Photograph: Jason Little

The 100 best dishes in Chicago 2015: burgers and sandwiches

These sandwiches—with smoked tofu, fat meatballs and sweet lobster—are the best things between sliced bread

Tuesday December 1 2015

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Chicago's burger craze continued this year, and two very different burgers made our list. But this list is about more than just beef—we loved the smoked tofu sandwich at Smalls Smoke Shack & More, fell for the duck fat dog at the Duck Inn, easily one of the best hot dogs in Chicago, and added a newcomer to our list of the best lobster rolls.These are the best burgers and sandwiches of the year.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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Double cheeseburger at Community Tavern

Pan-Asian
Portage Park
price 2 of 4

Photograph: Martha Williams for Time Out

A great burger should be required of all neighborhood restaurants. Portage Park dwellers are lucky to have this double cheeseburger, with melted cheddar, grilled onions and a tangy sauce made with habanero, anchovy paste and ketchup. $16.

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Happy lobster roll from Happy Lobster Truck

Photograph: Jaclyn Rivas

The cheerful truck launched this summer and instantly began serving one of Chicago’s best lobster rolls, with sweet, tender lobster slicked with mayo and butter and served on a burger bun for easy eating. $17.

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Duck fat dog at the Duck inn

American
Bridgeport
price 2 of 4

Photograph: Martha Williams

The star of Kevin Hickey’s menu is the duck fat dog, a juicy duck and beef sausage, dragged through the garden and topped with house-made pickles. $10.

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Nonna’s meatball sub at Nonna’s Sandwiches and Sundries

Sandwich shops
West Loop
price 2 of 4

A good meatball sub has big, flavorful meatballs, melting cheese and crusty bread. A great meatball sub, like Nonna’s version, has all these, plus a spicy house-made giardiniera to tie it all together. $10.

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Lamb with cumin powder in flatbread at Xi’an Cuisine

Chinese
Armour Square
price 1 of 4

Photograph: Courtesy Xi'an Cuisine

Everything we ate at this Xi’an newcomer was a delight, but nothing moreso than this sandwich, stuffed with tender, cumin-spiced lamb and tucked into seared, crisp bread, which we’ve dreamed about pretty much daily since eating. $3.50.

American
Logan Square

Clam bellies are frustratingly hard to find in Chicago, so that makes Wyler Road’s clam sandwich extra special. Perfectly fried plump bellies are tucked into a bâtard with crisp bacon and a squiggle of lemon aioli. $14.

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RPM truffle burger at RPM Steak

Steakhouse
River North
price 3 of 4

Photograph: Grace Allen

The luxe clientele at RPM Steak requires a luxe burger, and the lunch-only truffle burger, with melting foie gras butter, truffle aioli and red wine onions, delivers without sucking up your whole paycheck. $17.

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Smoked tofu sandwich at Smalls Smoke Shack & More

Barbecue
Irving Park

Photograph: Jaclyn Rivas

Meat isn’t the only thing Smalls is smoking—the gently smoky, crispy tofu is terrific when piled between Texas toast and crowned with a fried egg. $9.75.

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Philly cheesesteak at Boeufhaus

Steakhouse
Ukrainian Village
price 2 of 4

Photograph: Jaclyn Rivas

Lunch at Humboldt Park’s Boeufhaus is just as good as dinner. Proof: this cheesesteak, with tender shaved rib eye, caramelized onions and melted American cheese tucked into a D'Amato's roll. $11.

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Crab roll at Luke’s Lobster

Seafood
Loop
price 1 of 4

Photograph: Jaclyn Rivas

The lobster roll here is good, but it’s the crab roll—overstuffed with sweet crab meat, lightly dressed with both butter and mayonnaise, and sprinkled with spices—that best channels days by the ocean. $13.

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Pork belly and manchego bocadillo at Next Tapas

Eclectic
West Loop
price 4 of 4

Photograph: Martha Williams

This pork belly and manchego bocadillo, served on Next’s patio this summer, was so good, so gloriously fatty and such a terrific drinking snack, it deserves a permanent place on the Aviary’s food menu. No longer available.

Contemporary European
East Garfield Park
price 1 of 4

Polish sausage at the Original Maxwell Street

Photograph: Jaclyn Elizabeth Rivas

This walk-up window has zero seats, so to properly tackle the huge, smoky sausage, draped with griddled onions, mustard and peppers, you’ll need to assume the Italian beef-eating stance. $3.75.

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Slow-roasted pork sandwich at Avec

Mediterranean
West Loop
price 2 of 4

Photograph: Jason Little

Avec’s lunch service didn’t come a moment too soon, since you need to eat as many slow-roasted pork sandwiches, decked out with marinated carrots, turnips and cilantro and spicy harissa aioli, as possible in this lifetime. $12.

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Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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The 100 best dishes in Chicago 2015: burgers and sandwiches

Double cheeseburger at Community Tavern

Happy lobster roll from Happy Lobster Truck

Duck fat dog at the Duck inn

Nonna’s meatball sub at Nonna’s Sandwiches and Sundries

Lamb with cumin powder in flatbread at Xi’an Cuisine

Clam belly at Wyler Road

RPM truffle burger at RPM Steak

Smoked tofu sandwich at Smalls Smoke Shack & More

Philly cheesesteak at Boeufhaus

Crab roll at Luke’s Lobster

Pork belly and manchego bocadillo at Next Tapas

Polish sausage at the Original Maxwell Street

Slow-roasted pork sandwich at Avec