Bread, sauce, cheese, meat and veggies… The standard ingredients for a good sandwich.
Some places in Victoria go above and beyond this basic framework for one of humankind’s greatest creations and it’s Victoria Buzz’s job to explore these spots in search of the finest sandwichery available.
National Sandwich Day lies on Friday, November 3rd this year. For some, this is on par with Thanksgiving or Christmas.
There are hundreds of amazing sandwiches in town, these are just some of the best and tastiest.
Here are just a handful of the best places for handhelds in Victoria:
Wheelies Motorcycles
What goes better together than sandwiches and motorcycles? Nothing, that’s what.
Wheelies has been a mainstay and a trailblazer of sandwiches ever since they opened, and pound for pound, their menu is one of the best in the city with their house-made soups, mac and cheese and probably the best cookies on Vancouver Island as a whole.
Not to mention they have a brand-spanking new brunch menu every weekend that will blow whatever your favourite brunch spot out of the water.
If you live in Victoria and you have never been to Wheelies, you are straight up blowing it. Stop what you’re doing. Quit your job. Pull a U-turn. Just get to Wheelies already.
- Where: 2620 Rock Bay Avenue
- When:
- Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Fridays open until 8 p.m.
Papa Moe’s
From the minds of those that created Cenote, one of Victoria’s best casual fare eateries came Papa Moe’s, a Greenwich Village, New York, New York style sandwich spot that people simply need to know about.
They do simplicity with splendour and boast one of the best beef dips or Philly cheese steaks in town.
They also know how to stand out from the crowd with their ‘Cenote Wagyu Hot Dog’ which comes with two dogs in a hollowed out baguette filled with cheese sauce and nacho crumbs.
Is your mouth watering yet?
- Where: 766 Yates St
- When: Tuesday to Saturday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Working Culture Bread
There is nothing their bread can’t cure.
Sad? Sniff their bread. Mad? Bite the bread. Exhausted? You deserve bread. Delirious? Bread.
Their bread is what they are known for but they are also masters at what to put between two generous slices.
Working Culture has perhaps the best vegan sando in town with their daily tofu BLTs and always have a couple options for those looking for a nice grab-and-go sandwich option.
The best way to enjoy their loaves is to pop by in the morning when they’re fresh, get yourself some nice cheese, maybe some gruyere and aged smoked cheddar, and make yourself a grilled cheese sandwich you won’t ever forget.
No other grilled cheese will ever taste the same.
Also, big shout out to their many delectable pastries. Don’t leave the shop without one.
- Where: 2506 Douglas Street
- When:
- Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Banh Mi Ba Le Victoria
Vietnamese subs are exactly what a sandwich should be. All sandwiches should aspire to the sheer simple prowess of a well made Banh Mi.
Acidity from the pickled daikon and carrot, fat from the pork belly or cured meat, crunchy on the outside soft on the inside baguette and cilantro to tie it all together.
This place is unassuming on the outside, but you simply cannot find a better place for a Vietnamese sub.
- Where: 774 Fort St
- When: Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bangers
This one is an amazing pop-up style restaurant with one simple goal… Make pulled pork sandwiches that bang.
Bangers launched their business earlier this year, popping up at certain events or just a few days a week.
But now, they found a new home and are based out of Shanzee’s Biscuits on Pandora Avenue on the outside corner of Market Square.
They began with pulled pork, making one of the best sandwiches in the city, and have since aimed their focus at doing the same thing with chicken and katsu style sandos.
- Where: 529 Pandora Avenue
- When: Wednesday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Hero Sandwich Bar
IYKYK!
The monthly pop-up put on by the self-proclaimed ‘queen of fat stacks’ is the day most sandwich connoisseurs in the city look forward to the most.
Hero’s sandwiches are no nonsense, done simply with great ingredients and that is why they sell out close to 300 sandwiches in less than two minutes whenever there is a pop-up event.
If you haven’t had their ‘spicy trio’ or their ‘classic combo,’ you should definitely follow them on Instagram and they’ll post well in advance when the next pre-order for their pop-ups will be.
Get it in ya (next time you can)!
- Where: Wherever they feel like, but usually at Standard Pizza on Pandora Avenue
- When: Next pop-up is not scheduled, follow them to stay in the loop
Italian Food Imports
If you want something better than good, you have to go straight to the source and in Victoria’s case, with all things Italian, that is Italian Food Imports.
An unassuming storefront on Blanshard Street that is filled with the most beautiful ingredients and the kindest shopkeepers is also one of the finest sandwich spots in town.
Just make sure you don’t say sandwich, they prefer panini.
Every option is a hit, there are no misses in this establishment, but the ‘meatball panino’ is a standout signature that simply must be eaten at least once while walking this plane of existence.
- Where: 1114 Blanshard Street
- When:
- Tuesday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saint Franks
Is a hot dog a sandwich? We don’t give a rat’s ass!
Saint Franks are one of the best to ever combine bread, meat, cheese, sauce and fixin’s, so they are on this list.
Their buns are immaculate, the hot dogs they use are simply the best, every menu item is perfectly executed and there is nothing else like them in town.
They recently copy and pasted their restaurant from Broad to Yates Street and absolutely nothing has changed except their address.
All praise Saint Franks!
Be sure to grab a dirtbag special (shot of Jameson and a Pabst Blue Ribbon) to wash your dirty dog down.
- Where: 727 Yates Street
- When: Wednesday to Sunday, 5 p.m. to late
Syriana Restaurant & Catering
New in town and absolutely killing it so far!
Similar to Saint Franks, not a traditional sandwich, but the quality of product they serve between bread with fixin’s makes them a must-try for sandwich snobs.
Their between-bread options are limited to shawarma and falafel, but the price is right on both options and they are maybe the best of either food genre you will ever have.
Syriana is run by the nicest folks who truly care about showcasing Syrian and Mediterranean cuisine.
While you are there, try something new. You can’t go wrong, everything is jaw-droppingly delicious.
We promise we won’t put pizza on this list but Syriana and Saint Franks are too good to be thrown out of the sandwich adjacent box.
- Where: 1258 Esquimalt Road
- When:
- Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Friday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Part and Parcel
In the heart of Quadra Village there lies a restaurant with a few sandwich options on their menu, all of which are likely to send the muncher into a state of euphoria.
A charred broccoli sandwich with feta, dates, mint and a nice aioli, yes please.
The Kamut fried chicken sandwich which has been dubbed ‘Victoria’s Best Fried Chicken Sandwich,’ yep!
A fancy grilled cheese that changes, sometimes daily, that uses the freshest, seasonal ingredients available, I want that.
Like everywhere else on this list, get the sandwich, and make sure to try something else as well, the blistered shishitos are a fan-favourite as are the nooch fries.
- Where: 2656 Quadra Street
- When:
- Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Little June
Last, but certainly not least!
Nestled in the hippest little neighbourhood, Little June is an unpretentious, perfect little cafe.
They make this list for many reasons, but mostly it is their breakfast sandwich that people crave — to the point of obsessiveness.
When one wakes up and thinks of a breakfast sandwich that could satiate their hunger for eggs, bacon, sausage, all between a cute little bun, Little June is what they want.
The sausage rolls and pre-made sandos are also amazing, if you can manage to not follow your gut and grab a breaky sandy.
- Where: 1301 Gladstone Avenue
- When: Seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Honourable mention: Tombo
Tombo Eats took over the old Agrius space on Yates Street, but has run into some massive delays in the city’s permitting process, so they are opening a pop-up shop on Government Street in mid November.
This restaurant is the brainchild of Tom Moore who also co-runs Crust Bakery.
Once Tombo Pop-up is open, they will be sure to blow minds with their fresh-baked bread and exemplary sandwich concoctions.
Read about Tombo here.
What did we miss? Who is the creme de la creme of sandwich entrepreneurs in this city? Please let us know in the comments!
