I have been called a sandwich snob. That accusation is false. However, I do believe in something called sandwich theory. This is my quest to find the greatest sandwiches in Madison. Send me your sandwich recommendations by email or on Twitter or Instagram.
I decided to get my Willy Street on with a stop at The Weary Traveler. For anyone unfamiliar with the Weary, the seating area is open and made almost exclusively with wood, with old-style lamps, shelves stacked with books all the way to the ceiling, and lots of local art adorning the walls. The Weary is known for its Bad Breath burger, but I decided to tackle their West of the Andes sandwich instead: churrasco beef tenderloin, avocado, pico de gallo, and chipotle mayonnaise on a brioche bun.
Bread: 4.25/5
The bun was fluffy, soft and provided ample foundation to soak up extra sauce and garnishes without killing the integrity of bun. It didn’t get soggy for a sandwich that had plenty of sauce (and left a fair amount on my face).
Makings: 4.4/5
The sandwich comes with a choice of protein: beef tenderloin or tuna steak. I chose the beef, which had a little pink on the inside and was sliced. It wasn’t so thick that taking bites was difficult, but it wasn’t paper thin either. The chipotle mayo and avocado were on top of the beef, and mixed to provide a creamy richness. The pico de gallo underneath the beef added crispness and texture.
Architecture: 4/5
One last piece of steak escaped the first half of the sandwich, and the second half got a little slippery on me after I lost the last slice of avocado. This left my two final bites consisting of just bun and sauce.
Value: 4.5/5
The sandwich comes with mixed greens for $10.50. It was well proportioned for the price. It was also a sneaky sandwich: I didn’t think I was satisfied after finishing, but a few minutes later I was pleasantly full.
Overall: 4.3/5
This was by far one of the most interesting steak sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. It was almost like a steak taco in bun form, which was a fun twist on more traditional steak sandwiches. I enjoyed something a little out of the box. I’m excited to head back to try the West of the Andes with the tuna steak, to see how the two flavor profiles differ.
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