Clubhouse Sandwich

The club sandwich may have originated at the Union Club of New York City The earliest known reference to the sandwich, an article that appeared in The Evening World on November 18, 1889, is also an early recipe; “Have you tried a Union Club sandwich yet? Two toasted pieces of Graham bread, with a layer of turkey or chicken and ham between them, served warm.” Several other early references also credit the chef of the Union Club with creating the sandwich.

Other sources find the origin of the club sandwich to be up for debate. Another theory is that the club sandwich was invented in an exclusive Saratoga Springs, New York, gambling club in the late 19th century. “In 1894 Richard Canfield… the debonair patron of art, purchased the Saratoga Club to make it a casino (Canfield Casino)… the club sandwich (originated) in its kitchens.”

The sandwich is known to have appeared on U.S. restaurant menus as far back as 1899. The earliest reference to the sandwich in published fiction is from Conversations of a Chorus Girl, a 1903 book by Ray Cardell. Historically, club sandwiches featured slices of chicken, but with time, turkey has become increasingly common.