I have found it— and by it, I mean the perfect sandwich. The Potato Bacon Bomb from Cleveland restaurant Melt Bar and Grilled may be the best thing I have eaten. Period.

Melt has been a favorite of mine since it opened in 2006, and I’ve never met a sandwich there I didn’t like, but this seasonal special is a cut above the rest. Between the artisan ingredients, perfectly toasted bread and eclectic flavors, the Potato Bacon Bomb is the all around perfect sandwich.

Melt has been offering this sandwich as the January special for the past three years, and it is the second most popular seasonal sandwich, trailing only the December special (the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Melt.) My mom and I saw a picture of this glorious sandwich on Melt’s Facebook page at the beginning of January, and I’ve been patiently waiting since then to try it for myself.

Melt makes every element of their sandwiches from scratch, which was definitely evident in the Potato Bacon Bomb. The bread was thickly sliced and toasted to perfection, creating the perfect base for the sandwich. On top of the bread were slices of sharp cheddar cheese, a perfect companion to the thin potato planks. The potato planks were fried to an impeccable texture. The planks were soft, but still had a little bit of a bite to them, creating contrast in the sandwich. Up next were the best garlic mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. The consistency was spot on: creamy with just a few chunks so you know they’re hand mashed. The garlic flavor would be overbearing in any other dish, but combined with the potato planks and the cheese within the potatoes, the garlic was balanced out. On top of the mashed potatoes was a sour cream and scallion sauce that tied the entire experience together. I was on the verge of asking for a side of this sauce to have with my fries. The sandwich was finished off with hickory smoked bacon. In most Melt sandwiches, bacon is the star, but in this sandwich the meat took a supporting role, balancing out the other tangy flavors with its sweetness. The thick sliced bacon was not too crispy and not too soggy, able to please anyone.

I would recommend this sandwich to almost anyone, excluding only those who don’t like to eat a lot, or those who are on a strict low carb diet. This sandwich is not for the weak of stomach. Finishing even half of it was a feat of strength for me, and the portion size is big enough for two people or two meals. The $12 sandwich is a good value for the gourmet ingredients,  culinary craftsmanship and portion size.  

There’s a week left in January, so I suggest you run, not walk, to one of Melt’s seven locations in the Cleveland area. If you can’t make it this year, put it on your calendar for 2018, because this sandwich is worth the countdown.