A staple of East Nashville’s Riverside Village neighborhood, Mitchell Deli is busy at all times of the day. The shop is known for its interesting mix of ingredients, demonstrated in sandwiches packed with jalapeño pimento cheese, seitan, and a marinated flank steak. If you’re a vegetarian, try the BBQ Asian tofu sandwich with avocado, sprouts, pickled cucumber, and sesame ginger dressing on a hoagie.

The bread at this Wedgewood-Houston bakery holds its own against the assortment of killer pastries and sweets on offer. Baked fresh daily, the baguette sandwiches come with several different customization options including BLT, chicken salad, salami, and baba ganoush. Dozen also features a seasonal donation loaf available for purchase with a percentage of the proceeds going to local charitable organizations like Nashville Launch Pad and Conexion Americas.

Situated in 12 South, Epice’s minimalist, airy space can feel like a modern gallery where the art is assembled on the plate before you — not the walls. The Lebanese restaurant serves up a flavorful selection of sandwiches and wraps on its lunch menu, including marinated sirloin shawarma and chickpea falafel. Each dish is served with potatoes and a salad.

Head to Greenhouse Nashville in Green Hills, where, much like it sounds, you can sip cocktails inside a functioning greenhouse. The bar’s adjacent cafe, The Food Company, serves up excellent sandwiches, like turkey with sharp white cheddar and crisp vegetables and a grilled cheese slathered with herb butter and roasted cherry tomatoes. Gluten-free bread is available for an extra charge.

A sandwich palace surely deserves a spot on the list, and Bill’s is East Nashville’s go-to for stacked sandwiches like their classic turkey piled high with sliced tomato, banana peppers, caramelized bacon, a hash brown, and cheese, or — if you’re feeling adventurous — a daily mystery sandwich. They rotate their specialty sandwiches every two weeks, so there’s always something new to pique your tastebuds’ interest. Pair your plate with a Caesar salad (made with broccoli, cucumber, and red onion) or a bag of chips, all of which can be ordered in-store or online for pickup.

At 51st Street Deli in the Nations, you can grab everything from grocery store essentials to tacos and a proper sandwich in one fell swoop. You can’t go wrong with Southern standards like a BLT, chicken salad, or fried bologna sandwich. Other options point to regional favorites, like a Reuben sandwich, Cubano, or Philly cheesesteak.

Nolensville Pike is the keeper of many under-the-radar restaurants, and Subculture is no exception. Inside this small strip mall fixture,  you’ll find a menu that jumps from empanadas and tacos to hot chicken ramen — but its collection of sandwiches stands out. Try the Churrasco, a steak sandwich with avocado, fried egg, and tomato topped with chimichurri on fresh aioli-slathered buns.

East Nashville’s destination for plant-based food, Be-Hive Deli and Market, serves up classic subs and hot chicken sandwiches all made from its own seitan, a high-protein meat substitute. After picking up the deli’s gooey crunchwrap sandwich, swing by the market and grab a few of Be-Hive’s housemade vegan meats to take home.

Eastwood Deli, a local family-owned deli in East Nashville, makes its sandwiches from scratch daily with everything from house-cured meats to bread baked in-house. Start your day with breakfast options like a Southern fried chicken biscuit or smoked bologna, egg, and cheese, then grab a tuna melt, roast beef hoagie, or pastrami on rye for lunch on the way out.

Germantown’s Spread Market and Larder provides easy access to grocery list items like wines, pantry staples, and charcuterie basics. Plan your visit around lunch, where one meat and one vegetarian sandwich option is offered Wednesday through Saturday (and veggie-only available on Sunday). On any given day, you’ll find turkey, provolone, and green tomato sandwiches on the menu, or hummus, feta, and sprouts served on bread baked fresh daily.