13 NOVEMBER 13-19, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | On a Roll! THE BEST SANDWICHES IN DENVER RIGHT NOW. BY MOLLY MARTIN The holidays are approaching, and the world is...complicated at the moment, so we’re craving comfort food. And what’s more com- forting than a well-made sandwich? Familiar yet full of endless possibilities, these vessels can hold a mix of fl avors and textures. But which are Denver’s best? Nearly every restaurant has some version of a sandwich on offer, so in our search for the tastiest in town, we had to narrow the fi eld. We skipped certain types that could fi ll a list of their own, like breakfast sandwiches, or fried chicken sandwiches, or hot dogs. (Just kidding! We don’t believe that hot dogs are sandwiches! That’s bologna — which we do enjoy fried on white bread with mustard.) Instead, we’re serving up the seven lunch- worthy creations that comprise our current local sandwich bucket list: Jambon Beurre from Get Right’s 6985 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge The French would argue that the jambon beurre is the best sandwich and if so, we would argue that the best version you can get in the metro area is at Get Right’s. This small bakery does a lot, dishing up excellent pastries, pizza and bread. But it’s the simple combination of the spot’s per- fectly crunchy, hot baguette loaded with gently folded River Bear ham and a very healthy slathering of cultured herb butter that makes it our cur- rent top sandwich pick. This is one you’re not going to want to share, and for just $11.50, you don’t have to. Just be sure to grab a few extra napkins — the butter drippings are part of the fun. The Lee at Congress Park Market 2620 East 12th Avenue In 2021, Jake Riederer launched a sandwich concept dubbed Open, which touted a menu of offerings created with the help of some of Den- ver’s top chefs. But by the end of 2022, Open had closed up shop. Flash forward a year later, when Riederer and his wife, Cecelia Jones, launched Congress Park Market, formerly 12th Avenue Market, where Open’s most popular sandwich lives on. The Lee is the result of a collaboration with Uncle and Hop Alley owner Tommy Lee; it includes succulent braised beef bris- ket, arugula, white onions, red wine sesame mayo and provolone on a not-too-crunchy baguette. The kicker that really puts it over the top is the Sichuan peppercorn dipping broth that comes alongside. You’ll pay $15.99 for a sandwich that’s a full-on fl avor bomb. The Original at The Porchetta House 1510 Humboldt Street AJ Paloni launched this all-porchetta, all- the-time spot in the Spices Cafe space in the spring of 2023, and more than two years later, we’re still obsessed. The slow-roasted pork is available on sandwiches and loaded fries al pastor-style (achiote-rubbed and paired with caramelized pineapple pico and cotija cheese) or banh mi-style (red miso marinated and served with banh mi veggies and black sesame kewpie) but we keep go- ing back to the Original ($16). It’s a simple formula, and we hope it never changes: slices of traditional Italian porchetta loaded onto a ciabatta bun from Breadworks with arugula and pink peppercorn kewpie. The Whiz Wit at Little Arthur’s Hoagies 205 East Seventh Avenue We’ve been craving Aj Schreffl er’s sand- wiches since he fi rst started slinging Philly- inspired hoagies as a pop-up. In August 2024, Little Arthur’s found a permanent home at Out of the Barrel Taproom, where you can get some of the best pizza in town alongside the hoagies that have inspired a cult fol- lowing. Though there are several on offer, plus specials that roll out regularly, the best place to start is the classic Whiz Wit with shaved Angus beef, fried onions and Cheese Whiz on a house-made sesame roll. It’s $20 but well worth the cost, and defi nitely big enough to share. If you’re in the Arvada area, check out Schreffl er’s other concept, Arty’s inside New Image Brewing Company, which serves burgers and a variety of sandwiches (including specials that drop every Tuesday) on freshly baked potato rolls. Steak & Kimcheese at Golden Banh Mi 2648 South Parker Road, Aurora There are some beloved banh mi spots that have been around for years, but the Banh mi scene in the metro area has evolved lately, with more options than ever before for these Vietnamese sandwiches, from the traditional to the surprising — and we love surprises. That’s why we love the Steak & Kimcheese ($15) from Golden Banh Mi, a small sandwich spot owned by the same team as Golden Saigon next door. It’s a cultural mash-up that results in a sandwich like no other: Ko- rean bulgogi-style marinated steak is sautéed with umami- packed kimchi and cheese; it comes on a freshly baked ba- guette that’s soft inside but fi rm enough outside to stand up to all the fi llings, which include big, crunchy pieces of pickled daikon and carrots, cucumber, onion and jalapeño and a slath- ering of butter and chicken pâté. While all the banh mi on the menu are tasty, this is the kind of sandwich that you’ll dream about long after. The Cutlet from Pizzeria Leopold 1990 Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood In 2018, Chris and Lindsay Lyons purchased longtime Lakewood staple Deli Italia. In 2022, the couple rebranded the spot as Piz- zeria Leopold, named after their fi rst child, who was born just after the restaurant re- opened following the mandated shutdown of indoor dining during the 2020 pandemic. Three years and three more kids later, Piz- zeria Leopold is better than ever — and is serving more than pizza. Its sandwich lineup, available on seeded Black Box Bakery baguettes or (our favorite) thick slices of house-made focaccia for $1 more, includes ten options. While you can’t go wrong, you can go very, very right with the Cutlet ($18), which pairs a house-breaded chicken cutlet with fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, arugula, mayo, and red wine vin- egar. Soon, diners in Colorado Springs will be able to get a taste, too — the family has relocated there and plans to open a second location in the coming months. Chicken Caesar at Mead St. Provisions 3625 West 32nd Avenue Chicken Caesar in wrap form is at peak popu- larity, but it’s time to reconsider your options. Exhibit A: this spin on the classic built on fl uffy yet sturdy City Bakery ciabatta. A fi x- ture in the Highland neighborhood for over thirty years, Mead Street closed in 2020 for some major renovations and a slight rebrand. We adore everything at Mead St. 2.0, from the soups and salads to charcuterie boards, fl atbreads and small plates. The sandwiches are all top-notch, and the Chicken Caesar deserves its own time in the spotlight. Zippy dressing, shaved Parm, romaine and a punch from blistered tomatoes all combine with a solid cutlet for a sandwich that’ll have you saying “that’s a wrap.” Hungry for more? See our full sandwich guide at westword.com for our neighborhood sandwich- centric spots, old-school Italian delis and the top picks for sandwiches on a budget. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS The Cutlet from Pizzeria Leopold. The Jambon Beurre from Get Right’s is the reigning best sandwich in the metro area. MOLLY MARTIN MOLLY MARTIN
