Guide to Dang Good Hot Sandwiches in Tucson

No Tucson sandwich list would be complete without a sandwich from Beyond Bread. Both the cold and hot sandwich lists offer plenty of tempting choices, all of which are served on one of Beyond Bread’s incredible breads. We opted for Milton’s Melt, a Swiss cheese melt sandwich enhanced with plenty of thin slices of real turkey, crispy bacon, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing, The bread is their fabulous rye. A few minutes on the grill finishes off this sandwich to a toasty perfection.

Bison Witches is another one of those places known for great sandwiches (and a slew of cold beers to accompany them.) Thanks to great bread several of which are made in-house and quality ingredients, any sandwich you order will please. The Reuben is a prime example. The corned beef is tender and flavorful. The sauerkraut and 1,000 Island dressing complement each other nicely. The Swiss cheese is all melty and gooey. They add a schmear of the house chipotle mustard for a little kick. This is served on a wonderful marble rye for a toasty finish. You have the option of ordering a half-sandwich, if that’s your thing,

Feast’s grilled cheese pairs well with a crisp white wine. They uses halloumi cheese – a mild goat cheese that has a high melting point. The cheese is grilled to a warm gooey goodness and then combined with honey-roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and red onion, all atop a French roll. It’s a thing of beauty and one of the few things that is always on the menu. Fresh greens are served on the side.

Available in both half (6-inch) and whole (12-inch) this is a meatball sandwich that satisfies on several levels. Each half-order had three meatballs a little bigger than a golf ball. The meatballs have the perfect density and texture. They’re lightly seasoned with a hint of garlic and other Italian spices. The sauce is tomatoey and rich. And the roll they come in? Now that’s Italian. Easily shareable, all it needs is a nice glass of Italian red.

What sets Kingfisher’s Fish sandwich apart from just about every other fish sandwich in Tucson is that it’s grilled, not battered and fried. The flavors are all about the fish, not the fry. It is topped with a house cilantro pesto sauce, red pepper and white cheddar cheese. The type of fish is determined by market availability. Your friendly server will tell you which fish is the ‘fish of the day.’

On the other end of the spectrum is Lucky Wishbone’s grilled cheese. This is your basic grilled cheese – slices of American cheese melted between slices on white bread and then grilled to a buttery golden goodness. Reminiscent of the grilled cheese you used make yourself after school (only better.) The Bone’s version is the kind you’ll eat while driving home after work from one of the several sites. Lucky Wishbone has had this sandwich on their menu since they opened in 1954.

This Crispy Nashville-Arizona Chicken brings Nashville heat and Arizona heat together to create a mouth-popping meal. A large chicken breast is fried to a crunch and then topped with a peppery red- cayenne forward sauce (the Nashville heat), a creamy garlic-guajillo mayo (the Arizona heat), cabbage, tad of ranch dressing, a dill pickle slice all served on a soft buttery bun. The result is a crispy, crunchy, spicey, tangy, salty treat.

Rocco’s is known for its fabulous pizzas and award-winning wings, but if you haven’t tried their Italian Beef, you are missing out. Plentiful slices of tender beef are served on large bun with au jus – a real two-hander. This is the real thing, folks — just like those served all in bars and restaurants all over the greater Chicagoland area. You have your choice of hot peppers, sweet peppers, or both. I suggest ordering both. The hot peppers pack a wallop; the sweets balance them out. Add a slice of provolone ($2) and you’ll think you’re back in the City of Big Shoulders.

The Cubano at this tiny midtown restaurant is huge. A twelve-inch crusty roll is filled with layers of roast pork, Swiss cheese, thinly sliced ham, pickle slices, and a slather of yellow mustard. The whole package is then pressed on a griddle. Thins slices of fried plantains are served on the side. Every bite is savory, sweet, sour, tangy, creamy and crunchy. It’s best to eat this slowly because there are so many elements to it, but doing so is nearly impossible. Cubanos originated in Miami’s Cuban neighborhoods and grew quickly from there. You can find Cubanos all over Tucson these days, but for the real experience take a trip to the Cuban Corner.

Certainly, you can find other po' boys around Tucson, but this shrimp po' boy leaves those in the dust. Large shrimp is coated in cornmeal and fried to maintain a tender bite. Additionally, lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce top things off. The bun is a locally made French roll. Perfecto! They also serve oyster, catfish, and andouille po' boys that also shine. The oysters are juicy and taste of the sea. If you’re not a fan of catfish, this one could change your mind. And the spicy andouille will have you dreaming about a trip to New Orleans.