In Search of the Best DC Sandwich

Picture this: You just got out of class and you are hungry for some good food at the dining commons. After swiping in, you begin the obligatory lap around, eyes peeled for anything yummy. First, you glance at the Savor options up at the front, but nothing looks good. A burger from Sizzle? No, this would be your fourth burger this week and you promised Mom you would start eating healthier. Simply3 at the back end? Unfortunately, iconic Simpy3 chef Chris is not working today; you do not trust the food. Sighing, you turn to the wrap and sandwich station. But what to order? What are the best sandwich orders in the dining commons, to help you when nothing else looks good? Eastern students answer with their go-to orders. 

For new students who might not know how the wrap and sandwich station works, the first thing to ask for is what kind of bread or tortilla you would like. The options for wraps are spinach, tomato and plain tortillas. For sandwiches, there are kaiser rolls, as well as potato, whole wheat, white and gluten free bread. Next, a sauce: pesto, pesto mayo, chipotle mayo, hot sauce, ranch, honey mustard, caesar dressing and cheeses. For protein, roast beef, ham, turkey, chicken and egg salad are offered. To top it all off, vegetables, with the choice of lettuce, tomato, bell peppers, banana peppers and jalapeños. Students have the option to toast their sandwiches in a panini press, so be sure to specify if you would like your sandwich toasted or not.

JR, Junior Business major, would get a sandwich with roast beef, american cheese, pepperjack and chipotle mayo on a toasted kaiser roll. Anisah, Junior Marketing major, prefers a spinach wrap toasted with chipotle mayo, provolone, chicken, lettuce and tomato. “I don’t like cold sandwiches, so when they toast it it makes it feel more like a burrito. It makes it feel more like Chipotle” Anisah said. Not everyone likes it toasted, though. Vesa, a Sophomore Math major, says her favorite order is a cold spinach wrap with caesar dressing, chicken and all the veggies. “I don’t like warm tomatoes,” Vesa explained, when asked about her aversion to the common toasting option. 

What about if you have dietary restrictions? Sophomore Sadie, an Accounting major who is vegetarian and gluten free, either gets a sandwich with egg salad or a sandwich with provolone and all the veggies. Gluten free bread is offered upon request at the station for students with gluten free diets. 

Although they are new to the dining commons, some Freshmen have already begun to figure out what they like best at the sandwich station. Rian, a Psychology major, is a big fan of pesto. Her favorite sandwich is a wrap with pesto, provolone, turkey, lettuce, spinach and bacon.

If you like it spicy, Criminal Justice Junior Kayleigh has just the sandwich for you. She would tell you to get a wrap with chicken, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeño and ranch. “The jalapeños make it,” she said. 

Bailey, a Psychology and Nursing Junior, prefers reliability and consistency over other metrics for measuring how good a sandwich is. She loves a wrap with provolone, ranch, chicken and sometimes spinach. “They can’t mess it up most of the time,” she reasoned. And the ingredients are frequently in stock, so she will not have to worry about changing her order on the fly. “The texture is nice,” she added. This can be especially helpful for students for whom the texture of their food is as important as taste.