Almost as Jersey as Pork Roll, or Taylor Ham if you will, is The Fat Sandwich. Only in the Garden State would we invent such a Frankensandwich.
Origin.
The first Fat Sandwich was created by a local restaurant in New Brunswick in the 1970’s, and called the “Fat Cat”. It was simply a cheeseburger with all the fixings, and a load of french fries piled on top, inside a burger bun. The famous Rutgers University Grease Trucks eventually picked up on this idea and began selling similar items. Simple enough. However, in 1997 it all changed. A Rutgers student named Darrell Butler, after a night of partying, stopped at one of the trucks and asked them to create the Babe Ruth of Fat Sandwiches. Butler had the Grease Truck combine chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, French fries, and marinara sauce in a bun. Thus, The Fat Darrell was born, and things just took off from there.
(Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for Unbothered )
Furthermore, according to Wikipedia, since the creation of the “Fat Darrell,” dozens of additional Fat Sandwich combinations have been composed. Many combinations of available ingredients have been created, including multiple vegetarian options. Meanwhile, Fat sandwiches have become available in many short-order eateries and pizza places in and around the state. With popularity spreading beyond the region. Moreover, with nationwide media recognition, fat sandwich vendors are popping up on various college campuses around the country.
(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Vulture Festival)
Fat Sandwiches Today.
Not surprisingly, your local sandwich shop, pizzeria, or even full service deli most likely has Fat Sandwiches on their menu. While not your healthiest option, sometimes it’s just what you need to fight off a nasty hangover, or just quiet those massive hunger pains. Here are some of the more popular Fat Sammies throughout the state of New Jersey. I have to admit some of them make me want to hop in the car and drive to get one right now. While others make me wonder just how drunk their inventor had to be to come up with such a monstrosity!
