Conan O’Brien’s Favorite Sandwich Is So Good, It’s Named After Him

Seasoned talk show host and comedian Conan O’Brien has been making us laugh since the ’90s, when “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” first aired. Since then, he’s continued to entertain us with his podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” where he interviews fellow celebs, and “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” where he travels the world, sampling international foods and flavors. All this to say, he knows a little bit about everything, including food—and specifically, sandwiches.

So, I think he’d agree with us when we say that sandwiches are a superior food, and we have a few reasons to back it up. For starters, whether it’s ham and Swiss or a BLT, you can eat a sandwich year-round because they never go out of season. Next, there are truly no limits to what you can do with a sandwich. Simply layer peanut butter and jelly, or pile it high with meat, cheese, and crunchy potato chips—the possibilities are only as endless as the ingredients you have on hand. Finally, they are universally loved, as O’Brien himself can attest.

O’Brien’s favorite sandwich is nearly as tall as he is, and stacked to the highest amount possible with three deli-style meats packed with rich and smoky flavors and tender textures, tangy dressing, and crunchy coleslaw, creating a tasty sandwich that works brilliantly together. 

But while we all have our go-to sandwich, most of us don’t have one named after us. However, O’Brien does–and it couldn’t be more perfect for his outgoing, vivacious personality.

Conan O’Brien’s Favorite Corned Beef Sandwich

Throughout his career, the beloved corned beef sandwich has come up many times, and O’Brien has made it clear that it is, indeed, his favorite sandwich. 

He shared the process of creating his namesake sandwich during an episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” at the now-closed Stage Deli. Together, O’Brien and the owner of the famous New York City institution worked to create a menu item that lived up to his comedic standards. They whipped up a sandwich that featured corned beef, pastrami, and brisket and named it The Conan O’Brien Sandwich. 

The sandwich’s massive size was shown in the YouTube clip of O’Brien visiting the famous NYC deli in 2001. Even though he struggles to take a bite out of it, viewers left comments expressing interest in trying it, even 24 years later. 

“What an insane sandwich. I doubt you can taste the bread—it’s there just so you can pick it up,” one person commented. Another said, “Good Lord, that sandwich would cover my breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

More Conan O’Brien-Inspired Corned Beef Sandwiches

O’Brien also has a few other sandwiches named after him. The first is Conan’s Corned Beef Sandwich from EJ’s Luncheonette. It’s made with corned beef, Russian dressing, and coleslaw. The other is Two Beards Deli in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is made up of corned beef, spicy brown mustard, feta spread, red onion, and roasted peppers on marble rye bread. “It’s bold, a little spicy, and definitely not your average sandwich,” the restaurant said in an Instagram post, pictured below. 

From an extreme corned beef, pastrami, and brisket variety that may or may not take you three meals to finish to simply corned beef with select toppings, O’Brien knows what type of sandwich he likes.