Well Bread

14 more great sandwiches to sink your teeth into.

The roast-pork banh mi from Saigon Sandwiches.
Photograph by Stefanie Michejda

1. Roast-pork banh mi
Saigon Sandwiches; 560 Larkin St., 415-474-5698
Cited time and time again as a model of “good globalization,” the pork banh mi at Saigon Sandwiches is one of our favorites (and you don’t have to take our word for it—Esquire magazine also gave it the nod). A baguette made from a mixture of rice and wheat flours is split and filled with caramelized roast pork, Sriracha chile paste, mayonnaise, shredded carrots, cilantro and sliced jalapeños. The resulting sweet-spicy combination is irresistible. ($2.75)


Brenda's inimitable fried shrimp poboy.
Photograph by Chris Andre

2. Fried-oyster or fried-shrimp poboy
Brenda’s; 652 Polk St., 415-345-8100
A toasted French roll fairly bursts with crisp fried oysters (or, if you prefer, fried shrimp), amply sauced with smoky chipotle rémoulade in Brenda’s spot-on version of the Big Easy classic. ($8.75)

3. All-in-one sandwich
Giordano Bros All-in-one sandwiches; 303 Columbus Ave., 415-397-2767
Sometimes wretched excess is just the thing—when that’s the case, head to Giordano’s. There, the signature sandwiches are served “Pittsburgh style,” with your choice of meat (options include pastrami, capicola and sweet Italian sausage), provolone, hand-cut fries (yes, in the sandwich) and olive-oil-and-vinegar coleslaw, all stuffed between two thick slices of Italian bread made daily in North Beach. (about $8)

4. Crab-salad sandwich
Darby Dan’s Gourmet Sandwiches; 733 Airport Blvd., South San Francisco, 650-876-0122
Only available Wednesday through Friday, Darby Dan’s crab-salad sandwich makes for one hell of a preflight meal. Those in the know order the freshly picked crab on a Dutch crunch roll, with garlic mayo and crushed jalapeños. If the combination sounds too odd for you, well, there’ll be more left for us. ($6.75 or $8.45 with side dish)


Hello, Woodhouse Fish Company fried clam roll. Nice to meet you.
Photograph by Justin Fantl

5. Pan poulet
Café Claude; 7 Claude Ln., 415-392-3505
This simple sandwich makes a light, fresh lunch—the kind of thing you’d construct for yourself if you were French and your fridge regularly contained leftovers from last night’s expertly roasted chicken, crisp butter lettuce and perfectly hard-boiled eggs. The skinny frites, while not an essential side dish, are a welcome addition. ($10)

6. Grilled cheese sandwich: $11
Hog Island Oyster Co.; Ferry Building Marketplace, 415-391-7117
If your idea of grilled cheese is Velveeta on Pepperidge Farm white, read on. Because the grilled cheese at Hog Island Oyster Co., a most unlikely place for this diner favorite, is composed of Cowgirl Creamery’s Mezzo Secco, cave-aged Gruyère and fromage blanc on Acme bread and served with house-made pickled vegetables. In other words: serious sandwich. ($11)

7. Fried Ipswich clam roll
Woodhouse Fish Co.; 2073 Market St., 415-437-2722
On the next warm, sunny day, skip out of work and head to Woodhouse Fish Co., where you can indulge in that East Coast summer classic, the fried-clam roll. They do it right here: toasted top-loading bun jammed with clam strips, accompanied by fries and slaw. ($13.50)

8. Sopressata tartine
Tartine Bakery 600 Guerrero St., 415-487-2600
Like a showcase for good ingredients, the restrained sopressata sandwich at Tartine combines spicy sopressata with Italian fontina and slightly bitter broccoli-rabe pesto, served open-faced on a thick slab of house-baked country bread. ($10.50)

9. Hot ham and swiss
Bi-Rite Market; 3639 18th St., 415-241-9760
This is the ham-and-cheese sandwich you’re always hoping to find—excellent ham (Niman Ranch applewood-smoked) rather than that floppy deli crap, Swiss cheese, house-made aïoli and Dijon mustard, tucked into a length of baguette. ($6.95)

10. Pierna enchilada torta
La Torta Gorda; 2833 24th St., 415-642-9600
We pledge allegiance to the tortas at La Torta Gorda in the Mission. As the name suggests, these are fat sandwiches, the soft roll barely containing the goodness within: a thin layer of refried beans, mayonnaise, pierna enchilada (a kind of pulled pork), all layered with slices of avocado, queso fresco, onions and jalapeños. How can you argue with that? (regular, $7.50; small, $4.95)

11. Egg salad
Chloe’s Cafe; 1399 Church St., 415-648-4116
Dodge the strollers and tethered dogs and duck into Noe Valley sweet spot Chloe’s for a perfectly simple egg-salad sandwich. The dill-rich egg salad is served on butter-rosemary toast, with blue-corn chips. Nothing fancy, but just right. ($7.50)

12. Prosciutto and fig sandwich
Boulange de Cole; 1000 Cole St., 415-242-2442
Boulange de Cole’s grab-and-go sandwiches are genius, not only for their portability but also their simplicity. We’re fond of many of the combinations, but if we had to pick a favorite, we’d choose the one with thin slices of prosciutto, dried figs and swiss on a length of buttered walnut ficelle (like a skinny baguette). ($5.75)

13. Boxed BLT: ($9)
Boxed Foods Company; 245 Kearny St., 415-981-9376
We’ll admit it: Even a bad BLT sandwich is still pretty good—how to resist that time-honored combination of crisp bacon, thirst-quenching lettuce and juicy tomatoes, lavished with mayonnaise? But at Boxed Foods Co. on Kearny St., you’ll find an exceptional version on Acme herb slab with Niman Ranch bacon and butter lettuce, moistened with citrus aïoli and juicy, flavorful tomatoes. ($9)

14. Reuben
Liverpool Lil’s; 2942 Lyon St., 415-921-6664
Our affection for the Reuben is no secret. After giving the nod to the version served at Neiman Marcus’ Rotunda, we couldn’t help but mention Liverpool Lil’s take on the classic. Lil’s uses house-cooked corned beef, aged Gruyère cheese, sauerkraut and the old Thousand Island dressing, piled high on marble rye and grilled. ($12.95)

The roast-pork banh mi from Saigon Sandwiches.
Photograph by Stefanie Michejda

1. Roast-pork banh mi
Saigon Sandwiches; 560 Larkin St., 415-474-5698
Cited time and time again as a model of “good globalization,” the pork banh mi at Saigon Sandwiches is one of our favorites (and you don’t have to take our word for it—Esquire magazine also gave it the nod). A baguette made from a mixture of rice and wheat flours is split and filled with caramelized roast pork, Sriracha chile paste, mayonnaise, shredded carrots, cilantro and sliced jalapeños. The resulting sweet-spicy combination is irresistible. ($2.75)


Brenda's inimitable fried shrimp poboy.
Photograph by Chris Andre

2. Fried-oyster or fried-shrimp poboy
Brenda’s; 652 Polk St., 415-345-8100
A toasted French roll fairly bursts with crisp fried oysters (or, if you prefer, fried shrimp), amply sauced with smoky chipotle rémoulade in Brenda’s spot-on version of the Big Easy classic. ($8.75)

3. All-in-one sandwich
Giordano Bros All-in-one sandwiches; 303 Columbus Ave., 415-397-2767
Sometimes wretched excess is just the thing—when that’s the case, head to Giordano’s. There, the signature sandwiches are served “Pittsburgh style,” with your choice of meat (options include pastrami, capicola and sweet Italian sausage), provolone, hand-cut fries (yes, in the sandwich) and olive-oil-and-vinegar coleslaw, all stuffed between two thick slices of Italian bread made daily in North Beach. (about $8)

4. Crab-salad sandwich
Darby Dan’s Gourmet Sandwiches; 733 Airport Blvd., South San Francisco, 650-876-0122
Only available Wednesday through Friday, Darby Dan’s crab-salad sandwich makes for one hell of a preflight meal. Those in the know order the freshly picked crab on a Dutch crunch roll, with garlic mayo and crushed jalapeños. If the combination sounds too odd for you, well, there’ll be more left for us. ($6.75 or $8.45 with side dish)


Hello, Woodhouse Fish Company fried clam roll. Nice to meet you.
Photograph by Justin Fantl

5. Pan poulet
Café Claude; 7 Claude Ln., 415-392-3505
This simple sandwich makes a light, fresh lunch—the kind of thing you’d construct for yourself if you were French and your fridge regularly contained leftovers from last night’s expertly roasted chicken, crisp butter lettuce and perfectly hard-boiled eggs. The skinny frites, while not an essential side dish, are a welcome addition. ($10)

6. Grilled cheese sandwich: $11
Hog Island Oyster Co.; Ferry Building Marketplace, 415-391-7117
If your idea of grilled cheese is Velveeta on Pepperidge Farm white, read on. Because the grilled cheese at Hog Island Oyster Co., a most unlikely place for this diner favorite, is composed of Cowgirl Creamery’s Mezzo Secco, cave-aged Gruyère and fromage blanc on Acme bread and served with house-made pickled vegetables. In other words: serious sandwich. ($11)

7. Fried Ipswich clam roll
Woodhouse Fish Co.; 2073 Market St., 415-437-2722
On the next warm, sunny day, skip out of work and head to Woodhouse Fish Co., where you can indulge in that East Coast summer classic, the fried-clam roll. They do it right here: toasted top-loading bun jammed with clam strips, accompanied by fries and slaw. ($13.50)

8. Sopressata tartine
Tartine Bakery 600 Guerrero St., 415-487-2600
Like a showcase for good ingredients, the restrained sopressata sandwich at Tartine combines spicy sopressata with Italian fontina and slightly bitter broccoli-rabe pesto, served open-faced on a thick slab of house-baked country bread. ($10.50)

9. Hot ham and swiss
Bi-Rite Market; 3639 18th St., 415-241-9760
This is the ham-and-cheese sandwich you’re always hoping to find—excellent ham (Niman Ranch applewood-smoked) rather than that floppy deli crap, Swiss cheese, house-made aïoli and Dijon mustard, tucked into a length of baguette. ($6.95)

10. Pierna enchilada torta
La Torta Gorda; 2833 24th St., 415-642-9600
We pledge allegiance to the tortas at La Torta Gorda in the Mission. As the name suggests, these are fat sandwiches, the soft roll barely containing the goodness within: a thin layer of refried beans, mayonnaise, pierna enchilada (a kind of pulled pork), all layered with slices of avocado, queso fresco, onions and jalapeños. How can you argue with that? (regular, $7.50; small, $4.95)

11. Egg salad
Chloe’s Cafe; 1399 Church St., 415-648-4116
Dodge the strollers and tethered dogs and duck into Noe Valley sweet spot Chloe’s for a perfectly simple egg-salad sandwich. The dill-rich egg salad is served on butter-rosemary toast, with blue-corn chips. Nothing fancy, but just right. ($7.50)

12. Prosciutto and fig sandwich
Boulange de Cole; 1000 Cole St., 415-242-2442
Boulange de Cole’s grab-and-go sandwiches are genius, not only for their portability but also their simplicity. We’re fond of many of the combinations, but if we had to pick a favorite, we’d choose the one with thin slices of prosciutto, dried figs and swiss on a length of buttered walnut ficelle (like a skinny baguette). ($5.75)

13. Boxed BLT: ($9)
Boxed Foods Company; 245 Kearny St., 415-981-9376
We’ll admit it: Even a bad BLT sandwich is still pretty good—how to resist that time-honored combination of crisp bacon, thirst-quenching lettuce and juicy tomatoes, lavished with mayonnaise? But at Boxed Foods Co. on Kearny St., you’ll find an exceptional version on Acme herb slab with Niman Ranch bacon and butter lettuce, moistened with citrus aïoli and juicy, flavorful tomatoes. ($9)

14. Reuben
Liverpool Lil’s; 2942 Lyon St., 415-921-6664
Our affection for the Reuben is no secret. After giving the nod to the version served at Neiman Marcus’ Rotunda, we couldn’t help but mention Liverpool Lil’s take on the classic. Lil’s uses house-cooked corned beef, aged Gruyère cheese, sauerkraut and the old Thousand Island dressing, piled high on marble rye and grilled. ($12.95)

email page | print page