Which 'Wiches Top Our List?
Tattooed Moose’s Cuban Sandwich: A Cuban sandwich is a panini style sandwich that consists of ham, cheese, mustard and pickles (basically an extra delicious adult version of a grilled cheese). What makes Tattooed Moose’s version really stand out is that they use a sweet and spicy pickled tomato instead of standard pickles. I could eat a giant plate of these pickled tomatoes on their own. The sandwich is perfectly toasted and melty and served with a mojo dipping sauce. If they made purse sized mojo sauce bottles, I would carry one with me everywhere because it is so good, it is a blend of citrus fruits, garlic, onion and a lot of different spices. No trip to Tattooed Moose is complete without their roasted garlic and blue cheese fries. A good cheese fry starts with good fries and theirs are made in duck fat, which makes them so flavorful, the crispy fries are then topped with a blue cheese fondue and accompanied with a whole bulb of roasted garlic that is squeezed over the fries upon being served. If you’re ever sad....go to Tattooed Moose and order their cheese fries. If you’re ever hungover...go to Tattooed Moose and order their cheese fries. Seriously, order their cheese fries.
Leon’s Shrimp Roll: Any good sandwich starts with good bread and this bread is both fluffy and toasty at the same time and the perfect vehicle to hold the heaping pile of shrimp salad which is coated in a horseradish mayo and dotted with celery. I love that their horseradish mayo has a real kick to it (but is still balanced) and I also enjoy that the shrimp and celery are both kept in large pieces. What really makes this sandwich for me is that it is topped with potato chips giving the sandwich so much crunch. All of their sandwiches are served with a marinated cucumber salad that is topped with sesame seeds. I love this salad, it is both refreshing and flavorful and won’t weigh you down, giving you room for dessert. I don’t usually do dessert with lunch, but I love that Leon’s offers soft serve ice cream with sprinkles, it’s a nostalgic dessert and just so cute! Other must tries on the Leon’s menu include their fried chicken (a guy recently flew from Miami because he had a craving), their fried brussel sprouts and their hush puppies with honey butter.
Little Jack’s Tavern Burger: Little Jack’s Tavern Burger is almost a celebrity in Charleston having been selected by Bon Appetit as the best burger of 2017. The two things that make this burger pure perfection for me is its size and simplicity. I do not believe bigger is better with burgers and like that this a burger that I can truly hold and eat with one hand (for reference it is about the same size as a standard cheeseburger at Mickey D’s). The patty is simply topped with a slice of American cheese, a sunchoke relish and ‘tavern sauce’ all atop a sesame bun. The patty is obviously a crucial part of any burger and Bon Appetit sites Little Jack’s perfect meat to fat ratio (75/25) and blend of chuck and brisket as part of the reason why this one is so good. The burger is such a favorite that it is listed as both a snack and a dessert and at only $8 so you actually can eat it for dessert as well. While not as well known as its beefy brother, their shrimp burger is also outstanding and definitely worth a try.
167 Raw’s Scallop Po Boy: I have mentioned this sandwich before, but I could literally write an entire love letter to it, so here I go again! First of all this sandwich is so photogenic, large juicy seared scallops, drizzled with a fuschia and spring green sauce, topped with fresh microgreens all sitting on a perfectly browned roll. It is almost too pretty to eat...almost. In a typical po boy the seafood is pretty heavily breaded and fried, but like the rest of menu, the scallop po boy really highlights the natural flavors of good seafood. The scallops are huge and perfectly cooked. They are dressed with two colorful sauces, one of which is beet based, I am actually unsure of what the green one is, but the combination of the sauces with the natural sweetness of the scallops is incredible. The microgreens on top of the sandwich really adds a freshness to the dish that cuts through a little bit of the richness of the perfectly buttered roll. All of their sandwiches are served with potato chips, which in my opinion is the best side for a sandwich. 167 Raw also has a spectacular lobster roll and tuna burger that I sometimes cheat on my Po Boy with.
