As a part of Snack Shop series, Annie Arriaga investigates the latest and greatest viral snack shops in New York City to see if the hype is real, if the snacks are yummy, and if the spot is underrated, overrated, or perfectly rated.
I’ve been noticing something lately as I eat my way through New York City: There are way too many sandwich shops. It feels like every week a new one either opens up or somehow goes viral for a clickbait-y chicken caesar wrap that looks messy and impossible to eat. So, when The Sandwich Board popped up on my feed, I was not impressed—until I read the menu. The Sandwich Board is a tiny little stall the width of a door wedged between a bubble tea shop and a computer repair store in Chinatown with a bright red awning and a menu of strictly sandwiches and burritos. The twist that intrigued me: a mix of Asian, Latino, Italian, and American flavor combinations. Think: a killer Mexican barbacoa Torta next to a Texan style braised brisket sandwich on a bao. Their menu reflects the cultures and flavors that make up New York City, and I had never seen it in a sandwich form like this. While their menu seemed enticing, I wasn’t sure whether all of these flavor combinations would work together—so I paid them a visit.
Photo by Anna Arriaga
The Snacks
The menu is divided up into breakfast sandwiches, which are served until 4 p.m., and just “sandwiches,” which are served all day. There were a lot of options and I am only one girl, but I wanted to get a true taste of their offerings in just one visit. I visited the little red door on a particularly cold Friday afternoon and was less than happy to see there was an eight-person line. (I hate lines.) But such is the reality of having a little series where I voluntarily choose to visit and rate viral shops in New York, so I waited patiently. They also sold out of the day’s special, a Cuban ‘Tsangwich,’ which particularly hurt because as a Miamian, I am a self-proclaimed expert in all things Cuban food. I landed on two sandwiches, one from the breakfast menu and one from the other.
Tres Golpes Burrito: Tres golpes is a traditional Dominican breakfast dish of fried cheese, fried egg, mangú, fried salami, and pickled onions (plus mayoketchup). Basically, a combination of my favorite things all in one, and this place put them all together in a burrito that costs less than $10. Satisfying, delicious, all the right ingredients and ratios, no notes. I would eat this for breakfast any day.
Photo by Anna Arriaga
Tsangwich with Peking duck. Based on what I’d seen on social media, the Tsangwich—topped with scallion, tomato, duck sauce mustard, hoisin and a pineapple bun—seemed like the best representation of their overall menu. I opted for Peking duck (they also have Chashu pork version). The crunchy outside and the sweet inside of the roll already made this sandwich a hit. Then, you get to the crispy duck with the sweet stickiness of the hoisin sauce—that’s when I knew I had struck sandwich gold. And for under $20 at that. A winner!
Final Rating
The Sandwich Board thoroughly surprised and impressed me (and my taste buds). Both sandwiches I tried were new takes on the norm in New York, and to put it simply, pretty damn good. This spot gets a perfectly rated from me!
If you’re reading this and you have a suggestion for a Snack Shop in the city that I must visit and (honestly) rate, leave a comment here or on our Snack Shop TikTok video. I love suggestions!
