30 sandwiches you won’t want to miss throughout Greater Orlando

4 Rivers Smokehouse’s Texas Destroyer

For an on-the-go community like Greater Orlando, perhaps no meal choice is more appropriate than a sandwich—particularly if it can be cradled in one hand while weaving through I-4 traffic, biking on a nature trail, or even waiting in line at the theme parks. What’s more, and thanks in part to the emergence of a gourmet foodie scene, locals don’t have to travel far to meet the sandwich of their dreams.

Case in point: After sampling sandwiches at scores of local eateries, we’ve found 30 that we’d gladly bring home to meet the family. Ranging from fresh takes on old favorites to completely new creations designed to make your mouth water, they won’t all pass the one-hand test, but they’ll definitely give you food for thought—and then some. Bon appétit!

The Big Floyd
Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbakoa
Orlando (Mills 50)

Pig Floyd’s slow cooks the flavors of the world, as seen on this signature item. Oakwood-smoked brisket teams with pulled pork, sausage, house-made barbecue sauce, citrus-peanut slaw and French fries on a toasted coconut-pineapple roll.

Grateful Bread
903 Mills Market
Orlando (Downtown South)

Thanksgiving is over for the year, but we relive that holiday on the regular with this tasty concoction that stars roasted turkey, bleu-cheese stuffing, red onions and a house-made cranberry aioli on fresh multigrain wheat.

The Goblin Club
The Goblin Market
Mount Dora

The traditional club sandwich gets a gourmet makeover at this Mount Dora gem. The usual ham, turkey, bacon and Swiss all show up before being joined by artichoke hearts, avocado, sprouts, lettuce, tomato and pesto mayo on sourdough.

Fu Man Chu
Pom Pom’s Tea House & Sandwicheria
Orlando (Milk District)

This savory pressed offering from the highly rated café combines Asian pulled pork, arugula, goat cheese, ginger-cranberry chutney and red onions for a taste that’s great on its own or paired with the eatery’s many tea choices.

Lamb Sausage Gyro
North Quarter Tavern
Orlando (Downtown)

Chef Matt Wall’s “house made, handcrafted, from scratch” approach is evident in this artisanal take on a classic, in which lamb-pork sausage, pickled peppers, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, feta cheese and dill yogurt make a scrumptious filling for naan bread.

Curried Egg Salad Wrap
Artisan’s Table
Orlando (Downtown)

Chef Scott Copeland takes a Southern favorite to the world stage with this creation. A perfect portion of egg salad gets mixed with sweet chili curry, mango chutney and shredded romaine lettuce before being dressed in a spinach tortilla.

Grilled Portabella Mushroom Sandwich
Tap Room at Dubsdread
Orlando (College Park)

It’s hard to go wrong with anything on the Tap Room’s menu, but mushroom lovers won’t want to miss this one. In addition to the namesake ‘shroom, they add grilled tomato, onion and goat cheese on a multigrain bun.

Hot Reuben
Beefy King
Orlando (Milk District)

Beefy King has been an Orlando tradition for nearly 50 years, and this specialty sandwich is part of the reason. A heaping helping of hot corned beef joins forces with sauerkraut and cheese, and tomato, coleslaw, lettuce and onion are available as toppers.

Houndstooth Tuna Salad
Houndstooth Sauce Company
Orlando (Audubon Park)

You can find tuna sandwiches pretty much anywhere but few as special as this one. In addition to tuna, they include pepperoncini, celery, tomatoes, sprouts and their own Houndstooth White BBQ Sauce, and serve it on Olde Hearth millet bread.

Pressed Duck Sandwich
Dexter’s
Lake Mary/Orlando/Windermere/Winter Park

Roasted and pulled duckling meat is presented on canoed-out French bread along with grilled onions, melted Brie cheese and a side of raspberry-jalapeno jam for a taste that will have you quacking up.

The Cuban
Black Bean Deli
Orlando (Mills 50)/Winter Park

If you want an authentic Cuban, we recommend heading to Greater Orlando’s go-to spot for true Cuban fare. Available in regular and large sizes, they come stuffed with sweet ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese and pickles.

Avocado & Brie
The Strand
Orlando (Mills 50)

Served on multigrain toast, this veggie-lovers’ sandwich obviously stars avocado and brie. With that being said, the petite greens, tomato and cilantro vinaigrette play key supporting roles, as does the side of coleslaw.

Achilles Art Cafe’s Achilles Sandwich

Achilles Sandwich
Achilles Art Café
Orlando (Metro West)

Art and food live in perfect harmony at this eclectic café, but we’d come back for this pressed sandwich regardless of the décor. Turkey, pepperoni, ham, Swiss and provolone lead the way for lettuce, tomato, pesto, honey mustard and feta cheese on French bread.

Crawfish Po’ Boy
King Cajun Crawfish
Orlando (Mills 50)

Let the bayou come to you with this mouthwatering seafood sandwich. Specially seasoned crawfish tails get battered and fried to a golden brown before being topped with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and pickles for a simple-but-satisfying combo.

Buffalo Soldier
Yellow Dog Eats
Gotha

Can you stand the heat? Homemade buffalo sauce, bleu-cheese dressing, orange Cointreau mayo and jalapeno ranch pair with smoked chicken, shredded jack cheddar, shredded lettuce, tomato, red onion and cucumber slices on a chipotle wrap.

Zeus Greek Veggie Panini
Hot Krust Panini Kitchen
Orlando (Dr. Phillips)

Hot Krust has paninis down to a science, including this Mediterranean veggie delight. Available on white or multigrain bread, it stars feta cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, banana peppers, black olives, red onions and dill Greek yogurt.

Texas Destroyer
4 Rivers Smokehouse
Throughout Greater Orlando

What do you get when John Rivers’ Angus brisket gets topped with onion rings, jalapenos, provolone and 4 Rivers Signature Sauce before being served on a bun? One of the best reasons to visit any of this Orlando-born eatery’s locations.

Pull Apart BLT Crab Roll
Winter Park Fish Co.
Winter Park

Feeling crabby? Head to Winter Park for this one-of-a-kind concoction. Lump crab and Applewood smoked bacon harmonize with local greens, organic tomatoes and lemon aioli on a buttered, pull-apart Hawaiian roll.

The Gnarly Barley’s Johnnie Mac ‘N Cheese

Johnnie Mac n’ Cheese
The Gnarly Barley
Orlando (South)

Ever had a full roast beef dinner on a sub roll before? This beauty—which includes roast beef, mac and cheese, red onion, mayonnaise and a side of au jus—will finally give you the chance, and it pairs perfectly with many of the Barley’s draft-beer selections.

Hot Sicilian
Ragazzi’s Pizza & Restaurant
Orlando (College Park)

Ragazzi’s pizza is rivaled only by their hot subs, including our favorite. It comes loaded with ham, pepperoni and salami, along with melted parmesan and provolone, and the fresh garlic and onions round out the package.

Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux’s Tour of California

Tour of California
Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux
Orlando (Audubon Park)

As you can guess by the name, this café is big on bicycling. Named in honor of the famous West Coast race, this multigrain two-hander wins with sliced turkey, romaine, vine-ripe tomatoes, sprouts, guacamole, homemade hummus and provolone.

Roasted Vegetable Grilled Cheese
Toasted
Lake Nona/Winter Park

Whether you call this a grilled cheese or a melt, it’s delicious. Served on locally sourced, artisan wheat bread, it comes with jack cheese, confit Portabella mushrooms, tomato chutney, garlic spinach and roasted red peppers.

LaSpada’s Famous Hoagie
LaSpada’s
Sanford

This namesake menu item is a meat-lover’s dream. Loaded with pepper ham, Genoa salami, prosciutto, soppressata and provolone, it’s rounded out with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, oregano, oil & vinegar, and your choice of peppers.

Meatball Smash
The Meatball Stoppe
Orlando (Azalea Park)

This sandwich takes our favorite local meatballs and puts them on a fresh-baked ciabatta roll. What’s more, you get your choice of numerous “meatballs”—which include sausage, lamb and even vegetarian options—and sauces for a taste that’s uniquely you.

Pammie’s Sammies’ Grilled Chicken Mango

Grilled Chicken Mango
Pammie’s Sammies
Orlando (Universal Area)

It’s easy for a small shop to get lost so close to Universal Studios, but Pammie’s stays on the map with great sandwiches, including this pressed option. Served on a telera roll, it includes grilled chicken, pepper jack cheese and mango chutney.

Samurai Wrap
Eden Fresh Co.
Longwood/Orlando/Winter Park

Mandarin oranges, carrots, snow peas, wonton crisps and Asian ginger vinaigrette will take vegetarians on a trip to the Far East, and you can also get it as a salad. If you absolutely must have protein with it, Boar’s Head meats are available.

New Yorker
Perrotti’s Express/ Perrotti’s NY Deli
Windermere/Winter Garden

A New York staple done right, this sandwich is bursting with corned beef, pastrami, Swiss cheese and mustard on rye bread—as the owners say, “Simple as that.” And though we prefer to get ours hot, it’s also available cold.

Station Chicken
Johnny’s Fillin’ Station
Orlando (South)

An Orlando mainstay for more than 30 years, Johnny’s is best known for two things: burgers and chicken. The restaurant puts its name behind this option, which showcases Philly-style grilled chicken, onions and banana peppers with your choice of cheese.

Restaurant ASH’s Mahi Sandwich

Mahi Sandwich
Restaurant ASH
Orlando (Mills 50)

ASH founder and namesake Ashley Nickell made a name for herself on Hell’s Kitchen, and now she’s making outstanding sandwiches here in Orlando. This one features sautéed lemon-pepper Mahi, tartar sauce, pickled red onion and Napa cabbage.

Le St. Tropez
Benjamin French Bakery & Café
Orlando (Thornton Park)

Offering an edible representation of the titular French region, this entry pairs smoked salmon with dill-lemon cream, cucumber, tomato and mixed-green salad. We recommend getting it on French bread, but panini is an option, too.