The Heartbreak Chef
The Heartbreak Chef is home to some of Toronto's most decadent comfort food, from loaded sandwiches to juicy fried chicken.
Jerome Robinson's brand has seen several different iterations — from a catering company to a CNE fixture for ludicrous sandwiches — but this Dundas West takeout counter is the biggest.
After migrating from his first shop in Parkdale, the Heartbreak Chef now has a kitchen legitimately sizeable enough to handle those mountainous burgs.
The old mural is no more, but this space comes decked out with new walls by Toronto muralist sumartist and an NBA Jam arcade game.
A lean menu focuses on all the main attractions, including the Dutty Chicken Sandwich with Robinson's signature jerk sauce ($11.99) or the Big Ass Chicken Sandwich ($11.99).
Double-breaded fried chicken is coated in a homemade jerk sauce and a generous helping of creamy coleslaw, all between two soft potato buns.
Unless your mouth is a Hoover, this meal definitely won't be mess-free.
The same applies to the Mac N Charlie ($10.99), which comes with fried chicken between two thick slices of Italian bread.
The signature Mac is a gooey affair made up of a bunch of different cheeses, including mozzarella, monterey and cream cheese.
You can also get the mac on its own in a generously-sized container for $7.99.
Messy, gooey, fried chicken stuff aside, one of my favourite things on the menu are the deep-fried brussel sprouts ($7.99).
They're deliciously tangy, thanks to a combo of balsamic, lemon and honey.
Hector Vasquez