Toronto sandwich joint that got a shout-out from Joe Rogan opens second location
A Toronto pizza and sandwich restaurant that's gotten praise from podcasting mega star Joe Rogan (but, more importantly, blogTO staff) just opened a second location, and there are even more on the way.
If you haven't gathered this by now, I'm incredibly passionate about Toronto's Italian sandwich scene. In my definitive ranking of handhelds, a classic Italian deli sandwich falls somewhere between hot dogs and chicken Caesar salad wraps: very high praise indeed.
For years, one of the top dogs on the Italian sandwich scene has been Etobicoke's Crudo, which prides itself as being the first establishment in the city to serve panuozzo, a hefty panini served on pizza bread.
Whether or not they were actually the first is nearly impossible to verify, but seeing as the restaurant does panuozzo so well, I'll let them take that title.
At Crudo, hefty sandwiches laden with classic cold cuts like mortadella and salami are the main claim to fame, but the restaurant's expansive menu of pizzas and calzones shouldn't be overlooked, either. Most recently, the restaurant partnered with beloved barbeque pop-up Crosstown Craft BBQ to serve a limited-time, absolutely audacious brisket pannuozo.
Crudo's clout doesn't cap out at city limits, though. Back in late 2025, podcaster Joe Rogan gave the sandwich shop a shout-out on his Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which boasts monthly views and downloads in the millions.
"These [sandwiches] are insane," Rogan said on the podcast. "The bread's got a nice little char on it, and the bread comes out piping, and they're making the sandwiches on this piping hot bread."
Rogan goes on to refer to Crudo's sandwiches as his "drug."
Wait, I thought he only eats elk meat and eggs? Nice of him to make an exception for a humble hometown sandwich shop.
With that kind of exposure, it was only a matter of time before Crudo blew up even more than it already had. Expansion was written in the stars.
On May 5, Crudo's reign officially expanded beyond the 416, as the sandwich shop opened the doors of its sophomore location in Woodbridge. They're not stopping there, though.
Crudo's website also lists a future North York location as "coming soon," so even more people in Toronto will have the chance to sink their teeth into the restaurant's larger-than-life panuozzo.
Regardless of your opinions on Joe Rogan, take it from me: this is not one you'll want to miss.
You can try Crudo for yourself at their Etobicoke (1451 Royal York Rd.) and Woodbridge (40 Innovation Dr.) locations.
Crudo
