Elvira's is a Toronto restaurant serving regional Portuguese comfort food out of a compact, fire-red shipping container.

Hidden down a back alley off Queen Street East, it's the kind of if-you-know-you-know spot that's completely invisible from the street. Get close enough, though, and the smell of charcoal drifting from the grill will lead you in the right direction.

Specializing in flaky pastries, savoury fritters, Portuguese-style hot dogs, steak sandwiches and hand-cut fries made to order, the buzzy restaurant-meets-takeout counter is all about unapologetic indulgence.

The most indulgent item is the Francesinha, a sandwich so massive and decadent that finishing it is a challenge in and of itself. Eating it without making a mess is an even greater feat, but I'll circle back as to why later.

Owned and operated by proud chefs and Portuguese natives Luis and Carolina Lima, Elvira's was born from a desire to share the food they grew up with and bring more of it to Toronto's east end.

"On the west end, there's a lot of great Portuguese food, but not so much in the east," Luis told blogTO. "So we really wanted to bring a new Portuguese kitchen here."

For the two-person team, that means showcasing a side of Portuguese cooking that stretches beyond familiar staples. "Portugal has so many flavours to show," says Carolina. "From the north to the south, and even the islands. We want to show you real Portuguese food."

The menu is tight, with many of the items built around recipes from Luis's grandmother, Elvira. They also have a rotating weekly special.

The golden rissóis, or Portuguese-style fritters, go for $3 apiece, with fillings ranging from chicken to shrimp, although my personal favourite is the salt cod. It's crisp on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.

"Normally in Portugal, we eat rissóis every day, everywhere," laughs Carolina. "You go to a wedding, you eat rissóis. That is the Portuguese way."

A little more substantial are the flaky puff pastries ($6 to $9), stuffed with chicken, shrimp, beef, veggies or alheira, a Portuguese sausage made with rabbit and chicken.

The Half Chicken ($19) is charcoal-grilled and given the "suckling pig" treatment. While there's no pork in this bird, Luis uses the same peppercorn-and-garlic-based marinade. It comes with hand-cut fries and a side green salad.

Popularized in Porto, the Francesinha ($25) is a meat-lover's holy grail. Picture a croque-monsieur meets a croque-madame, only drenched in gravy and stacked with everything you'd expect from a Portuguese roast.

Between slices of Pullman loaf from Blackbird Baking Co. are five layers of meat: chorizo, ham, bacon, steak and sausage, all cooked over charcoal. Melted cheese, a sunny-side-up egg and a generous pour of secret beer-based gravy, simmered for three hours, finish it off.

It's not the kind of sandwich I'd recommend tackling alone  — although it likely makes for the ultimate hangover food.

To wash everything down, the pineapple lemonade ($5.99) is sweet, tart and undeniably refreshing.

Operating out of a space that's no more than 10 metres long, Luis and Carolina make the tight kitchen work. And because they aren't cutting corners, all they ask is for guests to have a little patience.

While you wait, though, try to snag one of the coveted "rooftop" patio seats.

"We are just two people, with a lot of love to show," says Carolina.

Elvira's is located at 639 Queen St. E.