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There’s nothing people on the internet love more than getting into heated debates about issues that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, which includes the endless discourse concerning what exactly constitutes a sandwich.
Hot dogs have historically been the biggest lightning rod when it comes to discussing that particular topic, but I’ve also come across plenty of people who’ve gotten similarly passionate while arguing about the appropriate classification for tacos—an issue that was at the center of a ruling that was recently issued by a judge in Indiana.
Most internet scholars would tell you a website outlining what is known as “The Cube Rule” is the definitive resource for determining what is and is not a sandwich.
That approach breaks down foods into six unique categories. A sandwich is explicitly classified as something…sandwiched between two separate layers (which means a quesadilla qualifies), while the “taco” category includes hot dogs and subs on a roll that hasn’t been cut all the way through (if you’re curious about another Mexican staple, a burrito is considered a calzone—defined as something entirely enclose—under this particular paradigm).
According to WISH, legal scholars who are trying to get to the bottom of things may now find themselves referring to the ruling that was recently issued by Superior Judge Craig J. Bobay concerning a dispute that centered around The Famous Taco, a Mexican restaurant that found itself faced with pushback from a local planning commission after attempting to open up shop in a strip mall in Fort Wayne.
Martin Quintana, the developer behind the restaurant, initially encountered a roadblock in the form of zoning laws that were primarily designed to prevent a fast food restaurant from opening in the area.
However, after having his plans thwarted by the planning commission, he decided to take them to court to argue a Mexican restaurant serving fare like tacos and burritos fell under the umbrella of language that permitted the operation of “a sandwich bar-style restaurant whose primary business is to sell ‘made-to-order’ or ‘subway-style’ sandwiches.”
Judge Bobay ultimately agreed with that stance, saying, “The Court agrees with Quintana that tacos and burritos are Mexican style sandwiches.”
Now, I’d argue that’s a bit of a shaky argument to make when you consider Mexican cuisine features literal sandwiches in the form of tortas (which don’t appear to be listed on The Famous Taco menu), but the precedent has still been set.