What’s your favorite sandwich? Maybe you have several. So enjoy them all: August is National Sandwich Month.

And try something new, too. Check out our Sandwich Glossary for inspiration.

There are quite a few different “Top 10” favorite sandwich lists online. We looked them over, and think that the one from YouGov may best reflect America’s preferences.

> See the survey results below. Is your own favorite on the list?

> The history of the sandwich.

> Try a different sandwich from your usual. Check out our Sandwich Glossary.
 
 
WHAT ABOUT PANINI?

August is also National Panini Month—why, you may ask, because a panini is just a different type of sandwich.

Panino is Italian for a sandwich made on a small roll, ciabatta, or a small loaf cut horizontally (like a hero roll).

Sometimes, it is pressed on a stovetop grill or frying pan—in more recent times, an electric panini press—and served hot. But in Italy, a panino doesn’t have to be either grilled or hot.

In the U.S., the category of Italian sandwiches, made in a press, is called panini (the plural of panino).

The tern has been Americanized so that a single sandwich is called a “panini” instead of, correctly, “panino.”

But, as with many things, it’s too late to correct an entire country. We might as well just sit back and enjoy an extra few sandwiches—grilled Americanized panini—style.
 
 
AMERICA’S FAVORITE SANDWICHES

According to this 2019 YouGov survey, of 1,223 people*, most Americans prefer that gooey staple comfort food, the grilled cheese sandwich.

The survey scored the sandwiches on their “likeability rating”. Respondents were asked whether they “really like” or “somewhat like” a particular sandwich.

The 15 most-liked sandwiches:

 
Our own personal list would look very different from this. How about your Top 5?

Regional differences exist, of course. For example, the survey found that:

 
Midwesterners mostly fall in line with the national average, except for one stat: They don’t seem to try too many different types of sandwiches.

Asked about lobster rolls (41% nationally), crab cakes (39%), cheese and tomato (27%), and Cuban sandwiches (43%), Midwesterners were more likely to say they had never tried these sandwiches.

See photos of the top 15 below.

[1] America’s favorite sandwich is grilled cheese. Here, it’s made with cheddar on sourdough bread (photo © Tillamook County Creamery Association | Facebook).

[2] Grilled chicken is the second-favorite sandwich, but we personally need something more interesting than your basic fast-casual or deli variety. How about this grilled chicken BLT on a biscuit with ranch dressing (photo © Mason Dixie Foods | Facebook)?

[3] In 7th place is the club sandwich, which is our personal #1. The recipe in this photo changes it up by adding avocado—which makes it a California club—on brioche instead of toast—which makes it magnifique! (photo © St. Pierre Bakery.

[4] We love a PB&J, #9 on the list (photo © Grain Foods Foundation).

*This is not a particularly large sample size, given the different demographics—age, region, culture, etc.—that should be reflected. But, it’s better than the other surveys we examined. The methodology, per YouGov:

This survey has been conducted using an online interview administered to members of the YouGov PLC panel of 1.2 million individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. Emails are sent to panelists selected at random from the base sample. The e-mail invites them to take part in a survey and provides a generic survey link. Once a panel member clicks on the link they are sent to the survey that they are most required for, according to the sample definition and quotas. (The sample definition could be “US adult population” or a subset such as “US adult females”).

Invitations to surveys don’t expire and respondents can be sent to any available survey. The responding sample is weighted to the profile of the sample definition to provide a representative reporting sample. The profile is normally derived from census data or, if not available from the census, from industry-accepted data.

YouGov PLC makes every effort to provide representative information. All results are based on a sample and are therefore subject to statistical errors normally associated with sample-based information.