9 Regional Beef Sandwiches From Around the U.S.

What would Philadelphia be without a cheesesteak? Or Chicago without Italian beef? Pastrami sandwiches are as quintessential to New York City as yellow cabs, and Angelenos know that a French dip does not originate in France. 

Sure, the hamburger is iconic. But sandwiches that rely on sliced or diced beef are also emblematic of America’s culinary story. Many of these sandwiches were brought to life by immigrant communities. “Using affordable cuts, they provided sustenance to the community,” says 2022 Food & Wine Best New Chef Caroline Schiff.

“They’re a party, first and foremost, that people get really excited about,” says Tyler Florence, chef of San Francisco’s Miller & Lux. “Chefs are always trying to put their flag in the ground on a beef sandwich that feels regionally distinctive and also iconic at the same time.” 

Here are nine classic beef sandwiches throughout the country, and the local chefs who champion their hometown heroes as the real deal.

Philly cheesesteak

The Philly cheesesteak hardly needs an introduction. This iconic sandwich consists of thinly sliced beef cooked on a griddle until well done and piled in a hoagie roll. Philadelphians know to order it with their cheese of choice (Whiz, aka Cheese Whiz, Provolone, or American), and “wit” or “witout” sautéed onions. 

The first Philly cheesesteak has been credited to Italian-American hot dog vendor Pat Olivieri. In 1930, it’s said that he threw beef on the grill with some onions and served it in a hot dog bun. A cab driver tasted the sandwich, and as the story goes, told Olivieri to forget about hot dogs.

Melted cheese found its way into the sandwich about a decade later, and Olivieri’s humble hot dog cart grew into Pat’s King of Steaks, still a must-stop today. You can find Philly cheesesteaks at countless other spots in the city, from classic eateries like Geno’s and John’s Roast Pork, to fine-dining restaurants that serve upscaled versions. 

Eli Collins, chef at a.kitchen in Philadelphia, says his ideal cheesesteak includes ribeye and Cooper Sharp cheese with melted onions. “It’s very saucy but will hold a tight enough structure to be packed into the roll,” he says.

Texas chopped beef sandwich

Brisket, ribs, and sausage might get more attention in Texas these days, but according to The Houston Chronicle, a chopped beef sandwich was “the go-to dish at barbecue joints in Houston in the mid-20th century.” 

“Originally, chopped beef sandwiches would utilize whole cuts before brisket became super popular and were more in line with how American barbecue started,” says 2024 F&W Best New Chef Lane Milne of Fort Worth’s Goldee’s BBQ. “It was a quick meal option that utilized cuts that might have gone to waste, and it’s a safe way of having a good meal without worrying about the things that give sliced brisket great taste and texture.”

The sandwich was in fact first mentioned in a 1924 Houston Post article targeted at budget-minded cooks. “Grind barbecue when slices are not attractive,” the headline read.

“Goldee’s chopped brisket sandwich is usually the parts of the brisket that wouldn’t make for the best slices that we mix with our barbecue sauce,” says Milne. “North Texas is especially cool for chopped beef with places like Railhead or Angelo’s, where you get a sandwich with yellow mustard and a cold beer.”

Chicago Italian beef

Chicago’s Italian beef is enjoying its star turn in The Bear, but it’s hardly a passing trend. Its exact origins are unknown, but these juicy roast beef sandwiches started to show up on menus during the 1930s. Italian immigrants would season and slow-roast tougher, inexpensive cuts of meat in a broth and serve them with giardiniera (an Italian relish) and a mix of hot and sweet peppers. 

“The Italian beef sandwich is iconic because of its bold flavors and messy indulgence,” says 2022 F&W Best New Chef Damarr Brown, of Chicago’s Virtue Restaurant and Bar.

“The sandwich itself is so Chicago: working-class, no frills, passionate, and proud of its roots,” he says. “In order for it to be legit, a few things are key. The bread needs to both hold up and give to the dipping process, the meat has to be thinly sliced, the jus highly flavorful, and the giardiniera on point,” he says. “I personally think Al’s does a great job of this.”

Beef on weck (Buffalo)

Buffalo may be more famous for its chicken wings than beef, but locals also celebrate this roast beef sandwich. The Beef on weck’s namesake, and key differentiator, is the roll in which it’s served. 

During the late 1800s, a German immigrant named William Wahr introduced the kummelweck, a salty, caraway-seeded roll. Soon, it became a vehicle for roast beef sandwiches served with jus and horseradish. Schwabl’s started to serve the sandwich in 1837, and these days, you can find it all over western New York. 

“Beef on weck is simple but serious,” says Buffalo chef Darian Bryan. “Thin-sliced rare roast beef, super juicy, on a salty kummelweck roll with caraway seeds, a swipe of horseradish that lights you up, and a dip of warm jus,” he says. “That roll’s gotta be right, and if the beef’s not rare? Forget it. That’s not the real deal.

“It’s the kind of sandwich you grab at a tailgate before a Bills game: cold outside, hot sandwich, beer in hand,” he continues. “It’s tough, it’s comforting, and it’s got that Buffalo grit. My go-to spot is Bar-Bill. They always nail the beef — tender, rare, stacked up high — and that roll can hold it all together. You taste it once and you get why people around here take it so seriously.”

Pastrami sandwich (New York City)

One of the least adorned of these iconic regional sandwiches, a proper New York City pastrami sandwich demands attention due to its sheer size. Katz’s Delicatessen famously makes one that is impossible to bite cleanly through from top to bottom.

Pastrami is brined brisket (often the tough naval cut) that’s rubbed with spices, smoked, and then boiled until tender. Though the sandwich’s origins are unknown, it’s believed that a Lithuanian immigrant named Sussman Volk first served it at his kosher butcher shop in the late 1800s, based on a Romanian recipe. Katz’s likely started to offer it soon after, and it remains the sandwich’s most iconic home, where it’s served on rye bread with a slather of mustard. 

“The pastrami sandwich is so quintessential to New York because it tells an immigration story that shaped the city,” says Schiff. “Brought over by Jewish Romanian immigrants, it rooted itself firmly in the culture of Manhattan’s Lower East Side,” she says. “The meat itself had a good shelf life, and it was practical and hearty. So many years later the tradition of this sandwich endures. It’s reflective of the tenacity and longevity of New Yorkers and our communities.” 

Reuben (Omaha)

While pastrami is quintessentially New York, Omaha and New York City duke it out over the origins of its dressed-up corned beef cousin, the Reuben. 

In Omaha, the griddled combination of corned beef with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing is believed to have been invented by a grocer, Reuben Kulakofsky, who served it to a group of late-night poker players in 1925. In New York City, Arnold Reuben, owner of Reuben’s Delicatessen, claimed to have invented the “Reuben Special” around 1914. 

Jared Arndt of Omaha’s Crescent Moon, across the street from the original Blackstone (now the Kimpton Cottonwood), says the Reuben is “boldly Midwest, and boldly Nebraska. Especially since we’re known for the best beef in the country.”

“It’s so iconic because the ingredients themselves are so simple, but when put together, you’ve got the punch of the sauerkraut, the tenderness of the corned beef, the tangy sauce, and that nice, grainy, spicy rye,” he says. “It just all comes together as just one happy family of a sandwich.” 

You can still order a Reuben at the Cottonwood, but it has expanded to restaurants and diners throughout the country. 

French dip (Los Angeles)

Two Angelino eateries lay claim to the French dip: Phillippe’s says the sandwich was invented in 1918, when owner Phillippe Mathieu accidentally dropped a French roll into a pan filled with juice. Cole’s, a historic restaurant that will close in August, claims to have created the sandwich for a customer with sore gums in 1908.

No matter the origin story, the French dip belongs to Los Angeles. For those not in the know, “a French dip is a simple, hot sandwich of sliced roast beef in a French style roll or baguette and served with a side of ‘au jus,’ which is basically the drippings from the meat and/or a fortified beef broth,” says 2021 F&W Best New Chef Gaby Maeda of Friends and Family. “I prefer the bread to be toasted and the au jus piping hot.”

The simplicity of the French dip has made it popular beyond its hometown, too. “It’s so versatile and can be interpreted anywhere,” says Maeda. “You can add other ingredients, like cheese or mustard, to elevate the sandwich, or use local beef, artisan bread, or maybe an embellishment that is representative of your area, or an ingredient that takes the direction to another cuisine,” she says. “My absolute favorite version is the Pho French dip at The Pig and The Lady in Honolulu.” 

Vermont Farmers Cold Remedy Sandwich

If you’ve heard of the Vermont Farmers Cold Remedy Sandwich, you’re probably from Vermont. “It definitely isn’t something you’ll find in diners. It’s more of an Almanac-era oddity than a local menu staple,” says Sean Blomgren, chef of Vermont’s Spruce Peak. In fact, it first appeared in the pages of the Old Farmer’s Almanac in 1985. 

It fits the bill, however, as an epic American beef sandwich with regional specificity. “It’s a fun, sinus-clearing combo with mustard, horseradish, raw onion, cheddar, and roast beef,” says Blomgren. “It’s a total punch in the face, in a good way. Not something you’d see on a menu, but very Vermont in spirit — simple, practical, and built for winter survival.”

Pit beef sandwich (Baltimore)

The pit beef sandwich has distinctly Baltimore sensibilities: “It’s simple, straightforward, and direct with no frills, just like Baltimorians,” says chef and restaurant consultant Peter Serpico. Medium-rare, sliced roast beef rendered smoky by a charcoal fire is served on an unadorned kaiser roll with raw white onion and tiger sauce, a horseradish-spiked mayonnaise.

Although its origins are unclear, the pit beef sandwich became popular in the 1970s at roadside stands along the Pulaski Highway. Today, pit beef sandwich destinations include Baltimore’s Chaps and Pioneer.

“I think the pit beef sandwich is reflective of Baltimore because it’s stayed grounded and true for all these years,” says Serpico. “People haven’t tried to popularize it or make it fancy, like what’s happened with the burger, hot dog, and Philly cheesesteak by using ‘nicer’ ingredients.”