I almost don’t wanna write this, but Johnny McGuire’s is the best sandwich shop in Las Vegas. There are several reasons for my apprehension. It’s not an original. It comes from Aspen, of all places. Second, it’s in Town Square, and no matter what your opinions are about Town Square, we should all accept the fact that it’s a shopping mall. (And malls are not really known for culinary excellence.)

I also don’t wanna write this because Johnny McGuire’s is a small shop, perched on the second floor across from Rave Motion Pictures, yet nimble enough to prevent overcrowding and long sandwich waits. But it’s been open for more than a year. If it was ever a secret, it’s already out. I hope you read this, and I hope you eat these sandwiches because they are delicious, but I don’t wanna wait behind you in line to get my Olympian. That would be grilled corned beef and pastrami, sliced turkey, Swiss cheese, green peppers, onions, tomato, coleslaw and thousand island-ish dressing.

The ingredients and options at Johnny McGuire’s are not stunning, but there are a lot of them. They bake fresh white and wheat submarine rolls, and also offer rye or sourdough bread. You can build your own, if you want to be difficult, or you can be smart and order one of the many specialties. After my Olympian, I recommend the Free Iron Willy (turkey, crispy bacon, avocado, Swiss and sprouts), the Buddha (turkey, Swiss, curry mayo, sunflower seeds and more sprouts) and El Buey (Philly-style steak with onions and peppers, jalapeños, avocado and cheddar cheese).

Very wisely, these guys go heavy on the veggies, understanding it no longer takes an old-school deli stack of salty meat to define a terrific sandwich. But they’re no lightweights, either. They do meatballs, cheesesteaks, classic Italian subs and chili cheese dogs. And besides fries, they do their own potato chips and sprinkle on specialty seasonings.

I eat a lot of sandwiches; probably more than most. I love a lot of local shops, but none is more consistent, comfortable and satisfying than Johnny McGuire’s.