Roast beef, swiss cheese, and mayonnaise all stuffed between a roll of dutch crunch bread. In the South San Francisco area, there are several sandwich shops that offer this standard sandwich, but which one has the best quality for the best price.

Let’s start with the locally renowned Mr. Pickles Sandwich Shop. As I split the roast beef beauty that sat before me in half, I stopped and marveled at the amount of roast beef that was able to fit between the bread. There was literally so much beef that the bottom layer of bread was getting smashed by the weight of the beef, which was stacked about 1 ½ inches high. The cheese seemed non-existent, as there was only three slices (which costs and extra fifty cents) spread through the sandwich. There seemed to be the right amount of mayonnaise, spread neatly across the top bun of the sandwich that left a distinct taste. Lastly, the bread was at just the right softness and thickness which provided a firm foundation for the ingredients to rest on. The total price for this sandwich was $5.50

Meanwhile, at the Westborough Deli, the same sandwich was purchased for a price of $6.50. Although only one dollar separates this shop from the previous one, the quality did not match that of Mr. Pickles. The bread is the same length, but is thicker and softer. The roast beef seemed to be hidden in the bread, and the amount of beef in the sandwich was approximately 40% less than that of its competitors. One of the few bright spots in the sandwich was the cheese and the mayonnaise, which seemed to go well with each other and provided the right taste.

To finish off this comparison, is Lidia’s Deli. For the same price as Mr. Pickles, the roast beef sandwich offered at Lidia’s seemed to rival that of Mr. Pickles. The beef seems to be of the most superior quality of the group, although there was 30% less beef than Mr. Pickles. The bread was broader than that of Mr. Pickles and Westborough’s, but was the shortest of all of the shops. The cheese was strategically dispersed throughout the sandwich, all 3 slices (which were once again purchased for fifty cents) placed evenly throughout each half of the sandwich. The mayonnaise was in short supply, but added enough moisture and kept the sandwich from being completely dry.

Overall, the best sandwich would have to be Mr. Pickles’ roast beef sandwich. The best beef award would go to Lidia’s, while the best cheese would be Westborough’s. The sandwich for the most value is a tie between Mr. Pickles and Lidia’s, both priced at $5.50 and both tasting the best. There are many sandwich shops to be explored, and many sandwiches to taste. So which shop is the best? Let the debate begin.