12 sandwich spots worth the trip to the Jersey Shore

It may be the sun and the salt air, but sandwiches seem to hit differently at the Jersey Shore.

Here are 12 favorite sandwich slingers, listed geographically from Long Beach Island to Cape May. This list leans Italian because the Shore tends to draw creators with roots in the Italian enclaves of New York and Philadelphia who can work with the rolls from Atlantic City’s peerless Rando and Formica Bros. bakeries. But each spot takes the time to make ingredients in-house — or at least carefully source them. Your favorites may not be here; in that case, share your go-to Shore stops with us.

The selling points at this wood-shingled shack across from Spray Beach, which has groceries, a tiny dine-in area, and tables outside, are the upbeat staff and creative sandwiches. Standards: the duomo, with thin-sliced prosciutto, burrata, arugula, and a Parmesan truffle spread on focaccia; and the CBR panini with chicken cutlet, bacon, red onion, tomato, Swiss, and ranch dressing.

📍2613 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, N.J. 08008 fratellosmarketlbi.com

You’ll want to order a Danini — a panini brushed with an herb compound butter before it hits the press, named after co-owner Dan Starin — at the deli of this longtime gourmet retailer in Beach Haven. Feeling like Christmas in July? There’s a turkey and Brie with a cranberry cognac spread that’s painted with cranberry-honey butter.

📍830 N. Bay Ave., Beach Haven, N.J. 08008, 🌐 spiceituplbi.com

“Noodles of the Tay Region” is the translation of this spartan Vietnamese restaurant tucked inside a Pleasantville supermarket. Although pho and rolls seem to be the main draws here, it’s the banh mi — particularly the thit nguoi, with barbecue pork and pork roll — that get me. Since Pleasantville is inland, this is a sandwich to pack in your cooler bag.

📍700 Black Horse Pike, Pleasantville, N.J. 08232, 🌐 facebook.com/HuTieuMienTay

The irrepressible Mike Hauke and crew serve my absolute favorite sandwiches and pizza at the Shore out of a clapboard house in the shadow of Ocean Casino Resort in the Inlet. It could be 35 degrees in January, and there might be a line. Nothing fancy settings wise — a few tables in the graffitied dining room and a couple outside — but the sandwiches are as wild as their names (some of which are unprintable). To name only two: the Bubbie’s Bad Leroy sandwich (brisket, gravy, goat cheese, jalapeño, horseradish sauce, smoked mozzarella, crispy onion) and Teka the Shaka (garlic shrimp, sticky rice, smoked mozzarella, and a “Hawaiian” sauce).

📍300 Oriental Ave., Atlantic City, N.J. 08401, 🌐 tonyboloneys.com/locations/atlantic-city

You get old-time personal service and pricing at this hundred-year-old Atlantic City seafood counter near Caesars. The soft-shell crab sandwich — in fact, all the fried sandwiches — and platters (flounder and sea bass, notably) are best enjoyed at one of the few inside tables.

📍2243 Arctic Ave., Atlantic City, N.J. 08401, 🌐 facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068470627486

Most seem to go for the well-done pizza (in both senses of the word) at this snug mainland pizzeria, operated by South Philly expats who know their way around a pot of gravy. But the South Philly Italian sandwiches are also excellent: roast pork with spicy onions, and all the Parms.

📍1200 New Rd., Northfield, N.J. 08225, 🌐 carluccioscoalfiredpizza.com

This venerable deli near Marven Gardens, now in its third year under new management, seems to have a monopoly on well-made Italian sandwiches (notably roast pork with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone), plus grilled items, like a respectable Reuben. There’s also one of the finest selections of natural wines and spirits on Absecon Island.

📍7301 Ventnor Ave., Ventnor, N.J. 08406, 🌐 floridacoldcuts.com

This sunny market-cafe is known for its coffees, scones, and breakfast-y baked goods, and porch seating. But the good vibes extend into lunch, where standout sandwiches include one with steak, caramelized onions, and mushrooms on a baguette slathered with garlic butter.

📍214 West Ave., Ocean City, N.J. 08226, 🌐 facebook.com/WhosOnFirstCafe

“My gosh,” you may exclaim. “Liverwurst?” Yes, you can get this long-ago treat at one of Sea Isle’s oldest eateries, which has a full line of hot and cold Italian sandwiches. In the peak of summer, it’s tough to top the Jersey Basil (local tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella).

📍4309 Landis Ave., Sea Isle City, N.J. 08243, 🌐 giovannissic.com

More a bar-restaurant than a “sandwich shack,” this South American-influenced Jersey Shore setup offers an amazing po’boy with fried coconut shrimp tossed in spicy mayo, then piled into a toasted bun with celery and scallions. Like many platters, it comes with coleslaw, Old Bay fries, and corn on the cob.

📍206 97th St., Stone Harbor, N.J. 08247, 🌐 quahogsshack.com

Need a cheesesteak? A big pasta dinner? They have it at this simple counter-service joint still going strong after 71 years in North Wildwood. Among the line of Italian sandwiches — the meatballs, the cutlets, the Parms — you should pay close attention to something called an Italian steak bomb: It’s steak with melted provolone, Genoa salami, and house-made fried long hot pepper with garlic spread on a seeded roll.

📍101 E. 15th Ave., Wildwood, N.J. 08260, 🌐 alpfoods.com

You can order a Cubana or Milanesa torta, or even one filled with carne asada, at this cheery strip-mall taqueria off the beach in North Cape May. The one called “La Hawaiana,” though, should be on your list if you crave sweet and spicy: It’s chicken and pineapple topped with Oaxaca cheese, chipotle, lettuce, and avocado, and dusted with chipotle on a fluffy roll.

📍3704 Bayshore Rd., North Cape May, N.J. 08204, 🌐 elpueblotaqueria.com