What’s on the menu at Canada’s very first Eggslut
King West is now breakfast sandwich city
Name: Eggslut
Contact: 545 King St. W., 647-426-7258, eggslut.ca
Neighbourhood: King West
Owner: Westridge Hospitality
Previously: Porchetta and Co.
Accessibility: Not fully accessible; steps down at the entrance
The billboards announcing “a new slut in town” have had prudish Torontonians clutching their pearls—and everyone else lining up for breakfast. This city, it seems, is horny for eggs—and for US restaurant concepts. Eggslut, Alvin Cailan’s California-born, ovo-obsessed chain with outposts across Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East, has finally landed in Canada. The name, for the uninitiated, was coined by Anthony Bourdain, who once used the term to describe someone with an insatiable appetite for eggs.
Related: The viral 7-Eleven Japanese egg sandwich is coming to Canada
The 15-year-old brand, which got its start as a roving LA food truck, is sticking to the original formula: sandwiches, sides, drinks and the signature “slut,” a coddled egg over potato purée.
The only local tweak is behind the scenes: the ingredients are all Canadian, including thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, organic Burnbrae Farms eggs, and brioche buns baked fresh daily by Circles and Squares Bakery.
Related: This Kensington Market café makes some of the city’s best sandwiches
A Canada-specific menu item may come later. “That’s definitely something we’d like to do,” says Adam Flook, the brand’s development lead. “Something unique to Canada—it may or may not involve maple.”
A larger Eggslut outpost is in the works, slated to open later this year at Yonge and Dundas.
The Food
At Eggslut, eggs are (obviously) the point: scrambled, fried, coddled, boiled, spun into batter and custard. So getting them right is non-negotiable. The brief was exacting: no cages, organic feed and yolks that run deep, almost orange-gold. “To hit that spec was actually quite challenging,” says Flook. “We use the most expensive egg Burnbrae Farms offers.”
Here’s a look at how all that egg fanaticism translates on the plate.
The Drinks
Eggslut keeps things firmly diurnal (it’s open only from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.), so the drinks skew morning: orange juice, espresso-based beverages and a couple of gussied-up cold brews (vanilla, cinnamon toast).
The Space
It’s a sliver of a semi-subterranean room with a clutch of tables overlooking the sandwich assembly line. The best spot is on their King West–facing patio—front row seats to people reflecting on last night’s decisions. If there aren’t any tables available (and there’s a good chance there won’t be), there are two parks within walking distance: Victoria Memorial Square and St. Andrew’s Playground Park.
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
