Stacked with Flavor: Atlanta Restaurants Redefine the City's Sandwich Scene
When it comes to satisfying cravings for the perfect sandwich in Atlanta, the options are abundant and diverse. From the heart of downtown to the city’s charming neighborhoods and beyond, these eateries have mastered the art of sandwich making, blending creativity with high-quality ingredients to craft flavorful masterpieces.
Multiple Locations
In 2022, Cowboy Chicken introduced brisket to the menu, its first flavorful protein other than poultry. The eatery’s brisket sandwich boasts a quarter pound of pulled brisket served on a toasted bun with one side, onions, pickles and BBQ sauce.
Pork lovers will find a sandwich dream come true at all HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern locations. Guests are invited to try the BBQ pig roast sandwich made with Coca-Cola braised pork shoulder that is topped with pepper vinegar slaw and house BBQ sauce.
Marlow's Tavern offers a selection of sandwich options but the standout is the crispy grouper sandwich featuring tempura grouper, jicama slaw and tartar sauce on a sesame brioche bun.
It’s not all about the wings at Taco Mac. The eatery recently released a Tropicalia fish sandwich served on a toasted brioche bun with tartar sauce, dill pickle chips and shredded lettuce. The habanero BBQ fried chicken sandwich is served on a toasted telera roll with mayo, bread and butter pickles, tomato and shredded lettuce.
Downtown
Fish is the name of the game at Ray's in the City, and the crispy grouper sandwich is the business blue plate special on Tuesdays. Ray’s chefs take black grouper that is lightly crisped and tops it with fresh coleslaw and sliced red onion and serves it with a side of fries.
Buckhead
Craving sandwiches for lunch? 5Church Buckhead’s lunch menu features burrata and short rib sandwiches. The burrata sandwich layers heirloom tomatoes, basil pesto and endive on ciabatta bread while the meaty short-rib sandwich fires up taste buds with horseradish, Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, arugula and jus on ciabatta bread.
Aria’s crab cake and fried grouper sandwiches are favorites during the eatery’s regular pop-up dinners. Chef Gerry Klaskala’s crab cake sandwich features a crispy jumbo lump crab cake on a griddled brioche bun, topped with creole remoulade, butter lettuce and beef steak tomatoes. The fried grouper sandwich is served on a griddled brioche bun with butter lettuce, sliced vine-ripened tomato and G's special sauce. Both are served with tangy coleslaw and french fries. Guests are encouraged to sign up for Aria’s newsletter to catch the next pop-up.
Johnny's Hideaway’s menu includes a fried chicken tender sandwich served on a fresh Kaiser bun with lettuce, sliced onion and tomato.
Storico Fresco in Buckhead features authentic Italian panini for lunch, including the popular piadina with robiola fresca, prosciutto, arugula, diced tomatoes and mozzarella.
The Big Ketch makes a splash with its signature hot buttered lobster roll featuring Maine lobster on a brioche roll with drawn butter.
Poncey-Highland
Newcomer The Best Sandwich Shop has firmly staked its claim as being one of the best sandwich shops in Atlanta. The eatery serves everything from breakfast sandwiches to hot and cold subs. Guests might opt for the chicken Parm that takes a fried chicken cutlet and tops it with San Marzano tomato meat sauce, Cappella mozzarella and fresh basil; the Philly brisket with chopped, slow-cooked brisket, broccoli rabe, provolone and oregano mayo; or build their own masterpiece.
West Midtown & Upper Westside
The Woodall’s Durham's fried chicken sandwich features crispy chicken, pickles, butter lettuce and special sauce on a brioche bun.
Zunzi’s, the fast casual restaurant known for its award-winning sandwiches, is home to the Conquistador, voted the Best Sandwich in Georgia by People magazine. The eatery raises the sandwich bar with its freshly baked French bread and has recently introduced two new sandwich sizes (mini and large that join the original size). In addition to the Conquistador, which features chicken, provolone, Parmesan, lettuce, tomato and Zunzi’s sauce and dressing, guests rave about the Godfather, made of chicken and two types of sausage, and Bird Island, a curry chicken salad sandwich.
Outside the Perimeter
Cattle Shed Wine & Steak Bar at Halcyon in Alpharetta has several sandwiches to choose from on its lunch menu. The fried chicken sandwich features pickled radicchio, house hot pickles and Fresno hot sauce and is served with fries.