Best Sandwiches in Houston: Po'Boys, Banh Mi, Subs and Cubans

Houston has its own po'boy, and it isn't fried shrimp. It's a deli-style sandwich that the Antone family started selling out of an import market on Taft Street in the 1970s, and you can still buy one wrapped in white butcher paper at the grocery store. That's the kind of sandwich town this is: banh mi built on a grandmother's recipes, Cuban sandwiches pressed in Bellaire, tortas stacked with eight fillings, and a New York deli sandwich its own menu calls "bigger than its name."

This is the shortlist we'd hand a friend who asks where to find the best sandwiches in Houston. It's organized by style, so you can chase the one you're craving, and every shop on it was checked as operating on its own official website or ordering page.

The quick list

• The Houston original: Antone's Famous Po' Boys, for the deli-style "Houston po'boy."
• The best banh mi stop with a backstory: Roostar Vietnamese Grill.
• Fried seafood on New Orleans bread: BB's Tex-Orleans or Winnie's.
• A proper Italian sub: Tony's Italian Delicatessen, or Mandola's Deli inside the Loop.
• A pressed Cuban sandwich: Cafe Piquet in Bellaire or El Rey.
• A sandwich you'll need help finishing: the Zellagabetsky at Kenny & Ziggy's.
• The best-value lunch: a torta at Las Tortas Perronas.
• The neighborhood deli everyone wishes they had: Ploughman's in Oak Forest.

How we chose

We looked for shops where the sandwich is the point, not an afterthought, and where you can name the thing to order. We covered the styles Houston does best: banh mi, po'boys, Italian subs, Cubans, tortas and Jewish deli. Each pick had to show a current menu, location or hours on its own website or official ordering page as of October 2026. A few well-loved names didn't make it because we couldn't confirm a working official site; we'd rather leave a shop out than send you to a locked door.

Hours change, so treat every schedule here as "typically" and check before you go. Several of these places close early or skip Sundays.

Po'boys: the Houston original and the New Orleans kind

Antone's Famous Po' Boys

Two full-service shops plus grocery cases citywide · the deli-style Houston po'boy

Antone's started as Antone's Import Company, a market Jalal Antone opened on Taft Street in 1962. In the mid-1970s he introduced what the company calls its "Houston po'boys," and by the early 1980s they were sold in Houston supermarkets. Today the po'boys come in color-coded labels and white butcher paper, and you'll find them at H-E-B, Kroger and Randall's as well as the two full-service shops.

Order: a classic Antone's deli po'boy. Grab one from the grocery case on your way to a park and you'll understand the loyalty.

I didn't know that: the founder's nephew, Clifford Antone, created Antone's nightclub in Austin, the "Home of the Blues." According to the company, it's the only blues club in Texas that sells Antone's po'boys.

BB's Tex-Orleans

Montrose, the Heights, Upper Kirby, Briargrove and suburbs · Cajun seafood with a long po'boy list

BB's builds its po'boys on Leidenheimer French bread, and the menu splits between classic New Orleans styles and what it calls Tex-Orleans creations. The signature is the Bedtime in the Bayou, a dressed fried Gulf shrimp po'boy. The Midnight Masterpiece is roast beef debris and dark gravy, and the Half & Half mixes fried shrimp and oysters.

Order: the Midnight Masterpiece if you want gravy down your wrist, or a half po'boy with a cup of gumbo or red beans.

Best for: a crowd that can't agree. Crawfish fans should also read our Houston crawfish guide.

Winnie's

Midtown, 3622 Main St · sandwiches, oysters and cocktails

Winnie's bills itself as "fancy sandwiches" and cocktails, and it delivers both. The po'boy to get is the Perfect Peacemaker: fried Gulf shrimp and fried Gulf oysters with cabbage, tomato, pickles and mayo on a Leidenheimer's roll. The patio sits right on the METRORail line, which makes it an easy no-car lunch; our METRO guide covers the rail. The patio is dog-friendly and no reservations are needed.

Best for: a sandwich lunch that turns into happy hour. More ideas in our Midtown restaurant guide.

Banh mi

Roostar Vietnamese Grill

Spring Branch, the Galleria area and the East End · custom banh mi

Roostar is run by Linda and Ronnie Nguyen, both University of Houston hotel and restaurant management graduates. Linda's grandmother ran a sandwich shop in Vietnam, and the family recipes, from the French mayonnaise and pâté to the pork belly, came down to her through her mother. Roostar says it cuts and marinates its meats in-house, pickles its own vegetables and makes its garlic aioli from fresh garlic.

Order: a banh mi with pork belly or grilled pork, plus one of its specialty coffees. The Spring Branch shop at 1411 Gessner sits on the grounds of the former Vietnam Poblano.

Best for: an easy, cheap, fast lunch. For more banh mi, read our Vietnamese restaurant guide, and for Bellaire Boulevard's sandwich shops, see our Bellaire and Chinatown restaurant guide.

Italian subs and red-sauce delis

Tony's Italian Delicatessen

Montgomery, Tomball and Spring · Italian subs on crusty rolls

Tony's has shops in Montgomery, Tomball and Spring (on City Plaza Drive). Half the fun is the menu: the subs are named for Italian-American actors and singers. The Gandolfini stacks provolone, Genoa salami, pepperoni, ham, soppressata and olive smear. The Pesci is roast beef with deli mustard. The Sinatra pairs house pesto and fresh mozzarella with salami and soppressata.

Order: the Rocky (capicola, ham, Genoa salami, soppressata, provolone, roasted peppers and olive smear), served hot or cold, or the hot meatball sub.

Best for: a road-trip lunch. Pair it with our things to do in Tomball guide.

Mandola's Deli

East End, 4105 Leeland St · Italian deli since 1975

Mandola's has been serving Houston since 1975 and keeps a whole section of its menu for po'boys, so it's where the Italian sub and the po'boy shake hands. The deli itself puts it well: on any given day you'll find a rusted pickup parked next to a brand-new Porsche. Hours are typically weekday lunch through early evening and Saturday until mid-afternoon, so plan a weekday visit.

Order: the meatball po'boy, then something from the Italian specialties if you're sharing.

Ploughman's Deli & Cafe

Oak Forest, 965 Pinemont Dr · neighborhood deli · closed Sundays

Ploughman's is a small deli with a big sense of humor: its menu "changes as frequently as the Time Lord regenerates," and its roast beef sandwich is called Roll the Hard Six. The meatball sub comes in spicy marinara with provolone, parmesan and pesto, and the Reuben is made with beer-kissed kraut. Saturdays typically end at 3 p.m.

Order: the meatball sub, or the Reuben if you're in a deli mood.

Cuban sandwiches

Cafe Piquet

Bellaire, 5757 Bissonnet St · Cuban home cooking

Cafe Piquet is the place for a Cuban lunch that runs long. El Cubano is the classic: pressed with roasted pork, Swiss cheese and smoked ham, plus pickles and mustard. The sleeper is the Policía Deluxe, with fried pork chunks, avocado, onions, sweet plantains and chicharrón.

Order: El Cubano, a cafecito or cortadito, and a mamey or guanábana shake. More nearby in our Bellaire guide.

El Rey Cuban & Mexican Cuisine

Shepherd Dr, N Loop W, Katy Fwy and Katy · Cuban-Mexican, open early

El Rey brings Havana and Mexico into the same kitchen, and its Cuban sandwich is a straightforward one: mojo pork, ham, Swiss, pickles and yellow mustard on Cuban bread, pressed. For more, the Cuban Super Torta adds black beans, sweet plantains and jalapeños. The Shepherd Drive location typically opens at 7 a.m. and stays open until midnight Monday through Saturday, which makes it a late-night sandwich lifeline.

Order: the Cuban sandwich at lunch, the Super Torta after 10 p.m.

Tortas

Las Tortas Perronas

Spring Branch (Bingle Rd and Hammerly Blvd) and E Tidwell Rd · Mexican tortas

Las Tortas Perronas calls its tortas so authentic it should be charging in pesos, and every one has a name. The Chilanga piles milanesa, sausage, ham and quesillo.

I didn't know that: the Super Cubana isn't Cuban at all. It's a stack of eight fillings (milanesa, pork leg, egg, chorizo, sausage, ham and two cheeses) in one torta.

Best for: the most food for the least money on this list. More picks in our cheap eats guide and Spring Branch restaurant guide.

The New York deli

Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen

Galleria area, 1743 Post Oak Blvd · open daily, typically 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Kenny & Ziggy's pickles and cures its own meats, and it is known for what it calls "sky-scraping sandwiches." The Fiddler on the Roof of Your Mouth is a triple-decker of corned beef and pastrami with Russian dressing and coleslaw. Then there's the Zellagabetsky, "the sandwich that's bigger than its name": eight decks of corned beef, pastrami, turkey, roast beef, salami, tongue and Swiss on rye. The menu dares one person to finish it alone, with free cheesecake as the prize.

Order: the Fiddler for one person, the Zellagabetsky for a table. Shopping nearby? See our Galleria restaurant guide.

Save this: the Houston sandwich checklist

Screenshot this and work your way through it. One sandwich per style:

1. Houston po'boy: an Antone's deli po'boy (or one from the grocery case).
2. Seafood po'boy: the Perfect Peacemaker at Winnie's, ideally on the patio.
3. Banh mi: pork belly at Roostar.
4. Italian sub: the Rocky at Tony's, or the meatball po'boy at Mandola's.
5. Cuban: El Cubano at Cafe Piquet.
6. Torta: the Super Cubana at Las Tortas Perronas.
7. Deli: the Fiddler at Kenny & Ziggy's.
8. Bonus round: Ploughman's meatball sub on a weekday.

A one-day route inside the Loop: start with banh mi at Roostar on Navigation in the East End, swing by Mandola's on Leeland for a po'boy to go, then head to Winnie's on Main in Midtown for an afternoon Peacemaker on the patio.

Before you go

• Check hours on each official site. Mandola's and Ploughman's close early on Saturday and skip Sundays, and Cafe Piquet typically closes on Mondays.
• Most of these shops take online orders for pickup, which beats the lunch line.
• Big sandwiches travel badly. Eat po'boys and banh mi right away; the bread is the point.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Houston po'boy?

It's Antone's deli-style po'boy rather than the fried seafood version. Jalal Antone introduced his "Houston po'boys" in the mid-1970s at Antone's Import Company, and they're still sold at Antone's shops and in grocery stores like H-E-B, Kroger and Randall's.

Where can I get a good banh mi in Houston?

Roostar Vietnamese Grill makes custom banh mi from family recipes at its Spring Branch, Galleria-area and East End shops. For more options, see our Vietnamese restaurant guide.

Where can I get a Cuban sandwich in Houston?

Cafe Piquet in Bellaire presses El Cubano with roasted pork, ham, Swiss, pickles and mustard. El Rey Cuban & Mexican Cuisine serves a Cuban sandwich at four Houston-area locations.

What is the biggest sandwich at Kenny & Ziggy's?

The Zellagabetsky, an eight-decker on rye with corned beef, pastrami, turkey, roast beef, salami, tongue and Swiss. The menu calls it the sandwich that's bigger than its name.

Where can I get an Italian sub in Houston?

Tony's Italian Delicatessen in Montgomery, Tomball and Spring serves a long list of hot and cold Italian subs. Inside the Loop, Mandola's Deli on Leeland has served Italian deli food since 1975.

Which Houston sandwich shops are open late?

El Rey's Shepherd Drive location typically stays open until midnight Monday through Saturday. Kenny & Ziggy's is typically open until 9 p.m. daily. Check official sites before you go.