Summer’s end is near, which means it's back to school and back to work — and back to wondering where to go for lunch.

Fending off time and trends, the noble sandwich remains the quintessential lunch item. For this month’s Where to Eat, we point you to the best sandwich shops in and around Fort Worth. These are traditional sandwiches, and include venerable classics as well as some worthy newcomers.

For where to eat in Fort Worth, we bring you the best sandwiches in town:

203 Cafe
Downtown soup and sandwich shop from the team behind Reata is a real hidden gem, “hidden” being the operative word. It’s at 215 Commerce St., on the second floor of City Center Fort Worth, next to the entrance of a skybridge. You can also find it by entering through the Original Fire Station No. 1 and taking the elevator to the second floor. The sandwiches are worth the extra sleuth work. The Nashville hot chicken sandwich, whose plank of chicken is almost as big as the plate, is a must. Other favorites include a fantastic Italian beef-inspired sandwich called the Chicago, with thinly cut garlic and herb-roasted roast beef and crunchy giardiniere on a toasted hoagie, and the Hot Mess, an aptly named sandwich comprised of pecan-smoked smoked brisket topped with oozing poblano queso blanco and served on sourdough.

Carshon’s Deli
With roots dating back to the late 1920s, Carshon’s Deli is one of the city’s oldest restaurants, and most popular, too. Every walk of Fort Worth life can be seen here, from nearby TCU and Paschal High students to the city’s movers and shakers to those barely scraping by. All convene in the small dining room for a signature sandwich, be it the Rachel, piled high with freshly sliced corned beef, turkey, Swiss cheese, cole slaw and Russian dressing and served on rye bread; or the Rebecca, a double-decker made with pastrami, smoked turkey, and cream cheese, all divvied up on three pieces of grilled egg bread. Other sandwiches are of the straightforward-deli sort and include corned beef, pastrami, chopped liver, salami, and roast chicken, most of which are available half or whole. Dessert is a big deal: Many diners try to time their visits to the exact moment when the restaurant’s meringue pies are served fresh out of the oven. Bring cash; this old-school stalwart doesn’t accept credit cards.

Cheba Hut Toasted Subs
When it opened last year, this Colorado-based sandwich chain brought to the Near Southside something the area lacked: a sense of humor. Sandwiches named with pothead double entendres, an ice machine with a cut-out pic of rapper Ice Cube on it, Kool-Aid as a drink option - it’s refreshing to see a restaurant that doesn’t take itself so seriously in an area where so many others do. But the Cheech and Chong atmosphere masks terrific food. Sandwiches come on good quality bread, made fresh, and top-of-the-line ingredients are put to imaginative use, as on the Griefo, a mashup of cream cheese, guacamole, and assorted veggies, and the Sensi Kush, a BLT with bacon and honey sriracha. Coupla nice pluses: the restaurant is open late and has a full bar.

Colossal Sandwich Shop
The shop itself is small, occupying a strip mall spot at 1220 Airport Fwy., but as the name of their restaurant implies, owners and longtime friends Terry Duncan and Jonathan “Jono” Merrill serve super-size sandwiches, with most being big enough to share. Their sandwiches aren’t the same ol’ and are more aligned with the chef-inspired variety you’d find at high-caliber restaurants. “The Colossus,” their rendition of a pulled pork sandwich, features braised pork shoulder topped with jalapeno slaw and housemade barbecue sauce served on a grilled onion roll. Their grilled cheese, the Ooey Gooey, is a messy delight: a bed of roasted veggies comes topped with melted cheddar and provolone and a housemade herbed cheese spread.

Dino’s Subs
Beloved sub shop at 2221 South Collins St. in Arlington was opened in 1980 by founder Lawrence Dino, whose grandfather ran a similar business in New Jersey. A magnet for nearby UTA students, it has a rock & roll vibe, with cheap pitchers of beer, a big screen TV, loud piped-in music, and sometimes grumpy sandwich-makers. All add to Dino’s charm. You move through a line, ordering your sandwich by the size and number (and if you don’t, you’re quickly reminded by employees). Then you pick your toppings, sides, and drinks. Must-gets include the #21, layers of baked ham, peppered beef, mushrooms and provolone, all topped with cream cheese; #15, a simple but flavorful mashup of avocado and muenster cheese; and #18, a dessert sandwich made with honey, bananas, and peanut butter. There are lots of salads, too, plus pastas and cheesecakes. Cool, cool place.

Weinberger’s Deli
Recently named best deli in the state by the website Eat This, Not That, the Grapevine location of this Chicago-born restaurant is a long-running, old-fashioned deli serving upscale sandwiches out of a neat street-corner spot at 601 S. Main St. You gotta get there early if you want to dine-in; the place is typically packed by 11:30 am each day. Many come for the Italian beef sandwich, served as it is in Chicago, either dry or wet, with hot, mild or sweet peppers. Others swear by the Oscar, a salami, capicola, and pepperoni combo topped with grilled mortadella, provolone, and giardiniera. Weinberger’s is one of the few sandwich shops in North Texas to offer the New York-style chopped cheese, a mix of ground beef, grilled onions, American cheese, ketchup and mayo on a garlic toasted baguette. Man, it’s good.