San Diego’s BEST Chicken and Steak Sandwiches EVER

I’m back!

So, after a long hiatus from posting something on SDF, I thought it’d be appropriate to pay a visit and declare my love for San Diego’s BEST chicken and steak sandwiches EVER.  It’s been long overdue since we’ve probably ordered more than 100 chicken sandwiches from Chez Nous during the last decade and a half.

My favorite chicken sandwich is a non-traditional one called the Spicy Chicken Melt from Chez Nous in the Scripps Ranch area.

This little sandwich shop is a hidden gem, unassuming and tucked away in a strip mall off the Carroll Canyon Road exit.

This sandwich is so addictive that you can probably inhale a couple of these in one sitting.  It has chunks of white meat chicken enveloped in a spicy mayo sauce that’s paired nicely with melted cheese and slices of tomato between two slices of jalapeno cheese bread.  I don’t know what spices they use.  Maybe it’s a Cajun spice? Or Indian spices since the sandwich shop owners, a husband and wife team, are Indian British.  There are many days and nights that I would dream about this sandwich.  It’s heaven between two slices of bread.

Chez Nous also features other sandwiches, salads, and soups, and is a great lunch spot if you live, work, or visit the Mira Mesa/Scripps Ranch area.

Since the shop is small – several small tables inside and a few tables outside, I would recommend calling ahead and placing a take-out order especially since the line to order will sometimes run out the door.  Also, make sure you have enough cash on hand since it’s a cash-only establishment.

Chez Nous

9821 Carroll Canyon Rd., Ste E
San Diego, CA 92131

(858) 566-4766

A close second for me is the chicken sandwich at The Promiscuous Fork in La Jolla.  See Darren’s prior post here.

NEXT UP!!

My favorite steak sandwich is also a non-traditional one, called Steve’s Steak Sandwich from Teriyaki Grill in the downtown Chula Vista area.  Don’t let the restaurant name deceive you.  This is a no-frills restaurant that serves up Asian fusion food, a little Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese with some Mexican influences.

The Steve’s steak sandwich features USDA prime beef, grilled medium rare, thinly sliced and loaded onto a soft, grilled torta roll.  Sounds amazing already, right?

Well, the spicy Peruvian chimichurri sauce is what takes the sandwich to a whole other level.  It’s pungent, spicy, salty, tangy, and aromatic.  I always ask for the sauce to be served on the side since I like to control the amount of sauce in each bite of steak sandwich.  I’ve thought about the sauce, and it’s closer to a spicy garlic vinegar oil.

They prepare everything fresh to order, even the sauce.  The kitchen is open to the dining area so you can see the action behind the cash register and grill.

I’ve often observed them preparing the sauce, and you can see them scooping out the garlic vinegar oil from a large, clear restaurant food storage container to add to freshly chopped Thai bird chilis and cilantro.  You can choose to have fries or a house salad to accompany the sandwich.  I usually choose the fries.  My one critique is that they should salt the fries.  Priced at $9.50, it’s such a great value!  I am always smiling after having one of these because you know you’ve eaten well.

We’ve also tried their teriyaki salmon bento, which is also great.  They use wild Alaskan salmon, grilled golden with crispy skin-on.  We’ve ordered this more than a half a dozen times, and the salmon always comes out a perfect medium.

The bento comes with steamed rice, grilled veggies (usually pumpkin and zucchini), side salad with house ginger dressing, and two potstickers.

My recommendation is that you place a take-out order if you’re in a rush because we’ve waited more than half an hour for our food before.

Teriyaki Grill

380 3rd Ave
Ste B
Chula Vista, CA 91910

(619) 585-1789