Cuban Sandwich (Key West)
Key West folds lettuce, tomato, and mayo into its Cuban, which the mainland calls heresy. Its cigar community predates Ybor City by a decade, though the sandwich's age there is less firmly fixed.
Andrew Lekashman
Croqueta Preparada
Miami's croqueta preparada presses a whole fried ham croqueta into a Cuban sandwich, cracking its crust open on the plancha so a second, saucier filling runs through the ham and Swiss.
Croque Monsieur (American Bistro)
American bistro interpretation: ham and Gruyère with béchamel on toasted bread, broiled; upscale brunch staple.
Croissant Sandwich (Trendy)
Butter croissant as sandwich vehicle for various fillings; elevated by artisan bakeries nationwide (Tartine, Dominique Ansel). Korean-ins...
Crispy Fish Sandwich
A breaded white fish fillet on a steamed bun with cold tartar and a half-slice of American cheese. Lou Groen invented the Filet-O-Fish for Catholic Cincinnati in 1962.
Crawfish Po' Boy
Fried or étouffée-style crawfish tails on French bread.
Cracklin Sandwich
Fried pork skin (cracklins) on French bread.
Crab Cake Sandwich
Lump Chesapeake blue crab barely bound with egg, mayo, and a little cracker, pan-fried or broiled on a soft bun. Maryland's restraint sandwich, and where the name was printed.
Country Ham Biscuit
Salty cured country ham on a fluffy biscuit; Southern breakfast staple.
Cornell Chicken Sandwich
Charcoal-grilled split chicken in a vinegar, oil, and egg baste from a 1946 Cornell recipe, pulled off the bone onto a soft white bun. Upstate New York firehall and county-fair food.
Corned Beef Sandwich (Cleveland)
Piled corned beef on rye; Cleveland has more corned beef per capita than anywhere.
Corned Beef on Rye
Salt-cured beef brisket sliced and served on rye with mustard; Jewish deli staple.
Corn Dog
A frank on a stick is dipped once in cornmeal batter and dropped into hot oil, the coating sealing in a single pass. No bun, no assembly: the carrier and the cooking are one step.
Connecticut Steamed Cheeseburger (Ted's)
At Ted's in Meriden the beef never touches a hot surface: patty and cheddar steamed in separate metal trays, the molten cheese poured over the meat. A Connecticut-only burger since 1959.
Connecticut Lobster Roll
Warm lobster slipped into melted butter and spooned hot into a griddled split-top roll, eaten before the butter cools. The older New England roll, and the one that never went cold.
Connecticut Hot Dog
Hot dog served in a split-top bun with sauerkraut and spicy mustard.
Coney Island Hot Dog (Original)
Beef frankfurter on a steamed bun with spicy meat sauce, raw onions, and yellow mustard; the template for all American chili dogs. Nathan...
Coney Island Hot Dog (Michigan)
Michigan's version of chili dog; Lafayette vs. American Coney Island rivalry.
Colorado Green Chile Burger
A Colorado green chile burger arrives smothered: a cheeseburger flooded with gravy-thick pork green chile until the bun gives way, eaten with a fork. Built on the Pueblo Mosco chile.
Colombian Arepa de Huevo
Deep-fried corn arepa with a whole egg cooked inside; Colombian street food found in Colombian-American enclaves.
Coddies
A fried cake of salt cod and mashed potato pressed between two saltine crackers with a stripe of yellow mustard. Faidley's Seafood has been serving it in Baltimore's Lexington Market since 1886.
Club Sandwich
The defining feature of a club sandwich is the slice of toast nobody eats around: the third one, through the middle, a structural beam that braces the tower and keeps the wet layers from the dry.
Cleveland Polish Boy
A grilled kielbasa is only the foundation. The Cleveland Polish Boy stacks french fries, coleslaw, and barbecue sauce on top until the sandwich gives up on being neat, which is exactly what it is after.
Clam Roll
Fried whole belly clams or clam strips on a hot dog bun with tartar sauce.