Sacramento, CASandwiches

Roxie Deli & Barbeque piles together large sandwiches at its neighborhood market on C Street, where smoked meat gives the counter a second calling. The single East Sacramento location stays woven into its quiet residential surroundings, part grocery stop and part barbecue joint. Regulars come as much for the smoked meats as for the overstuffed sandwiches.

Đức Hương builds Vietnamese sandwiches at its Stockton Boulevard shop, layering house prepared meats, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs into crisp baguettes baked for the job. The bánh mì and giò chả reward a close look. In Little Saigon, the counter offers a sandwich tradition all its own, sitting apart from the American delis and Italian markets across town.

Corti Brothers is a longstanding grocer whose deli counter draws a steady crowd for carefully built sandwiches. In house butcher work backs up the meat, and the shelves carry imported pantry goods and prepared foods worth a detour. On Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento, a quick sandwich stop easily turns into a broader shopping ritual around the serious meat counter.