Banh Mi Boys is a street-food stop in Queen West, Toronto.
Banh Mi Boys on Queen West is the Pham brothers' banh mi counter since 2011, fusion fillings on Vietnamese baguettes plus steamed bao and rice bowls.
Must order: The five-spice pork belly banh mi and the kimchi fries.
Tip: Order at the counter, sit upstairs. Sister Yonge location at 399 Yonge runs the same menu.
Address: 392 Queen Street W, Toronto, ON M5V 2A9
Smoke's Poutinerie on Queen West is the Canadian chain's reference late-night counter, 30 gourmet poutines including butter chicken and Philly cheesesteak.
Try: Butter chicken poutine
Order: A butter chicken poutine with extra curds and a side of perogies.
Tip: Late-night kitchen until 04:00 on Friday and Saturday. Cash and card; late lineup files in after 02:00.
Patty King on Baldwin Street is a family-owned Caribbean patty bakery since 1981, supplying Toronto convenience stores and cafeterias citywide.
Try: Jamaican beef patty
Order: A spicy beef patty in coco bread, plus a Ting from the cooler.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The Scarborough location at 39 Progress Avenue is the chain's flagship factory; Kensington is the retail original.
Buster's Sea Cove on St Lawrence Market's lower level has run fish and chips, lobster rolls and oyster po'boys since 1995, the market's seafood counter.
Try: Fish and chips, lobster rolls
Order: The cod fish and chips with house tartar.
Tip: Lineup runs longest 12:00-14:00 weekends. Standing room only; eat on the market benches.
Khao San Road on Charlotte Street has run Bangkok-style street food downtown since 2011, the boat noodles and crispy pad see ew the city standard.
Try: Boat noodles, pad see ew
Order: The beef boat noodles and a side of mango sticky rice.
Tip: Reservation-only at dinner. Lunch walks in. Closed Sunday lunch.
Caribbean Queen of Patties on Bloor West runs Jamaican beef and chicken patties, the city's reference west-end patty counter under owner Georgie.
Try: Jamaican beef patty
Order: A spicy beef patty plus a chicken patty in coco bread.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The line moves fast; cash discount under $10.
Uncle Tetsu on Bay Street is Toronto's first North American outpost of the Japanese cheesecake brand since 2015, jiggly cotton cheesecakes baked daily.
Try: Japanese cheesecake
Order: A whole jiggly cotton cheesecake, hot from the oven.
Tip: Lineup at peak 14:00-16:00. Same-day-only cake; doesn't keep. Sister madeleine and matcha tiramisu shops on Dundas.
Smoke's Poutinerie on Queen West is the Canadian chain's reference late-night counter, 30 gourmet poutines including butter chicken and Philly cheesesteak.
Try: Butter chicken poutine
Order: A butter chicken poutine with extra curds and a side of perogies.
Tip: Late-night kitchen until 04:00 on Friday and Saturday. Cash and card; late lineup files in after 02:00.
