No fork, no problem

Where to celebrate National Sandwich Month

National Sandwich Month has arrived and it could not have come sooner. I love the simple ritual of eating a sandwich: no forks or knives and often no plate. It’s a beautiful thing, this wonderful corner of approachable cuisine.

My affinity for the sandwich stems from a family tradition of BLTs. We gather to fry bacon and pile it high on rye bread with lettuce, tomato, and then add red onion, and Durkee’s Famous Sauce. As kids, my cousins and I competed to see who could pile more bacon on their sandwich.

But, what is a sandwich? Is it sliced meat between two pieces of bread like John Montagu preferred? Or can it be any “protein source” between bread, per the FDA? Is it, as Merriam-Webster contends, “two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between”? Maybe it’s an ambiguous culinary term that changes from region to region.

For our purposes, we define a sandwich as one or more pieces of bread that function as a vehicle for transporting a filling or topping. This loose definition gives us a starting point for discussion and—more importantly—gives you more latitude to discover a wide variety of culinary creations around Tulsa during this month dedicated to the delicacy.

Here are some of TTV staff’s and my favorite ‘wiches around town:

Sub sandwich
Bill and Ruth’s • 1517 S. Main St.
This Tulsa standby serves simple subs—as they should be.

Ryelanes Reuben
Kilkenny’s Irish Pub • 1413 E. 15th St.
End your night right with a pint of Guinness and this sandwich staple. Or start off lunch with their Freshford Reuben Rolls, served with English mustard cream sauce or Thousand Island.

Lengua Torta
La Flama • 2603 E. 11th St.
The juicy, not overly greasy, lengua soaks into the thick roll. Add avocado, red and green sauces, and fresh squeezed lime. Get a Negra Modelo too. 

Midtown Meatloaf
Lambrusco’z Deli • 114 S. Detroit Ave.
This sandwich is a menu spoiler. You won’t want to order anything else there again.

Bake & Shark
Sisserou’s • 107 N. Boulder Ave.
Because eating mako shark makes you feel like you’re the predator.

Vegan BLT
Chimera • 121 N. Main St.
This is probably the BLT they serve in vegan heaven.

Seafood Po’ Boy
Lassalle’s New Orleans Deli • 15 W. 5th St.
Really, any Po’ Boy or Muffuletta from Lassalle’s. They’ve got great NOLA veggie options too. Remember the praline!

Phat Philly’s Cheesesteaks
Phat Philly’s • 1305 S. Peoria Ave.
It’s named so for a reason. Try their classic, chicken, or veggie—none disappoint. Best served with waffle fries and a beer or three.

Darkwing Duck
Roosevelt’s • 1551 E. 15th St.
Duck confit, blue cheese, crispy shallots, and blackberry spread on sourdough. Plus, 70 craft beers to choose from to wash it all down.

Hot and Cold Sandwiches
Queenies Plus • 1834 Utica Sq.
We recommended their Ultra Egg Sandwich.

Hamburguesa Mexicana
Pollo Asada Al Carbon • 2405 ½ E. Admiral Blv.
Unpopular opinion: this taco truck item transcends burger-dom. Loaded with a beef patty, hotdog slices, avocado, red and green salsa, lettuce, and cheese. Consume it before a movie at the Circle, between drinks at Beehive, or after coffee at Fair Fellows. And then get dessert at Pancho Anaya.

Grilled Cheese
The Vault • 620 S. Cincinnati Ave.
It has green apple slices on it. C’mon.

Patty Melt
Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili • 1440 S. Denver Ave.
Savory, fresh, and served on Texas toast. Plus, Ron’s grills the onions into the meat.

The Trencher
Trenchers Delicatessen • 2602 S. Harvard Ave.
The Trencher: wine-braised pork shoulder on a toasted slice of Italian bread with grain mustard. What more do you need
to know?

Banh Mi
Lone Wolf • 3136 E. 11th St.
If you’ve never had one, literally drop whatever it is that you’re doing and go get a pulled pork banh mi right now.
Another staffer’s favorite is LW’s fried chicken brioche.

Cajun Chicken Cheesesteak
Moonsky’s • 2216 E. Pine St.
Moonsky’s is a Tulsa institution. ‘Nuff said.

Monte Cristo
Tally’s Good Food Cafe • 1102 S. Yale Ave.
Tally’s seems to offer every sandwich under the sun, but this one’ll take you back to a simpler time on Route 66. Smoked turkey, ham, and two cheeses, battered and deep-fried, then served with powdered sugar and strawberry preserves. Consume with coffee and the diner experience is epitomized.

French Dip Sub
Lucky’s • 1536 E. 15th St.
The roast beef tastes like a perfectly tender homemade roast. The bread is for Goldilocks: not too crusty, not too soft. And the au jus tastes real, not store-bought.

Burnt End Sandwich
Oklahoma Joe’s • 6175 E. 61st.
Have you ever had a sandwich with the best parts of BBQ? That’s where all of the flavor lives—in the burnt ends. Plus, their BBQ sauce is amazing. Watch for their move from Cain’s Ballroom to 5th Street and Boulder Avenue later this year.

Coney
Coney Island • 107 N Boulder Ave.
Greasy spoon, a Tulsa tradition. Chili, cheese, mustard, onions, and pepper vinegar is the winning combination. (Though not sandwiches, try their tamales, too.)