Some sandwiches are best for cold-weather satiety — turkey and cranberry, grilled cheese with hearty soup, meatloaf pressed between thick bread. But when summer comes to Pittsburgh, sometimes you need a sandwich that’s built for the heat.
Summer sandwiches can fall in any category. Whether it’s a barbecue that makes you think of days by the pool or a veggie-heavy wrap that brings freshness to your lunch, these sandwiches should bring you right back to long shadows and hot sun.
Here are our picks for sandwiches to try this summer in Pittsburgh.
Apteka Special Sandwich
A gem in the Pittsburgh dining scene, Apteka’s vegan Polish-inspired food is a late-night favorite for young folks and consistently has some of the city’s most dynamic and interesting flavors. This summer we love the Special Sandwich, served on toasted baguette and stacked high with red cabbage slaw and a layer of vegetable pate, which tastes like the perfect homemade veggie burger. Under the slaw are salt-pickled turnips and beneath the vegetable pate are smoked apples and chilis. With a savory sauce that tastes like barbecue, this sandwich is balanced with an entire range of flavors — sweet and smoky apples, roasted vegetables, salty turnips and crunchy cabbage. This sandwich stacks up to the best barbecue in the city, and is worth putting on your summer food bucket list.
(Special Sandwich: $9 / 4606 Penn Ave., Bloomfield)
Gaucho Pescado Con Pan
Almost all of Pittsburgh knows by this point that Gaucho Parrilla Argentina knows how to do steak. But in the six years since the restaurant opened, it has expanded far beyond steak plates and standing-room-only dining. The fish sandwich, either with Gaucho’s reliably fresh tilapia or the always-changing catch of the day, proves the restaurant’s capacity for variety. The tilapia is charred from a short time on a hot grill and sits between two halves of a thick ciabatta roll toasted with olive oil. Caramelized onions, which Gaucho affectionately calls “onyinz,” bring some textural weight to the sandwich, and a pop of fresh lemon brings out the bitterness of the arugula. Go for lunch, when the line isn’t as long — and if it’s nice out, get your sandwich to-go and enjoy it near the water.
(Pescado con pan: $11 / 1601 Penn Ave., Strip District)
Pitaland Falafel Pita Wrap
Pitaland in Brookline is home to some of the freshest Mediterranean food you can find in Pittsburgh, and it’s clear as soon as you walk in. Through a large glass window opposite the entrance, fresh-cooked pitas ride a conveyor belt through a cooling stage before they’re packaged or used fresh for items from the cafe menu. For a light, vegetarian and traditional Mediterannean lunch, try the falafel wrap. It’s packed with balls of fried falafel, cucumber, radish, cabbage, yogurt sauce, tomato, onion and more. Everything on the menu at Pitaland is fresh and affordable, and it offers outdoor seating for sunny days in Brookline.
(Falafel pita wrap: $5 / 620 Brookline Blvd., Brookline)
Walter’s BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
This standout summer eatery on Butler Street in Lawrenceville boasts outdoor seating, a casual bar and serious smoked meats. While the barbecue sauce bottles are tauntingly labeled “Risk it for the brisket,” we recommend the pulled pork sandwich, topped with house-made coleslaw with a side of seasoned french fries. Walter’s Southern Kitchen knows this is a messy sandwich and loads up each table with rolls of paper towels to help you out. With both sweet and spicy tableside barbecue sauce to try, there are plenty of classic summer flavors at Walter’s BBQ.
(BBQ pork sandwich: $11 / 4501 Butler St., Lawrenceville)
Bonfire PGH Chicken Panini
Fans of chef Chris Bonfili have sorely missed Avenue B since it closed in March 2018. But the Shadyside staple wasn’t the end for Mr. Bonfili — in fall 2018 he launched Bonfire, a two-story restaurant boasting a wood-fired oven on Carson Street on the South Side. The roasted chicken panini is made with dark and light chicken meat, which resists the dryness that can easily ruin a chicken sandwich. Beneath the protein is charred pineapple and a layer of chermoula, a North African herb dressing traditionally made with cumin and served on seafood. A healthy pile of Cotija cheese (Mexican-style cheese) sits on top of the chicken, binding the slices of panini-pressed Italian bread. This sandwich lacks some texture, but served with french fries or salad it’s a well-rounded lunch.
Bonus: Don’t miss the Brussels sprouts appetizer. On a layer of brown butter aioli, these flame-charred sprouts are complemented by chopped hazelnuts and grapes, which are cold-smoked to retain texture and juice. Unexpected, balanced and worth treating yourself to.
(Chicken panini: $14 / 2100 E. Carson St., South Side)
First Published: August 7, 2019, 11:30 a.m.
