Craving an awesome sandwich? 10 best restaurants and delis in Sarasota and Bradenton

Following stories this year on the best restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton for pizza, burgers, tacos, Cuban sandwiches, chicken wings, and fried chicken — as well as a recent article on seafood eateries that includes a bunch of grouper sandwich recommendations — here's a freshly created list of bite-sized reviews.

Ahead of National Sandwich Day, which is Nov. 3, these are my picks for the 10 best local restaurants and delis for handhelds containing such mouthwatering meats as ham, turkey, corned beef, pastrami, meatballs, and steak. You will find newly opened places as well as restaurants that have been open for decades. Presented in alphabetical order, here are my picks for the 10 best sandwich restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton.

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Anna’s Deli

6535 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key, 941-349-4888 and 8207 Tourist Center Drive, University Park, 941-893-5908; annasdelis.com

Billed as the oldest eatery on Siesta Key, Anna's Deli opened in 1971, with the current owners, Dave and Denise Havill, purchasing the place along with all the original recipes in 1998. They now also maintain a second location in University Park. While the deli offers numerous traditional sandwiches such as roast beef, salami, and liverwurst, Anna's is best known for its specialty sandwiches, with none more famous than the Surfer ($9.39).

It features mounds of ham and turkey shaved paper-thin, with slices of Swiss cheese and cucumber on your choice of bread (marble is probably the best), made extra flavorful by Anna's Famous Sauce. In fact, you might want to consider spending the additional two bucks for an extra serving of Anna's Sauce, strictly for dipping purposes.

Faicco's Italian Heros and Grill

3590 Webber St., Sarasota; 941-960-1395; faiccossarasota.com

A New York City restaurant with more than a century of history expanded to Sarasota about a year ago when Faicco's Italian Heros and Grill opened at the former Webber's Hot Dogs location, at the intersection of Beneva Road and Webber Street. Dating back to 1900 at its West Village location, Faicco's serves massive sandwiches, priced at $15-$18 each, which could easily feed two people. These "heros" are made with large loaves of Italian bread imported from New Jersey and baked in-house.

The must-try hero is the Italian, which contains piles of freshly cut prosciutto, "ham cappy," sweet soppressata, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, roasted peppers, olive oil, and vinegar. You can also order it spicy with hot soppressata and hot vinegar peppers for the same price of $18. In addition to Faicco's heros filled with cold cuts, they offer "hot heros" like chicken or eggplant parm, and grilled sausage heros. For appetizers, be sure to order two rice balls for $3, which come with house-made tomato sauce that you'll want to save for dipping with the leftover chunks of that huge loaf of sandwich bread.

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Fav's Italian Cucina

419 Old Main St., Bradenton; 941-708-3287; favsitaliancucina.com

Located in the heart of downtown Bradenton, just south of Tampa Bay, Fav’s Italian Cucina is where siblings Michael Favasuli and Maria Favasuli-Wagner have been serving superior pizza, pasta, stromboli, and sandwiches since opening in 2000. Like most great sandwich makers, the Favasulis use first-rate bread. Baked on-site fresh daily, their Italian flatbread boasts a delightfully crusty exterior and a thick, spongy interior, ideal for stacking meats, veggies, and absorbing flavorful juices.

Fav’s serves several cold subs including their signature Italian with ham, capicola, prosciutto, salami and provolone cheese. You will want to order it “all the way” with lettuce, tomato, onion, banana peppers, mayo, mustard, and oil and vinegar. The meats, cheese, and vegetables are all mouth-watering, but it’s that condiment-soaked bread that never crumbles that you will wake up craving weeks later. Yes, the bread is the star of Fav’s sandwich menu, which also includes one the best meatball subs you are likely to find in Florida. The Favasulis make their own bread, meatballs, marinara sauce and mozzarella, and it all comes together for Italian-American awesomeness in their meatball sub, which is a steal at less than $10 for a 12-inch large that can easily feed two.

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Gentile’s Cheesesteaks

7523 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-926-0441; gentilessteaks.com

Tucked away in a strip mall off South Tamiami Trail, Gentile's Cheesesteaks is where a family of Philadelphians has been serving their native city's most famous sandwich since 2012 in a cozy shop adorned with Philly sports memorabilia. The cheesesteaks feature 100% ribeye, shaved daily, placed in fresh, soft rolls flown in from Amoroso's Baking Company in Philadelphia. I prefer my cheesesteak topped with grilled onions, sweet and hot peppers, along with provolone ($10.95). Others, like co-owner Sam Long himself, swear by covering their steak with Cheez Whiz, which I've come to realize is also a very tasty option.

I'm also a big fan of Gentile's cheesesteak hoagie that, for an extra 50 cents, comes topped with lettuce, tomato, and onions. Other options include a plain steak ($10.45) or a pizza steak ($11.45) topped with marinara sauce. In addition to cheesesteaks, Gentile's serves hoagies and specialty sandwiches, including a couple with chicken cutlets, as well as a veggie option. The sandwich shop serves sides too, including their irresistible crinkle fries covered with chili powder and Old Bay Seasoning.

Main Bar Sandwich Shop

1944 Main St., Sarasota; 941-955-8733; themainbar.com

Established in 1958 by a couple of former circus stars, Main Bar Sandwich Shop serves more than 50 sandwiches and I’ve spent the better part of the past two decades trying to eat every single one of them. Start with Our Famous Italian ($11.50). It's salami, ham, and provolone cheese topped with thinly sliced tomatoes, chopped peppers, onions, and a winning blend of oil, garlic, and spices on a toasted bun that perfectly complements the ingredients without overpowering.

Next, you'll want to try the Mayan ($12.75). It features thinly sliced smoked turkey breast and provolone cheese served on a toasted Kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato, and onion. The key here is the jalapeno dressing. Creamy with a satisfying kick, it elevates the sandwich, and I have been known to order an extra side for dipping. I also highly recommend The Aztec ($12.95), which is just like the Mayan but with roast beef instead of turkey. Additionally, the Black Russian and Balkan Express ($12.95 each) are excellent choices, as well as Main Bar's rendition of New Orleans' famed muffuletta ($12.75).

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Maximillian’s Cafe

1695 10th St., Sarasota; 941-330-0245; maximillianscafe.com

Don't be fooled by the humble facade of Maximillian's Cafe in Gillespie Park. Beyond the old red brick and faded asphalt shingles, you'll find some of the tastiest sandwiches in Sarasota. Featuring meats by Boar's Head, which has its headquarters in downtown Sarasota, the menu includes top-shelf renditions of classics like the Reuben, BLT, club, and Italian (offered cold or pressed), as well as combos like the Deluxe made with lean roast beef, roasted turkey, ham, and Swiss on a white sub.

However, the one you really want to try first comes from the specialties side of the sandwich menu. The Uptown Turkey ($10.49), which upon the first bite will start calling to you daily around noon, is thinly sliced honey maple turkey, crispy smoked bacon, sliced avocado, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and a nice dab of mayo served on multigrain toast. Additionally, you'll want to spend an extra buck on one of their homemade side salads (redskin potato, macaroni, or tri-color rotini). If you're looking for a more upscale dining experience, check out Maximillian’s Cafe sister business Spice Station located nearby in the Rosemary District.

Michelle’s Brown Bag Cafe

1819 Main St.; 941-365-5858; michellesbrownbagcafe.com

Since 2010, Michelle Ettinger has been serving breakfast and lunch to downtown Sarasota workers and visitors on weekdays at her Brown Bag Cafe. Among numerous other menu items, she offers 11 signature sandwiches, including my personal favorite, the Bradenturkey ($12.95, referencing a certain Bradenton nickname). It contains sliced turkey, crispy bacon, white cheddar, baby greens, cucumber, and sliced tomato.

Another one of Michelle's sandwiches that I adore is the Ca’ d’Zan ($13.95). Named after the historic Ringling mansion overlooking Sarasota Bay, it piles honey ham, roast beef, smoked bacon, and Swiss with baby greens, tomato, sweet red onions, and banana peppers; and then punches it all up with some delicious Dijon mustard and pesto mayo. Michelle's menu offers several bread choices, including pumpernickel rye, multigrain wheat, and a gluten-free option, but I've always been partial to their French baguettes.

Palm Avenue Deli

1297 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941-263-3742; facebook.com/palmavenuedeli

Chef Natalia Levey and her local Hi Hospitality Group's Palm Avenue Deli — which shares prime real estate in downtown Sarasota with their other exceptional restaurants and lounges Kojo and Bar Hana — is now fully operational. It opened for breakfast-only back in June, but is now welcoming guests for lunch and dinner, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The extensive menu of classic New York deli offerings includes about a half-dozen sandwiches, all served on fluffy and flavorful caraway rye unless otherwise requested.

After two visits, my favorite is The 1871 ($22). It's essentially a pastrami Reuben. with their rich, flavorful pastrami covered by sauerkraut, melted Swiss, thinly sliced dill pickles and Thousand Island dressing. All sandwiches are served with a pickle and choice of potato salad, cabbage or baby greens salad, chips, or fries. The fries were tasty as most fries are, but go with their New York-style potato salad, which was exceptional. Also, be sure to consider pairing your sandwich with their matzo ball soup ($8).

Sage Biscuit Cafe

1401 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton; 941-405-4744; sagebiscuitbradenton.com

The locally owned Sage Biscuit Cafe has two Bradenton locations serving delightful breakfast and lunch dishes, but only the newer downtown spot offers their pastrami sandwich ($16.99), which has been a personal favorite of mine ever since the place opened in 2016. The beef is brined, seasoned, and smoked by Joe Moreta, head chef, and co-owner. It's then thinly sliced and served with Swiss cheese and stone-ground mustard sauce on fluffy slices of fresh rye bread. Sandwiches come with a dill pickle spear and a choice of fries, sweet potato fries, potato salad, cucumber-chickpea salad, or cottage cheese. First-timers should definitely check out the house-made cucumber-chickpea salad, which always complements my beautiful pile of pastrami nicely.

Another favorite of mine, served at both the downtown and Cortez Road locations, is Becca's Chicken Biscuit. It features a big, hand-breaded, crispy chicken breast topped with pickles and American cheese, served on their signature sage biscuit with a choice of their spicy bourbon "heller sauce" (my favorite) or honey mustard, and I highly recommend spending a couple of extra bucks for the jalapeno bacon upgrade ($15.99 total). As for more traditional sandwiches served at both Sage Biscuit locations, let me also recommend the beer-braised beef, the meatloaf sandwich, and the fried green tomato BLT.

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Wolfie's "Box Office"

1454 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota; 941-554-4311; originalwolfies.com

One of the most highly anticipated restaurant openings of the year, The Original Wolfie's & Rascal House in downtown Sarasota's Rosemary District should begin welcoming guests by Thursday, Nov. 2, following a conversation that I had this week with their publicist. Wolfie's "Box Office," the to-go shop located just a few doors down from the actual restaurant, opened a couple of weeks ago, and I showed up unannounced (like I always do) on a recent Saturday to sample their offerings.

Executive Chef Sol Shenker made us two massive sandwiches: the 10-ounce corned beef ($23) and the 10-ounce pastrami ($24), which were served on caraway rye and placed in the to-go bags with coleslaw and packets of Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard. Both sandwiches featured thick cuts of the famed Jewish deli meats that packed plenty of flavor on their own but also benefited from some mustard spread across the bread and a few bites of the impressive slaw. I also enjoyed the sides of macaroni and potato salad served in jars ($8 each), and I had to order a huge slice of Shenker's homemade cheesecake ($12) that proved to be every bit as brilliant as when I first tasted it back in 2015.

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Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.​​​​​​

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: best sandwich restaurants and delis in Sarasota and Bradenton