Hot Dog
The two names give it away: a frankfurter is Frankfurt, a wiener is Vienna. The American hot dog is that emigrant sausage in a soft split bun, and a natural casing makes the lineage audible as a snap.
USA
Zep
The zep is Norristown's long-roll sandwich, defined by its refusals: one meat, salami, never lettuce, thumb-thick raw onion, oregano, and oil. Named for a zeppelin around 1938.
Z-Man
At Joe's Kansas City the onion rings go inside the brisket sandwich: smoked brisket, smoked provolone, and fried rings sealed under the kaiser, named for a radio host who called himself the Z-Man.
Wrap Sandwich
Any sandwich filling rolled in a flour tortilla or lavash; 1990s health-food trend that became permanent American sandwich format.
Whiz Wit
Cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and onions; purist's choice.
White Hot
Uncured, unsmoked pork and veal hot dog; Rochester regional specialty.
White Castle Slider
Small, thin beef patty cooked on a bed of onions with pickle on a mini bun; America's first fast-food hamburger chain (1921). Steamed, no...
Whataburger Patty Melt
Two patties, Monterey Jack, grilled onions and a creamy pepper sauce on buttered Texas toast: the diner patty melt rebuilt to run through a drive-thru, Whataburger's own.
Whataburger Original
Five-inch bun with large beef patty, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions; Texas-born chain (1950), beloved across the South. Cu...
Whataburger Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich
Chicken strips with honey BBQ sauce, lettuce, and tomato on a toasted bun; Texas late-night staple.
Western/Denver Sandwich
Scrambled eggs with ham, onions, and bell peppers on toast.
Western Bacon Cheeseburger
Burger with bacon, onion rings, and BBQ sauce; Carl's Jr. creation.
West Virginia Pepperoni Roll
Pepperoni baked inside a yeast bread roll, grease melting into the dough; invented 1927 by Giuseppe Argiro for coal miners needing portab...
Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Wendy's Spicy Chicken: cayenne and paprika fried into a breaded breast, lettuce and tomato and mayonnaise on a toasted bun, no spicy sauce; introduced 1996, permanent in 1998.
Wendy's Baconator
Two quarter-pound beef patties with six strips of bacon, two slices of American cheese, ketchup, and mayo; Wendy's premium burger since 2...
Wedge (Westchester)
Regional name for submarine sandwich in parts of New York.
Wawa Gobbler
Hot turkey, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce folded into a roll at a gas-station counter. The Wawa Gobbler is Thanksgiving dinner as a hoagie, sold only a few weeks a year.
Wawa Classic Hoagie
Italian deli meats on a hoagie roll customized via touchscreen kiosk; Wawa convenience stores are a Mid-Atlantic institution, annual 'Hoa...
Walleye Sandwich
Breaded and fried walleye fillet on a bun; Great Lakes specialty.
Virginia Ham Biscuit
Thinly sliced Virginia country ham on a buttermilk biscuit.
Vermonter Sandwich
Roasted turkey or ham with sharp Vermont cheddar, sliced green apples, and honey mustard on country bread; Vermont's namesake deli sandwich.
Vermont Cheddar Burger
A burger that swaps the soft melting slice for sharp aged Vermont cheddar, crumbly and low-moisture, a cheese that talks back to the beef instead of sealing it. A New England staple.
Venezuelan Arepa
A corn-flour cake split and packed warm with shredded chicken and avocado, black beans and queso, or shredded beef and cheese; the everyday food of a US Venezuelan diaspora.