The cheeseburger gets all the hype at Chicago’s favorite modern diner in West Loop. But don’t sleep on the equally sinful fried bologna sandwich. It’s definitely no run-of-the-mill Oscar Mayer lunch sandwich you might’ve had as a kid. House-cured mortadella is crisped on a griddle and piled high with melted American cheese on brioche buns to create an upgraded nostalgic throwback. Like most dishes at Au Cheval, it’s a gutbuster.

Here's the hot dog exception. This classic Chicago dish isn't for the faint of heart, and the menu at The Bagel lists it as "a special treat." Take a hot dog, then stuff it with cheese, wrap it with bacon and deep fry the sucker. It's full of love.

The bread gives Ba Le an advantage over other banh mi peddlers, as the bun gives new life to any of the variety of options at the Argyle spot. The lemongrass pork is a highlight, but really there's not a loser in this bunch of Vietnamese goodness.

Chicago continues to innovate in the sandwich sciences, and the jibarito is a clear example. Popular in Puerto Rican neighborhoods, nosh on crisp plantains masquerading as bread, then topped with mayo, cheese, and lettuce. Pick steak or crispy roast pork.

The Budlong's Nashville hot chicken is crispy and juicy, no matter how spicy diners ask staff to make it. The brioche bun and house-made pickle perfectly complement the heat.

Poultry stars at Kevin Hickey's lauded Bridgeport restaurant but the hits don't end there. His menu of elevated comfort foods includes a mouthwatering hamburger sandwich made with Tallgrass Beef, Brun Uusto cheese, and Dijonnaise. Dining solo? No worries; enjoy it at the bar with a cold beer.

The breaded steak sandwich is a gift from the South Side of Chicago and enemy to diets with crisp deep-fried beef slathered with marinara and topped with melted mozzarella.

Sure, that name is pretty cringeworthy. With that out of the way, imagine a cornmeal tamale drowning in chili, placed in a hot dog bun and topped with lettuce and tomatoes—most of the toppings found on a Chicago-style hot dog.

This Bridgeport restaurant consistently cranks out great Italian fare. That extends to its sandwiches, especially the rib eye, full of chunks of steak with tomatoes and lettuce.

Fresh, quality seafood is in short supply in the Midwest so it should come as no surprise that a good lobster roll is often hard to find. Do some homework, though, and you can catch this food truck that makes up for its elusiveness with an exceptional sandwich. Make lunch a happy one by scarfing down sizeable hunks of Maine lobster meat served on a burger bun. For an extra kick, get it "angry"-style with spicy mayo and hot giardiniera.

Over in Morgan Park, diners can't get enough of that steak sweet. The sandwich, with sweet sauce, has even garnered a shout out from R. Kelly.

This Costa Rican knockout has been bringing Latin flavors to Bucktown since 1990. You can’t go wrong with any of the hearty plates but the pepito is a definite highlight. It’s packed with rib eye steak or chicken, sautéed onions, cheese, beans, and Lizano sauce. Pair it with an oatmeal milkshake for a winning combo.

Walk into a time warp when entering this more than 70-year-old grocer. Order to the right when you come and ask for the Mr. G. That's an Italian sub stuffed with sharp provolone, hot sopresatta, prosciutto, salami, marinated artichokes, fresh basil, oregano, and a truffle mustard balsamic vinaigrette.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Manny's corned beef's been satisfying Chicagoans for generations, so make a pilgrimage ASAP.

It's been around for decades, but Maxwell Street Depot makes its pork chop sandwiches available to customers 24 hours a day. The sandwich features a tender, juicy, bone-in pork chop that's thrown between a bun and loaded with mustard, grilled onions, and hot peppers.

Chicagoans love a good beef sandwich and these cheesesteaks are as authentic as any you’ll find outside the City of Brotherly Love. Owners Jennifer Monti and James Gottwald are Philly expats who do right by the famed sandwich, using Black Angus rib eye and Amoroso rolls and offering melted Wisconsin cheddar sauce. In addition, there are also variants such as “The Rocky” (grilled onions, smoked provolone, jalapeno, scotch bonnet, charred serrano, spicy mayo).

The cramped sub shop, the little sibling of Formento's, goes heavy on the meats. The chicken parm may be the star of the bunch, exactly what a sandwich should be.

Pastoral has locations in the Loop, Lakeview, and Andersonville, and owner Greg O'Neil has a real commitment for the finest meats and cheeses he can find. Try the Blue Pig 'N Fig (jamon Serrano, blue cheese, local fig and black tea preserves, whole grain Dijon mustard, field greens).

Roister is the only casual member of the Alinea Group, and the boisterous restaurant has a popular $13 fried chicken sandwich during lunch hours. The perfectly fried breast comes from birds that are fed scraps from fine dining restaurants.

There are countless places to go for barbecued meats in the city and this popular spot on the northwest side stands among the best. The moist and tender brisket is the finest around, rubbed with two layers of spices and smoked for 14 hours. Order it sliced or chopped on a bun and see why there’s always a line out the door.

In 1995, nearly a decade after the Ramli family immigrated to Chicago from Jordan, they opened Sultan’s Market near the Six Corners intersection in Wicker Park. Today, it has flourished into a vegetarian’s paradise and their signature dish, the falafel sandwich, is one of the best in Chicago.

Steak hoagies are a bit of a South Side staple and for the last 60+ years, Taurus Flavors has been serving up its version, the Steak Supreme. Unlike the Italian beef, this is more like a Philly cheesesteak (without the cheese), coming with sweet peppers and Taurus' signature sweet sauce.