Price point: $14 for the smoked pork sandwich

You can handle messy sandwich fillings in two ways. Most places just prepare you for the worst, handing you a stack of napkins and wishing you luck. But the Haywood Tavern (2759 W. Augusta Blvd., 773-661-1084; haywoodtavern.com), a handsome bar in Humboldt Park, decides to wrangle the beast into something almost respectable. 

There's no doubt that the restaurant's smoked pork is a royal mess in the best possible way: Each tender shard of shredded meat arrives completely saturated in concentrated pork juice. Yet it's piled on a sturdy and flaky roll, one that envelops the pork without getting in the way. Plus, the roll manages to keep most of the excess contained, so you get the pleasure of a truly out-of-control gut-bomb without having to hose down afterwards. Other places should take note.