Once upon a time, in merry old England, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, was in a bind. The British aristocrat was hungry but did not want to leave the gaming table. “Bring me some meat on two pieces of bread!” he commanded. He could eat with one hand and hold his cards in the other.
Impressed, his companions asked for what “sandwich” had ordered, and the meat-and-bread combo had a new name.
Today, the earl’s namesake is a menu mainstay in Delaware. So in the spirit of Montagu, let’s get to the meat of the matter. Here are 45 creative and tasty takes in all three counties.
New Castle County
Given Delaware’s proximity to Philadelphia, it’s no wonder that many of that city’s famous sandwiches have made their way south to the First State. Many reflect the region’s immigrant communities, including Italians and Greeks—there is a reason why Wilmington has festivals for both.
Cheesesteaks were invented by Philadelphia hot dog vendor Pat Olivieri in 1930. The beefy sandwich became a Delaware “jawn” after cousins Bob Hionis and Sam Demetratos—Greek immigrants—opened Claymont Steak Shop in 1966.
Former President Joe Biden, who attended nearby Archmere Academy, is a fan. According to the restaurant’s website, he favors provolone, fried onions, and sweet peppers. Current owner Demi Kollias expanded, and Claymont Steak Shop now has locations on Concord Pike in Wilmington and in downtown Newark. The Claymont, the original version, is made with premium rib eye, sliced on the premises, and cheese.
In Middletown, locals love the cheesesteak at Ochinilis Steaks, owned by former Philly residents. The West Philly is packed with 15 ounces of seasoned, shaved rib eye, Cooper sharp, shoestring onions, and a proprietary sauce.
Several restaurants use the traditional cheesesteak as a starting point. For instance, cultures collide on a roll at Home Grown Cafe on Main Street in Newark. The Cheesesteak Banh Mi comes with rib eye or seitan, pickled radishes and carrots, cucumbers, kimchi, jalapeños, brie, cilantro, and yum-yum sauce. It’s served on pan de bastón, which has a crispy crust and chewy interior.
Uncle John’s BBQ Stand in Claymont also thinks outside the box, with the Salmon Cheesesteak, which comes with broccoli rabe, Cooper sharp, and a house glaze.
Speaking of greens, they’re typically part of a porchetta sandwich, an import from Italy, where slow-roasted pork is infused with herbs.
Michael Ioannoni opened Ioannoni’s Specialty Sandwiches in 2005 so that locals wouldn’t need to travel to Philly for roast pork sandwiches. The Supremo has broccoli rabe and sharp provolone. Word to the wise: The large sandwiches are 20 to 21 inches long, so bring an appetite.
Roast pork is not the only entrée item to wind up on a roll. Donnie Scalessa of Scalessa’s Old School Italian Kitchen in Forty Acres is understandably proud of his Sunday gravy, a sauce made with pork and sausage. Recently, he created the Sunday Gravy Parmigiana, a sandwich using the sauce, his equally popular meatballs, and provolone cheese.
Then, of course, there’s the Italian hoagie. Casapulla’s Subs began in Elsmere in 1956, when Italian immigrant Luigi Casapulla turned a neighborhood grocery into a place for made-to-order subs and steaks. The classic Italian is a substantial hoagie, with Genoa salami, capicola, peppered ham, and provolone, along with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salt, black pepper, and oregano.
The hoagie isn’t the only Italian-influenced sandwich that turned deli staples into a portable feast. In New Orleans, the Muffaletta reflects the city’s Sicilian roots. Cured meats, cheese, and a garlicky olive salad are layered on a round sesame loaf. Cajun Kate’s near Bellefonte gets it right.
Like its New Orleans counterpart, the Cuban sandwich began as immigrant worker food, this time in Tampa’s Ybor City. The original version includes Cuban bread, roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. In Tampa, salami joined the stack, while Miami popularized a salami-free version.
At Corner Bistro in Talleyville, the Cubano has been on the menu since the restaurant opened. Havarti, not Swiss, is the distinctive difference, and it’s served on a baguette.
The Greek influence also deserves a nod. The Big Greek Style Bifteki Pita at Opa! Opa! in Trolley Square includes beef infused with herbs and spices, served on a pita with tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, and red onions. In a nod to the American palate, it’s served with fries.
The falafel is a Middle Eastern import typically made with ground chickpeas or fava beans. Hayworth & Finch in Trolley Square goes rogue with the Green Pea Falafel Sandwich. The crispy orbs are joined by avocado, red beets, cucumbers, sherry-cured onion, shredded iceberg lettuce, and lemon-dill ranch dressing. The toasted naan brings an Indian accent to the sandwich.
Hayworth & Finch. The falafels at the Trolley Square restaurant are made with green peas instead of chickpeas, and they’re dressed with avocado, red beets, sesame cucumbers, sherry-cured onions, shredded iceberg lettuce, and lemon-dill ranch dressing. Courtesy of Hayworth & Finch
French flair is the inspiration behind The French Poodle at PureBread Deli, which has multiple Delaware locations. The turkey breast sandwich on a baguette is dressed with Champagne mustard, brie, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Some New Castle County restaurants are defined by signature sandwiches. When Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop opened its first store in Wilmington’s Little Italy neighborhood in 1976, siblings Lois and Alan Margolet wanted to stand out from the other sub shops by roasting fresh turkey for their subs. They succeeded. Now a national chain, Capriotti’s is best known for The Bobbie, named for the Margolets’ aunt. Many describe it as Thanksgiving on a roll, complete with stuffing and cranberry sauce.
Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop. When Capriotti’s opened in 1976 in Wilmington’s Little Italy, putting roast turkey on a roll was a novel idea. The family later created The Bobbie, which includes Thanksgiving sides. Courtesy of Capriotti’s
In 1935, Bill Patton received a liquor license for Bill’s Place, which became Stanley’s Tavern in 1945 when Stanley Minakowski purchased it. Without an oven, Patton served cold ham-and-cheese sandwiches to patrons. Today, Stanley’s Original is now made with half a pound of shaved Danish ham and the customer’s choice of cheese on rye bread.
Drip Café in Hockessin and Newark wouldn’t dare remove The Cali from the menu. Credit the satisfying stack of mozzarella, avocado, arugula, basil aioli, and a fried egg on sourdough toast.
Drip Café. The Cali, Drip Café’s signature sandwich, features a layer of fried egg, fresh mozzarella, creamy avocado, arugula, and basil aioli on toasted sourdough bread. Photograph by Becca Mathias
At Gaudiello’s in Trolley Square, The Dagwood contains a whopping 2 pounds of ham, turkey, roast beef, thick-cut maple pepper bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, mustard, mayonnaise, and American cheese on toasted challah bread and marble rye. It was inspired by Dagwood Bumstead, a character in the comic strip “Blondie,” who is frequently illustrated making enormous sandwiches.
The Dagwood contains a whopping 2 pounds of ham, turkey, roast beef, thick-cut maple pepper bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, mustard, mayonnaise, and American cheese on toasted challah bread and marble rye.
What’s in a name? Peach Grove Market in Middletown features sandwiches named for owner Chris Galbraith’s four children. Consider That Aubrey—grilled chicken breast, bacon, iceberg lettuce, tomato, Colby cheese, avocado, and slaw.
Some of the most loved sandwiches are in unexpected places—unless you are a regular patron, that is. For instance, Harry’s Savoy Grill in Brandywine Hundred has become known for its generously packed Lobster Roll. Owner Xavier Teixido has a home in Maine, so it’s not surprising that the lobster is tucked into a proper New England–style roll.
Harry’s Savoy Grill. The lobster roll, packed with sweet meat, is an enduring hit at this Brandywine Hundred steakhouse. Photograph by Becca Mathias
And while it’s hard to resist the pizza at Pizza By Elizabeths, many patrons are equally enamored with the Grilled Cheese, made with pizza dough instead of bread and packed with Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and fontina. It comes with the Greenville eatery’s famous cream of tomato soup for a grown-up version of a favorite childhood combo.
Kent County
In central Delaware, the sandwich is where farm country meets the highway. Chicken, scrapple, crabcakes, comfort food, and global flavors all fit between slices of bread.
Go back to basics at Helen’s Sausage House, where the Scrapple Sandwich comes on white bread. Add an egg for 50 cents.
For something completely different, try Le Beef Bourguignon at La Baguette, a French bakery in Dover. No doubt Julia Child would be amazed by the creative combination of braised beef, Burgundy mayonnaise, bacon, mushroom, and cornichon on a baguette. There is a second La Baguette in Lewes.
Jack’s on Main in Clayton offers the salty-sweet Blackberry Bacon Grilled Cheese, with blackberry jam, Gouda cheese, applewood bacon, and shaved jalapeño.
Jack’s on Main. The grilled cheese is an American favorite that lends itself to a creative interpretation. Jack’s on Main in Clayton starts with Gouda cheese and adds blackberry jam, applewood bacon, and shaved jalapeño for a spicy, sweet take. Courtesy of Jack’s on Main
The waterways around central Delaware are well represented. Boondocks Restaurant in Smyrna, a crab house, has the requisite crabcake sandwich. But it also offers the Grilled Cheese Crab Cake, proving that seafood and cheese can happily coexist.
Meding’s Seafood in Milford also has a crab melt, made with a dash of curry, but many locals come for the Fried Oyster Sandwich, featuring Chesapeake Bay oysters and homemade cocktail or tartar sauce.
Smyrna’s brewpub, Brick Works Brewing & Eats, has the perfect sandwich pairing for beer. The Schnitz is a crispy pork cutlet with braised red cabbage, bacon, Swiss, a fried egg, and bacon-beer mustard. A pretzel roll finishes the German theme. There is also a location in Long Neck.
Sussex County
If the state has a melting pot of all the above, you’ll find it in coastal Sussex County, home to transplants from New York; New Jersey; and the Washington, D.C., area, as well as longtime locals with culinary traditions. Then there are the tourists, who make dining a priority when they visit in summer.
Consequently, there is a plethora of restaurants serving “handhelds,” as well as small sandwich shops.
One hidden gem, Po’ Boys Creole Restaurant in Milton, is in an unassuming strip mall. The name comes from a sandwich, the Po’ Boy, that streetcar workers favored during a 1920 strike. It was originally called the “poor boy,” since a restaurateur distributed them for free, and it included oysters on French bread. At Po’ Boys, fillings include oysters, crawfish, shrimp, catfish, and blackened chicken—or a trio of crawfish, shrimp, and oysters.
Po’s Boys Creole. The traditional po’ boy sandwich is fried oysters on French bread dressed with lettuce and tomato. Options also include fried chicken, shrimp, and catfish. Photograph by Pam George
The Backyard, just across the highway, is another local go-to spot. It’s open only for breakfast and lunch. The Yardbird—featuring roasted chicken, smoky Gouda, bacon, spinach, and garlic aioli on a grilled tortilla—is appropriate given that owner Ami Rae recently opened The Birdhouse up the road. The new spot focuses on rotisserie chicken and includes a market and to-go area.
Small sandwich shops abound in Lewes, including Olive & Oats by Azafrán, which is part of the Café Azafrán family. The café started near Olive & Oats’ current location and is now in Rehoboth. Back then, the Café Panini was the signature sandwich, and Olive & Oats still includes it on the menu. Spanish serrano ham, olive tapenade, marinated goat cheese, and basil underscore the Mediterranean vibe. All Olive & Oats sandwiches come on bread from Old World Breads, also located in Lewes.
Don’t let the gas station in front of Patty’s Deli fool you. The sandwiches here are gourmet. Patty Jacobs sold the shop to Lisa McDonald in 2024. However, Patty’s Favorite, Jacobs’ upscale cheesesteak, remains on the menu. Blackened top-round beef is tucked into the roll with blue cheese, fried onions, and peppery arugula.
McDonald also owns Nectar Cafe, which has locations in Lewes and Millsboro. Nectar is known for healthy offerings, and the Vedge is versatile—you can add chicken or make it completely vegan. As it stands, the ingredients are zucchini, squash, portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, sautéed onions, spinach, and mozzarella with pesto and balsamic glaze on ciabatta.
The Dewey Post’s Waffle Cristo is an interpretation of the traditional Monte Cristo sandwich, made by layering sliced ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese between pieces of bread; dipping the assembled sandwich in egg batter; and frying it until golden. The Dewey Post uses Belgian waffles, sliced ham, and melted cheese. The tidy package gets a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.
The Monte Cristo was a variation of the Croque Monsieur. At Egg in Rehoboth Beach, the classic brunch sandwich has ham, béchamel sauce, and Gruyère. The restaurant also serves the Croque Madame, the same sandwich but topped with a sunny-side-up egg.
Both sandwiches have an almost dainty quality compared with the Breakfast ‘Brey’ritto at The Starboard in Dewey Beach. According to the restaurant’s website, former University of Delaware and Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey headed to Dewey after the season for an orange crush and this burrito, packed with scrambled eggs; bacon, sausage, or scrapple; cheddar and Jack cheeses; and fresh pico de gallo. It comes with homemade hash browns or tater tots.
Sussex County has its fair share of sub shops, including Al Casapulla’s Subs & Steaks, which opened in 1988. Expect hoagies, pizza, deli sandwiches, and paninis, including the Marco Polo, with turkey, Swiss, lettuce, tomato, and honey-mustard sauce on ciabatta.
Lisa DiFebo-Osias started DiFebo’s Restaurant as a sandwich shop, and it evolved into a full-service restaurant with locations in Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach. She’s returned to her roots with DiFebo’s Sandwich Shop, across from the flagship restaurant in Bethany and next to DiFebo’s Market.
Slow-roasted pork with garlic and herbs and a cherry pepper jus is popular at both the new shop and the restaurant. My Cousin Pauley includes sharp provolone and sautéed broccoli rabe.
Italian ingredients are also showcased at the new Pazzo Italiano Market & Kitchen, the next chapter of Frank & Louie’s. The Bascio brothers joined forces with Dave Gonce and Bob Suppies of Second Block Hospitality, the restaurant group behind Drift, The Pines, and Bodhi Kitchen in Rehoboth Beach. The C&C Special is made with prosciutto cotto, soppressata, fresh mozzarella, and hot peppers.
Pazzo Italiano Market & Kitchen. A partnership between Frank & Louie Bascio and the owners of The Pines, this grab-and-go has expanded, but the beloved sandwiches remain. Consider the C&C Special with Italian ham, soppressata, fresh mozzarella, and hot peppers. Courtesy of Pazzo Italiano
Across the street, the new Market at 59 Baltimore has a case with grab-and-go pastries, entrées, and sandwiches, including the Mushroom Banh Mi, a vegetarian option with Kennett Square cremini mushrooms, cucumber, carrot, pickled red onion, and aioli on garlic naan.
Sussex County is also home to Rosenfeld’s Jewish Delicatessen, which has locations in Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach. Reubens are the specialty of the house. The traditional version is made with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on rye bread. (Some prefer Thousand Island.) It’s then grilled until the bread is crisp and the cheese melts. Reportedly, Reuben (or Reubin) Kulakofsky, a Lithuanian-born Jewish grocer in Omaha, Nebraska created the sandwich in the 1920s for poker players at the Blackstone Hotel. The owner liked it so much that he put it on the hotel’s menu. Others credit Arnold Reuben, the German-Jewish owner of Reuben’s Delicatessen in New York.
In addition to Reubens, Lori’s Oy Vey! Café in downtown Rehoboth sells chicken, tuna, and egg salad sandwiches. Lori’s chicken salad includes toasted almonds, blue cheese, and tart apples. Sweet relish, meanwhile, is the secret to Lori’s tuna salad. Since former President Joe Biden likes tuna and his wife, Jill, likes chicken, Lori’s came up with a menu item to please both. You get a half of each when you order The Bidens.
Like the Reuben and the chicken salad sandwich, the club is a time-tested favorite. It originated at either the Saratoga Club House in Saratoga Springs, New York, or the Union Club in New York City. Turkey is the standard protein. But at Striper Bites in Lewes, the Striper Bites Club stars blackened mahi and Caesar dressing. Substitute chicken if you wish.
Striper Bites. The Striper Bites Club with blackened mahi has been on the menu since the Lewes restaurant opened in 2001. It survived numerous menu updates and two ownership changes. Photograph by Lens Craving
Woody’s Dewey Beach Grill consistently wins readers’ choice awards. The Crab Monster marries a 6-ounce crabcake with a flash-fried soft-shell crab. It’s crunchy, sweet, and satisfying.
Of course, you can’t talk about Sussex County sandwiches without mentioning crabcakes. Woody’s Dewey Beach Grill consistently wins readers’ choice awards. The Crab Monster marries a 6-ounce crabcake with a flash-fried soft-shell crab. It’s crunchy, sweet, and satisfying.
Woody’s Dewey Beach Grill. Crabcakes are the top seller at Woody’s Dewey Beach Grill. Those with a big appetite, however, can order Woody’s Crab Monster when it’s available. The sandwich marries a 6-ounce crab cake with a flash-fried soft-shell crab. Courtesy of Woody’s Dewey Beach Grill
In Bethany Beach, Patsy’s Restaurant uses a crabcake, a soft-shell crab, and fried shrimp to make the Crazy Crab BLT, which includes a smear of Old Bay aioli on a toasted roll.
Patsy’s Restaurant. The Crazy Crab BLT combines two coastal favorites—soft-shell crab and a crabcake—and adds fried shrimp for a sandwich that takes two hands to hold. Photograph by Megan Steele
You can’t toss a crab claw at the beach without hitting a restaurant with a crabcake. However, other options are also easy to find. Bethany Blues started in Bethany but now has a Lewes-area location, as well as Downtown Blues in Rehoboth Beach. The Signature BBQ Sandwich is a choice of pulled pork, Carolina chopped pork, pulled chicken, smoked turkey, or beef brisket.
Finally, if you don’t know what you want, you’re usually safe at an Arena’s Deli & Bar location. The sandwich selections take up most of a menu page. Tweaks to the traditional include the California Club Dude, with turkey, avocado, Monterey Jack cheese, arugula, tomatoes, and mayonnaise. And the Rockfish Reuben is made with battered and fried fish.
Clearly, the sandwich endures because it is endlessly adaptable. In Delaware, that might mean adding a crabcake, a soft-shell crab, or scrapple. The format is simple. The fillings are anything but.
Related: Best of Delaware: Food and Drink in 2026
