There's a near-fervour when it comes to the quest for the best breakfast sandwiches in Toronto. Our Instagram feed is always flooded with recommendations for hole-in-the-wall bakeries, or grab-n'-go cafés that serve hangover-curing, eggy beauties. We're salivating at the very thought of sinking our teeth into them. We're a city that loves a late breakfast, and we flock to the best brunch spots in Toronto — but if you can't commit to dining in, a breakfast sandwich to-go will satisfy your cravings.
The best breakfast sandwiches in Toronto range from epic two-handers, overflowing with melted cheese, fluffy eggs and juicy sausage; to chef-forward creations on classic English muffins slathered with secret sauce; to world-famous sammies crammed with peameal bacon. You'll find delicious breakfast sandwiches prepared fresh at the best cafés in Toronto and the best bakeries in Toronto — there's no better way to start your day.
If you've ever tried to score a Gold Standard sandwich on the weekend, you know just how long the lines can get. We recommend setting your alarm and showing up early to get your hands on these foil-wrapped feasts — trust us, it's worth it — and the same goes for all the best breakfast sandwiches in Toronto, too.
Not all breakfast sandwiches are created equal, so we've rounded up the very best in Toronto that you need to try at least once.
1. Saving Gigi
859 Bloor St. W.
For nearly a decade, this small café has been a cozy spot to grab a cuppa in Bloorcourt. Along with natural wine, beer, fresh baked goods and granola, people flock to Saving Gigi for their mouthwatering morning sammie. A tender egg patty, spinach, red pepper, your pick of bacon or mushrooms, melted havarti and a special breakfast sauce is squeezed between two cheesy grilled biscuits. Pair it with a latte to start your day right.
2. Sleepy Pete’s
69 Kensington Ave.
View on Instagram
With its retro branding, greenery-draped digs and friendly atmosphere, Sleepy Pete’s has quickly become a must-visit on any day trip to Kensington. Sandwiches are their specialty, and their made-to-order bacon and egg two-hander is the ultimate hangover cure. A thick cut of bacon, an egg patty and melted kraft cheese drizzled with hot honey overflow from within a fresh biscuit. Upgrade to a jalapeño cheddar biscuit if you’re feeling fancy.
3. Masa Deli
985 Dovercourt Rd.
Forgot to set your alarm? Don’t fret — Masa Deli serves their loaded breakfast sammies until 3 p.m on a quiet strip of Dovercourt. On a toasted English muffin, a juicy chicken sausage is stacked atop a chive-stuffed omelette. Aioli, salsa, gooey white cheddar and pickle slices pack a punch of flavour. The kale and egg breakfast sandwich, or pastrami-packed breakfast burrito will quash cravings with ease.
4. I Deal Coffee
162 Ossington Ave.
View on Instagram
So much aged cheddar oozes out of I Deal Coffee’s breakfast sandwich, you’ll want to scrape the checkered paper wrapper clean. Stuff it with bacon, or make it vegetarian by swapping in tomato and basil. Truffle mayo adds a creamy, umami kick. Plus, while you’re here, pick up a bottle of wine or one of I Deal's premium Arabica coffee beans — or, a cappuccino to go.
5. Lazy Daisy’s Cafe
1515 Gerrard St. E.
At the cute, flower-adorned Lazy Daisy Café at Gerrard and Coxwell, you’re spoiled for choice for excellent breakfast sandwiches. There are seven different sammies to choose from. For $12, sink your teeth into the Rise n’ Shines’ buttermilk biscuits, thick slices of smoked bacon, egg and aged white cheddar. For an extra $0.75, chipotle aioli adds some throat-tickling spice. Or, go all out with the Rise n’ Fry, featuring a slab of spicy fried chicken, heavenly whipped honey butter and jalapeño-cheese biscuits. You’re guaranteed to leave satisfied.
6. Egg Club
Multiple locations
View on Instagram
We’d eat slabs of Japanese milk bread by the pound, if we could. The pillowy slices of perfection are an amazing vessel for breakfast sandwiches, and Egg Club’s multiple Toronto locations don't hold back when crafting some excellent breakfast sandwich flavour combos. Tucked into a cute and convenient box, the Egg Club is overflowing with eggy goodness, caramelized onions and Swiss cheese. A lobster roll’s early-rising sibling, the Chipotle Lobster breakfast sandwich is packed with corn and lettuce for crunch.
7. Voodoo Child
388 College St.
That’s right — this beloved cocktail bar on College serves a mean breakfast sandwich that stands toe-to-toe, egg-to-egg with some of the best in the city. On two slices of milk bread, tamago (a Japanese omelette) is stacked with peameal bacon, tomato and cheese. Scotch bonnet mayo steals the show. Nibble on the crispy hashbrown, then wash it all down with a latte.
8. Gold Standard
Multiple Locations
The Badiali slice of breakfast sandwiches, Gold Standard’s lauded sammie deserves every ounce of praise it gets. The beauty is in the details; a warm, soft English muffin envelops cheesy eggs, a slathering of aioli, a drizzle of Marie Sharp’s Caribbean hot sauce, kale or bacon and a few slices of pickles. Wrapped in iconic gold foil, this legendary sandwich sees people queueing down Roncesvalles on the weekends.
9. Emmer
161 Harbord St.
View on Instagram
While at a slightly higher price point ($13.50), Emmer’s sausage, egg and cheese muffin is worth every penny. The Harbord Village bakery stacks an egg patty atop a perfectly griddled sausage, then tops it with a slice of melted cheddar and dresses everything with their in-house hot sauce. That’s all squeezed inside a sourdough English muffin we, quite frankly, can’t stop drooling over.
10. Carousel Bakery
93 Front St. E.
View on Instagram
If a sandwich has “World Famous” beside its name, it’s best to pay attention. For decades, Carousel Bakery has stacked four thick slabs of peameal bacon, plus gooey American cheese, on a crispy bun for its “World Famous Peameal Bacon Sandwich.” Head to the upper level of the St. Lawrence Market to find the sandwich — but be prepared to wait in line.
