10 of Toronto’s most gonzo grilled cheese sandwiches

There’s nothing wrong with a classic grilled cheese sandwich made with white bread and a couple slices of floppy, fluorescent-orange cheese—paired with a bowl of soup, it’s rainy-day comfort food at its finest. But a bunch of Toronto restaurants have decided to go above and beyond by adding things like meatloaf, lobster and bacon weaves. Here, 11 of the city’s most gonzo grilled cheese spinoffs, from “holy havarti!" to “sweet mother of gouda!"

Maha’s Date Grilled Cheese

10 East end brunch favourite Maha’s works the sweet-and-savoury angle by adding sautéed dates and a drizzle of honey to a blend of gouda, havarti and Swiss cheeses on egg bread. There’s a choice of three sides, but we recommend the cumin home fries. $12. 226 Greenwood Ave., 416-462-2703, mahasbrunch.com    

Completo’s Loaded Grilled Cheese

9 Leslieville’s Latin-American hole-in-the-wall does a griddle-smashed version full of cheddar cheese, avocado, refried beans, diced tomatoes and two house-made sauces (hot and red pepper). $7. 5 Coady Ave., 416-901-9233, test.completo.club    

Brooklyn Tavern’s Pork Carnitas Grilled Cheese

8 Weekend brunch at this Leslieville local brings a grilled cheese sandwich made with cheddar and pork carnitas, and served with slaw and fries. For a couple extra bucks, customers can choose to put an egg on it, because brunch. $12. 1097 Queen St. E., 416-901-1177, brooklyntavern.ca    

Hair of the Dog’s Butter Chicken Grilled Cheese

7 At this popular Church Street pub, Indian and Canadian comfort food collide when the kitchen loads up challah bread with spicy curried chicken, cheddar and mozzarella. $14. 425 Church St., 416-964-2708, hairofthedogpub.ca    

Meltwich Food Co.‘s Mac Attack

6 For when you can’t decide between mac and cheese and grilled cheese, there’s this sandwich that marries the two—and then lets bacon get between them. $7.99. 300 Richmond St. W., 647-346-7699, meltwich.ca    

Cut the Cheese’s Big Bad Wolf

5 Dairy reigns supreme at this Junction counter dedicated to all things cheesy. Their Big Bad Wolf combines deep-fried pork belly with asiago cheese, coleslaw, house-made potato sticks and a southwest chipotle aïoli. $9.25. 2901A Dundas St. W., 416-901-7166, cutthecheese.ca    

Uncle Betty’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese

4 Uncle Betty’s one-ups Meltwich Food Co. by not only putting a block of mac and cheese in their sandwich, but throwing a slab of house-made meatloaf in there, too. $16. 2590 Yonge St., 416-483-2590, unclebettys.com    

Lobster Monster’s Grilled Cheese a la Lobster

3 The most expensive sandwich on this list is a crustacean-crammed triple-decker. Unsurprisingly, it comes from the same people that brought the city a lobster poutine hot dog. $17. 3249 Yonge St., 416-488-8755, lobstermonster.ca    

The Burger’s Priest’s Vatican on Ice

2 For those summer days when it’s just too damn hot for melted cheese, there’s this delicious abomination that is equal parts grilled cheese and ice cream sandwich. $5. Various locations, theburgerspriest.com    

Bacon Nation’s Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Cheese

1 The bacon weave lives on at Kensington’s palace of pork. Their secret menu’s bacon-wrapped grilled cheese sandwich is like an inside-out pig in a blanket. $14.95. 249 Augusta Ave., 416-792-4777, baconnation.com