19 Of Brisbane’s Best Sandwich Spots
The sandwich—here at Urban List we'd argue it's the most versatile of all dishes. Slap anything between two pieces of bread and you’ve got yourself a certified sanga. The possibilities are deliciously endless.
Not to say that there isn’t an art to sandwich making—there is. And thankfully, Brisbane/Meanjin is home to a number of places that make sandwiches akin to masterpieces. As such, we've rounded up the best sandwiches in Brisbane, for all your carb-hunting pleasure.
Riser
85 Miskin Street, Toowong
Image credit: Riser | Instagram
Rise and shine at Riser, Toowong’s small batch bakery and sanga shop housed in a quaint cottage. Sure, there are an abundance of baked goods and perfectly dialled-in coffee, but the sandwiches? Rivaling some of Brisbane’s best. As all good sando spots do, the menu here is refreshed on the reg so keep your eyes peeled on their Instagram page for the latest drop. At the moment, for us it’s all about the thick curried egg sanga if you’re in for flavour, or the chicken caesar can do no wrong in the face of a sando craving.
La Favolosa
2/163 Boundary Street, West End
Image credit: La Favolosa | Instagram
There’s nothing quite like an Italian sandwich. Cured meats, crusty ciabatta, fresh mozzarella and always generously filled. Here at La Favolosa, they’re pumping giant Italo sandos (also known as schiacciata) quicker than your Nonno can say, mangia. For something with a kick, go a La Totó—it’s hot soppressata, provolone, greens and decent drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The meat is cut-to-order and the bread is baked daily. What more could you want?
Joe’s Deli
123 Albert Street, Brisbane City
Image credit: Joe's Deli | Instagram
They claim to have the world’s best sangas and, well, they’re not far off. If you love a retro diner, Joe’s Deli is coming in hot with a 10-long sanga menu—classic hefty sandos with a South Pacific twist, to be specific. Take the Sicilian chicken for instance: it's a sesame seed bun loaded with chicken, mayo, mustard, pickles, roasted peppers, red onion and plenty of iceberg lettuce with a pepper spiked in the top. But if you’re chasing a sanga-adjacent bite, the loaded chilli hot dog in a mini milk bun is a winner.
PepperJack Sandwiches
27 Cordelia Street, South Brisbane
Image credit: PepperJack Sandwiches | Website
PepperJack in South Brisbane has made its name in the Brisbane sandwich world thanks to their San Fran-style sandos—crusty tiger bread rolls with a near insane amount of filling. The bad boys coming out of PepperJack are monstrous. If you’re up for it, there’s plenty on offer. The meatball sub is a no-brainer but the double pastrami reuben with house slaw, swiss cheese and French dressing is a sure go-to.
Swiss Gourmets Delicatessen
2/163 Boundary Street, West End
Swiss Gourmets Deli has been kicking around West End for over 70 years. Among the cold cuts, cheese and pantry staples, you’ll find one of Brisbane’s best sandwich bars tucked away at the back of the shop. The cabinet is a feast for the eyes and the sandwiches are a feast in themselves. Whether you go the classic reuben stuffed with mountains of pastrami or the mortadella-filled ‘Maria’ sanga, you always have the option of adding on hot chippies on the side if you’re really starved for feed.
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Sarni
143 Racecourse Road, Ascot
Image credit: Sarni | Ranyhyn Laine
Sarni has absolutely nailed the humble stack, baking their own focaccia, ciabatta and other breads for a sandwich menu that changes almost daily. Don’t expect a simple ham and cheese number here—instead the crew are playing with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients for creations like the chicken katsu with a generous serve of chicken thigh cutlet, kewpie, lettuce and Japanese curry sauce. And a delightful double smash lamb pattie number with confit garlic butter, lamb saag gosht sauce and sumac red onions. They're a handful, and you will need serviettes.
Ham On Rye
5/107 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington
Image credit: Ham on Rye | Instagram
A sandwich deli straight from the minds behind Superfly Pizza and Hai Hai, we introduce to you Ham On Rye. This sanga shop has a menu of the classics, with reubens, toasted melts, and cold cut sandwiches all up for grabs, as well as less traditional sandwiches like a spicy braised beef number and a salami and gypsy ham red pesto delight. The maximalist deli is also adorned with sandwich themed pop-art—a nod to New York, the ultimate sandwich deli location.
Deli Dakota
30 Badminton Street, Mount Gravatt East
Image credit: Deli Dakota | Instagram
You might want to pull over for this one, because Deli Dakota’s sandwiches are definite two-handers. Their elaborate options include a brisket reuben, a Calabrese toastie and a DFC—Dakota Fried Chicken. For the non-meat-eaters, the forest mushroom specialty looks like a solid feed. Don’t worry about getting thirsty either, because there’s an extensive drinks menu to go with that food overload.
Supernice
4/37 Mayne Road, Bowen Hills
Image credit: Supernice | Instagram
Also known for their heavenly matcha concoctions, Supernice in Bowen Hills whips up a mean sanga with fluffy focaccia baked in-house. The sandwich line-up is packed with flavour combos sure to keep that pesky hangover (or just your classic office lunch cravings) at bay. There's a number they're calling meat bomb—a stack of fancy wagyu pastrami, mortadella, salami and prosciutto sandwiched in with pickles, cheese and Supernice's secret sauce. And don't overlook the vego number—eggplant, tomato, zucchini, rocket, stracciatella and pesto rosso. Thirsty? Like, really thirsty? You're in the right spot. You can upgrade your usual iced latte or strawberry matcha to a one litre takeaway bucket.
Sunny Side Sandwiches
203/142 Newmarket Road, Windsor | 173A Latrobe Terrace, Paddington
Image credit: Sunny Side Sandwiches | Instagram
Why look on the bright side of things when you can just look at Sunny Side Sandwiches and get the same amount of joy? Whoever said money can’t buy happiness obviously never had one of their breakfast sangas. They’ve got all our favourite meals—chicken schnitty, eggplant sanga, and even fish and chips made sandwich—you name it, they’ve chucked it in some house-baked shokupan and made it a sandwich.
Cordeaux Social Club
462 Montague Street, West End
Image credit: Cordeaux Social Club | Instagram
Okay, you got us, Cordeaux Social Club isn’t exactly a sandwich bar, but the up-and-coming bistro and wine bar in West End has sandwiches that deserve to be noticed. Their lunch menu includes sangas like the mushroom cutlet with hazelnut butter, classic Italian beef, grilled chicken with smoked bacon and lettuce and beef and pickle on sourdough. If that isn’t enough, the vibes are excellent, too.
Mr Badgers
24 Logan Road, Woolloongabba
Image credit: Mr Badgers | Instagram
If you’ve got something good, why mess with it? That’s exactly how Mr Badgers approaches their sandwiches. Their small selection of sandwiches are classics. The Reuben. The cheesesteak. The breakfast sanga. Need we say more? How about the fact that you can eat them sitting in an old tram car? Or that the Mr Badgers team have paired each sanga with a cocktail if you felt like a boozy time? Yeah, we thought that might get your attention.
The Twin
27 Vulture Street, West End
Image credit: The Twin | Instagram
If variety is your priority, The Twin can help you out. Every fortnight, their lowest selling sanga gets switched out for either a brand new option or an old favourite. Their current menu includes a falafel sandwich with lemon tahini and burnt eggplant yoghurt, a roast beef and egmont cheese on foccacia and a classic tomato sanga with salt and vinegar chips. If you like the sound of any of those, get in quick and grab one, otherwise they might get kicked off the menu. We’re living in a supply and demand world, so better demand while you still can.
Wilbur’s
42 Wilbur Street, Holland Park
Image credit: Wilbur's | Ranyhyn Laine
Who knew that tucked away in a suburban corner of Holland Park you’d find one of Brisbane’s best gourmet sandwich joint? Wilbur’s has an extensive range of sanga options. By morning, you can sink your teeth into stacks of bacon and egg provolone with relish and aioli on sourdough, while more lunch-worthy options include turkey, brie and onion jam on sourdough (get it toasted), or mortadella, prosciutto, provolone, guindilla peppers and salsa verde on salted focaccia. Whatever you go for, make sure you grab something sweet to go with it—we recommend a decadent, house-made salted dark chocolate cookie.
Colin’s
7/1000 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley
Image credit: Colin's | Instagram
From the folks behind Paddington Social comes Colin’s, a cosy cafe with a sandwich for everyone. Wrap your hands around breakfast options like a bacon and egg roll or the Khao Soi chicken toastie or drop in for a lunch of the mammoth Sunday cheese steak sando or the flavour-packed eggplant parmi bagel loaded with cripy fried eggplant, house-made sugo, mozzarella, parmesan and sweet basil.
Dijon
48 Esher Street, Tarragindi
Image credit: Dijon | Instagram
From the hospo legends behind well-known breakfast spots Deedot Coffee House and Never Been, comes Tarragindi’s toastie joint, Dijon. There’s something to satisfy everyone, whether you prefer traditional tastes such as ham and cheese or bolder combos like the 12-hour braised beef Birria toastie—and yes, vegan and gluten-free options are available. After something a little sweeter? You can’t miss the New York-style chunky cookies and a Biscoff shake to have after your sanga of choice.
Eat At Billy’s
155 Baroona Road, Paddington
Image credit: Eat at Billy's | Ranyhyn Laine
From the legendary team behind Meat at Billy’s, comes Eat at Billy’s. Choose between seven stacked options including the ‘Not A F*$&#en Reuben,’ with melt-in-your-mouth wood-smoked wagyu brisket pastrami, red cheddar pickles and signature sauce and the ‘Big Paulie’ porchetta, featuring pork belly porchetta and crispy crackling, salsa verde, pickled red onions, rocket and garlic mayo. You won’t find any fancy bread here either, just classic, thick cut white bread from a local baker. Best of all, the team has just opened up on Friday nights, meaning if you're craving a sanga for dinner, you can now bee-line straight to Eat at Billy's.
James & Antler
18/65 James Street, Fortitude Valley
Image credit: James & Antler | Instagram
From the team behind Mitchelton’s hottest cafe Mitch & Antler comes James & Antler. Don’t let size fool you, this container cafe may be tiny but it's serving up massive flavour. And what are they all about here? The humble croque monsieur—the famed French toastie known for its decadent creaminess and golden layer of melted cheese on top. The croque options rotate monthly, meaning you have ample reasons to return on the reg. If you're lucky, you'll be able to get your hands on the croque spicy 12-hour smoked brisket with jalapeno jam, BBQ sauce, mozz, and pickles, topped with mustard Mornay sauce and a heaping of manchego.
Toastbuds
133 Oxford Street, Bulimba
Image credit: Toastbuds | Instagram
Specialising in sandwiches and sandwiches only, Toastbuds will have you salivating at every crunch. For a morning bite, there’s the breakfast toastie with bacon jam, scrambled eggs, dill and cheese, served with a home-made ranch dipping sauce (do it). After something more lunch suited? Order the lamb roastie toastie. Want something a bit different? Keep an eye out on the Toastbuds' Instagram for their weekly specials.
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Image credit: Ham On Rye | Instagram
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