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This place is known for the Peameal Bacon Sandwich. There was a bit of a line, maybe took 25mins to get through. The nice thing is they let you customize toppings and condiments to put on the sandwich as they make it in front of you. It was good, I liked it more than I thought I would.
The classic peameal bacon sandwich. They are ok. They used to be cash only but are now with the times and take credit and debit. Prices have gone up over the years. The sandwich is still good, feel like there's less meat than in the past. Definitely worth a stop in St Lawrence Market
The Peabody Bacon sandwich lived up to its Hype and more. salty and savory. The bun was great and size was huge. Great deal. Service spot on and friendly unlike other restaurants in the area that wouldn't even take my order. The apple fritter was also good!
TLDR; I was not expecting much.. 2 ingredients + mustard, how good can this be? But it was! Actually, the more I ate, the better it got! How can that be? I was utterly impressed. And to share the sentiment, I would highly recommend others to try this at least once! }} I was honestly underwhelmed when I unwrapped this "internationally acclaimed" sandwich. So plain and basic. And yet, when I did the research prior to visiting, this was on everyone's bucket list for the St. Lawrence Market. I mean, it's just plain peameal bacon on a bun, how good can this be? I paired it with classic dijon mustard as it was most recommended by the staff. My first bite, meh... peameal bacon. Been there, done that. But as I ate more of the sandwich, I realized this was no ordinary peameal bacon. There was about 4-5 slices of bacon in total, enough so that there's at least a double layer in each bite.. unlike most peameal bacon I've encountered in the past, this bacon is not dry at all and retains its juices really well! The savouriness must be from the brine; it's not overly salty and it leaves you craving for the next bite. I must say, moving forward this has set the bar for my peameal bacon standards. Never underestimate the simple basic stuff haha. For $8.40 + tax, downtown price is fair. Service was lightning fast.
Not hype at all! This was my first time having a peameal bacon sandwich in Toronto - and what a great representation it was. Super simple and all delicious. Another thing I will miss when I return home. BB
I didn't think that such a touristy place could be this good, but they rouse to the occasion. One of the best food items in Canada, an absolutely must try when in Toronto, especially for bacon lovers, but even for me, who thinks European bacon is magnificent, and American bacon is absolute trash, this Peameal Bacon sandwich is absolutely wonderful. Let's get the bad stuff out of the way. It's not cheap, they close early, parking is tricky around here, and their attitudes are absolutely awful. Some of the employees here (most of them?) have such disdain for the customers that you wonder if they're in the wrong business. Having said all of that, I love thick European style bacon, and these Peameal Bacon sandwiches are salty and delicious and served on wonderful bread, an age-old tradition that makes it worth getting treated like sh** by some random bakers and kids, in order to try what has to be one of Canada's most famous tourist food items, but also easily one of Toronto's very best sandwiches, and comfortably inside the top 20 food items I'd send you to eat when in this amazing city full of perfect food. Whether you're a demure, sweet little thing, or an evil dominatrix like Barbi, or a lethal MMA girl like Ronda Ca-Rousey-el, for whom this bakery is named, you are going to love this Peameal Bacon sandwich. And if you need to pee afterwards, there are bathrooms in the area, so don't make a... meal... out of it. So in conclusion, I'm not too interested in whatever you're selling, but oh, how I love what the Carou.... Sell. (hides)
So besides the owner threaten to punch me in the mouth...whatever.. This place is amazing...try the pea meal bacon on their classic bun with honey mustard...it is really good. Fantastic egg custard tarts. They do rip you off if you pay in US dollars and they do not take any form of electronic payment of card.....thus the one less star.
Peameal bacon is apparently a Toronto specialty so we gave it a try at this stand in St. Lawrence Market. The bacon, which is basically thick cut ham, was nothing out of the ordinary and tasted like something I could get at my local NYC grocery store. I enjoyed the very soft bread though. If you can, opt for more honey mustard since that saved the sandwich from being completely boring. Service wasn't as bad as other reviews claim it to be.
A peameal bacon sandwich is something to try that's unique to Canada, but it's nothing to rave about. It's pretty much thick ham with a cornmeal covering with maple mustard (?) for our sauce choice. The ham (or rather bacon as it's called) was thick but didn't have any special characteristics. The bread itself wasn't anything special. It didn't even taste like it was made fresh. The maple mustard flavoring was there, but it wasn't distinctive. Overall a meh sandwich. The folks working here donned unhappy faces like we were disrupting their flow of non-existent customer line. Though this is the original location, like anything I'm sure you can find it better elsewhere.
So much talk over such a disappointing sandwich... it was rather dry, the rest of the food looked fresh. However the staff was quite rude. It's also a cash only location... the do take USD, that was a plus. It is a very old stand but well kept so at least it looks relatively nice.
Couldn't leave Toronto without trying the peameal sandwich, which is Canadian bacon on a soft bun topped with honey mustard. I really loved the freshly made bun. They also sell a variety of homemade breads and pastries even pastel de natas. They were delicious just as good as the ones I had in Portugal. Staff was very friendly. The bakery is located inside of the St Lawrence Market.
Another fave go to place when I'm in St. Lawrence Market is Carousel Bakery. I know a lot of people prefer Uno Mustachio's Veal Parmigiana but I love Carousel's amazing Italian Veal Parmigiana sandwich. Aside from being cheaper (than Uno's), the sandwich is loaded with the right amount of meat sauce and toppings. It starts with a soft ciabatta bread and nestled inside is a sliced veal cutlet, breaded and crispy loaded with rich tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese. One bite and your mouth is hit all at once with a sweet, savoury, umami flavour. I tried their other sandwiches but I think the veal sandwich is the one worth trying. Service albeit unfriendly is fast as they have lots of staff to help you.
The last highly recommended place at St Lawrence Market we tried was Carousel. They specialize in peameal bacon sandwiches. We actually made a special trip here on our last day in Toronto. We wanted food for the plane ride home. The sandwich is awesome. The bacon is coated in the meal and then fried on the grill. The bun is fresh and you can have any of a variety of mustards. The sandwiches came out quickly after we ordered at the counter. You can see the busy staff behind assembling the sandwiches. The lady that helped us was super nice. Its cash only, but its nice they take US$ also. We had run out of C$ at this point. I highly recommend you try the peameal bacon sandwiches at Carousel. They are like a local institution.
3 years ago
I can't believe I haven't tried this place all these years, they're known for their peameal bacon, but they have a mind blowing lowingveal sandwich so good I would say it's better than uno mustachio be aware this place has a lineup but service is quick, bread was nice and toasted and the veal melts in your mouth, even better than uno mustachio, I love the sauce and hot peppers they give and very big sandwich we got one and split it among three people, awesome sandwich I can come back here again read more
2 years ago
Based on some reviews I read, I went to Carousel Bakery. Famously known as the home of the award-winning "World Famous Peameal Bacon Sandwich." The fabulous sandwich has been often imitated but never duplicated by many competitors. I thought the sandwich was good, the meat was a bit on the dry side and the bread was not bad, but not wildly amazing on my book....maybe I am too picky...LOL.... Carousel Bakery has been at the same location in the St. Lawrence Market for over 30 years. There are line ups at the counter every weekend as well as weekday lunch hours for this Toronto tradition. Celebrity Chefs Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay have been customers of this sandwich join and have been known to have returned for seconds! read more
I heard their peameal sandwich was a must try when coming to Toronto so I gave it a try and I really liked it. The meat was juicy and flavorful, I had it with the honey mustard sauce which complemented it well and it was served over a warm roll. Overall it was a very good sandwich and definitely something I would get again. As for the egg tart this was very mid for me. I have definitely had better and I felt like the texture was just a bit off. Not a bad egg tart but not the best. The service was pretty fast and the market was very cute with so many stalls of different vendors and different foods. read more
When in Toronto, must try a pea meal bacon sandwich, according to everyone. And the go to place for this is carousel bakery in St. Lawrence market. We came early for breakfast and there was no line. We got the sandwich and an order of the egg tart to try. The Sandwich comes with an option any sauce you like, we tried the mustard with horse radish sauce. The Sandwich is pretty simple but it gets the job done. The bread could be a little better as it was on the tough chewy side but nothing too bad. Definitely like the egg tarts here! The crust is super thin but still have the flaky texture. The custard though was so good. It was smooth, sweet and tasty. Overall, it was nice to try the sandwich but I would come back for the egg tart read more
Located inside St Lawrence Market this place is a landmark. The peameal sandwich and egg tart are highly recommended. Service was super quick, food was hot and ready to be served. Luckily we didn't have a long line but if you are lucky you can grab a seat and enjoy the ambiance of eating in the middle of the market. read more
3 years ago
Dropped by St. Lawrence Market for some early morning breakfast and decided to check our Carousel Bakery. I'd heard a lot of good things about this spot and saw the Breakfast on a Bun. To be honest, it wasn't quite for me. It was served a little colder than I was expecting and the bacon didn't quite come through for me. Overall, it was a decent breakfast item if you're looking for a quick bite in the morning. I also had their iced tea, which was pretty good and tasted refreshing. If I come back, I think I'd try something from their hot sandwich menu or their pastry selection, which looked worth trying. read more
3 years ago
Peameal Bacon with Maple Mustard: 3.5-4 stars. Finally got the Peameal bacon with mustard and was a little disappointed. The ratio of Peameal to mustard was off. There was very little mustard flavor for the amount of Peameal in the sandwich. Portuguese Custard Tarts: 5 stars!! Best Portuguese custard tart I have tried so far in Toronto, I will absolutely be going back for more read more
1 year ago
They say "when in Rome" or in this case when in St. Lawrence market...I'm not sure how qualified I am to judge because I knew going in that peameal bacon sandwiches probably aren't within the genre of food I usually go for. Between 3 people they we able to cut it into thirds for us to all try a bit. They have a bunch of sauces to choose from - we went with honey mustard and honestly I think we could have done with more. But it's pretty much exactly what you'd expect it to be. Ham in a sandwich. If that's your thing then this is absolutely the place for you. read more
2 years ago
We came for the peameal sandwich, but came away blown away by the delicious, oozy butter tarts!! In particular, the pecan one was beyond words delicious, buttery and sweet. And, yes, the peameal was a solid breakfast sandwich option, as well. But, be forewarned, Carousel Bakery is strictly a cash based establishment. read more
I was able to order their Peameal Bacon Sandwich without anyone in line. About 30 minutes later, a line started to develop. So the hype is there, but I'm honestly not really sure why. I ordered mine with maple mustard, it was ok but nothing special and probably wouldn't return. The bacon was thick cut, but even with the maple mustard, felt it a little bland. Not only to Carousel Bakery, but St. Lawrence Market in general. They are CASH ONLY, but they do take American dollars with Canadian change given back. read more
1 year ago
Toronto is the home of peameal bacon, a lean, cured, cornmeal-crusted pork loin similar to what Americans would call "ham." Carousel Bakery in the touristy St. Lawrence Market is known for their peameal bacon sandwiches built on a soft, crusty country bun. The breakfast sandwich came with two slices of the griddled, caramelized bacon along with a fried egg and melted processed cheddar cheese. I also added lettuce, tomato, and banana peppers for an extra crunch, but overall, the sandwich was still rather bland and unexceptional. Though the prices were cheap, they'd definitely gone up from the levels listed in all the articles lining the stall. That said, the service was super friendly (especially for such a casual place), and eating here made for a quintessential Toronto tourist experience! read more
6 years ago
Peameal bacon sandwich with honey mustard was simple but excellent. The bun was somewhat crusty though still soft. The peameal bacon was coated with a lot of cornmeal which gave it a nice crust and was nice & springy - this is loads better than grocery store peameal bacon. The custard tart was a Portuguese egg tart & on the smaller side. It was very flaky. The texture of the filling was ok though it could be smoother. read more
Hubby got the peameal bacon sandwich. It was tasty and he enjoyed it but it fills you up so you won't be able to try a lot of other things. I got a Portuguese custard tart for $2 including tax. It was delicious and I wish that I had bought more!! The crust is actually crispy!! It's so good! You have to try it! read more
4 years ago
I had to try the Peameal bacon sandwich since it was my first time visiting Toronto. I ate it when I was hungry so it was good. The mustard was strong but needed since the Peameal bacon was salty. The bread had great texture. I split the sandwich with my friend and I'm glad I did bc otherwise I would be very full if I ate it by myself. Their custard tarts looked amazing, but didn't get to try it. read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Found this place online before my trip to Toronto so had to check it out. I ordered the peameal bacon sandwich with honey mustard and wasn't a huge fan. It tasted fine and the bun was hot and soft, but I think there are better food options to try in the market. Would maybe only get it if you're a first timer like me, but I know if I come to the market again, will check out something else! read more
3 years ago
The food was absolutely delicious. I have never had such a good sandwich. The bread tasted so fresh and the meat was pretty much fat free... very lean. Would 100% stop by here again next time I'm in the area. read more
Yeah, it's that good. A simple sandwich but delicious. Peameal bacon isn't the bacon that Americans are used to. It's not really even "Canadian Bacon." This is closer to a thin-sliced pork tenderloin. Meaty, delicious, it's a proper meal in a sandwich as it should be. I saw some folks putting ketchup or brown sauce on it. It needed none of that. Bread, bacon, my tastebuds. Lets rock! [Review 10979 overall, 751 of 2019.] read more
Located inside the main floor of St. Lawrence Market they are pretty easy to find. The storefront is wide. Pastries were all pretty decent. The peameal bacon sandwiches were layered and flavorful. The buns was light and airy. Mine was dressed with honey mustard and it accentuated the bacon well. That said the bacon itself was in the drier side which is there only reason I can't give full marks. The custard tart I tried were also tasteful and skillfully prepared but just a tad too sweet for me. read more
For a brief summarized review, scroll to bottom. Prior to our Canada trip (we're from the U.S.), I was told that the peameal bacon sandwiches and the butter tarts were a must-try in Toronto. This explains why so many vendors within St. Lawrence Market offer these same items on their menu. After browsing the whole market, I noticed that Carousel Bakery was the biggest bakery there with a long-standing history of well over 30 years, an extensive display of food, and most importantly, they happened to have both the peameal bacon sandwich and butter tarts so I made a visit. I opted for the classic peameal bacon sandwich, a plain butter tart, and a Portuguese egg custard. Let's review the pastries first: the egg custard falls mediocre in terms of taste and texture and it was a bit on the sweeter side (3.5/5) -- this was an easy item to review as I've eaten a tremendous amount of these growing up. It all comes down to the egg-to-sugar ratio of the custard as well as the type of crust being used so every bakery makes it differently. My bf and I both agreed there are definitely better ones back home in NYC from Portuguese and Chinese bakeries. For the famous butter tart, I'm glad we went with the original because it was quite delectable and the crust - although the one on ours was somewhat demented - made the perfect vessel for the filling inside. For those reading this review from the U.S. or have been to the U.S.: the butter tart filling tastes reminiscent to that of southern pralines. It's very sweet and sticky but smooth at the same time. There was also a nice crunch to the crust. I'm someone who doesn't have a sweet tooth at all but even I think the butter tart is a nice treat to have once in a while (4/5). The next time I return to Toronto, I'll definitely give the other butter tart variations a try (you can also find them with raisins or nuts). Moving on to the savory item - the peameal bacon sandwich. It's cured pork loin rolled in peas that were ground into meal (similar concept to cornmeal). So not really what we commonly know as "bacon" but it is bacon by definition because it was cured. The peameal bacon from the Carousel Bakery was presented sandwiched in a Kaiser roll with our choice of condiment (you could choose ketchup, bbq sauce, mustard, etc). We went with maple mustard since it stood out the most to us (we've never had it but it sounds like honey mustard just replaced by maple syrup - which is a proud Canadian product so why not). The sandwich was very dry - even with the help of the maple mustard. My bf didn't like it at all; I was OK with it only because I'm used to cured and preserved meats. The peameal part was definitely new to our palettes. The maple mustard was nice: it wasn't as sweet as honey mustard and it not only had a kick to it but also nutty flavor that you just can't find in American condiments. Overall, the sandwich was mid (3/5). Conclusion / TLDR: we spent a total of around $14 CAD (~$10 USD) for the Portuguese egg custard (3.5/5), butter tart (4/5), and peameal bacon sandwich (3/5). This leads to a review of 3.5 stars which I would normally bump to 4 stars. HOWEVER, it's important to note that their customer service is not so friendly towards foreigners (which is odd considering tourists must make up nearly 90% of their revenue). We witnessed them ("them" as in more than 1 staff member) getting impatient and curt with the customers in front of us because they didn't speak fluent English and even with me, someone who DOES speak fluent English, they snapped at me and was quick to correct me when I referred to the egg custard as a "tart" instead of a "custard." This type of custard, by accurate definition, is also a tart and is interchangeably called "tart" in all parts of the world. If you Google "Portuguese egg custard," you will see that the word "tart" is in ALL of the generated search results. So yes, you can come try their famous pastries but leave the peameal bacon sandwich to more professional vendors. If you're foreign and don't want to be disrespected during your vacation, then avoid this place altogether. You have plenty of other better options in St. Lawrence Market as well as outside of St. Lawrence Market. read more
2 years ago
TIME: Thursday @Noon There's lots of custard/Portuguese tarts at the St. Lawrence Market. What stood out was this location with all the tacky newspaper and celebrity appearance postings hanged all over. I see that they are known for their sandwich but perhaps so are there other things. I wasn't hungry to try their infamous sandwich yet so I decided to get: CUSTARD TART - $1.60 CAD (after tax) I was slightly cheaper than the other vendors, and I figure I give this spot a try. Unfortunately it tasted just okay. Imagine instant pudding as a filling--that slight weird artificial after taste that makes you think it's rich and creamy, but it isn't. It's like having low fat milk vs milk. The crust wasn't bad though--thin and very flaky. I must say the staff was quite friendly and efficient. I never did end up trying their sandwich. Oh well. read more
4 years ago
I came to the St. Lawrence Market for some good eats and came upon Carousel Bakery where I got me a Peameal Bacon Sandwich! It's pretty much a ham sandwich that is pretty good but I'm still not really sure what the hype is about. I don't think I'd get one again but it was a good experience since I'm not from this country. I am giving this joint a solid 3 stars because the workers seemed kinda pushy. Oh, it's also cash only. read more
8 years ago
They have the best Portuguese custard tarts I've tried so far in Ontario! $1.50/tart or $8.50 for 6 tarts. I got mine straight out of the oven so the crust was extremely flakey, caramelized, & buttery. This contrasts the goopy & warm custard that tasted eggy & sweet. read more
3 years ago
Once I landed from my flight, I made it an option to stop by this place and try their 'Peameal Bacon' sandwich since they claim they are the original. It was OK. I don't know if you're supposed to add more toppings on top of it, but it only had mustard and bread. Anyways, it was enough to keep me full until I was ready to go elsewhere. read more
2 years ago
This place is suppose to be famous for the peameal sandwich. I got it unadulterated, no mustard or any kind of sauce. It was flavorful. I didn't eat it right away so it was a little soggy. It wasn't too salty so happy with it. read more
First meal in Toronto was a success! After landing early from a red-eye flight, my friend and I started our Saturday off with a visit to the St. Lawrence Market. As we were walking around, we couldn't help but notice the brightly colored and ginormous Carousel Bakery stand, so we decided to try it out. In my research, I had come across peameal bacon as a Toronto staple, so I was curious about it. There was no line when we walked up, though the length of the line varied during the 20 minutes or so I stayed around eating. It always moved super quickly though, so don't be scared off if there is one. They churn these babies out like crazy so you get your sandwich pretty quickly. I opted for the breakfast sandwich with egg and peameal bacon for a little over 6 (Canadian) bucks. Not bad! My friend, who is vegetarian, asked if they could do a vegetarian breakfast sandwich for him, and they made a egg, tomato, and cheese sandwich. There's limited table seating, but we snagged the nearest open bench and started munching. I wasn't blown away by the peameal bacon but did think it was pretty good. Instead of using the fatty cuts that typical bacon is cut from, the meat here tasted more like pork loin meat and was very smooth. It was a little bit on the saltier side and balanced well against the fried egg and bun. Overall I thought it was a very solid sandwich! My friend really enjoyed his as well. Note that the St. Lawrence Market is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so plan your trip accordingly! read more
8 years ago
2 years ago
The price of a Pea Meal on a bun is now $9.00 it's just too much for me. i don't think i will be getting this anymore.?I think they expect the tip for this. read more
4 years ago
8 years ago
***cash only*** I went here to try the peameal bacon sandwich while visiting Toronto. It was recommended to me by a few coworkers. I'm not a huge bacon fan, but decided to try it anyways. It was a lot thicker than normal bacon, more like a ham sandwich. There's a few different mustards, mayos and hot sauces at the booth that I would recommend putting on your sandwich. Overall, it was good quality for the price point. It is cash only, however they do accept Canadian and American cash. There is an ATM nearby in the market if you don't have any on you - but if you're an American pls remember that the money comes out in CAD (I seemed to forgot this and took out an absurd amount of Canadian cash on my two day visit). The market itself is worth the visit! It is really cute and has a ton of little shops to walk around and browse as you eat your sandwich. Enjoy! read more
3 years ago
More info about Carousel Bakery
St. Lawrence Market
93 Front Street E
Toronto, ON M5E 1C3
Canada
St. Lawrence, Downtown Core, Waterfront Communities-The Island
Directions
(416) 363-4247
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