Great Places For Great Sandwiches In Tampa Bay

Everybody loves a great sandwich in Tampa Bay, and just because you could easily make yourself one at home doesn't diminish the fact that going out for a super sammy sometimes really hits the spot.

We love our sandwiches so much that we’ve given them their own holiday. National Sandwich Day is Friday, November 3.

In honor of the occasion, we’ve put together a list of some of the best sandwich spots in Tampa Bay. The list is not all-inclusive because it would be way too long, but these are places we enjoy – over and over.

There’s a reason why the line at Wright’s is often as long as one for a new Disney attraction. It’s that good. It’s worth the wait. The menu will take you around the world with sandwiches like the New Yorker, loaded with corned beef, pastrami, Genoa salami, provolone and red onions. Or you could go Parisian with the grilled Monte Cristo, or head to the islands for the grilled Bahama Baby made with roast pork, ham, bacon and Jarlsberg cheese. At Wright’s, the salads and the homemade world class cakes and other confections are just as irresistible as the sandwiches. Wright’s is a South Tampa legend. Menu

Schiller’s has been in Tampa since 1952, and it’s become a family owned and operated institution on the corner of Manhattan and El Prado. Sandwiches come piled high on fresh rye or pumpernickel, and the prices are the most reasonable around. Look around the market for incredible imported finds from beer to breads and cookies. In our humble view, this is the home of the best Reuben in town, and the best bacon anywhere. Go early and have them make you pancakes. Amazing menu!

This Pasco sandwich spot in Lutz serves up food just as tasty as it looks on their website. Go cold with the Renee made with prosciutto, burrata, fig preserves and baby arugula, or the Bessie with roast beef, smoked gouda, pickled onion and horseradish sauce. If you’re in the mood for something hot, try the Rocco with slow-cooked Italian roast pork, San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella, or the Jordan featuring meatballs, mozzarella, fire-roasted red peppers and other mouth-watering stuff, all of which you can buy in their market. Just check out these pictures on their website.

Located on Gandy just in St. Petersburg, across from Win! Derby, JJ’s is a great spot to hang out for a glass of wine or a craft beer after work, but it’s also one of the best sandwich shops in town, from breakfast through dinner. Take a look here.

Two locations for your convenience. One in Clearwater and the other is in Dunedin. This healthy market serves up vegetarian and vegan sandwiches that anyone would enjoy. Selections such as the Pesto Veggie Melt with Zucchini, Havarti, avocado and tomato, or the Shroomer with marinated Portobello, cheddar, roasted and red peppers are among the most popular choices. Menu

Let us know where your favorite sandwiches in Tampa Bay are found.

It's no secret that we have some of the best dining options in the Tampa Bay area. And it seems like more and more companies are expanding to the southeast/Florida in general. But there are a handful of really great restaurants that are missing in our area. Whether it's fast food or a sit-down restaurant, we think these restaurants need to make their way to Tampa.

One honorary mention that we left off the list is Del Taco. There's a location in Orlando that we always stop at whenever we go to the theme parks or a concert. Earlier this year the news broke that the Tampa Bay area could possibly be getting several Del Taco locations. But things have been quiet since a press release went out earlier this year. Other big chains that have made their way to Tampa include Dave's Hot Chicken, Dutch Bros (coming soon), Raising Cane's, and a few others.

When you travel to other states do you try to stick with restaurants you know? Or are you willing to try something new? We've tried all the places on our list and have wished we would see a Tampa location open ever since. Even though we always try to eat at local restaurants in Tampa, sometimes it's easier to order takeout or visit a drive-thru. One of the biggest requests in the Tampa area is In-N-Out. Although some may see the burger chain as over-hyped, we think a Tampa location would do really well. Any places we missed on our list? Feel free to shout it out on social media and maybe we'll add it! We got our inspiration from Creative Loafing after we noticed a few places on their list have made it to Tampa.

Obviously the first on our list is In-N-Out. Everyone has their own opinion on the west coast burger chain. Some think it's overrated, and some think it's the best fast-food burger out there.

We're surprised that one of the biggest fast-food chains in the south hasn't made it's way to Florida AT ALL! Cook Out has a stacked menu of everything you could want with those old school fast food prices. Plus they have over 30 milkshake flavors. Can we start a petition to bring Cook Out to Tampa?

This is for all the deep dish pizza lovers. Although there are some great local spots that make an awesome deep dish pie, nothing beats Giordano’s. They do ship frozen pizzas across the country but we need a Tampa location!

We get that we have Chick-Fil-A, Popeye's, Zaxby's, Raising Canes, etc. But would one more chicken restaurant really hurt? There are already a handful of locations in Florida, but the closest one to Tampa is in Sanford, just a little north of Orlando.

This breakfast place is SO good! We are BEGGING for a Florida location, even if it means we have take a drive from Tampa. Snooze Eatery is spread across the southern half of the U.S. with locations in Colorado, Texas, Arizona, California, and even Georgia.