It wasn't promises of riches from a Nigerian prince or the lure of hot singles in the area that caused my friend to download a computer virus at the magazine where we worked together 10 years ago.
It was sandwiches.
In her defense, this was back in the days before human resources departments made everyone watch security videos on the regular. And did I mention that these alleged sandwiches were allegedly free?
Who wouldn't have taken the bait?
The love of a good sandwich is part of our DNA. Or at least part of our dining DNA from the moment of our first PB&J, our first grilled cheese, our first day-after-Thanksgiving turkey with mayo. We eventually graduate from tidily trimmed bread crusts to Jenga towers of meats, cheeses, vegetables, condiments
and sauces that would make Guy Fieri blush.
We all have our own ideas of what makes a truly great sandwich. For me, a good sandwich isn't a sandwich at all. It's a sangwich, in the words of my people, and you know one when you taste one. It doesn't have to be filled with salami and mortadella and other delicious Italian things. It does have to be hefty and hearty and memorable.
Columbus has plenty that fit the definition. Here are 10 of my favorite sandwiches and sandwich spots around town, in no order except alphabetical.
Southern Belle at Buck City Sammies
You could add bacon to make a really unique BLT. But Buck City Sammies' Southern Belle doesn't need extra bells and whistles. The vegetarian version is fine enough with fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, chipotle aioli and iceberg lettuce on sourdough bread.
Details: 212 Kelton Ave., inside East Market on the Near East Side; buckcitysammies.com
Mush Love at Caroline's
You don't need a stack of meat to make a hearty sandwich. We've included four vegetarian options on our list that are every bit as meaty as their beefy, porky cousins. Caroline's, one of several newer chef-created sandwich spots in Columbus, offers the Mush Love; its star is shiitake, cremini and other mushrooms sautéed with garlic, shallots and herbs until they're a tiny bit crispy on the edges. There's also provolone cheese, truffle aioli and arugula, all served on butter-seared sourdough bread.
Details: 59 Spruce St., inside North Market Downtown; carolinessandwiches.com
Tuna Melt at Dan the Baker
Dan Riesenberger, best-known by his profession and business as Dan the Baker, was Columbus' only nominee in 2026 for a prestigious James Beard Award. Part of his daily output from the stone hearth at his bakery near Grandview Heights is used to make sandwiches at an on-site cafe. The menu there includes a classic tuna melt; the yellowfin salad includes capers, gherkins and Kewpie mayo, and the cheese comes from an award-winning dairy in California.
Details: 1042 Ridge St., Columbus; 614-928-9035; dan-the-baker.com
Grilled Cheese at The Eagle
We have to include a grilled cheese, and The Eagle's version is cranked up two notches with the addition of thinly sliced Granny Smith apples and apricot preserves. It's not as sweet as it sounds, but that sweetness adds a bright note to the creamy gooiness of its three cheeses.
Details: 790 N. High St., Short North; 614-745-3397; eaglerestaurant.com
La Barbosa at Fat Arnie's
Currently tucked inside Rafters Beer Pub in Clintonville, Fat Arnie's Sandwich Shop is getting close to opening its own space in Uptown Westerville. The Fat Arnie's menu is more than sandwiches – its pork belly chicharrón regularly sells out on weekends – but La Barbosa is a special, and popularity demanded it to have a regular spot in the lineup. It's simple, but each ingredient adds flavor: roasted pork, black-strap ham from Columbus' Hungarian Butcher, pickles, pickled red onion, Chihuahua cheese and dijonnaise on a hoagie bun.
Details: 4404 Indianola Ave., Clintonville; fatarnies.com
Reuben at Katzinger's Deli
The title of top seller on a menu of 40 sandwiches at a restaurant that has been in business 42 years would be reason enough to include the Katzinger's Reuben on any best-of list. But the Katzinger Reuben is perfectly classic and classically perfect: hot corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and house-made Russian dressing, all grilled on rye. The traditional potato salad is just as good, and the pickles are free.
Details: 475 S. 3rd St., German Village; 614-228-3354; and 7160 Muirfield Drive, Dublin; 614-389-8444; katzingers.com
Salmon cheesesteak at Marlow's Cheesesteaks
The salmon cheesesteak isn't offered as often as the signature sandwich that gave Marlow's Cheesesteaks its name, but it's worth a visit when it is. The salmon is chopped fairly fine, seasoned well and mixed with sautéed onions, mushrooms and hot peppers. You can add your own choice of cheese. And never, ever skip the fries, which were voted as Columbus' best by Dispatch readers in 2024.
Details: 93 N. High St., Gahanna; 59 Spruce St., inside North Market Downtown; and 1086 N. 4th St., inside Budd Dairy Food Hall in Italian Village; marlowscheesesteaks.com
Turkey al Jugo at Si Señor
Everyone has a favorite among the 15 Peruvian sandwiches at Si Señor, and the restaurant has not played with those favorites as it has expanded since 2010 from one location to three. Since you asked, our go-to is the Turkey al Jugo. Starting with the turkey, Si Señor roasts turkey breast in-house and keeps it heated in natural juices. The sandwich is completed with pickled red onions, provolone cheese, lettuce and a spicy mayo made with Peruvian peppers.
Details: 155 W. Nationwide Blvd., Arena District; 1456 W. 5th Ave., Fifth by Northwest; and 4189 Weaverton Lane at Easton Town Center; sisenor-columbus.com
Veggie Panino at Speck Italian Eatery
The pasta is tempting, of course, but the panini on the lunch menu at Speck Italian Eatery deserves top billing. It's all prepared with a generous square of the restaurant's own focaccia, made (like the pasta) in-house. We're sure the prosciutto and other panini are delicious, but we've never been able to make it past the veggie, filled with eggplant, zucchini, sun-dried tomato, arugula and artichoke cream.
Details: 89 N. High St., Downtown; 614-754-8544; speckrestaurant.com
Roasted Pork at Wario's Beef and Pork
The steak sandwich, with its shaved ribeye, grilled onions and gooey cheese sauce, gets all the love – and a good portion of the lines – at the two Columbus locations of Wario's Beef and Pork. But for our money, nothing beats its roasted pork. Wario's roasted pork shoulder is first infused with rosemary and fennel through curing. Chopped broccoli rabe adds a welcome bitterness, and picante provolone adds some sharp funk. It's served with a cup of pork jus.
Details: 111 W. Nationwide Blvd., Downtown; 614-914-8338; and 4219 N. High St., Clintonville; 614-674-6200; wariosbeefandpork614.com
Follow Dispatch dining reporter Bob Vitale on Instagram at @dispatchdining. You can reach him directly at rvitale@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 10 great sandwiches in Columbus that locals love
