The Most Iconic Sandwich In Every State

The culinary scene in the United States is incredibly diverse, encompassing everything from traditional Native American foods to fusion cuisine. The combination of indigenous and introduced crops, along with the mix of countless cultures and their approaches toward food, have led each state to develop unique recipes and iconic dishes. What's popular in one state might be unknown in another, or two states might have separate takes on the same dish.

But the differences between these regional foods aren't just accidents. They're mini-history lessons about how people there handled quick meals or the sudden need to feed a lot of people at once. They tell you what the people in a region did when faced with an abundance or lack of food, or what aspects of nutrition they felt were important at the time they created a certain dish. Each state has produced or adopted recipes that went on to become iconic, and the sandwiches that each state is known for are terrific examples.

Alabama starts off the list with a barbecue chicken sandwich topped with white sauce. This is a mayonnaise-based sauce that's the hallmark of Alabama barbecue, and while food historians know when it was invented and who created it, they're not quite sure why. Former railroad worker Bob Gibson first mixed up the sauce in 1925, ostensibly to stop large numbers of cooked chickens from drying out after cooking.

Alaska is known for its bountiful supply of fish, especially salmon, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the state's most iconic sandwich is a salmon sandwich. This is one of those creations that's rather open to interpretation, with the guidelines being only that you have some salmon on bread with basic sandwich toppings. Some mayo, some lettuce; it's kind of up to you.

In Arizona, the iconic sandwich is the fry bread taco (or Navajo taco). These have meat, cheese, and other fillings piled onto a piece of fry bread, forming an open-faced sandwich. (And yes, a 2024 ruling from Indiana legally places tacos among sandwiches.) Sonoran hot dogs are a close runner-up, with bacon-wrapped dogs nestled in a soft roll with other fillings like tomatoes and beans.

The fried bologna sandwich is the go-to dish in Arkansas. Fried bologna is nicknamed "Arkansas round steak" by some, and the state is home to bologna-maker Petit Jean Meats, which may be the reason the sandwich is so closely associated with the region. When frying, make a cut from the edge to the center so the slice keeps its shape. Toppings range from fried eggs to mustard and mayo to cheese.

California's iconic sandwich is the French dip. The sandwich consists of roast beef on a roll that's dipped in au jus, which is similar to a very thin gravy or broth. Two Los Angeles restaurants claim to have invented the sandwich; Philippe's (now Philippe the Original) is the more well-known of the two, but Cole's has also claimed to be the first to serve the now-classic sandwich.

The Denver sandwich is the ancestor of the Denver omelet, that mix of eggs, cheese, ham, bell peppers, and onions that's common on breakfast menus. Theories about its origins include attempts to cover up the flavor of stale eggs and the use of egg foo young as a sandwich filling. The Denver sandwich was extremely popular in the 1950s, but by the 1980s, the filling took center stage as a standalone omelet.

Connecticut lays claim to the fried clam roll, which is a pile of fried clams on a roll with toppings ranging from tartar sauce to mayo, often bought from a clam shack. The clam pieces can be strips or whole belly; each has dedicated fans. You'll find claims that the hot buttered lobster roll is the state's iconic sandwich, but the clams get more attention on lists of classic Connecticut foods.

The Bobbie is a post-Thanksgiving treat — albeit one sold year-round at Capriotti's, the sandwich shop that first put it on the menu. The sandwich is a copy of one that the aunt of the shop's owners would make with Thanksgiving leftovers, and yes, her nickname was Bobbie. The sandwich has mayo, shredded roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing layered on a roll.

The Cuban sandwich, or Cubano, is a glorious combination of ham, roast pork, salami, pickles, Swiss cheese, and mustard on Cuban bread, and the whole thing is compacted in a sandwich press that heats up the food and melts the cheese. Both Tampa and Miami lay claim to the sandwich, but Cuba is the real origin point.

Pimento cheese is a spread made with cheddar, mayonnaise, and diced red pimentos, which are sweet red Spanish peppers; the sandwich consists of the spread on white bread. The spread was first made in New York and was initially a processed food. Southern cooks started coming up with homemade versions, and now the official state sandwich is even served at the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta.

Kalua pig, or kalua pork, is traditionally the meat from a whole pig that's been cooked in a pit oven called an imu. Obviously, a lot of restaurants have to use a regular oven instead, but the pork still carries that name. Add some cabbage or another topping of your choice to the pork on a roll to make Hawaii's most iconic sandwich. Just don't add pineapple, for goodness' sake.

Idaho's spin on the old PB&J makes it a true gem from the Gem State. This version uses huckleberry jam and no other flavor. Huckleberries are related to blueberries and look a lot like them, but the flavor is more of a combination of blueberry and blackberry. All you have to do to make the sandwich is add your favorite peanut butter and some huckleberry jam to bread.

The Italian beef sandwich sounds a lot like a French dip at first — roast beef on a roll with an au jus-like dip — but the Italian roll specifically uses Italian bread and tops the meat with giardiniera, a pickled vegetable relish usually made with peppers. The sandwich is truly Chicago's own, with its origins in the Little Italy neighborhood most likely in the 1920s.

Indiana is home to the fried pork tenderloin sandwich, an amazing creation that places a giant piece of fried pork on a hamburger bun with burger toppings like sliced tomatoes and onions. The size of the tenderloin is usually two or three times the diameter of the bun (pictures of these things are fantastic). The fried pork is based on German wiener schnitzel.

Loose meat sandwiches are like Sloppy Joes without the sauce. The filling is loose ground beef with some seasoning, placed on a hamburger bun along with toppings like ketchup and so on. The sandwiches are also known as Maid-Rites, taking that name from the chain best known for selling them, although you may hear them called Taverns or Canteens after two other restaurants that serve the sandwiches.

Burnt ends are the thin ends of barbecued brisket, which burn as the rest of the brisket cooks. When preparing to slice brisket, the cook will slice away those burnt ends first. The ends used to be simply something for the cook to nibble on, but customers soon wanted more of the burnt ends for themselves. You can now get burnt ends served on bread with barbecue sauce.

The Hot Brown is a hot, open-faced sandwich that was created at Louisville's Brown Hotel in the 1920s. It's turkey, bacon, and tomatoes on Texas toast, covered with a cheese bechamel called Mornay sauce. It was supposedly introduced after dancers at the hotel wanted something novel to eat. The more likely origin is that it was simply hot food for cold nights.

The muffuletta was created by Sicilian immigrants to New Orleans, and the name actually refers to the type of bread used. This is a huge sandwich, often big enough to be sliced into four portions. The filling is made up of mortadella, genoa salami, ham, Swiss cheese, provolone, and olive salad. The spelling of the name is up for debate, as is whether or not the sandwich should be heated before serving.

Maine's iconic sandwich is the lobster roll. This roll, filled with chunks of lobster coated with a mayo-based dressing, wasn't always fancy; lobster used to be so common in the region that it was considered a cheap food. But as lobster stocks dwindled and national interest in lobster rolls grew, it gained a reputation as something special and expensive.

A Maryland-style crab cake is made of lump crab meat (not soft-shell crab!) held together in a loose patty with egg and mayo. Season it with flavors like Old Bay and place that patty on a bun with tomato slices and other toppings, and you have the iconic crab cake sandwich. The sandwich is so popular in Maryland that McDonald's even released a limited version of it back in 1992.

Massachusetts' fluffernutter sandwich, in which peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff meet between two pieces of white bread, is a staple across the state. It started as a wartime food; one of the original inventors of marshmallow creme, Emma Curtis, created a "Liberty Sandwich" during World War I that consisted of the creme, peanut butter, and oat or barley bread. The sandwich made a comeback in the 1960s under its new name.

The humble ham sandwich gets a boost in Michigan, especially in Detroit. The sandwiches there have cuts of glazed ham with lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, and mustard on an onion roll. These gained fame during the 1960s in the sandwich shops that sat near the Dearborn Sausage Company. Certain shops, such as Lile's Sandwich and Mike's Famous Ham Place, are known specifically for their Detroit ham sandwiches.

Depending on who you talk to, the Juicy Lucy was created at Minneapolis' 5-8 Club, or the Jucy Lucy (no "i" in Jucy) was created at Matt's Bar, also in Minneapolis. No matter who created it, this cheesy burger is an iconic Minnesota sandwich. Cheddar cheese is stuffed between two thin burger patties that are pinched together. You're advised to let the very hot cheese cool a little before taking a bite.

These long loaves of bread filled with fried shrimp supposedly began as an economical way to make free meals for striking streetcar employees in 1929 New Orleans. The bread was created specifically for the "poor boy" sandwiches. There are competing theories about the sandwich's true origins. Regardless, the name was eventually shortened to po' boy. While often associated with Louisiana, the shrimp po' boy is also one of Mississippi's favorite sandwiches.

A simple sandwich of sliced, grilled salami on a French roll with cheese and onions wins a spot on this list as Missouri's top sandwich. Gioia's is the restaurant best known for making these James Beard Award-winning sandwiches. Note that homemade versions of the sandwich may or may not contain any cheese. The toppings are mainly up to you.

Another pork chop sandwich hits the list, this time in Montana. However, this isn't like Indiana's breaded and fried tenderloin at all. This pork chop is battered and deep-fried, and fits a hamburger bun very neatly. Pile on burger toppings like lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes, and get two pork chop patties if you want. Pork Chop John's is the chain credited with creating the sandwich.

The Reuben, that pressed pile of hot corned beef with Russian dressing, Swiss, and sauerkraut on rye bread, has two potential origins. One story says Nebraskan Reuben Kulakofsky created the sandwich during a late-night poker game. Charles Schimmel, another player who also ran a hotel, put the Reuben on the menu at his establishment. Printed evidence backs up this story, whereas the other origin story, from New York, is based on family memories.

There's some controversy over who invented the patty melt, which is so popular at diners and lunch counters. Tiny Naylor's in California claims to be the birthplace of the patty melt, but no matter; the sandwich has become a Nevada favorite, especially in Las Vegas. The basic version contains a burger patty, cheese, and toasted sandwich bread. However, you can also get grilled bread along with toppings like onions on rye bread.

New Hampshire is a difficult state to pin down when it comes to a favorite sandwich. Oddly, it's the Monte Cristo that tends to appear on best-of lists more than fluffernutters and roast beef, two other common sandwiches. The Monte Cristo gained fame in California, particularly after Disneyland put it on its restaurant menus. New Hampshire's take tends to show up more in home cooking, with thick bread and maple syrup.

Taylor ham (in North Jersey; South Jersey calls it Taylor pork roll), egg, and cheese on a hard roll is a classic order in restaurants around the state. It's so iconic that a state assemblyman attempted to designate it as the state's official sandwich; he was so determined that he filed two bills, one for each variation on the name. However, the bills died in committee.

New Mexico is very well-known for its wonderful green chiles, be they Hatch or another variety. Someone — it's not known exactly who — placed diced green chiles on a cheeseburger, and the rest is delicious history. The cheeseburger is so popular in the state that the New Mexico Tourism Department has a page dedicated to the "New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail."

Pastrami on rye is beyond iconic. It's New York's top sandwich, and the name alone is enough to bring to mind old-school delicatessens in New York City where plates piled high with slices of pastrami, pickle spears, and chips were a common sight. The sandwich usually consists of several slices of pastrami topped with mustard on rye bread, although some non-kosher variations include cheese.

Pulled pork is the meat of choice for sandwiches in both North and South Carolina, but in North Carolina, the pork is served with a spicy, vinegar-based barbecue sauce. And the spice is no joke; recipes for the sauce often include cayenne, hot sauce, and/or crushed red peppers. Serve it all on a soft bun, maybe with some coleslaw, for a real treat.

Sloppy Joes are loose meat sandwiches with a tomato-based sauce. Most people point to Iowa as the Sloppy Joe's birthplace. However, there's also a bar in Key West, Florida, named Sloppy Joe's that claims the sandwich was invented in Cuba. Origins aside, North Dakota has claimed the Sloppy Joe as its favorite sandwich. In part of the state, it's known by the more physically descriptive name of "slushburger."

The origin of Cleveland's Polish Boy sandwich doesn't have much documentation, but the name apparently used to be a way to refer to a kielbasa sausage in a bun. But back in the 1940s, a restaurant owner named Virgil Whitmore piled some fries, coleslaw, and barbecue sauce onto a kielbasa-like sausage on a bun, creating a combination that would eventually adopt the Polish Boy name.

Both Oklahoma and Texas claim to be the original home of chicken-fried steak, but the steak, and the sandwich you can form with it, are by far the favorites in Oklahoma. Tenderized round steak, or cube steak, is battered and pan-fried to form a crunchy patty, and if you want the sandwich version, the fried patty is placed on a bun with mayo and vegetable toppings.

You wouldn't expect a Southern dish to be an iconic representative of a northwestern state, but in Oregon, the fried chicken biscuit is the sandwich of choice. Portland is home to Pine State Biscuits, a chain that's best known for producing the Reggie, which has fried chicken, bacon, cheese, and gravy tucked between two biscuits.

The cheesesteak, or more commonly, the Philly cheesesteak, is Pennsylvania's most iconic sandwich by a mile. Created around 1930 by Pat and Harry Olivieri, this mound of beef in a roll started as an improvised lunch one day when Pat got tired of the hot dogs he'd been selling. Pat's recipe was a different take on an older "beefsteak sandwich" recipe. It wasn't until the 1940s that someone added cheese.

Rhode Island hot wieners may get a lot of attention for their special take on the hot dog, but the state's truly iconic sandwich is the good old Italian grinder. This is a submarine-style sandwich ("grinder" is just what Rhode Islanders call subs) with a combination of deli meats like salami and mortadella, plus provolone cheese, tomatoes, peppers, olive oil, and more.

You already know that the Carolinas have pulled pork as their favorite sandwich filling, but now it's time for a look at how South Carolina prepares these sandwiches. Instead of that spicy, tomato-and-vinegar sauce, here you'll get the pork covered with "gold" sauce, which is mustard-based. The sauce still contains vinegar, but it doesn't have the ketchup or spice.

The pheasant sandwiches of Aberdeen, South Dakota, are legendary not only for their flavor, but for their history. During World War II, the town of Aberdeen found out that trains carrying troops were going to pass through, and those troops would need food from a local canteen. After receiving pheasants, canteen workers made pheasant salad sandwiches. These became so famous among the troops that the canteen was nicknamed the "Pheasant Canteen."

Tennessee's got a tie; there's the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, with varying levels of spice added to the chicken's crunchy fried coating. But the Elvis sandwich, or Fool's Gold Loaf, is another sandwich that shows up just as often in lists of famous Tennessee sandwiches despite being a Colorado creation. This is a multi-serving sandwich with peanut butter, jelly, and a lot of bacon on sourdough.

Low temperatures, long cooking times, and indirect heat from smoking turn tough brisket into tender barbecue, and once you slap some sliced brisket between two slices of bread, you have Texas' favorite sandwich. Depending on the restaurant you're at, you may have a choice of toppings, but the meat plus the bread, and maybe a slice of jalapeño, is really all that's required to make this sandwich.

The pastrami burger is a California invention, but when its creator moved to Utah, the burger quickly caught on with the locals. Some say it was his family members who moved, but no matter. Go to Utah and order this combination of a cheeseburger with strips of pastrami added to the top as if they were additional toppings, and thank your lucky culinary stars for this mouth-watering experience.

The Vermonter is a sandwich filled with deli meat, apple slices, and cheese. Or rather, many Vermonters are filled with those. This is a sandwich where the fillings can be very different, making it hard to tell if the Vermonter you order at one restaurant is going to have the same ingredients as what you ordered in other restaurants. Always check the menu carefully before assuming you know what you'll get.

Virginia is home to country ham, so having the country ham sandwich as a favorite dish in the state is not a big surprise. The sandwich uses specifically Virginia or Virginia-style country ham on a bun, and you can add toppings from mustard and mayo to cheese and herbs.

The banh mi is a Vietnamese-French sandwich with meat, pate, pickled carrots, daikon, and more, stuffed into a crispy, baguette-style bread. This is an affordable sandwich that's filling and packed with different flavors, and Seattle's large Vietnamese community has helped make this the top sandwich in the state of Washington. The best part of banh mi, in addition to the taste, is how customizable it is.

The sausage biscuit is essentially what it sounds like: sausage on a biscuit, although you can get different toppings depending on the menu at the shop you're at. The biscuits at Tudor's Biscuit World are supposed to be the quintessential versions of West Virginia's most iconic sandwich. Note that some claim the pepperoni roll, and not the sausage biscuit, is the state's better sandwich.

Wisconsin gives us another tie: the bratwurst sandwich and the grilled cheese. The state's population has extensive German ancestry, and it was those German immigrant ancestors who brought over bratwurst and turned it — and its sauerkraut-and-mustard toppings on a bun — into one of the most popular sandwiches in the state. Grilled cheese is the other winner, which makes sense given Wisconsin's cheese industry.

Much of the trout population in Wyoming owes its existence to stocking; in other words, the trout weren't in many of these lakes and rivers to begin with. But that introduction of fish led to trout becoming plentiful across the state, and people have of course made trout sandwiches the state's most popular. The trout can be crispy or smoked, and you have your choice of toppings and bread.