The Underdog at Francolini’s.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Where to Eat New Orleans’s Greatest Sandwiches

The best sandwiches — that aren’t po’ boys — to be devoured in New Orleans

View as Map
The Underdog at Francolini’s.
| Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Not for nothing, but not all sandwiches are po’ boys. Yes, that’s New Orleans’s official way to eat everything on a hunk of French bread, but sandwiches other than po’ boys have a rich and delicious history. Named for the 4th Earl of Sandwich in the late 1700s, seems this particular British aristocrat loved to gamble so much he wouldn’t stop to eat. So his valet packed him — you guessed it — a slab of meat between two pieces of bread, a portable meal called the sandwich. In New Orleans, we have plenty of good, even great renditions.

Try one, try them all, and as always, send a note if we left out one of your favorites. And, if it is po’ boys you’re after, check Eater’s guide to that New Orleans specialty here.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Christmas in July at The Milk Bar

Copy Link

Charming, little, and owned by a friendly family of Australia natives, New Orleans’s version of Milk Bar — not the overhyped chain — is an Uptown favorite for sandwiches with entertaining names like the Christmas in July (roast turkey, brie, cranberry sauce, and spinach), the Psycho Chicken, and the Blue Heeler (roast beef, gravy, sauteed mushrooms, tomato, and blue cheese).

The Psycho Chicken from the Milk Bar.
The Milk Bar

Ham & Brie on Baguette at Bellegarde Bakery

Copy Link

Next to Leidenheimer’s French bread, Bellegarde Bakery’s baguette might be the second most popular bread in town — and frankly, it’s a close second. The ubiquitous bread could only be found in New Orleans restaurants, grocery stores, and wine shops before Bellegarde’s first retail bakery opened in 2019, a glorious development. That also meant the arrival of Bellegarde-made sandwiches, like the ham and brie. It is simplicity at its best, matching the European gold standard. The tomato, mozzarella, and arugula on focaccia, is also one of the best vegetarian sandwiches in town.

Fried Green Tomato BLT at Luca Eats

Copy Link

Luca Eats has been one of Carrollton’s best stops for breakfast and lunch sandwiches since 2016. The unique shrimp and grits breakfast sandwich; steak and egg; and egg white press sandwiches are standout day starters, but then again the pressed lunch sandwiches can’t be beaten—our favorites are the fried green tomato BLT on multigrain and the turkey pesto, a dreamy stack of roasted turkey breast, pesto mayo, avocado, bacon, and smoked Gouda on sourdough.

Charlies Original The Moon at Francesca

Copy Link

Francesca’s signature sandwich, this is a riff on the muffuletta, but combines ham, roast beef, provolone, Swiss, and coleslaw on a muffuletta bun with Russian dressing as opposed to the normal components. The winning combo isn’t the only sandwich worth trying on the Lakeview deli and restaurant’s menu — the classic Club is just as it should be, and hits the spot.

The Larry Bird at Good Bird

Copy Link

A whole shop centered around rotisserie chicken? Yes, please. Good Bird nails satisfying sandwiches, the kind to seek when you’re extra hungry (the salads are also hearty without over-filling). The Larry Bird is a prime example of this, combining rotisserie chicken, bacon, and avocado in a tangy sauce and topping it off with lettuce and tomato. The sandwiches, which include excellent vegetarian and vegan options, come with a choice of bread, but they’re best on the chewy ciabatta.

Grilled Cheese at St. James Cheese Company

Copy Link

This Uptown paradise for cheese lovers does a stupendous job on the simple grilled cheese. Order that modest favorite at St. James Cheese Company, and a bewitching, oozing delight awaits. By all means add ham, bacon, or proscuitto to a melt of aged Colby grilled on rustic Bellegarde sourdough. The Il Mostro, with capicola, rosemary ham, rosa salami, provolone, and all the fixins’ is also a local favorite.

Le Parisien at La Boulangerie

Copy Link

If it’s a European train stop-style sandwich you’re after, look no further than Uptown bakery La Boulangerie, and its delectable menu of sandwiches served on crusty baguette or croissant. Le Parisien is a classic — butcher ham, salted butter, Comté cheese, and cornichons on baguette. The chicken salad sandwich and smoked salmon sandwich, as well as the turkey, all compete with the ham as the best on the menu.

Ham, salted butter, Comté cheese, cornichons on a baguette sitting on a plate.
Le Parisien at La Boulangerie.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

The Muffulettu at Porgy’s

Copy Link

No, it’s not a typo — a muffulettu is its own sandwich, similar to a muffuletta and imported from Sicily. It’s made with tuna instead of cold cuts, making it a meatless alternative to the famed New Orleans sandwich. The wonderful Porgy’s seafood market in Mid-City serves it — perhaps the only one in town — a savory combination of Gulf tuna conserva, olives, giardiniera salad, pecorino cheese with basil, and anchovy aioli on a chewy seeded and spiced loag. It’s creamy, briny, tangy, and crunchy, all at once.

The Underdog at Francolini's

Copy Link

Ask the staff at awesome Italian deli Francolini’s what their favorite sandwich is and they’ll likely mention the Underdog, named for its unexpected greatness. Owner Tara Francolini says most people have the wrong impression of mortadella, but her shop cuts it super thin and adds provolone, an unctuous salsa verde, and a pickle mix of garlic, broccoli rabe stems, and mustard seed on focaccia. Standout sandwiches abound at Francolini’s, like the classic Italian, the Gandolfini (hot soppressata, fresh mozzarella, spicy olive salad, and arugula with a Calabrian chili vinaigrette), and the Freddie Freeman (grilled chicken, pesto, fontina, roasted red peppers, and arugula in lemon dijon vinaigrette). The shop might just be the most exciting sandwich development to hit New Orleans since the po’ boy.

The Underdog.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Chicken Cheesesteak at Yinzer’s Amazing Cheesesteaks

Copy Link

Yinzer’s Amazing Cheesesteaks, once a hit pop-up, now serves perhaps the best cheesesteaks in town out of a modest storefront on Delachaise Street. The duo of self-proclaimed cheesesteak enthusiasts serves steak, chicken, or veggie cheesesteaks, with a wide range of topping and cheese choices, as well as a buffalo chicken version, cheesesteak salads, and perfect German soft pretzels. Our go-to is the chicken cheesesteak, but for most the original reigns supreme.

Cuban at Norma's Sweets Bakery

Copy Link

Norma’s is loved for so many things; its cakes and other sweets, the imported market goods, and its guava cream cheese king cake, but its Cuban is a standout and one of the best in New Orleans. Flaky, melty, and handheld, it’s also one of the least expensive sandwiches to satisfy in town.

Norma’s Sweets Bakery Cuban
Norma’s Sweets Bakery/Facebook

Chargrilled Pork Banh Mi at Banh Mi Boys

Copy Link

The banh mi at Banh Mi Boys are the stuff of legend — so much so that founder Peter Nguyen was approached to franchise his popular Metairie-born restaurant, the first of which opened on Magazine Street a few years back. It’s hard to pinpoint the favorite here, but among them are the chargrilled pork, bang bang shrimp, grilled shrimp, and bulgogi — all wildly flavorful, stuffed to the brim with meat, vegetables, herbs, and sauce. For the ultimate in porcine greatness, try the BMB combo, filled with headcheese, two types of Vietnamese ham, pork belly, pork meatball, and pork pate.

Chicken Salad Sandwich at Gracious Bakery

Copy Link

Gracious Bakery’s ciabatta will make any sandwich great — seriously, put anything on there. But the local bakery also has an excellent chicken salad, set off by pickled onions and greens that make for a winning combo. The toasted Black Forest ham sandwich is also a standout, as is the hot, Reuben-style turkey.

Reuben at Liuzza's by the Track

Copy Link

Liuzza’s by the Track is of course, known for its po’ boys — particularly the New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp po’ boy and fried oyster with garlic butter — and being the official meet-up spot during Jazz Fest. But the Reuben is a sleeper hit for locals — slowly simmered corned beef is grilled before being stacked with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and house Thousand Island Dressing on rye bread.

Corned Beef Special at Stein's Market and Deli

Copy Link

New York-style deli corned beef rocks the house at Stein’s, always served on Jewish rye, although a bagel is also an option. Can’t go wrong with the corned beef special with coleslaw and Russian dressing (get a little extra on the side). Then again the tuna melt is damn good, and there’s plenty that’s Italian too — order the Mumbler because it’s fun to say, and even more fun to eat: ciabatta piled with prosciutto, taleggio, and arugula drizzled with aged balsamic.

Stein’s storefront on magazine street with large windows next to a door.
Stein’s
Brasted/Eater NOLA

Collard Green Melt at Turkey and the Wolf

Copy Link

Mason Hereford created national buzz when he opened his sly sandwich shop Turkey and the Wolf a few years back, and with good reason. While the fried bologna is probably its best known — it’s layered with potato chips and hot mustard on toast — the vegetarian (but not vegan) collard green melt with pickled cherry pepper dressing, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw is phenomenal. For something more classic, the smoked ham with cranberry sauce, herb mayo, and aged cheddar is incredible every time.

Turkey and the Wolf’s collard green melt
Turkey and the Wolf/Facebook

Everything at Cochon Butcher

Copy Link

For sheer sandwich goodness, Cochon Butcher is unbeatable. The casual butcher and sandwich spot serves a porchetta cheesesteak piled high with Italian-seasoned pork and peppers under a blanket of melted provolone; an outstanding Cuban; and a twist on a BLT with collards and swiss. There’s also a hot, melty muffuletta, an Italian sandwich with a bright herb viniagrette, and an excellent Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich. Still, one of our favorites may also be the lightest: the smoked turkey sandwich with avocado and sprouts on wheat.

The Buckboard Bacon Melt at Cochon Butcher.
Bill Addison/Eater

Muffuletta at Verti Marte

Copy Link

It may have been invented at Central Grocery, but the muffuletta at Verti Marte is worth a try, offering the same convenience for those visiting the French Quarter with the added benefit of being available 24 hours a day (a Central Grocery muff can still be obtained at Sidney’s Wine Store, next to the still under-repair Central Grocery). This version is piled high with thick-cut meat and served either hot or cold. For another excellent muffuletta in the Quarter, Napoleon House’s hot version is top-notch and can be enjoyed in a lovely courtyard with a Pimm’s Cup.

Brasted/Eater NOLA

Schnitzel Sandwich at Bratz Y'all

Copy Link

This family and dog friendly Bywater biergarten is so welcoming, with its picnic tables outside and area for the kiddos to romp. Bratz Y’All! dishes terrific sausage sandwiches with names like the Berliner, a beauty of a grilled smoked pork link topped with fried onions and apple curry ketchup. The schnitzel sandwich, choice of fried chicken or pork cutlet, is slathered with crawfish remoulade slaw on a muffuletta bun, and is most excellent.

Christmas in July at The Milk Bar

Charming, little, and owned by a friendly family of Australia natives, New Orleans’s version of Milk Bar — not the overhyped chain — is an Uptown favorite for sandwiches with entertaining names like the Christmas in July (roast turkey, brie, cranberry sauce, and spinach), the Psycho Chicken, and the Blue Heeler (roast beef, gravy, sauteed mushrooms, tomato, and blue cheese).

The Psycho Chicken from the Milk Bar.
The Milk Bar

Ham & Brie on Baguette at Bellegarde Bakery

Next to Leidenheimer’s French bread, Bellegarde Bakery’s baguette might be the second most popular bread in town — and frankly, it’s a close second. The ubiquitous bread could only be found in New Orleans restaurants, grocery stores, and wine shops before Bellegarde’s first retail bakery opened in 2019, a glorious development. That also meant the arrival of Bellegarde-made sandwiches, like the ham and brie. It is simplicity at its best, matching the European gold standard. The tomato, mozzarella, and arugula on focaccia, is also one of the best vegetarian sandwiches in town.

Fried Green Tomato BLT at Luca Eats

Luca Eats has been one of Carrollton’s best stops for breakfast and lunch sandwiches since 2016. The unique shrimp and grits breakfast sandwich; steak and egg; and egg white press sandwiches are standout day starters, but then again the pressed lunch sandwiches can’t be beaten—our favorites are the fried green tomato BLT on multigrain and the turkey pesto, a dreamy stack of roasted turkey breast, pesto mayo, avocado, bacon, and smoked Gouda on sourdough.

Charlies Original The Moon at Francesca

Francesca’s signature sandwich, this is a riff on the muffuletta, but combines ham, roast beef, provolone, Swiss, and coleslaw on a muffuletta bun with Russian dressing as opposed to the normal components. The winning combo isn’t the only sandwich worth trying on the Lakeview deli and restaurant’s menu — the classic Club is just as it should be, and hits the spot.

The Larry Bird at Good Bird

A whole shop centered around rotisserie chicken? Yes, please. Good Bird nails satisfying sandwiches, the kind to seek when you’re extra hungry (the salads are also hearty without over-filling). The Larry Bird is a prime example of this, combining rotisserie chicken, bacon, and avocado in a tangy sauce and topping it off with lettuce and tomato. The sandwiches, which include excellent vegetarian and vegan options, come with a choice of bread, but they’re best on the chewy ciabatta.

Grilled Cheese at St. James Cheese Company

This Uptown paradise for cheese lovers does a stupendous job on the simple grilled cheese. Order that modest favorite at St. James Cheese Company, and a bewitching, oozing delight awaits. By all means add ham, bacon, or proscuitto to a melt of aged Colby grilled on rustic Bellegarde sourdough. The Il Mostro, with capicola, rosemary ham, rosa salami, provolone, and all the fixins’ is also a local favorite.

Le Parisien at La Boulangerie

If it’s a European train stop-style sandwich you’re after, look no further than Uptown bakery La Boulangerie, and its delectable menu of sandwiches served on crusty baguette or croissant. Le Parisien is a classic — butcher ham, salted butter, Comté cheese, and cornichons on baguette. The chicken salad sandwich and smoked salmon sandwich, as well as the turkey, all compete with the ham as the best on the menu.

Ham, salted butter, Comté cheese, cornichons on a baguette sitting on a plate.
Le Parisien at La Boulangerie.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

The Muffulettu at Porgy’s

No, it’s not a typo — a muffulettu is its own sandwich, similar to a muffuletta and imported from Sicily. It’s made with tuna instead of cold cuts, making it a meatless alternative to the famed New Orleans sandwich. The wonderful Porgy’s seafood market in Mid-City serves it — perhaps the only one in town — a savory combination of Gulf tuna conserva, olives, giardiniera salad, pecorino cheese with basil, and anchovy aioli on a chewy seeded and spiced loag. It’s creamy, briny, tangy, and crunchy, all at once.

The Underdog at Francolini's

Ask the staff at awesome Italian deli Francolini’s what their favorite sandwich is and they’ll likely mention the Underdog, named for its unexpected greatness. Owner Tara Francolini says most people have the wrong impression of mortadella, but her shop cuts it super thin and adds provolone, an unctuous salsa verde, and a pickle mix of garlic, broccoli rabe stems, and mustard seed on focaccia. Standout sandwiches abound at Francolini’s, like the classic Italian, the Gandolfini (hot soppressata, fresh mozzarella, spicy olive salad, and arugula with a Calabrian chili vinaigrette), and the Freddie Freeman (grilled chicken, pesto, fontina, roasted red peppers, and arugula in lemon dijon vinaigrette). The shop might just be the most exciting sandwich development to hit New Orleans since the po’ boy.

The Underdog.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Chicken Cheesesteak at Yinzer’s Amazing Cheesesteaks

Yinzer’s Amazing Cheesesteaks, once a hit pop-up, now serves perhaps the best cheesesteaks in town out of a modest storefront on Delachaise Street. The duo of self-proclaimed cheesesteak enthusiasts serves steak, chicken, or veggie cheesesteaks, with a wide range of topping and cheese choices, as well as a buffalo chicken version, cheesesteak salads, and perfect German soft pretzels. Our go-to is the chicken cheesesteak, but for most the original reigns supreme.

Cuban at Norma's Sweets Bakery

Norma’s is loved for so many things; its cakes and other sweets, the imported market goods, and its guava cream cheese king cake, but its Cuban is a standout and one of the best in New Orleans. Flaky, melty, and handheld, it’s also one of the least expensive sandwiches to satisfy in town.

Norma’s Sweets Bakery Cuban
Norma’s Sweets Bakery/Facebook

Chargrilled Pork Banh Mi at Banh Mi Boys

The banh mi at Banh Mi Boys are the stuff of legend — so much so that founder Peter Nguyen was approached to franchise his popular Metairie-born restaurant, the first of which opened on Magazine Street a few years back. It’s hard to pinpoint the favorite here, but among them are the chargrilled pork, bang bang shrimp, grilled shrimp, and bulgogi — all wildly flavorful, stuffed to the brim with meat, vegetables, herbs, and sauce. For the ultimate in porcine greatness, try the BMB combo, filled with headcheese, two types of Vietnamese ham, pork belly, pork meatball, and pork pate.

Chicken Salad Sandwich at Gracious Bakery

Gracious Bakery’s ciabatta will make any sandwich great — seriously, put anything on there. But the local bakery also has an excellent chicken salad, set off by pickled onions and greens that make for a winning combo. The toasted Black Forest ham sandwich is also a standout, as is the hot, Reuben-style turkey.

Reuben at Liuzza's by the Track

Liuzza’s by the Track is of course, known for its po’ boys — particularly the New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp po’ boy and fried oyster with garlic butter — and being the official meet-up spot during Jazz Fest. But the Reuben is a sleeper hit for locals — slowly simmered corned beef is grilled before being stacked with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and house Thousand Island Dressing on rye bread.

Corned Beef Special at Stein's Market and Deli

New York-style deli corned beef rocks the house at Stein’s, always served on Jewish rye, although a bagel is also an option. Can’t go wrong with the corned beef special with coleslaw and Russian dressing (get a little extra on the side). Then again the tuna melt is damn good, and there’s plenty that’s Italian too — order the Mumbler because it’s fun to say, and even more fun to eat: ciabatta piled with prosciutto, taleggio, and arugula drizzled with aged balsamic.

Stein’s storefront on magazine street with large windows next to a door.
Stein’s
Brasted/Eater NOLA

Related Maps

Collard Green Melt at Turkey and the Wolf

Mason Hereford created national buzz when he opened his sly sandwich shop Turkey and the Wolf a few years back, and with good reason. While the fried bologna is probably its best known — it’s layered with potato chips and hot mustard on toast — the vegetarian (but not vegan) collard green melt with pickled cherry pepper dressing, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw is phenomenal. For something more classic, the smoked ham with cranberry sauce, herb mayo, and aged cheddar is incredible every time.

Turkey and the Wolf’s collard green melt
Turkey and the Wolf/Facebook

Everything at Cochon Butcher

For sheer sandwich goodness, Cochon Butcher is unbeatable. The casual butcher and sandwich spot serves a porchetta cheesesteak piled high with Italian-seasoned pork and peppers under a blanket of melted provolone; an outstanding Cuban; and a twist on a BLT with collards and swiss. There’s also a hot, melty muffuletta, an Italian sandwich with a bright herb viniagrette, and an excellent Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich. Still, one of our favorites may also be the lightest: the smoked turkey sandwich with avocado and sprouts on wheat.

The Buckboard Bacon Melt at Cochon Butcher.
Bill Addison/Eater

Muffuletta at Verti Marte

It may have been invented at Central Grocery, but the muffuletta at Verti Marte is worth a try, offering the same convenience for those visiting the French Quarter with the added benefit of being available 24 hours a day (a Central Grocery muff can still be obtained at Sidney’s Wine Store, next to the still under-repair Central Grocery). This version is piled high with thick-cut meat and served either hot or cold. For another excellent muffuletta in the Quarter, Napoleon House’s hot version is top-notch and can be enjoyed in a lovely courtyard with a Pimm’s Cup.

Brasted/Eater NOLA

Schnitzel Sandwich at Bratz Y'all

This family and dog friendly Bywater biergarten is so welcoming, with its picnic tables outside and area for the kiddos to romp. Bratz Y’All! dishes terrific sausage sandwiches with names like the Berliner, a beauty of a grilled smoked pork link topped with fried onions and apple curry ketchup. The schnitzel sandwich, choice of fried chicken or pork cutlet, is slathered with crawfish remoulade slaw on a muffuletta bun, and is most excellent.

Related Maps