Brennan's Middletown; Ranked

 I have conquered yet another local deli's sandwich board.  This one may have been about 1/3 of the size of Taliercio's (who have now added about 30 new sandwiches since I've ranked them), but the flavors are all still there.  I fondly remember heading to Brennan's in Rumson for a post-beach, pre-valet job sandwich with my friend Brendan (HBD, btw) during summers in college.  The quality of these sandwiches remained unchanged when they opened a location in Red Bank (Middletown side), which was way more convenient for me to get to since I was not going to the beach during the winter.  While Taliercio's remains king of the Italian deli store, Brennan's holds more of a "bistro" vibe, with sandwiches ranging from the classic NJ Italian cold cuts to grilled chicken and Havarti dill cheese.  Food quality remains king for these successful delis and Brennan's is no exception, providing fresh bread, cold cuts, and creative cheese and sauce combinations that are unique to Brennan's.  As always, this list is subjective, I'll explain my thought process the best I can but I ate these over the span of six months, not all at once so who's really to say what sandwich from Brennan's is the best because honestly all of these sandwiches were delicious.  Just use this as your guide to all of the sandwiches they have to offer and go from there.  

26. The #6 Black Forest Ham, Brie Cheese, Honey Mustard

I'm a fan of brie cheese, really I am, but I'm just not entirely sure it works on an entire sandwich.  I do love some ham and honey mustard but sadly if you eat this every day you may run the risk of achieving the body of a specific North Korean leader, who may or may not have gained 100lbs in 3 months eating nothing but brie cheese. 

25. The #4 Turkey, Garlic Herb Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo

Love a turkey sandwich. Unfortunately, though, it is the most boring of the many deli types of meat you can choose from.  I thought the Garlic herb cheese would add more flavor but really got a lot of tomatoes and regular turkey. 

24. The #8 Smoked Turkey, Roasted Garlic, Swiss Cheese, Sundried Tomato Mayo

Now we're kicking up the turkey sandwich a notch.  By adding roasted garlic (which brings out the flavor in the garlic by roasting) and sundried tomato mayo, there is something more than just a regular turkey taste here. 

23. The #12 Turkey, Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

Mozzarella and roasted peppers completely transform a boring turkey sandwich into something I can really get behind but there is still flavor to be had in this town.

22. The #24 Grilled Chicken, Lettuce, Tomato, Honey Mustard

Sticking with poultry, the grilled chicken is a bit better than the turkey, with honey mustard and the typical lettuce and tomato.  Simple, yet effective.  

21. The #16 Leaf lettuce, Onion, Tomato, Sun-Dried Tomato, Roasted Peppers, Havarti Dill Cheese, Balsamic Vinaigrette on a Pita 

Ah, yes.  Your meatless option.  Bet you didn't expect to see 5 other sandwiches behind this one.  But there was more than enough flavor to go around here, with sun-dried tomato and roasted peppers, this is the ultimate spring/summer snack (it's a snack because let's be honest you'll be hungry 2 hours after eating this). The Havarti dill cheese is the real star here, one we have not seen the last of on this list. 

20. The #26 Grilled Chicken, Monterey Jack, Black Bean and Corn Salsa, Lettuce, Lime Cilantro Dressing.

The black bean and corn salsa was for sure interesting, I'm not sure if I should have gotten this sandwich as a wrap though as it felt a little weird getting southwest flavors with a semolina roll. 

19. The #5 Roasted Eggplant, Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers, Lettuce, Tomato

Roasted eggplant is actually good and if you are looking for a meat replacement or if you're having digestive issues.  Not saying that's the only reason to get this sandwich because there's also really good flavor here with the mozzarella and roasted peppers.   

18. The #23 Smoked Turkey, Monterey Jack Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Guacamole Mayo in a Tortilla Wrap

The guacamole mayo was a godsend on this wrap.  So much so that it catapulted this sandwich to a top 20 finish. Everything else was pretty typical turkey wrap stuff.    

17. The #25 Marinated Grilled Portabello, Roasted Peppers, Mozzarella, Lettuce, Tomato, Balsamic Vinaigrette on an Herb Focaccia

Here it is.  Your best meatless option from Brennan's.  The portabello mushrooms are marinated so well, and will actually leave you feeling like you ate an actual meal.  Also, let's not sleep on the herb focaccia that graces the outer walls of this sandwich.  If you love vegetables, you will love this sandwich. 

16. The #22 Fresh Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo

I know I've said a lot about the thanksgiving leftover sandwich so I won't repeat myself here but Brennan's version really surprised me.  Maybe it's because they aren't excessively using thanksgiving foods or what but just the turkey and cranberry sauce worked really well.  It's all about ratio, kids.  

15. The #7 Capicola, Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

We have reached the "Italian" section of this list.  Like I said, this isn't an Italian specialty deli, so their Italian subs will be around the middle of the pack here.  That's not to say these aren't good sandwiches.  

14. The #2 Capicola, Salami, Provolone, Pepperoni, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

Generally, I like mozzarella better than provolone, but the provolone isn't very sharp here and the addition of pepperoni and salami to the capicola propelled this sandwich over the one above it.  

13. The #13 Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Roast Peppers, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

It's prosciutto and mozzarella, I mean come on, what else do I need to say here.  

12. The #3 Roast Beef, Horseradish Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo

Surprised to see this one at number 12? Me too, because I love all of these ingredients.  I have to say, though, that I really think the tomato takes away from the horseradish flavor I was looking for in the cheese.  Or maybe it needed an extra slice of it, I'm not sure.  

11. The #17 Smoked Salmon, Horseradish Cheese, Tomato, Onion, Pumpernickel

Smoked salmon is so delightful, I wonder why I don't get it more often.  Maybe I will.  Again, the horseradish cheese was there but could have used more of it.  Not a big deal though because, again, smoked salmon.  

10. The #10 Sliced Chicken Breast, Havarti Dill Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Basil Mayo

Absolutely loved the Havarti dill cheese/basil mayo combo on this sandwich as it really made the chicken breast pop with every bite. 

9. The # 19 Smoked Turkey, Muenster Cheese, Cole Slaw, Russian Dressing

Don't let the lack of color fool you, this sandwich packed flavor into it.  Coleslaw and Russian dressing were just made for each other, and you get the muenster cheese that you generally don't find on many sandwiches.  Fun! 

8. The #1 Ham, Salami, Provolone, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

The number one NJ sandwich in our hearts but only 8 on this list (it's a good list!) I really just don't love provolone, that's really what this comes down to.  

7. The #21 Tuna Salad, Havarti Dill Cheese, Red Onion, Lettuce, Mayo

A fun fact about me is that I used to bring a thermos of tuna for lunch to school up until around 2nd grade.  I also started making friends in school around 3rd grade and those two facts are definitely not related. I loved this sandwich, and the Havarti dill actually went perfectly with the tuna.  Trust me, it's not the end of the world ordering this sandwich, especially since we are not in offices anymore. 

6. The #18 Sliced Chicken Breast, Monterey Jack Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Honey Mustard. 

You can sign me up for a chicken, bacon, honey mustard sandwich any day of the week.  Add in some Monterey Jack cheese and we have something going.  

5. The #9 Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Swiss Cheese, Lettuce, Basil Mayo

Roasted pork just gives a flavor you won't get from turkey.  This is a really simple sandwich, elevated by the meat.  OK, and also basil mayo.  I'm not really asking for much to get into the top 5.  

4. The #20 Liverwurst, Swiss Cheese, Red Onion, Horseradish Mustard, on Rye

You might call me crazy but this was arguably my favorite sandwich on the list.  Liverwurst is right there with bologna and a serious guilty pleasure of mine.  Also, not only is there spicy mustard on this sandwich, it's horseradish mustard which somehow worked even better than spicy brown mustard.  Please, do not be deterred by the scary disgusting germanic word, liverwurst 1000% plays as an elite deli sandwich meat and you cannot change my mind. 

3. The #11 Breaded Chicken Cutlet, Swiss Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Mayo 

You know what's better than a grilled chicken and bacon sandwich? A breaded chicken cutlet with bacon sandwich.  This is just a slight improvement to our sixth number on this list and it all comes down to the meat.  

2. The #15 Philly Cheesesteak with Onions

I know some of you might think this is a really boring choice for number two and I agree.  But this cheesesteak was for real! 

1. The #14 Roast Beef, Cheddar, Bacon, Russian Dressing, Tomato

Roast beef, bacon, cheddar.  This makes for a great sandwich everytime and when you have fresh ingredients like Brennan's this kind of sandwich will always be a crown jewel in my eyes.