the best sandwich in montreal

16 Jul, 2024

I love sandwiches. All kinds, from simple affairs of two ingredients (ham and butter) to unholy mashups of ingredients from 4 continents (these are maybe my favorite kind).

I live in the great city of Montreal, Quebec, in a cute neighborhood that lived its gentrification summer at least half a decade back. This list will go beyond the Mile-End, though many options are here.

1. Toledo Turkey Cranberry

Great bakery, but go straight to the prepared sandwiches in the refrigeration case. Get the turkey cranberry baguette sandwich. It's got slice deli turkey (fine), thick slabs of creamy brie (nice), some spinach leaves, and a gentle aioli and cranberry-onion confit (game-changing). It's a simple sandwich, but timeless. It's not messy, and the bread is consistently rated the best baguette in Montreal (a city filled with Parisians) And for $10, I don't think there's a better, cleaner, or more satisfying sandwich in the city.

2. Kahwa Cafe Panko Chicken

In a twist of fate, next door to Toledo Bakery, we find our second pick. The Kahwa Cafe chicken panko sandwich is a beast. Made with freshly baked bread - they don't start baking this pillowy and soft pseudo-pita until you order- and crispy chicken, it's a massive portion of food. The real star of the show here is the sauce they use, a take on an aioli with chili? Moroccan spices? crack? that ties it all together. You get cucumber, thick slabs of red onion, lettuce, and tomatoes to round it out. They go for $11.50, and can feed a hungry person and a half.

3. Bossa Chicken Parm / Porchetta

This sandwich (Parm - $13.95) i s e n o r m o u s, d e l i c i o u s, a n d h a r d t o p i n d o w n . I^{'} m n o t s u r e i f i t^{'} s t h e b r e a d, t h e e x c e l l e n t S a n M a r z a n o t o m a t o s a u c e, o r t h e c o m b o o f f r i e d c h i c k e n w i t h m e l t e d m o z z a r e l l a t h a t m a k e s t h i s s a n d w i c h s o a p p e a l i n g, b u t I k e e p c o m i n g b a c k t o i t . T h e P o r c h e t t a s a n d w i c h i s f i l l e d w i t h d e l i c i o u s l y f a t t y p o r c h e t t a s l i c e s, a n d i s s o o v e r t h e t o p w i t h f l a v o r t h a t e a t i n g a f u l l o r d e r i s a b a d i d e a ($ 13.95) I wouldn't order the cold cut based sandwiches here, since they have an overly bitter dressed lettuce and marinated eggplant salad that does it no favors.

4. Sapa "Pork" Banh mi

An all vegan, all delicious, banh mi shop. There are great banh mi shops in the city. This one, somehow, has them beat. Get the fake pork. Trust me, I've tried all of them. The fake pork is the best (~$9).

Great sandwiches - thoughtfully executed. Not the fastest service or the best flavors, but each sandwich is very obviously a work of love. Interesting bread choices (homemade rye!) and unique toppings and garnishes (celeriac and fennel slaw, homemade apple onion confit) make these a thought-provoking sandwich (~$12).

6. Hung Phat Classic Banh Mi

The OG in the MTL banh mi game. Great sandwiches, great prices, right by Jean Talon market. I like the classic and the meatball (the viet one with lots of veggies and soft meat inside), and they don't break the bank (~$8). Bread has a shatteringly crunchy crust and will get crumbs everywhere, so don't eat this in your car.

7. Captain Sandwich Big Nan

A cute little shop on Duluth, in the heart of the Plateau. Sandwiches on pillowy naan-like bread with cool takes on classic standards. The only one to get is the Big Nan, the Big Mac equivalent with ground beef, Big Mac sauce, shredded iceberg, and cheese. Douse it with a hot sauce from their cart. They are located close to Piko Peppers, a local hot sauce shop, so consider stopping there as well.

8. Joe's Panini Meatball Sub

Simple paninis, cheap and fast. Expect to pay between $6-10 for one, and wait 5 minutes for a hot sandwich wrapped in foil. If I'm hungry, I'll get two. Located in the heart of downtown Montreal for a quick bite for not that much money. Meatball sandwich or spicy chicken.

Honorable Mentions:

Cafe Americano on Mount Royal Ave: basically the same thing as Bossa, service is very slow. Sandwiches are incredibly sized and you can definitely split a full size with a friend (~$13).
Hof Kelsten on St Laurent Ave: everything is homemade! Hof Kelsten is a bakery (a top notch one as well) so their breads are all made in house on a custom rye blend, they do their own pastrami, and made interesting combos for their classics. Get the BLT, Salami, or the Lox (~$11-14).
Wilensky on Fairmount: been open for nearly a hundred years. They serve a bologna on english muffin type thing with mustard. A small sandwich around $5, it's nice to try as a bite of history. Would not go on the Michelin Guide.
Schwartz's on St Laurent: a MTL institution. Most famous spot for smoked meat sandwiches (~$16-20). The smoked meat (a Montrealized pastrami) is fatty and juicy, and definitely delicious. But not worth the hour wait due to tourists.