Best Sandwiches in San Diego

The best price-to-quality ratio of any sandwich in the county, by a wide margin.

Che Cali bakes its own baguettes, which is why the banh mi shatters correctly instead of squashing. The grilled pork is well-marinated, the pickles are sharp, and the whole thing costs less than a downtown coffee and pastry.

Local tip: Buy three — they're cheap enough to justify and they keep well for a few hours.

The definitive San Diego beach-day sandwich, built around a sauce people drive across town for.

Board & Brew's turkey sandwich is a local institution largely because of the sauce, which sits somewhere between a sweet mustard and a dressing. The build is consistent across locations, and the sandwiches travel well to the beach.

Local tip: Order ahead online — the Del Mar original has a lunch line most days.

Northern Italian panini with imported ingredients and bread that holds up.

Ambrogio's sandwiches are built like the ones in Milan: fewer ingredients, better ones. The mortadella and stracciatella combination is the standout, and the focaccia has real chew. Prices sit above the category, which is the main deduction.

Local tip: Add stracciatella to anything — it's the upgrade that makes the price make sense.

The best torta in the county, from the same adobada spit that makes the tacos famous.

El Gordo's adobada comes off a vertical spit with proper char, and the torta format gives you far more of it per dollar than the tacos do. The bread is standard telera, which keeps it from scoring higher.

Local tip: Order the torta when the taco line is long — it's a faster window and a bigger portion.

The best lobster roll in San Diego, at a price that keeps it out of the top three.

Ironside's warm, butter-poached Connecticut-style roll is properly executed on a griddled split-top bun. The lobster is generous and fresh. It's excellent and it's expensive, and the value score reflects that.

Local tip: Order at the bar during happy hour — the same roll appears at a lower price on some days.