The story below is from our November/December 2018 issue. For the full issue Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
Who knew a group’s initiative to find the best sandwich in town would involve spreadsheets and ratings scales?
Have you ever had a sailor sandwich?
Adrian, Kenny and Jeff certainly had not. I moved to Roanoke from my home city of Richmond in 2013 to realize that a “Sailor” (hot pastrami, grilled knackwurst, melted Swiss cheese and hot mustard on rye bread) has almost exclusively Richmond roots. Over a lunch of sailor sandwiches did we realize we knew nothing of Roanoke’s sandwich diaspora. Right there did the seven of us, the Gentleman’s Gun and Racquet Club of Roanoke (GGARCOR), with unrefined but gluttonous palates commit ourselves to finding the best sandwiches in the Roanoke Valley.
A week of arguing gave us sandwich definitions: wraps were out, but paninis, subs and gyros were in. Burgers are sandwiches, but a large enough sub-category to deserve their own quest later. Another week and a half of arguing settled us on a ratings scale. We built spreadsheets to track data. With our “Sandwich Quest” sheet to compile scores and tasting notes, “On-Deck” sheet to compile potential sandwich mongers and our “Carbometric” sheet to track results, we started eating our way through every local sandwich menu we could find.
At time of print we have eaten 152 unique sandwiches, served by 42 restaurants, and we can vouch that there are very good sandwiches to be eaten in Roanoke.
10. Café Xpress’ Cajun Chicken Sandwich
Café Xpress starts their domination of our top ten at Number Ten with their Cajun Chicken sandwich. After an early nauseating misstep with another unnamed Cajun sandwich, this sammy redeemed Cajun Chicken sandwiches everywhere for Kenny. Carved chicken is served up with sautéed peppers and onions, melted provolone, lettuce. tomato. mayonnaise and a Cajun spice mix to make everything pop.
Courtesy of Lew’s
Lew's Reuben
9. Lew’s Reuben
Our Number Nine spot is Lew’s first appearance with their “Reuben.” Lew’s “Reuben” is best described as a “Reuben cheesesteak.” The meat, cheese and sauerkraut are not layered, but are instead all blended together like a true Philly Cheesesteak. (Writer’s note: Somebody at Lew’s really likes puns; the “Lewser,” “Lewcifer,” and “Chicken Cordon Lew” are all regular menu items. PLEASE help us convince Lew’s management this sandwich should be re-christened the “Lewben.”)
8. Café Xpress’ Burbank
Number Eight is proudly held by Café Xpress’ “Burbank.” Café Xpress has been the real surprise star of the quest, holding four spots in the Top Ten all by itself. The “Burbank” is quite possibly the best ham sandwich you’ve never had, deploying a two-pronged pork strategy to get there. Thick-sliced hot ham and crispy bacon forge a holy taste alliance very close to country ham, enveloped in melted swiss and American cheeses. The “Burbank” is fleshed out with lettuce, tomato, red onion and a touch of mayonnaise. Ben’s entire tasting notes are 12 words long: “Best ham and cheese of my entire 44 years on this earth.”
7. Café Xpress’ Manhattan
Café Xpress shows up again at Number Seven with their “Manhattan.” This is a delightful reuben-esque sandwich, served with hot pastrami and corned beef, coleslaw, melted swiss cheese and Russian dressing on a sub roll. Just the right balance of moist and dry, sweet and salty, with the coleslaw and cheese teaming up to handily do the job traditionally held by mayonnaise, buffering the bite of the cured meats with a slight creamy taste.
6. AND 4. Number Six and Number Four are sandwich siblings: Tony Avellino’s “Cheesesteak Special” and “Cheesesteak,” respectively. Yes, we tried New York Pizza’s cheesesteak. Yes, it is incredibly good, but these things are even better. Like most cheesesteak purveyors, Tony offers his “Cheesesteak Special” as a “Cheesesteak” with peppers, onions and mushrooms added. Kenny said it best: “When I think of eating a cheesesteak, this is the kind of thing I picture. It was great.” You cannot tell where meat stops and cheese starts. They merge, they unify, they fuse into a velvety, savory amalgamation cocooned by a sub roll.
5. Our Number Five spot is Montano’s debut, the Montano’s “Italian Sub.” Montano’s Italian is the best Italian Sub in Roanoke. Capicola ham, Genoa salami and “imported” ham are layered to just the right level, topped with provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers and Italian dressing. It is unnecessarily served with Italian dressing on the side; this sandwich is perfect as ordered.
3. Lew’s second appearance on the list is this writer’s favorite sandwich in the whole Valley: the Lew’s “Steak Special” at Number Three, a steak/pizza fusion. Thinly sliced steak is soaked in marinara, spiced with just the right number of pepperoni slices, brightened by the acidity of surprise banana peppers and topped with melted cheese.
2. Montano’s shows up again in the Number Two spot with the “Kosher Style New York Sub,” which Kenny dubbed “a little slice of heaven.” This sandwich had a very good balance of several meats; lebanon bologna is present but does not overpower. Traditional bologna and salami stood out nicely, with peppers, onions and coleslaw bundling everything up without turning into a sloppy mess.
Julianne Rainone
Café Xpress’ The Roanoker
1. As of press time, Number One sandwich to be found in Roanoke is the “The Roanoker” at Café Xpress. and Café Xpress really is a little gem, with incredibly warm and accommodating owners. Their premier sandwich has engendered affection from all tasters. The owners hand-carve turkey and serve it with jerk seasoning, grilled peppers and onions, melted cheddar and a typical supporting chorus of lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Those in the know, which now includes you, order the light meat/dark meat mix.
If you are still thinking about the sandwich that started it all, the Sailor, the best in Roanoke deserves an honorable mention: head down to Bernard’s Gastropub. Tell ’em GGARCOR sent you.
Want to tout your own favorite sammy? Email editor Liz Long at llong@theroanoker.com to share your thoughts!
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