Brooke Houghton holding a chicken sandwich. Right: A hot dog.
This Review article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
When you think of Toronto's food scene, street food may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but maybe it should be.
I asked Narcity readers what their go-to spots for the best street food in the 6ix were and decided to give them a try and pick my favourite.
I started my day out at 6 Spice Rack, a street food spot dedicated to "diversifying flavour" in Toronto, with fried chicken sandwiches, tacos, mac and cheese and more. I went to their store location, though you might have seen their food trucks around the city.
For my second spot of the day, I headed over to Yonge-Dundas Square for a classic gourmet hot dog because you can't talk about street food without paying tribute to the OGs.
I finished my day off by checking out a classic Canadian treat at BeaverTails by Toronto's Waterfront with a full stomach and a lot to think about.
6 Spice Rack
Fried chicken sandwich from 6 Spice Rack.
Price: 💸💸
Address: 300 Richmond St. W. Unit 100, Toronto, ON
Order: "Mama Mia" fried chicken sandwich with fries for $16.
Flavour: This sandwich was massive! The piece of fried chicken was perfectly coated and had an amazing crunch filled with juicy and tender chicken, but beware, because this bad boy definitely drips.
This sandwich's notable ingredients include rose sauce, pickled chilli, parsley and pesto aioli. I found the rose sauce to be super interesting, and while I expected it to taste out of place, it blended well with the other flavours. The sandwich's toppings were fresh and delicious, and the side fries came with a decent portion and a great crunch.
The only con this spot had was that it was difficult to eat while standing on the street because the sandwich was huge!
Yonge-Dundas hot dog stand
Hot dog in front of Dundas West hot dog stand.
Price: 💸
Address: 11 Dundas St. W. Toronto, ON
Order: "Italian Sausage" with ketchup and mustard for $5.
Flavour: I'm not the biggest fan of hot dogs in the first place, and I'm a little wary of street meat, but this hot dog totally blew me away. I went in with super low expectations (while a small part of me wondered how sick I would be later), but this was probably the best hot dog I've ever tried.
The sausage was spicy and cooked to perfection with crispy skin and a juicy inside. At the same time, the bun was soft, warm and cushioned every bite.
It was super easy to eat on the street and a great bang for your buck.
BeaverTails
BeaverTail in front of a sign.
Price: 💸
Address: 145 Queens Quay W., Toronto, ON
Order: "The Classic" for $6.25.
Flavour: A BeaverTail is a classic Canadian treat, and believe it or not, this was my first time trying the iconic pastry. "The Classic" BeaverTail was smothered in sugar and cinnamon and tasted like someone had flattened a churro with a lighter and sweeter batter.
Despite all the sugar involved, the dessert hit that perfect spot of not being overly sweet or too plain, and I finished the whole thing in about five minutes flat.
Final thoughts
6ix Spice Rack was a close second and definitely had the most creative flavours, but their take-out packaging was a bit difficult to maneuver on the street, given the size and mess of the sandwich.
The hot dog stand by the Eaton Centre at Yonge-Dundas Square is an institution, and while I would recommend it, the hot dog just couldn't compete with flavours from 6 Spice Rack and BeaverTails.
Overall, I would hit up all of these locations again, so if you're looking to dive into the Toronto street food scene, you really can't go wrong with trying out any of these spots.
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