(Updated February 2023)
There are those days when a kale and quinoa salad doesn’t make your list of cravings! Sometimes you just need to reward yourself for making it through a really tough week or even a really good week. Here are my 3 gourmet fast food places in Toronto that always manage to satisfy my comfort food cravings.
Fancy Frank’s Gourmet Hot Dogs
I am a bit of a connoisseur on Corn Dogs, if I do say so myself. My love of corn dogs started more than 10 years ago on my business trips to Los Angeles where I would pop into a “Hot Dog on a Stick” just to satisfy my cravings (along with their hand stomped lemonade).
When I stumbled upon Fancy Frank’s near Kensington Market in Toronto, I just had to try their corn dog. And amazing it was. Their décor is perfect for Instagram-worthy photos as well.
Adam had a Southern Fancy with Cabbage Slaw and Pulled Pork, because he orders anything with Pulled Pork on it.
Then we topped it all off with mini cinnamon sugared donuts. Wow! Talk about melt in your mouth!!
We have been talking about Fancy Frank’s ever since.
Bobbie Sue’s Mac and Cheese
While we are on the topic of Comfort Foods, we have to mention Bobbie Sue’s Mac and Cheese shack off of Ossington Avenue. The brightly coloured shack catches your eye and once again makes for Instagram-worthy photos.
Adam and I took our “Little Brother” because we have a running competition about whose Mac and Cheese is better. I had the Classic Mac and Cheese while, as you may have guessed it, Adam ordered the Pulled Pork Mac. There is no end to our argument, because we all thought our chosen dish was the best!
Cut the Cheese
We can’t do a comfort food blog without a really great Grilled Cheese Sandwich making it on the list. Cut the Cheese is in The Junction on Dundas near Keele.
I used to live in this area many moons ago, so it was a bit of a nostalgic walk down Dundas. There are so many new places that have revitalized the area, and Cut the Cheese is definitely one of those places.
The menu is simple. We both had the Classic Grilled Cheese with aged cheddar. Mine came with a side of coleslaw and Adam’s came with a side of fresh cut fries. Both came with a pickle and a handful of popcorn which the kid in me absolutely loved!
The décor is simple, and relies on local artists to liven the space up with some colour. There is not a lot of seating, but it is not really a place meant for lingering with family and friends.
Those are my three comfort food picks – a corn dog, a mac and cheese, and a grilled cheese sandwich. I would love to hear about your favourites, so that we can add them to our list to try this year!