Be careful, turkey! This season has arrived again this year. Since November 29 of last year, several entries for this year’s Seasonal Spotlight have been written on my whiteboard.
In 2025, the list is revealed, joining Se7enbites, Bad As’s Sandwich, and Hinckley’s Fancy Meats as Orlando Thanksgiving sandwich favorites (all of which are available this year, but be quick, as Se7enbites’ Nobody Puts Gravy in a Corner is only available until this weekend).
We also sampled new chain products. Check it all out with the word gravy below.
Delirama
Brent and Michelle Williams have been “trying to impress” with their sandwiches since Deli Rama was founded in Tavares in 2016. But since moving to Mount Dora earlier this year, they’re truly in the heart of downtown, where they’re still making and enjoying wild sandwiches.
“This has been there since the beginning,” Brent Williams said. “Michelle’s turkey (it’s the best) and her stuffing (too much fontina cheese and thinly sliced red onion) all tucked into an Old Heart sub roll.”
My wife says you can’t go wrong with the cranberry aioli on the side.
“People love spreading it on sandwiches,” she says. “It’s just incredible.”
Incredibly, locals are so eager to get back on the menu that their phones have been ringing since earlier this month.
Best Bakery: 2023 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards
“It’s an honor that they remember it all year long,” he says.
Their stuff is something that has been on my message board forever so I called to see if they were doing it before adding it.
The immediate response was, “If we don’t, people will kill us.”
No need for murderous rage, folks, it’ll probably be on the menu until December.
Details: 334 N. Donnelly St. in Mount Dora, 352-508-5044; deliramaful.com
Jeff’s Bagel Run
I love Thanksgiving sandwiches, and so did a few other people I surveyed, but the truth is that most people like the sandwiches they make with their own leftovers best. For a twist that supports local, consider making this year’s leftover masterpiece with Nana’s Stuffed Bagels from Jeff’s Bagel Run.
“My mother-in-law (all of my grandchildren call her Nana) makes the stuffing every year. It’s her contribution to the Thanksgiving dinner we enjoy as a family,” says JBR founder Jeff Perera. “Then last year, when I was thinking of a new bagel-of-the-day idea that would capture the festive spirit and flavor of the holidays, I said, ‘We should make a stuffed bagel.'”
But “it didn’t have a very good ring to it,” he says.
“How about Nana’s stuffing?” one of his children suggested.
It was perfect. “Everyone has a Nana or someone in their life who fits that role. They bring positivity, warmth and joy into their lives.”
Looking for something fun to do before the holidays? Orlando is taking its Thanksgiving sandwich game seriously.
Packed with flavor from vegetable broth and chicken seasoning, it’s a subtle, clever taste that whispers the word “Thanksgiving” into your sinuses with every bite. Toasting it with homemade sage butter is a dream on its own, but what if you toast it, throw it on the griddle, and fill it with all your family’s favorites? That’s a victory.
I would suggest a more modest structure than the open-faced knife and fork variety, or at least the monstrous works of my own photographic style. Unless you can unhook your jaws like a seasonally tilted snake.
You have two more chances before the freezer runs out. Nana’s Stuffed Bagels will be available at all Jeff’s Bagel Run locations on November 16th and November 26th. Follow us on social media for announcements about other seasonal flavors like Orange Cranberry and Pumpkin Pie.
Details: Multiple locations. jeffsbegelrun.com
pastrami project
Pacific Pastronomer George Markward may have his protein of choice, but he’s doing a lot more with his food truck than the beef-filled treats that won him over on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” The sandwich features the same smoked turkey that Mark Ward makes year-round, uses his own heel of rye bread for the filling, and also comes with homemade cranberry dressing. (Pro tip: We also sell bread by the loaf.)
This popular sandwich is now in its second year.
“It sold more than pastrami,” he joked. “We have to be careful!”
His inspiration is Pom Pom’s beloved mama Lin Lin’s Thanksgiving.
“I created it as an homage to the Thanksgiving sandwich she had on the menu,” Markward said, noting that his sandwich will be available for the rest of the month as well as Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27).
“We’ll be open as usual from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” he says. “Everyone is welcome, this is a safe place… There are people who don’t have anywhere to go on holiday, so they come here to hang out, eat good food and relax.”
Don’t want to eat turkey on Turkey Day? Don’t worry, markword pastrami is always popular.
Details: Behind Cafe Trastevere: 825 N. Magnolia Ave., Orlando, 321-804-2686; pastramiproject.com
yellow dog eats
Fish Morgan’s quirky Gotha Hang has been entertaining guests from around the metro for 30 years, but only five have made the pressed panini-style version of this holiday handheld a fan favorite, when it appeared on a special menu. Already up and running this year, we eagerly invite Yellow Dog BBQ with smoked turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.
“We make everything from scratch,” Morgan says. “We cure and smoke the turkey breast to make potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce. Just what grandma did.”
By the way, the gravy uses pork and turkey fat, so you get classic Yellow Dog and a sweet-sour relish that features a hit of Cointreau. The buttery brush of a panini with a hint of ginger is the proverbial whipped cream on a pie.
Fans love it. Morgan said the menu could be reintroduced from time to time throughout the year in upcoming 2026 special menus. But if you want to get your hands on it now, head there before this month ends to ensure your chance.
Details: 1236 Hempel Avenue in Gotha, 407-296-0609; yellowdogeats.com
Arby’s, fried turkey gobbler sandwich
Of course, eating local is always my preference, but over the years we’ve incorporated a lot of chain-based Thanksgiving items. 2025 is no exception… except this is one of the better mass-produced lots.
Arby’s Deep-Fried Turkey Gobbler, while visually appealing, is entirely “fried.” The tender sub roll has thicker-sliced turkey stuffing and cranberry spread than you’d get at a deli, wrapping the filling nicely. There’s also mayonnaise and Swiss cheese, but I think these are structural/textural ingredients designed to retain moisture and hold things together. I could taste both, but it wasn’t a deal breaker as it gave it a green bean casserole feel, probably due to the crunchy onions.
Club-style fried turkey is also available for a limited time. Recommended for those who are interested but don’t want to wait until November 27th.
Details: Multiple locations. Urbis.com
Want to lend a hand? Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @amydroo or the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For even more foodie fun, join our Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
