Farm Spirit alumni Kei Ohdera and John Schaible butcher, roast, smoke, and brine all of the Oregon-raised meats used in this Alberta Street restaurant’s sandwiches, which are often paired with Oregon-grown produce and house-made condiments. The resulting sandwiches are truly mind-blowing: a tender and delicate pastrami and house corned beef serve as the foundation for the shop’s Reuben, while a lamb-based “porchetta” complements roasted pork shoulder for the restaurant’s loose interpretation of a Cubano. It is simply impossible to go wrong here, but Pasture’s “O.G.” — something sort of like a banh mi with house pastrami and Oregon hazelnut chile oil — never misses.

A consummate hole-in-the-wall, Taste Tickler has been serving its deli-style sandwiches to the Broadway crowd for decades now. Though it’s been passed down from owner to owner, the concept has stayed largely the same: traditional submarine sandwiches and bento dishes. Sandwiches here are topped with the usual fixings: mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and pepperoncini, along with provolone and parmesan. Ordering the eponymous Taste Tickler is a worthy choice, a sub sandwich with ham, salami, and pepperoni, and the usual toppings. However, another pro move is the restaurant’s take on a cheesesteak, which is something more like a bulgogi sub.

This westside sandwich shop comes from fine dining alumni of the Michael Mina restaurant group, but don’t expect anything too pretentious here. Turkey fans adore Break Bread’s variations on the classic, whether it’s the Chubby Puggy with bacon jam and garlic aioli, or the Jimmy Pesto with pesto aioli and roasted red peppers. Smoked ham sandwiches are also winners here, in particular the Corleone with honey-roasted almonds.

One of the city’s most celebrated steakhouses is also a fantastic sandwich shop. During the day, this restaurant opens the butcher shop and deli, with an array of sandwiches utilizing Laurelhurst Market’s quality meats. For cold sandwiches, the house-smoked turkey and bacon on como bread is a surefire pleaser, topped with zucchini pickles, white cheddar, onion, and pile of fresh arugula. However, the restaurant’s roast beef — slathered with spicy pickle relish and horseradish cream — is an underrated stunner.

Pastrami is the name of the game at Sammich, so much so that its companion food cart carried the same name as the flagship sandwich: the Pastrami Zombie. Chef and owner Melissa McMillan brines and smokes beef brisket in a process that takes nearly a week. The result: Beautifully tender, rich, and aromatic pastrami, stacked tall on rye bread with just a bit of slaw, mayo, and Swiss cheese. It’s such an immaculate sandwich that it’s easy to miss the other items on the menu, but after a few return visits it’s advisable to branch out to sandwiches like the Chicago Italian beef or the excellent burger, Da Burg. However, there’s no shame in sticking with the Zombie.

It’s hard to imagine a sandwich shop in Portland more well-known and celebrated than Lardo. What started as a food truck ended up with four locations in greater Portland and Las Vegas, and today it still brings in the long lines for its meaty, over-the-top sandwiches. Its flagship is the Korean pork shoulder, topped with kimchi, cilantro, and a generous portion of chili mayo on fluffy ciabatta. It’s audacious, especially if paired with some pork-and-pepper-covered dirty fries, and sums up what Lardo is all about. However, for those looking for something new, each month the restaurant partners with a different chef for its “Chefwich,” which raises money for a cause of the guest chef’s choosing. You can usually spot the latest Chefwich on Instagram.

With shokupan sandwiches styled after the popular Japanese convenience store “sandos,” Tokyo Sando makes distinctive versions packed with flavor, from a gyoza scotch egg-filled special to a chicken nanban with tartar sauce and red cabbage. The shop’s miso pork katsu is a particular standout, crispy fried pork with a hearty dose of miso sauce and black garlic; it’s also available with tofu, for a vegan option.

This cozy little neighborhood spot has been a Buckman standby for over a decade, customers stopping in to enjoy its sandwiches, burritos, and coffee. There’s no real bad move at Meat Cheese Bread, which goes far beyond its name with all kinds of hot and cold vegetarian sandwiches, often changing seasonally. Still, basics like a turkey with bacon, fontina, and lettuce on sourdough can always be found. Its breakfast burritos are also a major hit. 

This SE Division food cart has become a favorite among East Coast expats craving old-school Italian grinders, hoagie rolls stretched wide and stuffed with breaded chicken cutlets, pork-and-beef meatballs, or thinly sliced eggplant. The cart’s Italian cold cut sub, however, is a thing of beauty, layers of ham, pepperoni, salami, and coppa topped with a pile of house giardiniera, hot peppers, shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and the customary oil and vinegar.

The Baker’s Mark has retained a loyal following thanks to its airy Dutch Crunch bread, a San Francisco specialty that makes for a satisfying first bite into a sandwich. Folks will find all the standards here — turkey blt, French dip, ham and cheese — with add-ons like house-made mustard and pepper salad. The MVP is likely the Godfather: salami, prosciutto, capicola, ham, and mortadella with provolone and the works.

This Southeast Powell sandwich shop is all about the Philly cheesesteak, from the traditional with Cheez Whiz and onions to the “supremes” with added veggies and white American. These hulking sandwiches come with a choice of added toppings and the big three cheeses (wiz, white American, or provolone), as well as others like cheddar and pepperjack. However you order it, the foundational meat on Steakadelphia sandwiches is juicy, thinly shaved, and plentiful — as it should be.

It didn’t take long for this bright blue fried chicken food cart to gain some serious traction in the city. Despite its origins in a fairly rundown parking lot — now a more dedicated food cart pod with an adjoining market — Jojo’s fanbase quickly grew due to its golden-hued fried chicken sandwiches. Crispy, juicy chicken thighs are stacked high on fluffy buns, topped with shredded lettuce, pickles, and jojo sauce. The Southern fried chicken is the right move for first-timers but those wanting a little more flair can move on to the spicy chicken, which gets the addition of pepper relish, Crystal honey, and Alabama white mustard sauce. Those looking for something a little different should bee-line for the shokupan patty melts, which understand the importance of a good dose of caramelized onions. The whole affair is completed with an order of crispy, golden jojos that lend the cart its name. 

While places like Best Baguette may carry more name recognition, An Xuyên has quietly served some of the city’s best bánh mì to a faithful crowd for years now. The secret must be in the bread, baked daily in house. It manages to have a crispy, flaky crust, but stays perfectly soft the rest of the way through for ease of dining. Fillings range for the more traditional pate and Vietnamese ham to chipotle chicken, lemongrass pork, and vegetarian options including tofu or faux meat. All of them come with cucumbers, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, and jalapenos. Beyond the sandwiches, An Xuyên also carries savory and sweet bao, along with a plethora of baked goods from macarons to fluffy tea cakes. An Xuyên offers takeout with walk-in orders.