A sandwich is mostly bread, and a few shops in town take that seriously enough to bake their own. The best bakery sandwiches in Cleveland come from a short list of bakeries and sandwich counters where the baking happens in the same building as the sandwich making, so the bread is about as fresh as it gets.
Most of them are on the near west side, in Ohio City and Clark-Fulton, within a few minutes of each other along Fulton Road, Lorain Avenue and West 29th Street. Two more are on the east side, in Cleveland Heights and Little Italy.
Cleveland’s classic corned beef delis are covered further down. For every deli and sandwich shop on the map, open the full Cleveland deli and sandwich guide.
Baked on site
Bakeries and sandwich shops that bake their own bread
Ohio City
Larder Delicatessen and Bakery
Best for: A pastrami Reuben on house bread
Larder Delicatessen and Bakery is a deli and bakery on West 29th Street in Ohio City, a short walk from the West Side Market. The bread is baked in-house, and the sandwiches to know are the pastrami Reuben and the fried chicken sandwich.
It is one of the most talked about delis in the city, so it makes sense as the first stop if you are working through this list.
Ohio City
Herb'n Twine Sandwich Co.
Best for: A smoked turkey club or an Italian
Herb’n Twine Sandwich Co. is a sandwich shop on Lorain Avenue in Ohio City that bakes its own bread. Order the smoked turkey club, the Italian or the crispy chicken. It sits farther out Lorain than the West Side Market blocks, and it is well liked by the people who make the trip. It keeps daytime hours for part of the week, so plan it as a lunch stop and check before you drive over.
Clark-Fulton
Caribe Bake Shop
Best for: A Cuban sandwich
Caribe Bake Shop is a Latin bakery on Fulton Road in Clark-Fulton, and its Cuban sandwich is one of the best known in Cleveland. It opens early every day, so it works for breakfast as well as lunch. It is one of the most talked about and best-liked stops on this list, and it sits a short drive south of Ohio City.
Clark-Fulton
Las Villas Deli & Pastries
Best for: Puerto Rican deli food and pastries
Las Villas Deli & Pastries is a Puerto Rican bakery and deli on West 41st Street in Clark-Fulton, a short drive from Caribe. It serves pastries and deli food and opens early every day, which makes it a good first stop on the way to work or on a weekend morning. Pair it with Caribe on the same morning and you have covered two of the Latin bakeries in Clark-Fulton in one trip.
Cleveland Heights
On the Rise Artisan Breads
Best for: Roast beef, prosciutto or banh mi on the east side
On the Rise Artisan Breads is a bakery on Fairmount Boulevard in Cleveland Heights that makes its sandwiches on its own bread. Options include roast beef with arugula, prosciutto and a banh mi.
It is one of the best-liked spots on the whole list. Sandwiches can sell out later in the day and it is closed one day a week, so go early and check first.
Cleveland
Affettati
Best for: Italian subs in Little Italy
Affettati is an Italian sandwich shop on Mayfield Road in Little Italy, just up the hill from University Circle. Its sandwiches are made on bread baked that morning, and its subs have a big following. It is about as well liked as any sandwich shop in town. Hours are limited to a few days a week, so check before going.
Plan a route
A west side bread run
The four west side shops are close enough to cover in one late morning. Start in Clark-Fulton at Caribe Bake Shop on Fulton Road and Las Villas on West 41st Street for pastries and a Cuban sandwich. Then head north into Ohio City for a Reuben at Larder on West 29th Street, near the West Side Market, and pick up a turkey club at Herb’n Twine on Lorain Avenue to take home.
On the east side, On the Rise in Cleveland Heights and Affettati in Little Italy are a short drive apart, both a few minutes east of University Circle. Both have limited hours or sell out, so the east side trip works best early in the day.
The classics
If you want a corned beef deli instead
Cleveland’s deli tradition runs on corned beef, and those places are a different kind of stop. Slyman’s Deli on St. Clair Avenue piles corned beef high on rye for breakfast and lunch and is open weekdays only. Express Deli on Smith Road in Brook Park, near West Park, makes its own sauces, dressings and sauerkraut, and the Reuben or corned beef with garlic sauce is the order.
Harvard Deli on Harvard Avenue on the southeast side keeps very long hours and has a following for its corned beef. Joe’s Deli & Restaurant on Hilliard Boulevard in Rocky River is a full-service deli for corned beef and pastrami with Lebanese dishes on the menu. For an Italian market counter, Gallucci’s on Euclid Avenue in Midtown makes a muffuletta, an Italian sub and a meatball sub.
Good to know
Questions before you go.
Where can I get a banh mi with a bowl of pho?
Superior Pho on Superior Avenue in AsiaTown is a go-to for banh mi. Order one with a bowl of pho and dip it like a French dip.
Is there a sandwich shop with a lot of vegetarian choices?
La Bodega on Jefferson Avenue in Tremont has a long numbered menu of sandwiches and salads with vegetarian options. The #37 ham panini is a favorite.
Where can I get a sub on Coventry?
Grum’s Sub Shop on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights has been there since 1977. The Turkey Ridge is the signature, with the Grumsteer and the Italian close behind.
Every deli on the map
See all the delis and sandwich shops around Cleveland
The <a href="/guides/best-delis-sandwiches-cleveland/">Cleveland deli and sandwich guide</a> maps corned beef counters, bakeries and sub shops across the city and suburbs, with details for each one.