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128 NW Eleventh Ave, Portland, OR 97209 · 503-445-3700 · www.pcs.org
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Hands hold a spatula over a prop sandwich with realistic bread and melted cheese slices resting atop a red cutting board on a metal table.
A cast member works with a realistic prop sandwich during rehearsals for Clyde's at PCS; photo by Tamera Lyn

PCS Picks: Favorite Sandwich Shops

We welcome Clyde’s to the U.S. Bank Main Stage starting June 1! This Tony Award nominee for Best Play in 2022, written by Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage, is guaranteed to have you laughing, entertained, and charmed all at the same time! This heartwarming comedy follows the story of several loveable, formerly incarcerated kitchen staff members of Clyde’s, a modest but busy truck stop diner located in a rural environment. Though this ambitious team with big dreams is navigating their new lives on the outside on a quest to redemption, their tough boss at work makes life a bit challenging for them all. That does not stop this crew from working hard in search of creating the perfect sandwiches to not only please their boss, but satisfy every customer that walks through the doors!

Inspired by this amazing showcase, we at PCS have been in search of amazing sandwiches all throughout our local Portland area. We’ve decided to list our staff’s picks of some of our favorite places to eat in the city and want to share them with you all! 

  • Ida loves to eat at both An Xuyen Bakery and Jojo’s!
  • Joel says the “Pastrami Zombie” from Sammich PDX has a Pastrami sandwich with Russian sauce and slaw that is to die for!
  • Edwina loves Bodega PDX in the Foster-Powell neighborhood. Her favorite sandwich is the Waste Management. She also shares: “I love this place, not only because the sandwiches are great; it's just so surprisingly fun and random to have a sandwich shop in the middle of a convenience store!! I can pick up anything else I may need while I'm there.”
  • Eric thinks Addy's Sandwiches are fantastic! Though his go-to sandwich is the turkey with cranberry relish and brie panini, he enjoys the fact they have a changing daily special that is creative and sometimes harrowing.
  • Dustin loves to support local, and says East Side Deli (specifically the one on Lombard) is his go-to sandwich spot. His go-to sandwich is the “Spicy Cajun Chicken Sandwich.” 
  • Antonio also loves Sammich however, Taste Tickler has always been a true Portland local’s spot and staple in our city. He’s gone there a lot since growing up and says it's always consistent! He almost always gets the teriyaki chicken sub.
  • Liam loves the BLB - Bacon Lettuce Beets sandwich filled with Crispy bacon with perfect beets! He says “It's a summer dream,” and you can only find it at Meat Cheese Bread!
  • Kamilah loves a salty/sweet combo and therefore loves the “Jimmy Pesto” from Break Bread. She says it's filled with these amazing sweet peppers, and she loves that most of the sandwiches on the menu are named after Bob’s Burgers cartoon characters, which makes her laugh!
  • Marlene likes Addy’s, but her favorite is Bunk Sandwiches. She says there are Many delicious items on the menu, but always comes back for their Cubano sandwich!
  • Rachel loves East Side Deli on Hawthorne! They like little hole-in-the-wall spots and this one has a menu with very customizable deli sandwiches, lots of vegan options, and great flavors. Their favorite sandwich to order however is the Vegan BBQ Sandwich or the Veg-Italian!
  • Drew says he also gots to give it up to Taste Tickler and their Honey Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken subs! This local spot reminds him of the sub shops back home in Upstate NY! Some other honorable mentions of Drews include: Devil’s Dill, Sammich, Otto’s and The Block.
  • Nsilo loves a good late-night spot, and therefore loves Charlie’s Deli which closes at 1:30 A.M! He loves the Real Turkey on Ciabatta or Alicia's Cuban Sandwich!
  • Charley’s favorite sandwich shop is Tokyo Sando! They have a delicious Vegan Tofu Miso Katsu Sando that comes with black garlic. The tofu is fried perfectly and their bread is so soft! A runner up is DC Vegetarian. They make a great Vegan Italian Sub. Their options are very customizable.
  • Christian loves The Baker's Mark, because they're only two blocks from The Armory and their The Godfather sandwich gives him an excuse to say “gabagool!”
  • Em also loves Break Bread, though their go to sandwiches are The Chubby Puggy and the #1! They say “the Dutch Crunch bread is awesome, and so is the bacon jam!”
  • Jeremy joins the others with Break Bread being a favorite as well. However, the Chicken Avocado Ranch sandwich, with crispy onions seems to be his sandwich of choice!
  • Katie loves GÜERO NO.1 TORTAS and their Torta Carnitas, with Carlton Farms pork, and everything that is good in the world (fresh and pickled onions, avocado, lime, cilantro...).

Well there ya have it, folks! We hope to see you for Clyde’s! Just make sure to not come hungry, and check out any of these local PDX sandwich shops with certified recommendations from highly credited critiques, here from Portland Center Stage!

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Prop sandwich photographed during rehearsals for Clyde's at PCS; photo by Tamera Lyn

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