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11 For many, these sausage sandwiches are the highlight of Saturday morning trips to the Wychwood farmers’ market. People line up at DPK’s booth to chow down on these pork patties topped with grainy mustard, corn relish, chimichurri and cheddar. At the bricks-and-mortar shop on Dundas West, customers can add a fried egg for an extra buck. $8. 2066 Dundas St. W., 647-351-4793, dundasparkkitchen.ca
10 This cabin-like Junction Triangle kitchen distills countryside charm to-go. Their breakfast sandwich starts with turkey drums cooked in bacon fat until the smoky meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. The meat is pulled and seared on the flat-top, and a runny fried egg, sautéed mushrooms, house buttermilk ranch sauce and a few leafy greens finish the stack. $8. 1640 Dupont St., 647-352-5900, tuckshopkitchen.ca
9 What does Anthony Rose do with a sandwich stacked so high it’s architecturally unstable? He stabs it with a steak knife and prays it stays put until it reaches the table. This breakfast beast is layered with kielbasa, bacon, pickles, cheddar-fried onions and a runny egg. Sour cherry jam, which helps cut the richness of the meat, is the only condiment on deck. $14. 176 Dupont St., 647-748-3287, roseandsons.ca
8 This crustacean-based creation is a refreshing departure from breakfast’s obsession with pork. This Baby Point trattoria piles hunks of lobster tossed with prawns, lemon aïoli and celery on a brioche bun. A sunny-side-up egg completes the indulgent sandwich. $19. 244 Jane St., 647-346-2267, camporestaurant.com
7 Of course Toronto’s bacon sandwich experts made the cut. Their Full Monty comes loaded with British-style bacon, a runny fried egg, fried tomato and steamed mushrooms—just kidding, they’re totally fried too—all slathered with house-made brown sauce. $9. 948 Queen St. E., 416-710-8220; 182 Ossington Ave., 647-346-8230, rashers.ca
6 Eating the entirety of this plate-sized sandwich is an impressive feat—it could easily feed two. Fatty morsels of slow-roasted Tuscan pork tucked between herbed focaccia are made even more indulgent with some mascarpone and a fried egg. The zing from mostarda adds a pinch of magic. $15. 75 Portland Ave., 416-599-2822, buca.ca/bar.html
5 Torn between having a sweet or savoury morning meal? At this Midtown diner you needn’t make such gut-wrenching decisions before coffee. That’s because Uncle Betty’s Breakwich swaps out boring old bread for a freshly baked doughnut. For a few extra bucks you can pile it high with a laundry list of breakfast meats. $6. 2590 Yonge St., 416-483-2590, unclebettys.com
4 This St. Clair smokehouse dishes out weekday breakfast and Sunday brunch, and both menus include The Stockyard, a seriously belt-busting sausage sandwich. Here, even the healthiest of breakfast proteins—a poached egg—takes a dunk in the deep fryer. Also: buttermilk biscuit buns. Enough said. $8. 699 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-658-9666, thestockyards.ca
3 Coming in at No. 3 is this fantastic beast from a food truck—a glorious mess of thick house-made peameal, oozing aged cheddar, seasonal greens, a farm-fresh egg and charred-scallion aïoli. $10. Various locations, including Evergreen Brick Works every Saturday and Sunday until April 30, heirloomtoronto.com
2 Embrace your inner McDonald’s–loving child: this double decker, the love child of a McGriddle and a Big Mac, stacks two American cheese–blanketed pork patties between three pancake “buns.” And who are you kidding with a side salad? Duck fat fries for the win. $15. 638 Queen St. W., 647-748-6822, fidelgastros.com/lisa-marie
1 If our winning breakfast sandwich could have a sponsor, it would be Lipitor. At this comfort-food favourite in Koreatown, a couple of crispy chicken thighs act as buns, surrounding bacon, Swiss cheese and sriracha mayo. The whole shebang’s crowned with a sunny-side-up egg. You’re gonna need extra napkins. $21. 641 Bloor St. W., 647-347-9188, thewhitebrickkitchen.com
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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.