Since the closing of The Sandwich Club, Oklahoma City has been badly in need of a “real” sandwich shop, which is to say, one that focuses on sandwiches almost exclusively. Most of our city’s great sandwiches are sitting on menus surrounded by other options: pizza, tacos, brisket, pasta, etc., meaning you have to choose them over something else great. And, yes, places like Hobby’s Hoagies and Cafe 7 have been doing a good job with sandwiches for years, and at least is those two spots, sandwiches were at least as important as the other menu items, but we’ve still been missing a proper sandwich shop until The Goose opened.

Located in Midtown (1210 N. Hudson), The Goose is the first sandwich shop in the urban core since The Sandwich Club, and owners Joel Irby and Nate Roberts are focused on delicious classic sandwiches in a beautiful dive bar setting. Inspired by Denver’s Curtis Park Deli, the menu features classic sandwiches – meatball, corned beef, Italian meats, veggie – served with house-made chips that have an inexplicably addictive quality. 

That dive bar is important to The Goose’s overall model of great sandwiches and great beer, so you can get OKC’s newest great beer Wells Pale Lager and Wells Amber on draft, and 12-packs are available for sale at the counter. Nate Roberts and rockstar designer Elizabeth Maxwell are behind the beer, and you’ll find cans in retail spots and in bars around the metro. 

As for the sandwiches, everyone seems convinced that the one they order is the best on the menu, and that’s a very good sign. The Midtown, a corned beef, sauerkraut and provolone build, is a personal favorite, and is the only rival in the city to Krell’s Deli’s phenomenal corned beef special. The muffuletta is very well done, as is the Italian, but honestly, I could just list all of the sandwiches, telling you that each is excellent, and it would be true. 

Chef Mitchell Dunzy is helming the kitchen, and his background as a baker is sure to come in handy. The menu does include a couple salads and three sides – pasta salad, cucumber salad, and chips – but the most pleasant surprise on the menu is the smash burger. So a burger is technically a sandwich, but we don’t treat it as such. However, given that it’s clearly one of the best ten burgers in the city, I’m going to extend the definition of “proper sandwich shop” to include a burger, as long as the burger is this great. 

In honor of their opening, we decided it’s a good time to compile an updated sandwich list with some of our favorites around the city, and in deference to The Goose as the subject here, we’ll put then first on the list, because – and this is important – it’s not a ranking, nor is it in any discernible order so think of it as a sandwich quest. 

The Goose. Muffaletta. Done the proper way, so yes to mortadella, and the tapenade and soft, flavorful bread make this one easy to love. 

Krell’s Deli. Reuben. Chef Jonathan Krell is a wizard, and this Yukon deli deserves your attention.

Jimmy B’s. French dip. So good you know the French weren’t involved. Definitely the best version of this classic in OKC.

Jamil’s Steakhouse. Smoked bologna. Add pimento. And it’s the good bologna, not that nasty lunch meat you grew up with.

Pizzeria Gusto. Italian meats. Still my favorite version of this sandwich, and they bake the bread in house.

Petro Deli. Chicken salad. A heaping mound of savory – never sweet – chicken salad makes this two meals, and it’s been the best for years.

Edge Craft Barbecue. Pastrami. It’s available on Fridays, and it will change your life.

La Duranguense. Barbacoa torta. Because no sandwich list is complete without a torta, and because this one is a great place to start.

30th St. Market. Turkey. It’s served on focaccia, and you need only know two words to understand: chimichurri mayo. 

Gilded Acorn. Egg salad. It comes on a croissant, so it’s stuffed croissant unless you sub the bread, but it doesn’t matter because it’s fantastic egg salad. 

The Hamilton. Pollo Hermano. Blackened chicken with creamy chipotle. What else do you need? It’s onthe bar menu only.

Med Deli. Falafel sandwich. Not just for the vegetarians either. And the spicy eggplant sauce is so good you’ll want a jar to go. 

Riviere Modern Banh Mi. K-Pop. Bulgogi sandwich that features some of the best bulgogi in the city, and their meat to bread ratio is much more carnivore-focused than traditional banh mi. 

The Press. Vegan Sloppy Joe. You will not care it’s vegan. You won’t care anything they make is vegan, because they really know how to build flavor. 

Burger Punk. Chicken Sandy. Because you have to have a fried chicken sandwich on a list, and this one feeds two. Truly one of the best things on the menu, and for a chicken sandwich to stand out at a burger joint it has to be great. 

Cafe 501. Cuban. It’s not as easy to do well as people assume, but always trust Chef Joel Wingate. It’s done properly and well.

Clark Crew BBQ. Burnt ends sandwich. Travis Clark has so many great sandwiches, it’s hard to pick one, but it’s also impossible to go wrong with burnt ends. You choose the sauce.

Milo. Breakfast sandwich. No list is complete without this too ofen overlooked breakfast classic. Chef BethAnn Lyon serves it on an english muffin with a choice of protein. The right choice is sausage.