchy rapini, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon, and triple creme makes this sandwich one to remember.
Funky cafe Spero is better known for its small plates, but don't overlook the sandwich section. Try the lamb barbacoa stack with lemon pickled jalapeños, mayonnaise, North Carolina barbecue sauce, and queso fresco or the fried chicken sandwich that is said to be one of the best in the Lowcountry.
Can't decide which smoked treat to order at Lewis Barbecue? Get them all on the El Sancho sandwich — it's a stack of pulled pork or chopped beef with hot guts sausage and pickled red onion. You're going to need a nap.
Shortly after Boxcar Betty's opened the doors, it was crowned the king of Lowcountry chicken sandwiches. This West Ashley stop brings fried poultry to a new level of good. Sample the Boxcar with pimiento cheese, peach slaw, pickles, and spicy mayo.
With the right care and a practiced hand, classics can sometimes be combined to make something greater than the sum of their parts. Case in point: the Fried Green Tomato Po Boy with Pimento Cheese from West Ashley's Southern food stalwart The Glass Onion. The menu item is as simple as fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese, but as writer Timmons Pettigrew says, it's a "hearty, meatless, yet soul-affirming option."
With an endless supply of ingredients, it's only natural that this little cheese shop would get into the sandwich game. Down on Church Street, goat.sheep.cow. utilizes what they have on hand to produce a small amount of highly covetable handheld lunches every day. One of their favorites to assemble is prosciutto cotto, Big John's Cajun cheddar, Lusty Monk whole grain mustard, Vermont Creamery cultured butter and cucumber slices on an EVO semolina baguette.
This storied Harleston Village corner shop offers pressed paninis any time of the day. The Tenacious Turkey with a secret honey basil sauce is their most popular staple, while the Happy Houdini with Virginia ham comes in a close second.
It's almost as if the lobster roll didn't exist in Charleston until 167 Raw opened its doors. This luscious sandwich features feature large chunks of ocean-fresh lobster tossed in a light aioli, sprinkled with chives, and placed on a buttery Butcher & Bee bun.
Ted's Butcherblock knows meat, and Ted's definitely knows bacon. Stop by this East Bay shop for the BLT of the month. The featured pork changes each month, so you can be a bacon expert by the end of the year.
The couple that opened this tiny soup and sandwich shop is redefining the meaning of convenience food. Get your fix of sophisticated comfort with an Adult Grilled Cheese with gouda, prosciutto, green apple, and cheddar.
Food truck Pink Bellies can usually be found on the corner of St. Philip and Calhoun Streets. While there, order the pulled pork banh mi. This sandwich full of pork, blueberry jam, pickled onions, mayo, cilantro, and jalapeños — and it's only $5.
Most food aficionados who visit beer joint Closed for Business probably sample the notorious Pork Slap sandwich. The menu item is a piggy pile of pulled pork, fried pork cutlet, green tomato pickles, Swiss cheese, and a house sauce. Food GPS writer Joshua Lurie once called it "downright pornographic."
Smoke BBQ is known for its "elevated" sandwiches. For the Beef & Chedda, chef Roland Feldman pickles the jalapeños with a special blend of spices, smokes the brisket out back, sources buns from Brown's Court, and uses a reduction of Funkmaster Brett IPA from Revelry Brewing in his cheddar ale sauce.
There's an abundance of menu choices at Artisan Meat Share, so it's difficult to pick a single stack. However, the Italian, full of house-cured meats, Auricchio provolone, shaved lettuce, onion, tomato, pepper rings, and a special sub sauces seems to be the most popular. For parties, you can order one of these meaty monsters big enough to feed eight people.
If your tastes run a bit more Vietnamese, then this Spring Street shop has the sandwich and Sriracha for you. You can pick your fillings from red curry beef to five-spice tofu to accompany the traditional banh mi condiments.
Vegetarians rejoice, because non-meat sandwiches don't have to be a greasy portabella smeared with aioli. At Butcher & Bee, the vegetarian sandwich is exalted with a barbecued pulled squash option that rivals its porky cousin.
Leon's Oyster Shop might be one of the few restaurants where "Can I buy you a fish sandwich?" is a handsome proposition. Whether fried or grilled, this stack is finished with Duke's mayo and hot sauce — it's everything a fast food fish sandwich isn't.
The famous triple-decker duck sandwich at Tattooed Moose practically needs no introduction. Duck confit, apple-smoked bacon, hickory-smoked cheddar, garlic aioli and red onion all get stuffed between two slices of Hawaiian bread.
If you're craving a taste of the ocean, stop by family-owner Roadside Cafe for the Split Decision. This creation is half shrimp po' boy and half oyster po' boy, with lettuce, tomatoes, and "BAM" sauce served on a fresh baked hoagie roll.
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