Our Top 5 Favorite Sandwiches Around Town!

Have you ever just been craving that perfect sandwich? Yeah, we have too! Here’s our Top 5 Favorite Sandwiches Around Town! Want to talk real estate while eating one of these? Just let us know and we’ll take you out to eat! 

Apple Fritter: Pigs Gone Wild Brekky
This San Mateo eatery offers breakfast and brunch with donuts, burgers, sandwiches and more. On the menu is a “brekky sandwich” spread that includes the Yoga Mom Brekky (grilled spinach, mushroom, egg, cheddar cheese, pesto) and the Pigs Gone Wild Brekky (grilled mushrooms, bacon, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, arugula, chipotle mayo). 

The brekky sandwiches come with your choice of bread (sourdough, egg, brioche, gluten-free, wheat, rye, or English muffin). But if your choice of bread happens to be a glazed donut, get a donut burger. Yup, there’s a special section on the menu dedicated to donut burgers! Try the Donut Luther with a beef patty, bacon, American cheese and a fried egg.

applefrittereatery.com // 1901 South Norfolk St., San Mateo; 650-525-9125 

Cafe Bunn Mi: Crispy Duck
This South San Francisco cafe offers baguettes served with crisp pickled carrots, onions and daikon, and your choice of combination pork, five-spice chicken, grilled pork, lemongrass steak, crispy duck, vegetables, tofu and more. Also very satisfying to go with that crispy duck sandwich? A side of garlic fries.

yelp.com/biz/cafe-bunn-mi-south-san-francisco // 226 Grand Ave., South San Francisco; 650-745-8883

Greedy Ant: Artichoke Art

This Belmont eatery has a tightly curated sandwich selection with a focus on fresh ingredients.

Among the menu’s seven sandwiches are the Artichoke Art (artichoke hearts with fennel pollen, melted brie, roasted red peppers, greens, tomato and garlic pesto), Ham I Am (with choice of shaved truffle ham or rosemary ham, plus havarti, marinated onion, greens, tomato and their magic mayo) and Disco Chicken (roasted chicken breast with herbs, sauteed red onion, jack cheese, tomato, greens and lime-basil mayo).

Each sandwich comes with your choice of side. Choose between marinated chickpeas in dill or pickled beets.

thegreedyantgourmet.com // 932 Ralston Ave., Belmont; 650-832-1136

La Casita Chilanga: La Super Aguila
La Casita Chilanga has been in the community for more than 20 years. At an eye-catching location painted half green and half white with a red fence on Middlefield Road in Redwood City, you’ll find tortas with fresh-baked talera, housemade aioli, xipoctli salsa, avocado, cheese and caramelized onion along with your choice of other toppings. 

Circumstances were difficult when Juan Zamora and his partner first decided to open their own restaurant. They set out to achieve their goal shortly after 9/11. 

“In that time, it was a hard time — like right now (during the pandemic),” Zamora says. 

But they weren’t deterred. “We say, ‘You know what? We should put tortas here, like Mexico City-style.’” 

He and his partner found a small place that could fit three tables, developed their own recipes and set up shop with tortas to go. The menu was inspired by their Mexico City hometown, different from the menus at the Asian and Italian restaurants that Zamora had previously worked at. 

“There’s little jokes in the menu,” Zamora says. 

Some tortas are inspired by football clubs, like [https//www.instagram.com/p/CU6NaAnpjt6/ La Super Aguila (breaded chicken breast, smoked turkey leg sausage, chorizo, ham, yellow and Monterey cheese) and La Mega Chiva (pastor, caramelized pineapple, chorizo, turkey sausage, Monterey cheese), and celebrities like Sofia Vergara (breaded chicken breast) and Raul de Molina (pork head cheese). La Cubana is the most popular, with thin-cut breaded beef, ham, chorizo and smoked turkey leg sausage.

The team is a mainstay in the Peninsula sandwich scene. In addition to Middlefield Road, La Casita Chilanga has locations on El Camino Real as well as in San Mateo and San Jose (watch for different items on these menus). 

Other credits include the Sandwich Bug in Palo Alto, offering deli sandwiches with house-baked bread and special mayo “buggy” sauce, Snacks in San Mateo serving tortas and street foods, and The Patty Shack, offering burgers in Redwood City. 

lacasitachilanga.com // 2928 Middlefield Road, Redwood City; 650-568-0351

Dad’s Luncheonette: Mushroom sandwich
Served out of a bright red caboose off Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay, the hamburger sandwich previously made the Peninsula Foodist’s chef’s bucket list. Served on grilled bread from Rosalind Bakery, the sandwich is made with beef, soft egg, cheese, red onion pickles, “Dad’s Sauce” and red oak lettuce.

Also not to be missed is the mushroom sandwich, made with the same ingredients as the burger except for the beef. In place of the patty are maitake mushrooms.

The eatery was opened by co-owners Alexis Liu and Scott Clarke in 2017. After the birth of their daughter, Clarke left his role as a chef de cuisine at the three Michelin-starred Saison as the family sought balance.

dadsluncheonette.com // 225 Highway 1, Half Moon Bay; 650-560-9832