BÁNH MÌ at SAIGON DELI
This beautifully uncomplicated sandwich hits all the taste spots in your mouth for $3 — $3! A crispy French baguette is filled with grilled pork, daikon, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro and fresh jalapeños. It’s a classic Vietnamese (and Tampa, really) flavor mashup that never disappoints. 3858 W. Waters Ave., Tampa, 813-887-3888, facebook.com/saigondeli/. —Julio Ramos
A great bagel sandwich is hard to find, but this one-stop shop for Jewish soul food does it right. Hand-sliced “salty” (but not too salty) belly lox, red onions, tomatoes and kalamata olives on a crusty-yet-fluffy bagel of your choice — it’s the perfect savory treat at any hour of the day. Who says bagel sandwiches are limited to breakfast, anyway? 2619 23rd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-321-3847, stpetedeli.com. —Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
GOLDEN GATE at WRIGHT’S GOURMET HOUSE
A true cafe deli, Wright’s is a sando-churning machine, which translates to an eatery you can’t go wrong at — no matter which offering you choose after braving the crowd. The signature sandwich that will hit the most areas of your tongue is the Golden Gate, featuring roast pork, Jarlsberg cheese, bacon, German dill pickles, lettuce, the big-deal mustard sauce, and house-made peach chutney — a blast of flavor that’s not found on your typical sandwich. 1200 S. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 813-253-3838, wrightsgourmet.com. —Chris Fasick
HOT ITALIAN at MAZZARO’S ITALIAN MARKET
There are plenty of reasons to join the always-lengthy line at Mazzaro’s deli counter, but this might be the best one if you’re just in search of a delicious, on-the-spot or to-go meal rather than groceries or antipasti fixin’s. It’s got all the standard Hot Italian ingredients — ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, Italian dressing — but this version is the original, the classic, the best. 2909 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-321-2400, mazzarosmarket.com. —Scott Harrell
Turkey sandwiches are usually boring — but not the one from this South Tampa institution. What looks like an oversized baguette pretty much collapses in your hands, the perfectly herbed turkey (roasted in-house) providing a comfy bed for mayo and a not-too-thick, not-too-thin slice of pepper jack melted on top. The mushroom helping feels stingy at first sight, but the proportions are perfect for a sandwich that is wild, indeed. 1155 S. Dale Mabry Highway #10, Tampa, 813-289-9758, mottandhesterdeli.com. —Ray Roa
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This article appears in Jun 15-22, 2017.