November 3 was National Sandwich Day. As with so many other putative food holidays, nobody knows exactly who established it or decided when it should be celebrated. Americans hardly need a special occasion to honor the sandwich: According to some estimates, we eat more than 300 million sandwiches a day — extraordinary if true, since the current U.S. population is only about 330 million.

Merriam-Webster’s principal definition of “sandwich” is “two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.” Within those terms, the possibilities are endless: classics like grilled cheese (the most popular sandwich in America, according to a 2017 study by Datassential, a food industry market research firm), peanut butter and jelly, the BLT and the club; deli sandwiches and subs (aka heroes, hoagies, grinders, etc.); regional and international specialties (including Philly cheesesteak, New Orleans po’boys, Mexican tortas and cemitas, and Vietnamese bánh mi — the last of which has grown 393% in popularity in the past five years, according to Datassential), and many more.

When you have the craving for a sandwich, why choose an independent establishment over a chain like Subway or Quiznos? Independents are admittedly more expensive, but they are much more likely to let patrons customize their orders, and at least in some cases are probably able to spend more time (and money) sourcing quality ingredients than chains that buy or produce in bulk.

The best reason, though, might just be for the sake of variety. A cold cut combo at Subway will likely taste the same from Seattle to Miami, but every Italian deli version will be a little bit different.

To identify the best independent sandwich shop in each state, 24/7 Wall St. indexed ratings weighted by number of reviews for thousands of sandwich shops on Yelp! and Google. Ratings are out of 5. We excluded chain restaurants and otherwise used our discretion to ensure only independent shops were considered. To break ties, we chose the restaurant with more Yelp! Reviews.

Click here for the best independent sandwich shop in every state.

1. Alabama: Peppered Pig
> City: Huntsville
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

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2. Alaska: DW Grill & Catering
> City: Fairbanks
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

3. Arizona: The Subslingers
> City: Apache Junction
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

4. Arkansas: Green Submarine
> City: Fayetteville
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

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5. California: Big H Deli
> City: Fairfield
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

6. Colorado: Tokyo Premium Bakery
> City: Denver
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

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7. Connecticut: The Tasty Yolk
> City: Fairfield
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

8. Delaware: Malin’s Market and Deli
> City: Newark
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.7

9. Florida: The Pastrami Joint
> City: Hollywood
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

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10. Georgia: Jackie M’s & Son
> City: Augusta
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.8

11. Hawaii: Ali’i Coffee
> City: Honolulu
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

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12. Idaho: Lemon Tree Co.
> City: Boise
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.9

13. Illinois: Firenze Italian Street Food
> City: Chicago
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

14. Indiana: Subito
> City: Indianapolis
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

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15. Iowa: Hagar’s Manhattan Deli
> City: Des Moines
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

16. Kansas: Kimlan Sandwiches & Bakery
> City: Wichita
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

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17. Kentucky: Starving Artist Cafe & Deli
> City: Louisville
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

18. Louisiana: tM breads and pastries
> City: New Orleans
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

19. Maine: The Local Press
> City: Portland
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

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20. Maryland: C&B Italian Deli
> City: Ellicott City
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

21. Massachusetts: Toasted Flats
> City: Boston
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 5.0

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22. Michigan: Hero Or Villain Van
> City: Detroit
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

23. Minnesota: Brunson’s Pub
> City: Saint Paul
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

24. Mississippi: The Burger Shop
> City: Hernando
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.7

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25. Missouri: Bay Boy Specialty Sandwiches
> City: Kansas City
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

26. Montana: Montana Sub Shop
> City: Great Falls
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.7

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27. Nebraska: Sips & Subs
> City: Lincoln
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

28. Nevada: Karved
> City: Las Vegas
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

29. New Hampshire: Sub Station
> City: Hooksett
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

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30. New Jersey: Second Street Bakery
> City: Jersey City
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

31. New Mexico: AK Deli
> City: Albuquerque
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

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32. New York: Fat Cat Kitchen
> City: New York
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

33. North Carolina: South College Sandwich & Deli
> City: Wilmington
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.8

34. North Dakota: Magic City Hoagies
> City: Minot
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

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35. Ohio: Lox, Stock and Brisket
> City: University Heights
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.8

36. Oklahoma: A Resonance Cafe
> City: Tulsa
> Yelp rating: 5
> Google rating 4.7

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37. Oregon: Original Sub Factory
> City: Portland
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.9

38. Pennsylvania: 2 Fat Dogs
> City: Abington
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

39. Rhode Island: YiaYia Maria’s
> City: Cranston
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

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40. South Carolina: Eastside Bagel
> City: Charleston
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

41. South Dakota: Mama’s Phried and Phillys
> City: Sioux Falls
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.9

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42. Tennessee: Frussie’s Deli & Bakery
> City: Knoxville
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

43. Texas: Otherside Deli
> City: Austin
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

44. Utah: The Red Food Truck
> City: Salt Lake City
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.6

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45. Vermont: Sandwich Shoppe
> City: Rutland
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

46. Virginia: Sam’s Texas Sub Shop
> City: Norfolk
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.8

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47. Washington: My’s Vietnamese Sandwiches And Deli
> City: Seattle
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 5.0

48. West Virginia: Dirty Bird
> City: Morgantown
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.7

49. Wisconsin: Boo Boo’s Sandwiches
> City: Milwaukee
> Yelp rating: 5.0
> Google rating 4.8

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50. Wyoming: The Main Bagel
> City: Gillette
> Yelp rating: 4.5
> Google rating 4.8

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