View source for Dagwood sandwich

{{short description|Tall, multilayered sandwich}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name             = Dagwood sandwich
| image            = Dagwood Comics.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = Dagwood Bumstead holding a Dagwood sandwich in a [[Clamp (tool)|handscrew clamp]]
| type             = [[Sandwich]]
| served           = 
| main_ingredient  = Bread, [[meat]]s, [[cheese]]s, [[condiment]]s
}}

A '''Dagwood sandwich''' is a tall, multilayered [[sandwich]] made with a variety of [[meat]]s, [[cheese]]s, and [[condiment]]s. It is named after [[Dagwood Bumstead]], a central character in the comic strip ''[[Blondie (comic strip)|Blondie]]'', who is frequently illustrated making enormous sandwiches. According to ''Blondie'' scripter [[Dean Young (cartoonist)|Dean Young]], his father, [[Chic Young]], began drawing the huge sandwiches in the comic strip in 1936.<ref>{{cite news|work=Deseret News |title=Food-loving Dagwood to lend name to real-life sandwich |url=https://www.deseret.com/2006/5/15/19953414/food-loving-dagwood-to-lend-name-to-real-life-sandwich |date=May 15, 2006 |access-date=December 11, 2021}}</ref>

==Ingredients==
[[Image:Dagwood Sandwich 20070417.png|thumb|upright=1.8|A ''[[Blondie (comic strip)|Blondie]]'' comic strip depicting a Dagwood sandwich]]
Though the exact contents of Chic Young's illustrated Dagwood sandwich remain obscure, it appears to contain large quantities and varieties of [[cold cut]]s, sliced cheese, and vegetables separated by additional slices of bread. A whole small fish, presumably a sardine, is usually visible. An olive pierced by a toothpick or wooden [[skewer]] usually crowns the edible structure. "Dagwood sandwich" has been included in ''[[Webster's New World Dictionary]]'', and "Dagwood" (referring to the sandwich) has been included in the ''[[American Heritage Dictionary]]''.<ref>''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'', 2000.</ref>

==Products and restaurants==
[[File:Dagwood sandwich.jpg|thumb|A real-world realization of the Dagwood sandwich concept]]

* In 1951, businessmen Bob Weiler and Art Lang opened a Dagwood-themed restaurant in [[Toledo, Ohio]], with hopes of establishing a national chain. They had not licensed the Dagwood name and were ordered to stop using it by [[King Features Syndicate|King Features]].<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Toledo Blade|title=Dagwood Diner part of Toledo's restaurant history|author=Mary Alice Powell|date=27 November 1990}}</ref>
* A Dagwood Diner (spelled "Dag-Wood") operated in [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]], until 1971.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Ann Arbor News|title=Fleetwood Diner gets cooking again|author=Dave Wilkins|date=30 July 1992}}</ref>
* Assorted [[lunch meats]] featuring Dagwood have been sold at grocery stores. In May 1999, a counter-service restaurant named Blondie's opened at Universal Orlando's [[Islands of Adventure]], serving a traditional Dagwood-style sandwich. Blondie's bills itself as "Home of the Dagwood Sandwich." The exterior displays a 20-foot plastic Dagwood sandwich over the entrance.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jim |last=Hillibish |work=[[The Repository]] |location=[[Canton, Ohio]] |url=http://www.cantonrep.com/life/food/x556416299/Boiling-Point-Make-mine-a-Gagwood-I-mean-a-Dagwood |title=Make Mine a Gagwood |date=June 1, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606114544/http://www.cantonrep.com/life/food/x556416299/Boiling-Point-Make-mine-a-Gagwood-I-mean-a-Dagwood |archive-date=2011-06-06 }}</ref>
* [[Denny's]] in the early 2000s offered their breakfast Dagwood;<ref>{{cite book|author1=Michael F. Jacobson|author2=Jayne Hurley|author3=Center for Science in the Public Interest|title=Restaurant Confidential|url=https://archive.org/details/restaurantconfid00jaco|url-access=registration|date=6 May 2002|publisher=Workman Publishing Company|isbn=978-0-7611-7886-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/restaurantconfid00jaco/page/35 35]}}<br/>{{cite web |url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/d/NASDAQ_DENN_2000.pdf |title=Denny's Annual Report |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2000 |website=annualreports.com |publisher=Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc. |access-date=24 April 2017}}</ref> it contained over a thousand calories.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Michael F. Jacobson|author2=Jayne Hurley|author3=Center for Science in the Public Interest|title=Restaurant Confidential|url=https://archive.org/details/restaurantconfid00jaco|url-access=registration|date=6 May 2002|publisher=Workman Publishing Company|isbn=978-0-7611-7886-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/restaurantconfid00jaco/page/83 83]}}<br/>{{cite book|author1=Annette B. Natow|author2=Jo-Ann Heslin|title=The Cholesterol Counter: 7th Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OQ_8iHnmqvAC&pg=PA647|date=26 December 2007|publisher=Jo Ann Heslin|isbn=978-1-4165-0985-1|page=647}}</ref> It was later removed from their menu.
* Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes, a ''Blondie''-themed [[restaurant chain]] founded in 2006, had franchise locations open in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, and Georgia that have all closed as of 2011.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes |title=Find A Shoppe |url=http://www.dagwoodslouisville.com/en/7870/Find-A-Shoppe.html |access-date=January 3, 2013 |archive-date=December 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121204050008/http://www.dagwoodslouisville.com/en/7870/Find-A-Shoppe.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The chain struggled financially and never reached the growth anticipated by its founders.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jonathan |last=Maze |work=Franchise Times |title=Developers of Dagwood's Sandwich sue for fraud |url=http://www.franchisetimes.com/content/story.php?article=00871 |date=May 2008 |access-date=January 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711022634/http://www.franchisetimes.com/content/story.php?article=00871 |archive-date=July 11, 2011 }}</ref> Two lawsuits were filed alleging mismanagement, fraud, embezzlement, and deliberate deception of the chain's financial state as it collapsed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Vaillancourt|first=Cory|title=Allegations of fraud, failure haunt Ghost Town developer|url=https://www.smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/25550-allegations-of-fraud-failure-haunt-ghost-town-developer|access-date=2020-06-10|website=www.smokymountainnews.com}}</ref> The Dagwood was sold as a {{convert|1.5|lb|g|adj=on|-1}} sandwich.<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/11/24/a_sandwich_shop_dagwood_would_love/ |title=A sandwich shop Dagwood would love |publisher=Boston.com |date=November 24, 2006 |access-date=June 23, 2010}}</ref> The Dagwood sandwich served in the Dagwood Sandwich Shoppes included the following ingredients: three slices of deli [[bread]], [[Genoa salami]], [[ham]], [[pepperoni]], [[Turkey meat|turkey]], [[cheddar cheese]], [[provolone]], [[lettuce]], [[tomato]], roasted red [[bell pepper]]s, [[banana pepper]]s, [[red onion]], deli [[Mustard (condiment)|mustard]], and low calorie [[mayonnaise]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dagwoodslouisville.com/en/7868/Menu.html |title=Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes |access-date=January 3, 2013 |archive-date=July 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703131241/http://www.dagwoodslouisville.com/en/7868/Menu.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Cincinnati-based chain [[Penn Station East Coast Subs]] refers to its "create-it-yourself" submarine sandwich as a Dagwood. A customer may include up to five meats, and any combination of available condiments and vegetables.{{as of when?|date=November 2016}}
* Dagwoods are also a popular sandwich in [[South Africa]]n takeaway ([[Fast food restaurant|fast-food]]) restaurants and roadhouses, both in small street-side stands and larger chains. A South African Dagwood is usually made with three slices of toasted bread with a hamburger patty (or two), along with lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg. Other common accoutrements may be added and the beef patty may be replaced by savory [[Ground beef|mince]] reminiscent of an American [[sloppy joe]], but it seems to be the fried egg and double-decker nature of the sandwich that characterizes a South African Dagwood.
* In 2008, ''[[Man v. Food]]'' host [[Adam Richman]] visited [[Columbus, Ohio]], and partook in the Ohio Deli and Restaurant's Dagwood Challenge. The challenge was to eat a 2-1⁄2-pound Dagwood sandwich, plus a full pound of French fries, within 30 minutes. Richman successfully ate the sandwich and fries in 20 of the 30 minutes and was awarded a commemorative T-shirt.
*Dagwood's Deli and Sub Shop opened in Indiana in 1985, now serving several locations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dagwood's Sandwiches - Award-Winning Gourmet Deli & Sub Sandwiches|url=http://www.dagwoodsandwiches.com/about.html|access-date=2020-06-10|website=www.dagwoodsandwiches.com}}</ref>  On the menu is a "Dagwood Supreme", which includes roast beef, ham, turkey, provolone and Colby cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and onions and a "Dagwood" sauce.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Best Sandwich in Every State and Washington DC|url=https://people.com/food/best-sandwich-every-state-washington-dc-america/|access-date=2020-06-10|website=PEOPLE.com|language=EN}}</ref>
*Dagwoods Sandwichs et Salades is a fast-food chain operating in [[Canada]]. It was founded in 1989 in [[Montreal]] but subsequently expanded throughout [[Quebec]] and into [[Eastern Ontario]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Dagwoods Story|url=http://dagwoods.ca/m/about.php|access-date=September 16, 2020|archive-date=November 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105101129/https://dagwoods.ca/m/about.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Canadian supermarket chain [[Sobeys]] sells an in-store made Dagwood sandwich, but this does not look like the multi-layered sandwiches from the comic and instead resembles a thick [[Submarine sandwich]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sobeys summer meals made easy|url=http://www.sobeys.com/en/summer/summer-meals-made-easy/|access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portalbar|United States|Food}}
* [[Caspar Milquetoast]]
* ''[[Dream of the Rarebit Fiend]]''
* [[Jiggs dinner]]
* [[List of American sandwiches]]
* [[List of sandwiches]]
* [[Sandwich loaf]], a type of party food made from a whole loaf of bread

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary|Dagwood sandwich}}
*[https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/blondie/food.html Library of Congress ''Blondie'' exhibition with a strip showing Dagwood making a sandwich]

{{Blondie (comic strip)}}
{{Sandwiches}}
{{Cheese dishes}}

[[Category:American sandwiches]]
[[Category:Blondie (comic strip)]]