Food & Drink

The best cheap sandwiches in BK

Nicky's banh-mi

Sandwiches: some form of tastiness stuffed between two layers of shock absorbing material. As New Yorkers, we’re surrounded by endless classic and innovative takes on this edible form. As Brokelynites, though, we have to be a little picky. Google ‘cheap sandwiches Brooklyn,’ and you’ll find some good sandwich joints or a guide to some credible spots, but there’s no comprehensive list of the best and the cheapest sandwiches around. So we’ve put one together ourselves. Inspired by this little list a few months back, here are the first few of our best $6-and-under sandwiches in Brooklyn, from banh mi to B.L.T.

Given Brokelyn’s, um, less-than-overflowing coffers, we’re pacing our borough-wide quest for the best stuff  ‘twixt bread. If we haven’t hit one of your favorites here, we’ll be on it soon.

Brie & Green Apple,Outpost Lounge, $5.75

We already love Outpost’s outdoor space, so here’s a little more love for the food. You can’t go wrong with creamy brie, tart Granny Smiths and sweet caramel sauce between two pieces of crusty, soft bread. This sandwich packs the heat in the flavor and texture department, and it’s a big win. Comes with a side of extra green apples and caramel sauce.
1014 Fulton St. between Grand Ave. and Downing St., Clinton Hill

Cuban, Dominican Bakery, $3.50

At a mere $3.50 you’ll forgive this bakery’s subversive take on the “standard” Cuban sandwich. You won’t find Swiss cheese or dill pickles in this uber-cheap cubano, but the roast pork, ham and cheddar cheese are more than sufficient to satisfy the taste buds. The savory mustard and mildly sweet mayo sauce wonderfully temper the saltiness from the pork. The bread, too, performs well, both as container and contributor of its own brand of sweet.
800 Grand St. between Humboldt St. and Bushwick Ave., Williamsburg

Grilled Kielbasa, Beata Delicatessen, $3.99 Whether you’ve got them or not, get in touch with your Polish roots at this hole-in-the–wall Greenpoint deli. The service is excellent, and so is the grilled kielbasa, pickles and mustard sandwich. It’s smoky, sour and tart and you get to choose your own roll.
984 Manhattan Ave. between India and Huron Sts., Greenpoint

Beata Delicatessen's grilled kielbasa. Photo by Etan Marciano.
Beata Delicatessen's grilled kielbasa. Photo by Etan Marciano.

Falafel Sandwich, Black Iris, $4.50

This falafel sandwich is a welcome oasis of cheapness and informality in a neighborhood with an otherwise urbane selection of high-priced eateries. Some might gasp at the price for falafel, but the generously-portioned sandwich is nearly twice the size of the average pocket pita version. Your usual, but superior ingredients: plump and well-spiced falafel balls, lettuce and tomatoes dressed in a tangy tahini, all wrapped snugly in a house-made pita.
228 Dekalb Ave. at Clermont Ave., Fort Greene

Meatloaf Sandwich on a Roll, Henry’s Express, $5.90

It’s meatloaf masquerading in sandwich form—not sure where you can go wrong with this basic, yet gut-filling concept. Henry’s offers thick, gravy-smothered slabs of meatloaf in a roll that absorbs just the right amount of gravy without dissolving in your hands.
331 Henry St. between Atlantic Ave. and Pacific St., Cobble Hill

Tuna on Toast, Square Root Café, $6

Across from the Citgo superworld of Carvel, Nathan’s and Pizza Hut, this quaint, 1960s-style café is home to old timey furniture, milkshakes and one mean tuna sandwich. The tuna is light on the mayo and mixed with red onions, sun-dried tomatoes and carrots—all of which is perfectly complemented by the multigrain bread. Comes with a side of mixed greens and balsamic vinaigrette.
584 Myrtle Ave. at Classon Ave., Clinton Hill

Square Root Cafe's tuna on toast. Photo by Jennifer Holder.
Square Root Cafe's tuna on toast. Photo by Jennifer Holder.

Classic Vietnamese Sandwich, Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwich, $5

Sure, Vietnamese sandwiches are all the rage these days, but only a few purveyors deliver a consistently flavorful and mouth-watering experience.  Just get past Nicky’s strident carrot-orange walls, and you’re more-than-good to go. Their classic sandwich is brimming with pickled carrots, cucumbers and fresh cilantro, with three types of pork (pate, sliced and ground) buried beneath. Get it with Sriracha or Hoisin sauce for added flavor.
311 Atlantic Ave. between Smith and Hoyt Sts., Cobble Hill

Kibbeh Sandwich, Sahadi Importing Co., $4

A colorful cornucopia of spiced kibbeh meat, lettuce, tomato and onion stuffed inside a pocket pita, this Middle Eastern-style sandwich will transport your taste buds to the Shangri-La of flavor. Request hot sauce if you’re in the mood for supplemental fire.
187 Atlantic Ave. between Court and Clinton Sts., Cobble Hill

Turkey with Bacon and Melted American Cheese, City Sub, $6.99 (but big enough for two)

As with any sandwich at City Sub, you gotta get it toasted and eat it there. There are only a few tables in this spartanly furnished sandwich shop, but the sooner you can sink your teeth into the warm, soft Italian bread and the thinly sliced and perfectly portioned innards of this sandwich, the better. Nothing screams “eww” more than cold melted cheese.
450 Bergen St. between Fifth Ave. and Flatbush Ave., Park Slope

B.L.T. on an Onion Roll, Lassen & Hennings, $5.75

This take on the prototypical American sandwich is heaped with perfectly crispy slices of bacon and fresh slices of sweet tomato. The lettuce and savory bits of onion from the roll add just the right amount of flavor to off-set the bacon’s greasiness.
114 Montague Street between Henry and Hicks Sts., Brooklyn Heights

Lassen & Hennings' B.L.T. Photo by Etan Marciano.
Lassen & Hennings' B.L.T. Photo by Etan Marciano.

Jennifer Holder, Thomas Sullivan and Tim Donnelly contributed to this article.

3 Comments

  1. Tim Donnelly

    they must have got wiped out when we were hijacked witha virus last week. We’ll see if we can get them back, because those were some really great comments.

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