Lunch: Top of the Stack

Sandwiches have come a long way since Mom packed Wonder Bread ham-and-cheeses in our sack lunches. Those classic combos get reimagined at local spots with house-cured meats, imported ingredients, and housemade aiolis.

Pot Roast Melt

Erika’s Place, $6.49
➼ Grandma’s comfort-food staple gets the melt treatment with oozing cheddar and the restaurant’s famous bistro sauce.
40 W. Jackson St., Cicero, 984-9303; 102 S. Union St., Westfield, 804-7001

#9 Torta

Tortas Guicho Dominguez y El Cubanito, $7
➼ The Fletcher Place sandwich spot stuffs this popular torta roll with a family-secret chorizo blend, grilled chicken, and gooey layers of queso fresco.
641 Virginia Ave., 658-0735

Beer and Bacon

Your Local Deli and Market, $9.50
➼ A salty-spicy-sweet trifecta comes courtesy of this specialty: slices of turkey breast, chipotle mayo, and Triple XXX root-beer jelly on sourdough.
5543 E. Washington St., 653-1812 (Updated: According to their Facebook page, Your Local Deli and Market are now closed.)

Goose

Goose the Market, $7.85
➼ Tender prosciutto rossa sourced from an Iowa farm’s rare breed of Berkshire pigs makes this combo—finished off with basil, mozzarella, and EVOO—a bestseller.
2503 N. Delaware St., 924-4944

The Sandwich

The North End Barbeque and Moonshine, $14
➼ A carnivore’s dream: housemade sausage and slow-smoked brisket loaded with slaw until it reaches the height of a beer can.
1250 E. 86th St., 614-7427

Grilled Cheese

Plow & Anchor, $9
➼ A tangy, buttery combination of Old Kentucky Tomme and Gouda cheeses swiped with rich onion jam elevates this lunch staple.
43 E. 9th St., 964-0538

Pastrami

Shapiro’s, $13.25
➼ The beef is shipped in from New York and topped simply with Swiss cheese and a squiggle of mustard to showcase the pastrami’s briny, hearty flavor.
808 S. Meridian St., 631-4041

Spicy Cuban

Twenty Tap, $9
➼ Shredded pork gets heaped onto crunchy bread and fired up a notch with pepper Jack cheese and a hefty dose of Sriracha on this oft-requested sandwich.
5406 N. College Ave., 602- 8840

Mile High Club

Rock-Cola Cafe, $6.99
➼ A two-tiered jawbreaker, Rock-Cola’s take on the traditional club is piled six inches high with thick-cut bacon, turkey, ham, lettuce, and tomato.
5730 Brookville Rd., 357-2233

» The Complete List of Indy’s Great Spots for Lunch
» Indy’s Food Fight: A Lunch Bracket Battle
» May I Suggest: Indy Movers and Shakers Recommend Lunch

This article appeared in the September 2015 Issue.