A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

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Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

Find restaurants in your region. Western      Central      Eastern   Western   [caption id="attachment_157109" align="alignnone" width="1140"] At Uwharrie Mercantile, the grilled cheese is dressed up with avocado and

10 Delicious Sandwich Shops in North Carolina

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Western      Central      Eastern


 

Western

 

At Uwharrie Mercantile, the grilled cheese is dressed up with avocado and bacon. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel

Uwharrie Mercantile — Troy

A favorite of hungry hikers going to and coming from Uwharrie National Forest, this café specializes in sandwiches that are easy to pack up and take into the great outdoors — or enjoy after a long hike.

uwharriemercantile.com


 

Try a homemade ice cream sandwich at The High Test Deli & Sweet Shop. photograph by Tim Robison

The High Test Deli & Sweet Shop — Bryson City

Locals still call this popular deli The Filling Station, its original name, and some of the shop’s most popular sandwiches are inspired by its former title, like the Fill’er Up — ham and turkey, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard stacked high. For a special treat, this deli serves ice cream sandwiches on homemade cookies with creative flavor combinations like green apple ice cream between salted caramel cookies.

thefillingstationdeli.com


At Stick Boy Kitchen, the bakery’s homemade breads are dressed up as sandwiches, like a BLT with avocado and Sriracha mayo on sourdough. photograph by Cheryl Zibisky

Stick Boy Bread Company — Boone

At this Boone bakery, the key element of a great sandwich is simple: good bread. This belief led Carson and Mindy Coatney — who had never worked at a bakery — to open one in their hometown of Boone. The couple juggled humble resources with their jobs at a nonprofit to open Stick Boy in 2001, and today, they have expanded to two locations that serve artisan sourdough bread and sandwiches.

stickboybread.com

 

Central

 

(ish)’s eclectic menu offers cultural blending between slices of bread. Sandwiches include (clockwise from bottom left) the Smoked F(ish) Melt, Kalifornia Roll, Reuben, and fried pickle grilled cheese, with sides of pasta salad, potato salad, and coleslaw. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin

(ish) Delicatessen — Raleigh

A Raleigh chef transformed an old-school soda fountain into a delicatessen that’s a little Jewish, a little Italian, and a little Southern. Try sandwiches like the fried pickle grilled cheese, with pickled Swiss chard stems and lemon-dill mayo, or the chicken salad saltimbocca on a sub roll.

ishdelicatessen.com


At Lox, Stick and Bagel, order the signature sandwich, the Avon — lox with onion, cream cheese, and tomato on a bialy. photograph by Stacey Van Berkel

Lox, Stock and Bagel — Greensboro

From the best-selling Arlington (smoked turkey breast, Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo served hot on an onion roll) to the Avon (lox with onion, cream cheese, and tomato on a bialy) — are you hungry yet? — this Greensboro sandwich shop has been serving up deli favorites for 45 years and has established itself as a beloved mainstay in the Gate City.

loxstockandbagel.net


Merritt’s BLTs come in three sizes: single, double, and triple. photograph by Lissa Gotwals

Merritt’s Store & Grill — Chapel Hill

Merritt’s calling card is the BLT— a destination sandwich. And while a standard BLT has a recipe only three letters long, the Merritt’s version comes in three sizes: single, double, and triple. The numbers correspond to how many layers of bacon, lettuce, and tomato the sandwich contains. Dreams do come true.

merrittsblt.com


Try Parker and Otis’s Sandwich No. 23: grilled pimento cheese with bacon. photograph by Lissa Gotwals

Parker and Otis — Durham

This gourmet food/wine/gift/coffee shop and sandwich spot makes a grilled pimento cheese with bacon that’s one of the most popular sandwiches on the menu. Need we say more?

parkerandotis.com

 

Eastern

 

Yes, the chicken salad at Roberts Grocery is as good as it looks. photograph by Matt Ray Photography

Roberts Grocery — Wrightsville Beach

The chicken salad at Roberts Grocery is legendary, with a near-mythical origin story to match. Nearly a century ago, a Lebanese immigrant named Charles S. Robier moved to Wrightsville Beach from New York City and decided to open a grocery store in his new hometown. Not long after, his famous chicken salad came to be, and has been a menu staple ever since. Want to try it yourself? Stop by Roberts before a trip home from the beach for an on-the-go lunch that’ll make the post-vacation blues just a little better.


When you need a break from seafood, try a BLT at Calabash Deli. photograph by Matt Ray Photography

Calabash Deli — Calabash

When a New York transplant found herself in Calabash without a job, she did what any well-raised Long Islander would do: She opened a deli. Calabash locals frequent this kitschy deli when they want to trade a typical Calabash meal (a fried seafood platter!) for something a little lighter: marinated cucumbers, BLTs, and chicken salad.


At Gotham’s, try the Dark Knight, featuring roast beef, turkey, ham, pastrami, and more. photograph by Alex Boerner

Gotham’s Deli — Smithfield

Diners at Gotham’s Deli in Smithfield may think they’ve been transported to Midtown Manhattan — but this New York inspired deli has won the hearts of Smithfield residents, garnering regulars from all over town. The deli’s famous Brass Knuckle sandwich — toasted sourdough piled with pastrami, Cheddar, mozzarella, mayonnaise, and more — is New York City with a Southern drawl.

This story was published on Jul 29, 2022

Our State Staff

Since 1933, Our State has shared stories about North Carolina with readers both in state and around the world. We celebrate the people and places that make this state great. From the mountains to the coast, we feature North Carolina travel, history, food, and beautiful scenic photography.