The Best BLT in Toronto

The Best BLT in Toronto comes in two streams - the classic and the contemporary. There's an argument - a good one - that you can't improve on perfection. Part of what makes a BLT so wonderful - and pretty darn close to perfect - is its very simplicity, its complete lack of pretension, its absolute ordinariness. It's a sandwich found in the grittiest of greasy spoons all the way up to the most splendid gastro pubs and it doesn't change all that much between them.

That being said, even within the confines of its three listed ingredients there is certainly room for a little experimentation. But still, contemporary BLTs bend the rules more than they break them. They often come as upgrades rather than diversions, but as I said before, does perfection really need upgrading? A BLT, be it classic or contemporary is greater than the sum of its parts.

Here are the 12 best BLTs in Toronto.

Brick Street Bakery

Brick Street's BLTs can be found at both their Distillery and Beaches locations (but not the Leslieville one). In the former, the rustic charm of the place is almost too much to handle - the reclaimed wood and old iron machinery, but this bustling bakery is no museum. As perfect as the design may be, the space still takes a back seat to the baked goods. Their pastries are sublime, and their sandwiches? Pretty close to perfect. Take the BLT. Salty bacon, leaf lettuce with a nice tomato all on a fresh baked sesame hamburger bun with a little mayo, add cheese for $0.50 more. More »

Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder

Since opening, Stockyards has received near constant praise for their products, so it should be no surprise that they make good BLTs too. Pretty much everything they do is top notch. Why so good? Well there’s the bacon of course - thick cut and impossibly smoky, but added to that is a layer of fried green tomatoes for a tangy sweetness and rounded out with some peppery arugula. More »

BOOM Breakfast

Boom Breakfast is in the process of developing a pretty substantial early morning empire in the city of Toronto. With three locations already serving up classic breakfasts, there’s no sign they’re slowing down. BOOM goes traditional with their BLT and we thank them for it. When most places feel the need to fancy the sandwich up with exotic lettuce or fancy sauces, BOOM understands its strength is in its simplicity. More »

The Slow Room

The youngest entrant on this list, The Slow Room near College and Dovercourt pairs excellent coffee with sublime sandwiches including their BLT. Technically a PLT (Pancetta, Lettuce, Tomato), it's served up on a soft, chewy Kaiser that compliments the salty pancetta perfectly. More »

Morning Glory

When you walk into Morning Glory Cafe, the first thing you’ll notice is the warm, fragrant air - like a home kitchen. This cozy little spot on King Street East has a menu full of creative and wonderful dishes, but the best are their sandwiches. Think of a light and springy ciabatta roll filled with thick cut, smoky bacon, leaf lettuce and a juicy vine ripened tomato. More »

The Lakeview

Long before Ossington was reinvented for fashionable nighthawks, there was the Lakeview - ok yeah, Lakeview Lunch - and in the tradition of the city’s truly classic diners, the Lakeview continues to provide some of the finest and most available (it’s 24 hours) comfort food in town. Their BEST BLT stands for Bacon mElted havarti Spinach and Tomato, a bit of a stretch for an acronym, but pretty great for a sandwich. More »

Patrician Grill

The Patrician Grill is a boisterous little place on King Street East straight out of the movies. It has classic diner booths and classic diner fare. The BLT here is exactly what you would expect, which is what makes it so successful. Crisp iceberg lettuce, a few slices of tomato, a pile of bacon strips and a touch of mayo on your choice of white or whole wheat. It’s a simple recipe, but I can’t imaging ever getting tired of it. More »

Queen and Beaver

Perhaps Toronto’s finest gastro pub, the Queen and Beaver’s take on the BLT is like no other and like the rest of the menu, it’s an impressive creation. Centered around house cured pork belly cut thick – and I do mean thick, like a good centimetre or so – and then braised in maple syrup. Wow. More »

Hadley's

Everything made in Hadley’s kitchen is created in house, from scratch, using locally farmed ingredients - which means you can give yourself a pat on the pack for being so darn responsible while you’re enjoying Hadley’s BLT, made with piles of their own bacon, crisp lettuce and a juicy tomato, all stuffed between two slices of grilled bread. More »

Disgraceland

This BLT is available weekends only, which is the best time to have one. There are few foods as well suited to soaking up a hangover than a Disgraceland BLT, served on a chewy bagel with loads of salty bacon. It’s like they stay open late on Fridays just to give you a great reason to come back Saturday morning. More »

Okay Okay Diner

With only 5 booths and a half dozen bar stools, this upbeat Leslieville breakfast joint has managed to do what very few diners can - evoke that traditional diner feel from a unique angle. And like the diner their Badass BLT is familiar, it doesn’t stray from the recipe. So what makes it so good? Balance. The bacon gets to be front and centre and receives just the right about of compliment from the other ingredients. More »