Mouthwatering Toronto Sandwiches & Where To Get Them

1. The Porchetta

At Porchetta & Co., the house special is a must (for obvious reasons): porchetta — or, roasted pork shoulder for the newbies — crispy skin cracklings, truffle sauce, parmesan, mustard and hot sauce. Be prepared to be wow-ed.

Porchetta & Co., 545 King Street W, Toronto, ON, Canada, +1 647-351-8844

2. The Chicken Piri

Brock serves up a number of ridiculously delicious sandwiches, but go for the chicken piri piri if you know what’s good for you — crispy chicken, charred onion and lettuce piled high on a bun. Note: the photo does not do justice for the amount of flavor of this sandwich.

3. The Torta

Tortería San Cosme is all about the Mexican torta, and we’re just as in love. Go for the ‘Cubana’ — smoked Sanagan’s ham, smokey bacon, abobo-roasted pork, melted Gouda cheese, chipotles, sliced tomato, avocado and spicy Caplansky mustard sandwiched between Blackbird Baking Co. bread. Triple pork — how could we not?!

Tortería San Cosme, 5 Mercer St, Toronto, ON M5V 1H2, Canada, +1 416-850-2855

4. The Italian Veal

San Fran’s is an institution in Toronto, and continues to make one of the best veal sandwiches in town. Breaded veal, melted cheese and marinara make up this simple masterpiece, served piled high on a bun. Don’t forget the extra sauce (spicy, please) and a side of hot peppers.

San Francesco Foods, 10 Clinton St, Toronto, ON, Canada, +1 416 534 7867

5. The Smoked Meat

If you’re on the search for a sandwich that makes meat the star, Caplansky’s has got your back (you can forget about the veg on this one). The smoked meat sandwich, piled high on rye with a pickle, will satisfy any meat lover’s dream; don’t forget to get it ‘fresser’ style and double your meat for a special meat experience.

Caplansky’s Deli, 6301 Silver Dart Dr, Mississauga, ON L5P 1B2, Canada

6. The Lox Bagel-wich

Schmaltz Appetizing kills it with their bagel sandwiches, particularly the ‘chub chub’: smoked whitefish salad, gravlax, horseradish cream cheese & dill cucumbers. Don’t forget to put it on pumpernickel.

Schmaltz Appetizing, 414 Dupont St, Toronto, ON, Canada, +1 647 350 4261

7. The Peameal Bacon

This list wouldn’t be complete without the famous peameal bacon sandwich from Carousel Bakery — a Toronto staple, simple but delicious. No fancy toppings here where bacon is the star: grilled layers of peameal (back bacon) are stuffed into a soft bun, and while toppings are discouraged, mustard is always a nice addition. Hello, bacon heaven.

Only available on Buster’s Sea Cove food truck, the Maine lobster roll is something of a vision: chunks of lobster, creamy mayo, celery and chives on a soft roll. While the market sometimes features the lobster roll, it’s worth it to search out the food truck for this magical creation.

9. The Brisket

Black Camel is serving a whole list of banging sandwiches, but the brisket is by far the star of the show. The five day process involves three-days of marinating, 12 hours of slow-roasting and 24 hours of resting. Tossed with housemade BBQ sauce and stuffed inside a Portuguese roll from Progress Bakery, this one is to die for, we promise. Don’t forget the caramelized onions (these are extra) and a side of the Charamoula mayo — garlic, lemon, cilantro and smoked paprika blended with mayo.

Completo brings classic Latin dishes to Toronto, but this isn’t your average ‘fast food’ — the loaded fries, tacos and sandwiches are all made with fresh ingredients. Go for the ‘churrasco’, their specialty: Chilean grilled steak, mayo, tomato, avocado, house-made hot sauce, roasted red pepper sauce on a toasted bun.

11. The Fried Eggplant

For all you veggie lovers, the fried eggplant sandwich at Uno Mustachio is for you (meat eaters can get it with veal, a delicious addition) — breaded eggplant, sautéed mushrooms, hot peppers, melted cheese and housemade tomato sauce all piled on top of a warm Kaiser roll, or freshly baked Foccacia if that’s your style. This one’s not to be missed.

12. The Jerk Chicken

Kensington Market local Italian-Jamaican spot, Rasta Pasta, is known for their incredibly authentic and flavorful jerk chicken — what better way to enjoy a nice jerk chicken than sandwiched between two slices of bread? ‘The Vatican’ is just that: two-day marinated chicken and homemade coleslaw grilled to perfection.

The Dirty Bird is cranking out perfectly fried chicken and house-made waffles in Kensington Market, but making it a sandwich takes this joint to the next level. Go for the ‘Dirty Bird’ger’ — a deep-fried boneless chicken thigh topped with maple aioli, lettuce, tomato, pickles and red onion sandwiched between two mini golden waffles and drizzled with their special ‘dirty sauce’. Fried chicken, meet waffle — what a beautiful creation.

For world class barbecue, you can’t go wrong with any of the items at Smoque and Bones — and, all of the sandwiches (chicken, pulled pork, peppercorn beef and brisket) are out of this world. If you’re a first timer, go for the pulled pork: smoked pork, BBQ sauce, creamy coleslaw and a soft bun. BBQ and all it’s glory.

15. The Döner

At Otto’s Berlin Döner, Berlin street food is their specialty, serving up some of the best döner and currywurst in the city. Go for the veal and lamb döner — shredded veal and lamb piled high inside a fladenbrot, a circular flatbread, and stuffed with lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, onions and cucumber. Be sure to add the feta and extra garlic sauce, which is made in house.

16. The Cubano

La Cubana is just what it sounds like — the perfect spot if you’re a fan of the classic ‘Cuban.’ The ‘pressed Cubano’ is an all-time fave, which features double pig (ham and shredded pork), melted gruyere cheese, red onion, cornichon (a small French pickle), mustard and mayo; however, opt for it ‘medianoche’ style, which is served on a soft bun instead of the traditional sliced bread.

17. The Falafel

This one goes out to all the vegetarians: head to Dr. Laffa‘s for one of the best falafels in town — go for the laffa bread and be sure to get it with everything.