Mayslack's has been serving its classic roast beef sandwich since 1955, when Stan Myslajek (the original Polish spelling of Mayslack) started making these monoliths of meat. The beef is slow-roasted for eight hours in garlic and meat juices and served piled high and covered with onions and banana peppers, with coleslaw and au jus on the side.

Does a sausage in a bun count as a sandwich? Well, it's called a sausage sandwich at Kramarczuk's, and that's good enough for us. Get your choice of the famed Polish deli's Polish, Bratwurst, Hungarian, Italian, or Andouille sausages, served on a made-from-scratch bun with what is certain to be housemade sauerkaut. Also available: the Cossack, a smoked Ukranian sausage with melted swiss and sauerkraut.

Nye's is known for its prime rib, but if you can't quite stomach the full 16 - 32 ounce options, the sandwich is a perfectly respectable way to go. The Prime Rib Dip au Jus is the classic, but the Nye's Style Prime Dip - topped with melted Swiss cheese, mushrooms, and onions - is our pick. It usually still comes au jus, but you might want to (very politely) ask your server, just to make sure.

Another recent classic, Smack Shack has become synonymous with lobster rolls in the Twin Cities. Get the iconic sandwich at the recently-opened Smack Shack brick n' mortar or at the 1029 Bar, where Smack Shack still runs the kitchen.

This favorite North Loop sandwich spot is best known for its housemade pastrami sandwich, served on rye bread with pickled cabbage and coarse mustard. Go "New York style" for $4 more and get twice the pastrami goodness.

It's hard to pick just one banh mi place from all the excellent options in the Twin Cities, but Jasmine Deli is the iconic banh mi against which all others must be judged. All of the banh mi options are super-fresh and super-affordable, with the original probably the most iconic and the curry mock duck a particular standout.

Fika has been open for less than a year, but with the Twin Cities as the epicenter for the national renaissance of Nordic cuisine, we had to get some open-faced sandwiches on this list (otherwise known as smörgås for the Swedish and smørrebrød for the Danish). The perfectly precise options at Fika in the American Swedish Institute include a seared salmon with watercress, beet, tarragon, and sweet mustard sauce, served open-face on a piece of housemade rye bread.

Anyone who has spent a late night in Uptown would recognize the welcome sight of a 2 a.m. meatball sub from Caffrey's. The sandwich shop is also known for that incredibly rare Minneapolis niche: late-night delivery.

Both Holy Land locations - in Midtown Global Market and on Central Ave. in Northeast - are known for their crispy housemade falafel. Nestled in a housemade pita and covered with housemade sauce, it's one of the most iconic vegetarian sandwiches in the Twin Cities.

Along with the 5-8, Matt's is in permanent contention for the title of the inventor of the Juicy Lucy - the classic burger with an oozing cheese center. At Matt's, it's a Jucy Lucy, no "I", and there are no frills - just onions, raw or fried, french fries, and ketchup as accompaniments.

Known primarily as a first-class butcher shop, Clancey's also makes one memorable sandwich. The roast beef is the icon, but the menu's recent corned beef addition really gives it a run for its money. And yes, you want it with everything.

Sea Salt's Fried Catfish sandwich is an icon, but really, all the po' boys on their menu deserve icon status (other options include fish, shrimp, oysters, and crawfish). This seasonal spot next to Minnehaha Falls is only open during the warm(er) months, so get those po'boys while the getting's good. They open on April 5th this year.

Last but not least, that most Minnesotan of sandwiches, the fried walleye sandwich. You can find a fried walleye sandwich on lots and lots of Twin Cities menus, but the most iconic comes from St. Paul's Tavern on Grand.