Best Sandwiches Downtown Raleigh: The Katsu Sando & More

Hunting for the best sandwiches in downtown Raleigh? Element Gastropub stacks up standouts like the crispy Bánh-Chi and Nashville Hot Chik'n—all 100% plant-based.

When the lunch clock hits and you're somewhere in downtown Raleigh, you need a sandwich that pulls its weight. Element Gastropub, 421 Fayetteville St in City Plaza, takes handhelds seriously, crispy things, saucy things, soft-toasted things, and every one of them is 100% plant-based. If you've been chasing that perfect crunch-and-sauce sandwich moment, this is where to find it. The Bánh-Chi: Crispy, Bright, Unforgettable If there's a sleeper favorite on the menu, it's the Bánh-Chi. Picture sweet chili crispy tofu tucked into a baguette with sriracha-lime aioli, cool cucumber, quick kimchi, cilantro, scallion, and jalapeño, the produce sourced from McLamb Family Farm. It hits every note at once: the shatter of the crust, the tang of the kimchi, the slow heat of the jalapeño, all balanced by that creamy-spicy aioli. It's the kind of sandwich you keep thinking about days later, wondering when you can get back for another. The Handheld Lineup Runs Deep Beyond the Bánh-Chi, the fried-chik'n handhelds are the heart of the menu, and they don't miss: Nashville Hot Chik'n , crispy fried chik'n tossed in house Nashville hot sauce with coleslaw, mayo, and pickles on a brioche bun. The heat builds bite over bite, tempered just enough by the slaw. Crispy Chik'n , double-dipped crispy fried chik'n, sweet hunni mustard, house pickles, and crisp lettuce on toasted brioche. Simple, balanced, deeply satisfying. Ask for it grilled if you'd rather. Buffalo Chik'n , fried chik'n smothered in buffalo with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ranch or bleu cheez. Ask for scorpion style if you want it turned up. Grilled Chik'n Club , grilled chik'n, bacun, american cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and hunni mustard, stacked tall on brioche. Sandwiches From the Chef's Table Our Chef's Table lineup adds a more composed, produce-forward take on the sandwich: Anaheim Pimento Cheese Sandwich , roasted Anaheim pimento cheese, arugula, heirloom tomato, and pickled red onion on grilled sourdough, with Bailey Farm produce. Southern and grown-up. Heirloom Tomato Avocado Focaccia , Better Boy tomato, smashed avocado, bacun aioli, and alfalfa sprouts with sea salt and cracked pepper. Peak-summer eating in sandwich form. Carolina BBQ Sandwich , smoked BBQ in an eastern-style sauce with creamy coleslaw on brioche. A local classic done plant-based. Front Porch Dilly Chik'n Salad , house-made Southern chik'n salad with lettuce and tomato on toasted sourdough, easygoing and bright. Even Brunch Gets in on It Saturday breakfast starts at 8am, and the morning menu has handhelds worth setting an alarm for. The Colossal Breakfast Burger stacks an Impossible patty with special sauce, bacun, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and an egg patty on thick-cut Texas toast, a sandwich in the loosest, most glorious sense. The Classic Breakfast Bagel keeps it tidy with egg, cheese, and your choice of bacun or sausage on any bagel. It's proof the kitchen's sandwich instincts don't clock out just because the sun's barely up. See the weekend spread on our brunch page. What Makes a Sandwich Actually Great It comes down to balance. The ratio of bread to filling. The interplay of crispy, soft, crunchy, and tender. The way flavors stack and build with each bite instead of falling flat. Our kitchen sweats those details, which is why you finish a sandwich here feeling satisfied rather than reaching for something else. Explore the full list on our menu . Built for the Downtown Lunch Hour A desk salad shouldn't be the highlight of your workday. Element is an easy walk from City Plaza offices, government buildings, and the warehouse district, quick enough for a proper lunch break, good enough to make the middle of the day memorable. See why it's a downtown staple on our downtown lunch page. Round It Out Complete the plate with a side of malt vinegar fries or a small order of stout-battered onion rings, a scoop of coleslaw, and a Maine Root soda made with cane sugar. If you're keeping it light, the House Salad does the job. And if it's a beer kind of lunch, our tap wall has a North Carolina pour to match, take a look at the craft beer and cocktails page. Why Plant-Based Sandwiches Win Here's the quiet advantage: a sandwich is really about texture and seasoning, and both of those translate beautifully to plant-based cooking. Crispy fried chik'n gets its shatter from a proper double-dip and fry, not from anything it used to be. Bacun brings smoke and salt. Pimento cheese brings that creamy Southern tang. When the building blocks are this good, nobody at the table is thinking about what's missing, they're too busy deciding whether to order a second. That's the whole idea behind everything we do at Element, and sandwiches might be the easiest place to prove it. Come Hungry Element Gastropub, 421 Fayetteville St, City Plaza, downtown Raleigh. Open Monday through Thursday 11am–9pm, Friday 11am–10pm, Saturday 8am–10pm, and Sunday 11am–9pm. The sandwich game here is no secret, but the Bánh-C