Let's start with a spot that's in my neck of the woods. Little Lucca in South San Francisco. I've had the luxury of coming here and enjoying their massive sandwiches since I was in High School. Just recently they came out with The Lucca Dog - Hot Dogs, Pastrami, Bacon, and Cheese. Yeah, sounds like a heart attack, and probably would be, but it's a serious sandwich and was very delicious! Keep in mind that although it may look small on the following pic, this sandwich was as big as my forearm.
Lucca Dog from Little Lucca
Not too far away in Burlingame, I dropped by another place that sells huge sandwiches that pretty much rivals with Little Lucca. It's Bonne Sante and they sell both burgers and sandwiches here. I haven't had the opportunity to try their burgers, but I did manage to try one of their specialties with is called My Favourite - Grilled Chicken Breast, Roasted Red Peppers, Mozzarella Cheese, and Chipotle Mayo. This was seriously good!
My Favourite from Bonne Sante
I don't think San Francisco is really known for having sandwiches to die for, but from the ones that I tried, I would have to retract that statement.
If you've ever been to a Filipino party or restaurant and have had in one way or another the Lechon Pork, you'll get that same taste with the Porchetta Sandwich at the Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie Truck at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market. It's essentially a Lechon Sandwich! The roast pork is so tender and then the crispiness of the skin will make you say "YUM" with every bite. This is on 7x7's Big Eat 2010 list, so it most likely will satisfy to your cravings.
Porchetta Sandwich from Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie
I remember watching the Pittsburgh episode of Man v. Food and was savoring the time when he visited Primanti Bros. and had their All-In-One sandwiches. So I did a google search and came across Giordano Bros. here in San Francisco! They are also from Pittsburgh and make the All-In-One sandwiches as well. While their sandwiches aren't as big as the ones at Primanti Bros., they're big enough that you don't have to order anything else. I had the Cappicola with a Fried Egg and it was amazing!!
All-In-One Cappicola Sandwich with Fried Egg from Giordano Bros
This next sandwich is a monster. I saw this in an episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations when he came down to San Francisco. It's the Cubana Torta from That's It Market. It was just as big as it was on the TV. When you bite into it, your face hides into it and all you see is darkness. But every bite was seriously enjoyable. Finishing it...well that was a challenge. You're better off splitting this sandwich with a partner, but if you're up for it, more power to you. It took me 20 minutes, but I killed this sucker!!
Cubana Torta from That's It Market
Finally, we go to the mother of all sandwich shops in San Francisco - Ike's Place. I usually frequent the Redwood City location because it's closer to me, but you can pick up the DOOMSDAY from both locations. Yeah #188 - Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Pastrami, Salami, Turkey, Bacon, Ham, Habenero Salsa, Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers, and EXTRA Jack Cheese. As I said on my yelp review, "it's 4 lbs of gastronomic goodness." It's big yes, and even though it's not my favorite sandwich there, it was such a joy to eat!!
The DOOMSDAY from Ike's Place
So those are some of my favorite sammies in my area. Go out and try them and let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!!
