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After going down to Gastown to try the tacos at La Taqueria, Mike and I walked by Meat and Bread, another place on my list of places to try during my visit. Since we weren’t full from the tacos we decided to drop in for some sandwiches. I had read about their porchetta sandwiches and wanted to see how it compared to Porchetta & Co. in Toronto.

Preparing my porchetta sandwich

As we entered, we were greeted in a friendly manner by someone who worked there. He asked if we had been here before and explained to us that after ordering at the counter, we could sit anywhere we wanted.

The decor was rustic and modern at the same time and I was surprised by how large the place was. There was a large communal table towards the back of the restaurant, a few small tables at the front and counter seating. It was pretty busy since it was lunch time but we were able to grab one of the small tables for two. It was probably because it was just past one, towards the end of the lunch hour. I’ve heard they get extremely busy at lunch, the meal they really cater towards. They’re only open until 5pm and they often run out of porchetta before then.

Meat and Bread has a limited menu, serving up a meatball, porchetta, grilled cheese and a special sandwich of the day – today’s was lamb neck. If a restaurant is only going to serve a few items on their menu, they better be damn good!

Porchetta sandwich

I went with the Porchetta Sandwich ($8). After ordering, you can watch them cut up the porchetta and prepare your sandwich to order. After cutting up the meat and placing it on the bread, they topped the sandwich off with a salsa verde. They serve their sandwiches on a wooden plank with a dollop of mustard, which we didn’t use at all since the sandwiches were already ridiculously flavourful

I loved that they included a bit of crackling on each sandwich to give it that bit of crunch. The meat was extremely flavourful (and fatty!) and the fresh ciabatta bread held up well. I found the sandwich a bit oily for my liking, as the oil was just dripping out of my sandwich… probably from the extra bit of salsa verde they put on top of the sandwich. Nevertheless, I thought this was a pretty awesome tasting sandwich. Now, how does this compare to Porchetta and Co’s? I have to say I enjoyed Porchetta and Co’s a little better.

Meatball sandwich

Mike went with the Meatball Sandwich ($8). When I laid eyes on this sandwich, my mouth immediately started watering. It was just as delicious as it looked. The meatballs had a great flavour, as did the sauce, which had a bit of a kick to it. Most of the filling actually fell out of the sandwich but Mike had no problem picking it up and eating it with his fingers – now that’s finger-licking good. So be warned, it’s a very messy sandwich.

Overall, I was pleased with our experience here. They’re a little pricey given their size, but the taste of their sandwiches was definitely worth the hype

Meat and Bread

At a glance:
• Delicious sandwiches (most are $8 each)
• Limited menu
• Closes at 5pm (but their porchetta often runs out before then)

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 4.5 stars
• Service: N/A (counter service)
• Atmosphere: 4 stars

Meat & Bread on Urbanspoon



  1. Dave (Reply) on Saturday 30, 2011

    This review is like a slap to my face, “Wish you were here”.
    Buuut, I’m glad you liked it. =)

    • Jess (Reply) on Saturday 30, 2011

      haha thanks for the recommendation! sorry i went without you. can’t wait to come home again. so many more places to try… keep that list going for me 🙂