Crowd-pleasing, meatball sandwiches at this Italian hot table in Scarborough are assembled to order. The over-sized meatballs are made with 100% Canadian veal, and these subs can come with optional extra toppings that include cheese, peppers, onions, mushrooms or sauteed rapini.

In addition to its bakery offerings, this Etobicoke institution also offers a popular hot food service. Its meatball sandwich comes with two enormous, perfectly seasoned balls on a freshly baked Italian bun. This is the epitome of comfort food.

This local chain of Italian sandwich shops has locations across the GTA, but the original can be found between Dundas West and Little Italy. Mammoth-sized meatball sandwiches on fresh kaisers come with optional free jalapenos, and for a little extra, there are add-ons of cheese, sauteed onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms or rapini.

Massive meatball sandwiches on a puffy bun (just like your nonna would make!) can be had at this mainly grab-and-go shop at Sterling & Bloor St. W. in the Junction Triangle. Mushrooms, onions or hot peppers are also included as free toppings.

Pizza may be this Chinatown spot’s main focus, but it also makes a mean meatball sub. With a hot mess of handcrafted meatballs, mozzarella, parmesan, tomato sauce, roasted red pepper, pepperoncini, iceberg lettuce, rapini, onion and sub sauce all piled onto a ciabatta bun, it's clear this place is also serious about its sandwiches.

Another pizzeria that also makes great Italian-American sandwiches, this old-school joint on Clinton in Little Italy does a moist meatball sub smothered in red sauce that's served sweet, medium or hot with mushrooms, sweet peppers or extra cheese as optional add-ons.

Unsurprisingly, this family-owned, classic Italian bakery in Corso Italia has been in business for over half a century. Its hot table choices include old-school red-sauce meatball sandwiches that come on a soft spaccatelli bun accompanied by mushrooms and red peppers.

Originating in St. Lawrence Market, this popular sandwich shop also has a location at the Atrium on Bay. The classic meatball sandwich is served on a fresh kaiser roll (or focaccia for a bit extra) with its signature premium tomato sauce and a choice of toppings like red roasted peppers or jalapenos and sauteed onions or mushrooms. “Nonna’s” version comes with eggplant or cheese while “Godfather’s” includes both.

At Davenport & Ossington, this small, literary-minded paninoteca offers up a sandwich called Mascheroni’s Polpettoni (named after the Italian mathematician) with house meatballs, mushroom cream sauce, rapini sauteed in extra virgin olive oil and spices, all on an airy roll.