With so many hungry college students nearby, it’s no surprise Norman contains a wide variety of restaurants. But of these places to eat, which one can serve students the best sandwich for lunch? To find out, The Daily went on a sandwich crawl to find the best bite in town.
We traveled to 10 restaurants to search for the tastiest sandwich Norman has to offer. In two days, we tried sandwiches from Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails, Bison Witches Bar & Deli, Coriander Café, Hideaway Pizza, Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe, O’Connell’s Irish Pub and Grille, Diamond Dawgs, Midway Grocery & Deli, The Library Bar & Grill and The Mont.
We scored each sandwich on a scale of 1 to 5, based on flavor, ingredients and overall personal preference. We asked each restaurant to recommend its best sandwich or a customer-favorite sandwich. Here’s what we found:
Day 1:
1. Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails
“California Girl” - ($12.00) Herb-marinated chicken topped with provolone cheese, fresh guacamole, tomato, onion, sprouts and roasted garlic aioli on sunflower honey wheat bread. Served with shoestring fries.
Heath: 4.0
Alma: 3.9 to 4.1
Scratch is set up to be a fun brunch or dinner place but was full of open tables during lunch time. However, Scratch has a fantastic atmosphere for a high-quality sit down lunch with the “California Girl."
2. Bison Witches Bar & Deli
“The Green Turkey” - ($8.49) Thinly sliced white turkey breast layered with avocado slices, bacon, cream cheese, alfalfa sprouts, mayo and a hint of salsa. Served with chips and salsa.
Heath: 4.2
Alma: 4.2
“The Green Turkey” is a layered sandwich stacked with flavor. Bison Witches has a long list of enticing sandwiches. Although a bit far from campus, this Main Street sandwich gem is worth the trip.
3. Coriander Cafe
“Banh Mi Sandwich” - ($6.00) French baguette, pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro, pate, aioli, jalapenos, cucumbers and meat of choice (we chose sesame ginger beef).
Heath: 3.6
Alma: 3.6
The sesame ginger beef was delicious, although this sandwich can be served with any of their meats. The cucumbers and jalapenos affected our score due to personal preference. Located on Campus Corner, this restaurant is convenient, affordable and presents a menu of flavorful, Vietnamese options.
4. Hideaway Pizza
“Italian Sub” - ($8.95) Slices of ham, genoa salami and pepperoni, with red onions, black olives, banana peppers, a melted blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, and topped with shredded lettuce, Roma tomato slices and creamy Italian dressing. Served with homemade potato chips.
Heath: 4.5 to 4.6
Alma: 4.2
Again, personal distastes affected our scores. Had this sandwich been served without black olives or banana peppers, it may have scored higher. Nonetheless, Hideaway is a nearby, sit-down pizza joint with a college/local feel that makes any customer feel at home.
5. Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe
“Italian Club, #11” - ($6.99) Genoa salami, capicola, pepperoni, ham, provolone cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, vinegar, oil and Italian seasoning.
Heath: 3.5
Alma: 4.4
For some students, Pickleman’s is the classic Norman sandwich shop on Campus Corner. Pickleman’s has earned this honor with quick service, good prices and excellent sandwiches. The Italian club is their most popular choice, and our taste buds agreed with this sentiment.
Day 2:
6. O’Connell’s Irish Pub and Grill
“All-American Pub Club” - ($8.50) Ham, chicken, bacon, Swiss and cheddar cheese on classic sourdough. Served with fries.
Heath: 3.8
Alma: 4.5
The moose head hanging over our table certainly fit the aesthetic of this classic Campus Corner pub, as did the triple-layer club sandwich. We weren’t quite certain we could fit the whole thing in our mouths for a bite. Luckily, we did, and we can tell you this sandwich is worth taking a big bite.
7. Diamond Dawgs
“All American” - ($6.99) Polish sausage topped with mac and cheese.
Heath: 3.5
Alma: 4.0
One of us considers hot dogs to be sandwiches — the other does not. We went to Diamond Dawgs anyway and found the lively baseball theme and the combination of macaroni and cheese and sausage made for a great experience overall.
8. Midway Deli & Market
“The Vulcan” - ($9.50) Santa Fe turkey, pepperoni, cheddar, avocado and tomato with sweet chili mayo on grilled sourdough.
Heath: 4.8
Alma: 4.9
If the cute small town atmosphere of this local deli didn’t make us happy, the sandwich certainly did. First sweet, then tangy, and spicy – the Vulcan did a lot in one bite.
9. The Library Bar and Grill
“Monterrey Chicken” - ($6.95) Chicken, BBQ, bacon and provolone served hot on a kaiser bun. Served with potato chips and a pickle.
Heath: 4.2
Alma: 4.6
Just across the street from Catlett Music Hall, the Library is a quaint and cozy place to spend a cold, rainy day in. The sandwich was served hot with melted cheese and kept our stomachs warm for the rest of the day. The hot chocolate was also fantastic.
10. The Mont
“Miguel’s Club Sandwich” - ($5.19) A triple decker on toasted sourdough bread with turkey, ham, bacon, American and Swiss cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato. Served with fries.
Heath: 3.7
Alma: 3.7
The Mont has been in Norman since 1976, and its building captures the restaurant’s history perfectly. The friendly staff and homey setting makes it a go-to restaurant for anyone looking for comfort food.
The Winner:
Midway Grocery & Deli (4.9/5)
For it’s reasonable price, friendly small town atmosphere and delicious food, Midway Grocery & Deli takes the crown as The Daily’s best sandwich place in Norman. Its signature Vulcan sandwich could not be topped.
