30 Rock's iconic, mustard-stained matriarch Liz Lemon said it best: "I believe that all anyone really wants in this life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich." If your worldview is equally sandwich-based, there are a few Dallas sandwiches that should be on your must-eat list right now.
The Torta Frida at Frida's Tacolandia
Our latest Oak Cliff discovery has it all: tacos de cachete, Frida Kahlo artwork on the walls and the absolutely massive Torta Frida. So enormous it can easily feed two, it's a variation on the torta cubana, Mexican sandwich that often contains just about every topping in a restaurant’s arsenal. The Torta Frida has, at a minimum, diced fajita beef, chicken, pastor-marinated pork, slices of ham, refried beans, avocados, lettuce, tomato and crema.
Top Round's beef and cheese sandwich
Nobody should eat Arby's after, say, 1998, but a new cheffy Irving fast food joint has created what we believe to be a formidable take on the beef and cheese sandwich. There are seven roast beef sandwiches on the menu, including a simple classic, the O.G. Roast Beef ($5.99) with seasoning and au jus. The Horse & Hole ($7.99) is topped with Provel cheese, the St. Louis favorite, as well as horseradish cream and roasted mushrooms.
BrainDead Brewing's Thick and Morty
A Deep Ellum chef who grew up eating Whataburger has meticulously reproduced the Texas burger joint's famous A1 Thick & Hearty, but with higher-quality ingredients. David Pena was so dedicated to re-creating this burger that he went on a two-week quest to track down the salt Whataburger uses — and he found it.
Sachet's porchetta sandwich
One of the best restaurants in Dallas has a little something new to offer: lunch. Our favorite item on the lunch menu is the porchetta sandwich, a labor-intensive pork sandwich filled with shatteringly crisp porchetta slices and served on Ciabatta bread that's given a bright crisp from Sachet's pizza oven. With charred rapini, smoked provolone and Calabrian chili aioli, this sandwich is one you don't want to miss.