- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Uno Mustachio
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Sandwiches Italian, Sandwiches
St. Lawrence Market93 Front St E
Lower Level B34
Toronto, ON M5E 1C2
Neighbourhoods: St. Lawrence, Downtown Core
(416) 367-8325
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Touristy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
28 reviews for Uno Mustachio
Review Highlights
-
"Their veal and eggplant sandwiches are to die for - thin..." In 10 reviews -
"...Brooklyn effect, make sure you ask for double tomato sauce." In 9 reviews -
"...everything on it (including hot peppers), and your mouth..." In 4 reviews
Loading...
28 reviews in English
-
Review from Quaker O.
Toronto, ON
3/31/2012
Let the haters hate, but as you can see by the longest line in the market, easily 50 people at 11:30, the people have spoken and these sandwiches rock.
Fresh buns, brought in fresh every morning.
Homemade sauce, too dry? Get extra sauce you f---ing babies! Ugh
Everything is fried just minutes before you eat it, see the line of 2 guys in the back of the kitchen, guess what they're doing? Frying crisp scallopinis of met and veg.
Sorry if you show up after 2 you're gonna get something that was fried at 1.
You missed the boat get with the program, this is the the st Lawrence market, and it's been done this way since 1800, it's the program, deal with it.
Service rude, well thats how you move that 50 person line up, that's how you sell 2000 sandwiches a day, have you ever been to a NY deli? Clearly not and don't even think about going to Boston they might make you cry.
This is a solid, crispy, huge, consistent, delicious Italian sandwich that is an institution in Toronto. And like all famous institutions, they really don't care about the whiners. Go eat your cafe sandwich and get your ass kissed by some college waiter you just wants NEWSFLASH your tip.
Park your ego this is the market and it ain't changing, because Toronto LOVES IT!!!! -
Review from Maheen M.
2/17/2012
This is my favourite place to get a veal or eggplant sandwich. Huge portions, lots of toppings and wonderful foccacia bread. Make sure you get your sandwhich on foccacia, you will not be dissapointed. These sandwich are meant for one REALLY hungry person or two to share.
One sandwich on foccacia bread is $8, a great price for what you are getting.
Make sure you stop by Uno Mustachio at the lower level of the St Lawrence market for a yummy sandwhich. -
Review from andrew m.
Toronto, ON
12/6/2011
Here is a simple test to tell how to rate these sandwiches...
Go buy one... don't unwrap it... and take it to work. Just as you are about to go to your work space, unwrap it... when you reach your desk see how many people are smelling the air and asking 'do you smell that'? (in a good way)
Simple flavors, a fantastic sandwich, with all Italian flavors.
Only down side, you may not notice its on the salty side.
I have fun taking this item down to the financial district. Where people wonder about the executives love the look of a delicious sandwich. -
Review from Michael Y.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow. I hope they didn't added the "Uno" to Mustachio on Yelp to get a better rating from their other rating? I'll put in my 2¢ here as well.
I had the chicken sandwich and I wished they made it fresh instead of the protein being displayed. It tastes like day old sandwiches microwaved. It's pretty dry, which is why they need more sauce on the sandwiches. I've had much better elsewhere.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/12/2011
Oh God! Had so many good reviews that I had to try it.
Verdict.. not good at all. I had the chicken… Read more »
-
-
Review from Zoe R.
7/29/2011
I've only ever had their eggplant sandwich, and that's the only thing I will ever want-need-crave from them. It is a filling sandwich, great for people with big hands. Those with smaller hands will find themselves getting a.. good bang for their buck here.
The price of their popular sandwiches keep going up. I will occasionally allow myself to keep buying their eggplant sandwich, though. Life wouldn't be the same if I didn't have the freedom to munch and crunch on their more-crunchy-than-soggy deep-fried breaded eggplant yumminess, loaded with extra veggies -- onions, green peppers, and a leaf of lettuce and slice of fresh tomato as well.
They offer it on either "focaccia" bread or on a big bun (maybe you can wear baseball or oven mitts, if you like me have small hands). A very suitable 'wich for Wolverine if ever you're lucky enough to interact verbally w/ him.
One half of their hefty sandwich usually does the trick in keeping my belly full. Maybe bring along another friend? That way, you'll be leaving enough room for some fresh fruit or whatever small dessert-like nibblies that your heart may be desiring. Maybe some cubes of cheese from one of the cheese shops, or a very freshly baked bagel from St. Urbain bagels. You'll find tons of snack options at St. Lawrence Mkt.
Mustachio is located on the basement level of the St. Lawrence Market South building. Closed Sundays, methinks.
4.5 stars. Let me know if their prices ever drop. -
Review from Devyn G.
Toronto, ON
8/17/2011 2 photos
Yeah, yeah, I know. You Torontonians are really quite tired of us transplanted 'Mericans (especially those of us who have the privilege, the honor, the urban distinction, of being New Yorkers) comparing our nations, our cities, our food. And, you know, I totally get and understand that. No, really I do.
Consider Michelle Bachman.
But in this case, and in the words of my mother, "tough."
Because I finally found an Italian sandwich mecca that, yo, takes me right back to da streets backs home in Brooklyn. Like, fuckin 'A.
Located in the lower tier of Toronto's famous St. Lawrence Market, Uno Mustachio is clearly one of the most popular eateries in the entire historic building. Swarming with tourists and sharply dressed business workers during the lunch rush, you might want to grab your il pranzo molto delizioso to go.
Why? Seating is incredibly limited and so tightly packed that this isn't the place to be if you're claustrophobic, especially while you're trying to keep the sauce and mushrooms from slipping onto your shirt.
Sure, they serve a nice variety of pasta and salad dishes, but the cooks here are Italian sandwich specialists. Chicken parmigiano, veal, eggplant, meatball, chicken with eggplant, veal with eggplant, steak and cheese, steak with cheese and eggplant, all served on kaisers with your choice of hot peppers, sweet peppers, onions and/or mushrooms for garnish. My tastebuds were immediately reminded of the corner shops in Bay Ridge and Bensonhoist. (Ok, maybe not the steak and cheese... that's more Philadephia, but you get the point.) For real Brooklyn effect, make sure you ask for double tomato sauce. Beverages include the usual canned or bottled variety, plus Italian favourites like SanPellegrino and Brio.
And if you needed even more good advice about this place, consider what the father of a family of four kids said to his wife as they chowed down next to me: "Hey. It must be good. Nobody's talking."
Fuckin' 'A right it is. -
Review from Allerina M.
Toronto, ON
9/30/2011 4 photos
Ducked down here from work for a quick lunch. As it was a Wednesday, it wasn't too busy.
You definitely have to go for one of the Italian sandwiches. They are very generous on the fillings and even though the filling is crumbed, it didn't taste greasy or overly oily. We got a chicken and eggplant parmigiana sandwich. We omitted the peppers and onions but did get the mushrooms. They then slather some italian tomato sauce on it.
Check out my picture for a cross section of our sandwich. I had to share it with my husband. The flavours went very nicely together. The photo doesn't do it justice though but atleast you can see the really thinly cut crumbed chicken and eggplant slices.
The kaiser roll it comes in is perfect because it is crunchy on the outside but not tough to chew through like ciabata.
I was worried it would be really messy to eat but it was fine, no drips or soggy bits.
Now we don't really have sandwiches like this in Sydney but I've noticed that italian sandwiches are big in Toronto especially ones with meatballs in it. So I guess I'm no expert, but I do know yummy food when it goes in my mouth!
Love love love this place. Counting down the days until I can go back ... need to leave enough time between visits so I don't look like a glut! -
Review from BJ Koenig X.
Toronto, ON
1/28/2012
Had a typical Saturday morning, concluding with a wonderful eggplant sandwich at Mustachio - with mushrooms, peppers, onions and spicy tomato sauce, delicious!!
-
Review from Bruce B.
8/14/2011
I just returned back to the states after a week in Toronto and am already craving a eggplant sandwich. I had one for lunch almost every day. The best thing I've ever eaten? Not by a longshot, but I enjoy down a dirty food and this fits the bill.
The service is a bit "soup nazi". Fortunately I went with somebody that knew the drill so I made it through without too much grief. Watch out for the preprepared sandwiches as they just aren't the same, bad idea mustachio.
Yes it is breaded, deep fried eggplant on a big ass roll. The sauce and other veggies made it for me. It is just a darn good sandwich.
I split one with my girlfriend and my belly was more than satisfied. If you don't like street food this isn't the place for you, not fancy pants by any stretch. -
Review from Lola L.
7/8/2011 2 photos
I believe this place is actually called Uno Mustachio and in terms of Italian sandwiches in this city, it is certainly in the top five! The sandwiches will run you about $8 or $9 but they are enormous--I can usually only eat half in a sitting. You can do breaded eggplant, chicken, veal, or a combination thereof. My favourite is the veal and eggplant, which features multiple layers of both, and you can add sauce, peppers, onions, etc. They do the regular chicken parm, meatball sandwich, etc, but the real winners here are the eggplant / chicken / veal sandwiches.
It's just consistently delicious. The staff are friendly and efficient. Since they are in the market they do close pretty early (best to get there before 4pm, I think), but it's worth it to grab a sang and a Brio or Orangina for lunch, eat half, and save the rest for dinner. -
Review from Yvonne T.
Had the veal and eggplant sandwich today at Mustachio... and it was yummy! The warnings are correct, the sandwich is quite filling and I could only finish half. I also got a Greek Salad as I needed my veggie fix. For around $5 the salad is of a substantial size.
The breading is flavourful and provides a nice crunch to the sandwich. The eggplant is mandolin-thin and very fresh. My only complaints were that the bun was a bit on the dry side, and cold. They could've also been a bit more generous with the marinara sauce which would've upped the flavour of the sandwich.
The Greek Salad was made with fresh ingredients and drizzled in an olive oil vinaigrette.
All in all, my stomach and wallet were satisfied with the $13.99 price tag.Listed in: Dining and Nickeling, St. Lawrence Eats, Mangia mangia!
-
Review from Alek L.
8/5/2011
Quasi-Italian, deep-fried-in-the-same-oil, oily sandwiches... I guess that people flock there because of the sheer size of the sandwich? (which by the way shrank considerably as the years passed).
Maybe 4 years ago this was an OK place to eat, however right now the buns are usually not fresh, the meat is thin (with thick deep-fried oily coating), focaccia bread was dry and chewy the other day... and the guys serving you are very rude (especially if you have some special request other than the plain sandwich with everything on it).
There is no variety, you can have chicken sandwich, or veal sandwich (with or without eggplant), and a chicken/veal parmigiano with very salty and low quality parmesan cheese and that's pretty much it. Gets awfully boring after some time.
The only good thing is their tomato sauce, but even that...is no brainer to make really. -
Review from R.J. G.
Toronto, ON
9/25/2011
What can I say that hasn't been said before. This St. Lawrence Market stable runs like a well-oiled machine. I always have their eggplant sandwiches which are packed to the heavens with a pile of pan-fried eggplant and a selection of toppings, including mushrooms, onions, peppers and tomato sauce. They are big and sloppy and delicious and are a must for anyone in the market. I am told the veal sandwiches are just as good, a friend always has one, when I have an eggplant sandwich. Just enjoy the ambiance and experience, but arrive hungry.
-
Review from Kat F.
1/13/2010
SUMMARY FOR SHORT ATTENTION SPANS: All hype. Don't bother.
This is going to be another barnburner. No longer can I sit idly by while so many others blindly and foolishly hype this place beyond what's reasonable. I'd been here a few times pre-Yelp and it was OK, but after reading these rave reviews luring Toronto visitors the basement of St. Lawrence Market, I feel morally obligated to do my Yelp duty and caution against it.
I was originally teetering between giving this place two stars (ie: mediocre, don't bother) and a one star (ie: I'm mad), but these three things factored into my final assessment:
1) First, and most importantly, the sandwich was inedible. I ordered an eggplant sandwich that was pre-assembled and resting under a heat lamp. At 11am, the kaiser bun was already stale and past the point of being comestible. It was hard and unwieldy. The amount of eggplant slices is (I suppose) a good value for $6.50 but unnecessary and difficult to eat unless you have a snake jaw. There is no seasoning whatsoever. I took one bite of the sandwich and it was over. I had no desire to continue, even though I was beyond famished. When I later offered it to my hungry boyfriend, even HE wouldn't eat it, and as you know, guys will eat anything. It smelled off, like the oil that the eggplant had been deep fried in was rancid. I'll have to wait and see if Susan C. was able to offer it to the homeless man on Front Street - if it's not fit for a hobo, it's hardly fit for yelpers.
2) The service was glum and unfriendly. You would think that arriving at the counter well before the lunch rush might yield even an iota of warmth, maybe even a smile, from the staff, but you would be wrong. Even though there was no one behind me in line, I was shuttled through the stations as if there was an extra commission for number of customers "served" per minute - worse than a high school cafeteria. My sandwich was already assembled and sitting under a busted heat lamp (could you at least feign freshness here? Ugh). The woman grabbed it and asked me if I wanted hot peppers. I said no. The word had nary escaped my lips and she had already slapped a host of other toppings onto it and started to wrap it.
ME: "I don't want onions, by the way."
JOYLESS COUNTER PERSON: "You didn't say you didn't want onions."
ME: "You didn't ask me if I wanted onions. It says 'your choice of toppings.'"
JOYLESS COUNTER PERSON: "Hmph."
She then wiped off the onions, reassembled the sandwich and handed it back to me. Also, others have called attention to the Italian staff - perhaps they've visited Italy in their lifetimes, but make no mistake: no one that works here is Italian. Service is decidedly Eastern European.
3) I was so antsy and excited to write this review that the sentences and thoughts that you now read were swirling around in my brain for the entire duration of my commute home. I had originally planned to go pots & pans shopping, to buy a coverlet, and then maybe visit a friend's boutique, but I was so eager to cast my vote that I rushed home to write this review instead.
So there you have it - St. Lawrence Market is a good place to have a sandwich: just don't bother with Mustachio's.Listed in: Overhyped Restaurants In…, The Best Of St. Lawrence…
-
Review from susan c.
1/13/2010
After hearing about how amazing their veal sandwiches are, I was really looking forward to trying one of them today. At 11:20 a.m., there was no line either. Great. right? Ugh. I took a couple of bites and gave up on it.
(a) The kaiser roll it comes on is too big, too hard, and too flavorless. It tastes like crusty Styrofoam and scraped several layers of skin off the roof of my mouth.
(b) The veal cutlet was pre-fried in old oil and sitting cold under "heat" lamps for god knows how long even at 11:20 a.m. The meat was also stringy and severely under-seasoned. Ew.
(c) The accompanying tomato sauce was scant and also under-seasoned.
To add insult to injury, when I paid for my order, I got a twoonie as change which I put in my pocket. The grunty woman who made my sandwich promptly came over to the till and checked in the Tip cup to see if I had left a little extra something for her. WTF? Who does that?'
Here's a tip, unpleasant sandwich assembly automaton lady: Use better bread, season the veal with some salt, and don't be so stingy with the tomato sauce!
I gave the rest of my sandwich to a homeless man on King Street but now I'm wondering if he will come after me for giving him such awful food.
Mustachio? I'd rename it "Mustachi-NO!" -
Review from Jennifer N.
Toronto, ON
8/7/2008 ROTD 6/9/2009
There's a reason Mustachio is constantly busy (don't even think of trying to go there for lunch unless you have time to spare).
Their veal and eggplant sandwiches are to die for - thin slices of eggplant and tender pieces of veal coated in a light breadcrumb crust fried to perfection smothered with tangy tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, sauteed green peppers and onions and encased in a fresh Italian bun.
Whew! It's certainly a delicious mouthful. -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
Mustachio's makes the best veal sandwiches you can dream of. Everyone has been bothering me about California Sandwiches my whole life, and I couldn't care less about them. Mustachio's beats that place so hard, because they have delicious sandwiches, fast service, and...uh, the best sandwiches ever that you should have immediately (as in right now).
Here's what you will do:
You will go to Mustachio's, and you will wait in line. When it's your turn, you will get a veal and eggplant sandwich. You'll ask for everything on it (including hot peppers), and your mouth might be on fire for a little bit, but later on, you will appreciate this tip because it makes the sandwich even better.
You'll go sit outside on the picnic benches of St. Lawrence Market on a nice day, and eat your Mustachio sandwich, and you will think, "Wow, this is the best sandwich I have ever had. The veal is so lean and is the perfect thin cut of meat that has ever been breaded and fried. Why is this eggplant so deliciously crispy and tasty? And how is this bread so fresh? This sandwich is so amazing that I don't even care if I spill its contents on my jeans, I will probably pick them up and eat them anyways."
And then you will think, "I am so glad I searched for the best veal sandwich ever on Yelp. Now that I know Mustachio's is here, my life will never be the same."Listed in: I could eat here every day...
-
Review from Joshua C.
8/26/2008 3 photos
For an Italian food loving traveler from Hawaii Mustachio was a dream come true.
After perusing stall after stall of beautiful food I wandered downstairs into the bowels of St. Lawrence market. It's there that I found this gem. High quality, simple food, cooked to perfection.
Even if the rest of the market totally sucked (which it of course doesn't), even if I had to fly 5000 miles again to get here (it'll only be 2000 something once I move to Portland), it'd be worth it to eat Mustachio's "Veal and Eggplant Sandwich".
note: I often think the tourist reviews for people visiting Hawaii are a bit silly and over exagerrated....yeah, who's the tourist now? =P
So what's so special about this sandwich? Well for starters we can't get them in Hawaii, but the main reason is that they're just really damn good. Check out Jennifer N.'s well crafted description (I'm feeling lazy and she does a great job): http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
What edible bliss looks like: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
I don't know when I'll be in Toronoto next, but when I am I'll certainly be stopping here.Listed in: My Top Whatever Wherever
-
Review from Devan R.
2/27/2010
Like Kat F. I was compelled to offer up my thoughts for Mustachio's because I'm tired of hearing their praise through the grapevine. The sandwich on a scale of 1 to 10 would garner a 3.5 in my books on a great day.
The sandwich is stacked to the point that it just falls apart no matter how you try to eat. Sure their cutlets of veal, chicken and eggplant are massive, but they are bland and sit under heat lamps all day. What really dissapoints me most about this place, other than the praise that some ppl give them, is their tomato sauce. It is so bland I would not be surprised if it comes out of a can. Uuggh..
Honestly, if you look through my reviews you'll notice I rarely write up bad reviews on places, I feel mostly compelled to offer up reviews when establishments sweep me off my feet, but Mustachio's is really that bad. It is so bland I couldn't even finish my last sandwich.
Cali sandwiches puts this place to shame, it's no surprise that there are CS popping up all over the city and that there are always lines. If anyone wants to argue that Mustachio's is better than Cali then pls let me know and we can organize an eat off. -
Review from Maureen P.
Toronto, ON
4/28/2010
Do you like California Sandwiches (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...)???
MUSTACHIO sandwiches are SO MUCH BETTER!
I'm all about the chicken and eggplant... The sauce is tasty. The breading doesn't crumble. The bun doesn't fall apart. Plus all the extras are FREE! GIVE IT ALL TO ME BABY! (Minus the hot peppers at times...)
And this is the kicker... I don't have that gross feeling in the pit of my stomach after devouring one of these bad boys! Mmmmm baby MMMM! -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2008
My friend and I were browsing the pit of St. Lawrence Market when we bumped into a line-up stretching at least 30 people long.
I'd always come to the Market during off-hours, so I figured this line-up meant the world was ending or the food here was actually good. I wasn't even particularly hungry at the time, but the more I watched this line and the bubbling vats of fried veal and chicken, the more I wanted to be a part of it.
"If your all of your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?" Well, if there's a veal sandwich at the edge of the cliff, perhaps. Perhaps.
The wait wasn't too long. The three servers at the counter -- like ADD candidates on speed -- fixed the sandwiches within seconds. And the sandwich? I had the veal-eggplant combo, and it was pretty good, despite needing a pinch more salt.
Health nuts, stay away. The rest of you? Welcome home.Listed in: Toronto: Meals under $10! (And…
-
Review from Kathi C.
6/6/2011
I consider myself to be a pretty good eater, but I split one of these beautiful sandwiches and didn't have any room to sample the other treats at the market! No regrets though- this thing was tasty. I had the veal and fried eggplant, loaded with tomato sauce, peppers and onions. If you're not into high carb, high fat, and high oil, well, skip this for the organic salad stand by the entrance. But, if you do have one, try to get it when the veal and eggplant are freshly made- they'll be crispy and warm and flavorful. They are battered and fried after all, so you don't want one that's been sitting out.
-
Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
4/8/2009
In my quest to continue trying different places for fast lunches in the financial district, I found some rave reviews of this place.
I'd say this place is average.
I got the eggplant and chicken sandwhich $7 and change
Let me paint you the picture. Long line up but the people behind the counter are quick. Once they say yell "next order" at you, you better yell your order right back, followed by a "please"
The woman slaps on a mixture of tomato sauce, onions mushrooms and then 1 breaded chicken+ 2 breaded eggplant. It's massive. 2 meals for sure.
While the poeple behind the counter aren't especially nice, they do have an Italian charm to them that makes you smile
Now you unwrap your delightful sandwich, but the flavour is less than a taste explosion.
Maybe I'm too spoiled with the ridiculously fatty sauces they put on EVERYthing these days, but there's something very bland about the toppings.
However, if you pick apart the sandwhich and eat it one ingredient at a time, it IS rather good. the chicken ad eggplant? fab. the bread- I never order white bread anymore, let alone a kaiser bun..but i have to say the pedestrian nature of it was a pleasant experience.
The tomato sauce is good. and they don't load any spices (not even pepper or salt) to season any of the toppings/ingredients.
It's a simple and decent sandwhich. That being said, I would not go again.Listed in: You are severely overrated.…
-
Review from Barb G.
Toronto, ON
4/20/2011
Ive been hear a couple of times and have generally enoyed the sandwiches. I have heard they are a heartattack in a bun though so I try to limit my visits!
-
Review from Miriam W.
2/13/2009
I don't like eggplant. I never eat veal. But the veal and eggplant sandwich at Mustachio has a hold on me. It's inexplicable. And I can't wait to get my hands on one the next time I'm in Toronto!
-
Review from Matt K.
East York, ON
5/12/2010
3.5 would be a fair judgment. I can only however speak for the chicken sandwich, as that was what both members of my party were enjoying as well. I have to say, it was good, it left me more than satisfied, adequately stuffed, and craving that one last bite, where all the toppings seem to congregate into a joyous plethora of taste climax. However, I was very disheartened by the quality of the service, as my Faux Italian server mumbled, god knows what, ignoring most of the requests i had. The price seemed fair enough for a lunch haunt near to work, so that was O.K in my books. I just wasn't as happy with all the hype surrounding the place, leaving st.lawrence wishing i had went to get the delectable fish and chips instead.
-
Review from Carol w.
8/5/2009
Afer reading all the reviews here, I HAD to make the stop on my recent trip to Toronto. The first time we went there they were out of Veal!!!
Crap! We went somewhere else and made plans to come back for the touted veal and eggplant sandwich. There was a stack of veal in the window so we figured we were in luck and ordered one to share.
I gotta say it was just ok. The veal was dry. Sorry but dry veal has no charm, the sauce was good, the bread decent but I had to ask myself if any of those who wrote the rave reviews knew anything about a good veal sandwich, or they were just having a bad day at Mustachio's.
Nothing offensive or overpriced but, so not worth the calories.
We had a much nicer veal sandwich at Cafe Diplomatico. When I get the address etc. I will write that review.
Still scratching my head over the raves for this place. -
Review from Simon C.
Toronto, ON
3/10/2010
I'd rather chew some tinfoil than eat one of these 'famous' sandwiches. Save yourself the wait and go upstairs - Paddington's makes a better veal on a bun as does Carousel.
