The New York chopped cheese sandwich is having a moment. From its humble East Harlem beginnings in the 90s, the chopped cheese aka the ‘people’s sandwich’ is taking over the New York sandwich scene just as its elbow (or eyebrow) once took over sports entertainment. #IYKYN
So, with more options than ever to get a chopped cheese sandwich in the city today, wrestling over your decision to find a Rock solid version is more complicated than the ingredients on the sandwich itself – beef, cheese, onion and some ‘dressing’.
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To help you smell your way to victory, here is a list of New York’s best chopped cheese.
Bodega Truck
The best chopped cheese in New York is undoubtedly found in a bodega. But when you hear it might come from a bodega on wheels, then that’s going to make your brain hurt harder than a Piledriver. Chef Anthony opened Bodega Truck – New York’s first and only chopped cheese food truck – in 2021 and started slinging his sandwiches across all boroughs, helping to bring the city back from the culinary dead of 2020. Since then, his extensive menu of chopped cheese sandwiches has made New York sit up(right) and take notice.
While Bodega Truck offers some deliciously fun alternative chopped cheese options that would require a serious Undertaking to eat through – including spicy chicken, breakfast and even pizza versions – you need to start with the OG at Bodega Truck. The classic combo of beef, onion, American cheese, lettuce and tomato are tweaked with ‘bodega sauce’ meaning that every bite is a nostalgic experience for your tastebuds.
Shmackwich
Mankind wasn’t supposed to do many things – land on the moon, break the 4-minute mile, survive a fall from the top cage of a Hell in the Cell match, or even more outrageously, make the chopped cheese fancy (and delicious) as f*ck. But that’s exactly what Shmackwich has done with their gourmet sandwich offering. And like all record breakers before them, it’s a winner, catapulting it onto the list of the best chopped cheese in New York.
Shmackwich elevates the chopped cheese sandwich experience with its selection of decadent ingredients. Starting with wagyu beef, yes you read that correctly – wagyu, the sandwich enjoys a more buttery and delicate taste than its regular ground beef cousin. A ‘cheese blend’ is rich gooey decadence, as is a bacon leek marmalade and spice mix that adds sweet and spice to the equation. The usual fixins go on top and you get the option for a ‘big boy’ or ‘small boy’. But while there ain’t nothin small about Mankind, this little guy wrestles above its weight class.
Blue Sky Deli (formerly Hajji’s)
In any list of the best chopped cheese, Hajji’s is a Stone Cold lock as an entrant for one simple reason – they invented the sandwich! Today the bodega is called Blue Sky Deli, but it was in the late 90s that a former chef first diced up a hamburger patty to better fit it in a roll, and the sandwich was born.
A visit to Hajji’s is as classic as it comes. The clanging of metal against hot grills echo through this old school bodega as you enter. The smells of sizzling ground beef twirling with pungent aromas of onions and cheese melting together under the masterful chopping of the cooks who will prepare it “The Hajji way” (with mayo, ketchup, onions, lettuce and tomato) for you. While it may not be the best chopped cheese in New York, it is definitely still a stunner and a worthy inclusion on this list.
High Line Deli II
The first question about High Line Deli II being featured on the list of New York’s best chopped cheese is “what about High Line Deli 1”? While the answer to that remains a Mysteri(o) to this day, what is abundantly clear is that behind the mask of an unremarkable bodega in the Lower East Side, sits a serious contender for best chopped cheese sandwich in New York – the spicy chopped cheese.
As the name suggests, this is a chopped cheese with a kick to it. Not one, not two, but three spicy elements are added to this chopped cheese. Pepperjack cheese adds a tickle to the tastebuds, but it’s the pickeled jalapenos and chipotle mayo that both kick you in the face harder than a 619. But pain is pleasure, which is exactly what one of the best chopped cheese in New York certianly is.
Brooklyn Beef ‘n ‘ Cheese
No one ever told Brooklyn Beef N Cheese that three is a crowd. And thank god for that because when their chopped cheese comes out served on a conjoined Triple bread roll, all you’ll be able to think to yourself is HHH – (Holy Hell, How?). Yes, a 3-bun brioche is the delivery mechanism for your chopped cheese of choice here.
From Marine Park to Manhattan, Brooklyn BnC is hitting the Pedigree of New York’s chopped cheese with their unique twist on the city’s classic. Aside from the 3-bun brioche delivery mechanism that their classic (and delicious) chopped cheese comes on, they also serve up a smokey pulled pork version here that will knock you out. With Nashville smoked pulled pork, mozzarella, onions, mustard and pickles, the only question is whether you bother sharing the 3 buns with the crowd or keep it all to yourself.
Chopped Cheese Deli
Its only natural that a list of the best chopped cheese in New York includes a bodega literally named Chopped Cheese Deli. What’s slightly less Nature-al for this Boy is selecting a Tex Mex version of this classic sandwich. But it may be stylin, limousine ridin, son of a gun sandwich that I am not profilin before ordering. So here we go.
All the classic components of the chopped cheese are here – diced beef patty, onion, cheese, lettuce and tomato. But what gives this version its Flair is the addition of chipotle mayonnaise with its mix of sweet richness and smokey undertones, plus jalapenos for some straight up heat. Adding hot sauce as well is a real kick in the nuts, in a good way, as is its price under $10.
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In anticipation of a Royal Rumble of comments about the ones we’ve missed, let us know what you think the best chopped cheese in New York is via our socials or on an A Man & His Sandwich Tour.
