The best sandwich in NYC for every budget

What’s the best sandwich in New York?

This debate, like all great New York debates, usually hinges on cocksure bravado and outrageously specific beliefs about pastrami quality, which is part of what makes it so eternally compelling. But one aspect that’s too often missing is context—particularly when it comes to cost.

To compare a bodega bacon-egg-and-cheese to a $25 French dip at Minetta Tavern is an argument for fools. What we’re interested in is not so much which sandwich reigns supreme above all, but rather which dominates at its price point. From the budget-friendly bánh mì of Chinatown, to the cheffed-up stackers at some of the city’s hottest restaurants, the sandwich economy is one that requires laser focus on direct competitors, not anything that comes between two pieces of bread (and certainly not a hot dog). And so, in the spirit of our best burgers by budget treatise, we bring you our take on New York's finest sandwiches, from dirt-cheap to only-in-NYC expensive.

A couple of notes: These prices are pre-tax and tip, which are certainly relevant expenditures, but would make this whole exercise a bit too confusing (the main point is that you don’t have to tip at counter-service spots like Sophie’s, but you do at sit-down restaurants like Parm; get it to go if you want to minimize cost). And, of course, there are other economic concerns that can come into play, like the fact that some sandwiches might require spending $5 in subway fare, or god forbid, going to brunch. But all other things remaining equal, we believe these are the finest sandwiches you can score in New York, based on the amount of money you’re willing to spend on any given day.

Here are the best sandwiches in NYC at every budget, from $2 to $20.

Sesame pancake with roasted beef at Vanessa's

Address and phone: 118 A Eldridge St (212-625-8008)
Website: vanessas.com
Price: $2.75

Back in the day—and by back in the day, we mean like seven years ago—Vanessa's $1 dumpling plates were the de facto diet of many downtown residents whose paychecks afforded little more than rent money and few extra bucks to throw at cheap eats and all-you-can-drink specials. But when you really needed to be filled up, the move was always to complement the potstickers with a sesame pancake. While prices have climbed a bit over the years (and at locations in higher-rent neighborhoods), the O.G. sesame pancake with beef still delivers on its promise: soft, doughy triangles of bread packed with toasty sesame seeds and the greasy terroir of the cooking pan; thin slices of meat; and a crunchy medley of pickled carrots and cucumber to brighten the package. One will hold you over; two is a feast.—Chris Schonberger

Beef patty in coco bread at Concourse Jamaican Bakery

Address and phone: 252 E 167th St, Bronx (718-681-4015)
Website: N/A
Price: $3.50

While the idea of Jamaican patties nestled between coco bread is appealing, the reality of the carb-on-carb construction sometimes leaves something to be desired. Not so at Concourse Bakery, a no-frills patty joint in the South Bronx. Here, the combo delivers textural contrast between the flaky pastry crust and soft, chewy coco bread, as well as a beef filling that's robust enough to stand up to the double padding. Real chunks of meat and an intense blast of fruity habanero make this carb-swaddled package the ultimate on-the-go snack.—Chris Schonberger

Chopped cheese at Hajji's (Blue Sky Deli)

Address and phone: 2135 First Ave (646-682-7488)
Website: N/A
Price: $4.25 (.25 cents per topping)

You hear the chopped cheese before you taste it—the repetitious clank of the spatula on the flattop, dicing away at a hamburger patty until finely ground, browned, and covered with cheese. That metallic ring resonates in bodegas across the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn, but to understand the true roots of this hyper-regional specialty, you’ll head to the chopped-cheese ground zero: Hajji’s deli in Spanish Harlem. There, the 12-year veteran behind the counter, Big Frankie Frank, sets the standard by toasting a seeded hero on a sandwich press until it’s flattened—the perfect vessel for holding in the griddled onions and melted cheese. It’s not a cheeseburger, and it’s not a Philly cheesesteak; it’s just one of New York’s very own.—Justin Bolois