If you’re only going to try one sandwich at Lucca's Deli, make it the Americano, with its house-roasted turkey, cranberry, mayo, iceberg lettuce, and black pepper on Acme focaccia, which makes it easy to bite into, but not too mushy. But, really, you can’t go wrong at this spot, which has been serving sandwich fans since 1929.

As much as Red Window gets (much deserved) props for its pintxos, tapas, and cocktails, it is worth recognizing sister business Little Red Window for its selection of hot and cold sandwiches. Tuck into a hot pastrami sandwich or Reuben, or chomp down on the Jersey Joe made with a trio of roast beef, corned beef, and turkey, as well as Russian dressing and coleslaw.

Pilgrims to this legendary North Beach Delicatessen (est. 1896) are greeted by a well-stocked deli counter overhung with the Molinari’s famous cured salami. Once you were allowed to grab your own piece of bread from a bin, bring it up to the counter, and order your combination, but these days they do it all for you. Great choices include the North Beach special, Luciano Special, but one standout for its simplicity and excellence is the Renzo special, generously stuffed with prosciutto, coppa (hot or mild), fresh mozzarella, and sun-dried tomatoes.

Former fine-dining chef turned sandwich and bar pro Dennis Leary reopened his SoMa sandwich destination the Sentinel, which means your end-of-week lunch can once again be a giant corned beef with Swiss, slaw, and Russian dressing on grilled focaccia. And if you’re not there on Friday, don’t fret, there are other excellent options ranging from deviled egg to lamb and eggplant. 

Saigon Sandwich has long been one of San Francisco's most excellent and affordable destinations, offering an unbeatable deal — $5 — on banh mi sandwiches stuffed with roast pork, chicken, and paté.

Rich Table's quick-service spinoff does any number of things right, but diners can't go wrong with the succulent rotisserie chicken sandwich. It's served with mixed greens and herbs, pickled onions, and garlic aioli on a soft ciabatta roll to mop it all up. Salty: Yes. Napkins: Necessary.

This subterranean bodega on the border of Alamo Square offers some of the city’s best sandwiches, with an oft-changing menu of meat-stuffed monsters like a mortadella with a haunting hot pepper chili relish and a tissue-thin-sliced soppressata with artichoke cream cheese. Lines get long at peak times, so order pickup online or stop by during off hours.

Pretty much every sandwich at Cole Valley's Say Cheese is worth ordering, especially if you get it on Dutch crunch, but the Jamón Serrano with manchego, romesco sauce, and arugula is the perfect combination of Spanish ingredients, textures, and flavors. While you're there, get some cheese and wine to take home for later.

If Zuni Cafe’s Judy Rodgers had opened a sandwich shop, it might have looked a little like Turner’s Kitchen. Instead, Turner’s is the passion project of Ken Turner, a former Zuni chef and Rodgers acolyte. His low-key, high-quality shop opened in 2015 in the former Clare’s deli — after owner Clare Hulme taught him to make her “locally famous french dip sandwich.” All of Ken’s sandwiches deserve local fame, but even meat eaters go nuts for his vegan sandwich options.

Palm City, the Outer Sunset restaurant and wine shop, didn’t mean to become a sandwich destination, but diners (and influencers) went wild for their hoagies, which are made on special-ordered loaves from Pacifica’s Roselyn Bakery. Everybody loves the Italian-American, but the roasted veggie option is also a necessity, with spicy sauce and parm crisps that keep you from minding that you’ve ruined your shirt, soaked through your napkin, and left hoagie-induced handprints everywhere in your vicinity.

Chuck’s Takeaway is perhaps an unexpected move for Slanted Door chef Charles Phan, but a welcome one. Here, the popular chef serves up sandwiches on a baguette he spent months in the pandemic to perfect, such as his take on banh mi, loaded up with two types of pate and pork cha, along with a shallot mayo made in-house. If you’re looking for something different, there’s also Chuck’s egg salad sandwich, served on milk bread with a generous sprinkling of chives.

The pierna enchilada (pulled pork) torta is the perennial favorite at this bright, family-run Mexican sandwich spot in the deep Mission. It comes with a mound of pulled pork topped with plenty of beans, avocado, and jalapenos and stuffed inside a crisp-soft torta roll. But all the sandwiches are good here — and huge, so no need to order the large unless you've got an espeically hefty appetite or a hellish hangover.

No one in West Portal wants Sub Center to make this list because the lines are already lengthy. But, like all good sub sandwiches, the wait is well worth it. The Atomic has three meats (hot pastrami, roasted turkey breast, and corned beef brisket), layered with cheese, hot peppers, mustard, mayonnaise, onions, shredded lettuce, tomato, and a secret sauce that ties it all together. You'll be tempted to get the super, but the center is usually enough.