Cancel

Open app

Search

Tonton Garby

4.9 (131 reviews)
InexpensiveFast Food, Sandwiches

Tonton Garby Photos

TONTON GARBY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - Tonton Garby

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Deanne M.

Definitely a must visit if you're in Brussels. We stumbled upon this place after searching online for places to eat and we were really happy we found this place! We came around 2pm and there was a bit of a line. The owner is super friendly and takes his time with each customer to customize the sandwich to their liking. Not a place for a quick sandwich but it's worth the wait. He started off asking about our likes and dislikes and crafted us two delicious sandwiches. The sandwiches come with a generous amount of cheese and are a great price for the quality. He even suggested which one to have first so we can enjoy the taste more. We dined in one of the few tables and he made sure we left with smiles on our faces. Highly recommend this place!

No meat but lots of flavor & cheese!

Go, run don't walk. If you don't like to wait, get there early. Don't worry about the menu you get a custom sandwich just for you. This isn't just a fantastic sandwich it's an experience. They are so nice and it's so worth it.

Corey C.

A slightly hidden yet unbelievably AMAZING place to indulge your cheese and bread fantasies. Believe the hype written by every other person that's has been lucky enough to experience this place! The owner walks you through options for for YOUR tastebuds - no joke- and just when you feel overwhelmed by the kindness and choices he kindly recommends a choice or two with a promise that you'll be happy or he'll start from scratch until you are. Honestly one of the best experiences we've had - and we've traveled quite a bit- and the best cheeses and bread we can remember. Ever. For ingredients so simple yet so complex in flavor - every bite will have you wanting more. Be prepared to be patient and you will be rewarded by this outstanding option in Brussels. PROMISE.

Custom sandwich
Mark C.

A refreshing must stop in Brussels amongst the sea of chocolate and waffle places. There is most likely a 40 min. to 1 hour wait depending on the time of the day. Each sandwich is tailored for each customer using the freshest ingredients.

Savory with meat, cheese, and veggies

The service is amazing when you interact at the counter; your sandwich is being made solely from a conversation. The ambiance is beyond friendly (mom and pop shop) relaxing, small, and cozy. This is truly the best sandwiches you'll have in your life when you visit here. It is a wait but so worth it! Words can not describe how amazing the 1st bite was, I couldn't put it down, and I will be back constantly for more.

Maria R.

Amazing sandwiches and even better experience, despite the 30-minute wait. Would definitely go back if I ever find myself in Brussels.

Bill D.

Best sandwich shop in the world! It's a long wait, but worth it. Shop owner will chat you up, walk you through a custom sandwich, and won't let you leave without tasting it (and loving it) first. A real gem of a restaurant.

These gentlemen are too nice and make magical sandwiches
Benjamin P.

I would go far enough to say this is was one of the most amazing food experiences of my entire life. And no, that is not an exaggeration. Very tiny unsuspecting building. Not a lot of signage. I think they have their name on the window. You walk in. Two gentlemen dressed to the 9's welcome you in every possible language (that's likely an exaggeration) until they find the dialect you speak. They welcome you and make you feel comfortable. You wait until they take care of the customers that came before you. It can get a little cramped inside. You grab a drink, you show it to the to gents working, they respond, "Yes yes yes anything for you!". While you wait, you browse the guestbook. People from all over the world come here for the amazing cheese and sandwiches. When it's your turn to make your sandwich they listen to what you like, dislike and make a suggestion. These sandwiches are made like a fine piece of art. They measure the cheese to the nearest millimeter (not true, they don't use the metric system). The salami/pepperoni are perfectly tucked under their tomato blanket. The tomatoes are so fresh and actually add a nice flavor. One of the sandwiches I tried had pear in it which blended so nicely. All the ingredients sit inside the freshest baget for you to eat. It makes a perfect crunch for the sandwich. Get the Fiona and a freshly squeezed orange juice. My wife and I went back two days later to enjoy another sandwich on the train ride to Brugge. The two gentlemen working were very interested in our trip and even helped us with navigating the train. You 100% need to stop here if you're in Brussells.

Got the goods para llevar!
Taylor M.

Shoutout to this gem of a place and the guy who works there! I didn't get his name but his personality shines in the quality and dedication to his food. He speaks English and Spanish. I wanted to practice my Spanish and had no problem explaining to me his recommendations. I wanted something with chorizo and asked I liked queso fuerte o suave and I chose the strong cheese which then he recommended two options. One with a marscapone and bleu cheese (I think) or another with Italian herbs and something else I can't remember but I got the one with Italian herbs. He then cleaned off a table told me to sit and relax while I waited. Damn did he not skimp on the cheese. He had mini premade cheese wheels(? I don't know the word for them) and I was expecting just a thin layer, maybe half of the cheese). But he put that whole thing on there!! And then more of the other cheese! I even saw him layering the tomato and chorizo in the manner than he wanted so that each bite was perfect. I wanted it for take away (para llevar) so half the sandwich was in a bag wrapped up and the other half was on the plate and he encouraged I try and taste it before I left. If I didn't like he, he would give me something else. I wish I was able to sit there and finish it because it was so damn good. But I had to run. By the time I was able to eat it, the cheese kind of melted and was not like my first bite but still amazing. Great atmosphere and was well worth the wait just to interact with him and listen to him explain his products. He was explaining to the customer behind me that he wanted to explain everything to her and what goes together so she knows what she's getting and understand how the flavors go together.

Abida D.

the best thing we ate in belgium wasn't chocolate or waffles, but this sandwich! this little shop seems unassuming, but the experience was so lovely. the man that runs the place has so much passion for what he does and takes 10 minutes with each group because he converses with all his customers. he gets to know you and lets you try things so you can have the perfect sandwich. the sandwich i had consisted of pear, papaya cheese, some other type of cheese, chorizo, and honey. all the ingredients were fresh and went well together on a warm baguette. after we finished, he handed us his phone and asked us to make a tiktok for him LOL. it is now posted on their official tiktok.

Jen W.

How can I leave 100 stars for Tonton? We got super lucky. We made it a point to make this our first stop of the day. We arrived around 10am and did not encounter a line! Woot woot. Garby invited us in and had us sit down at a table. We were welcomed into his "home" as he explained his shop and what was to to come next. He handed us menus but asked us for our likes/dislikes. He recommended 3 different sandwiches based on our responses. In the meantime, we each had a cup of his homemade soup which was absolutely delicious!!!!!!!!! It was a cold day and a cup of hot soup really started off our morning right. Once we decided on our sandwiches (we ended up ordering 4...2 to eat and 2 to go), we watched Garby do his magic. He bakes his own bread, makes his own chorizo, and makes his own olive tapenade. It's a one man show and the care shows in his sandwiches. He is t skimpy with the meat and cheese. He used a block for each sandwich which I have no problem with whatsoever! We watched as he met with other guests as they walked in. He never cut corners. He gave every single person the best customer service I've ever seen. He has you take a bite of your sandwich before you leave to ensure you like it. If not, he'll make you a different one! I can't imagine disliking any sandwich there. All 4 were amazing and I am so sad that this spot is all the way in Brussels. If you are reading this and happen to be in town, drop everything and visit Garby. 5 solid stars for service and the best sandwich I've ever had!

Chorizo + Cranberry Goat Cheese
Corina Q.

We got to Tonton Garby at 2pm on a Friday, and were surprised that the line was relatively short - about six people in front of us. Little did we know we'd be standing in line for a little over an hour. Tonton spoke Spanish to the people in front of us, and French to the people in front of them, and perfect English to us. He asked what our preferences of cheese were, and if we eat meat or not. He showed us the menu and recommended the sandwiches with goat cheese and chorizo. We each got one, and he generously cut them in three's so we could all share. Each sandwich came out to 6 euro, mind you they were perfectly crafted and very hefty sandwiches. My perception of a sandwich has been changed forever, and if I ever visit Brussels again, Tonton's sandwich shop will be the first place I go.

Inside
Anna Z.

A lovely place with a lovely owner working behind the counter. We came here on a recommendation by a friend and were absolutely impressed. Trust the man; he knows his cheeses and the best combinations!

See all

2 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 5
Love this 5
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Chris R.
396
12
2

3 months ago

Phenomenal. Amazing food. Incredible service. Best sandwich I have ever had - or at least top 5

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

4 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of sara r.
0
16
19

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

You'll wait, but who cares. The two owners/chefs/artists, the food, and vibe is all awesome. Definitely a must-go in brussels.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jen W.
836
1842
3345

8 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Anna Z.
250
32
12

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Edmund M.
1121
212
109

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

The best sandwich in Europe. He takes time with each customer and prepares everything in-front of you.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of O L.
0
16
5

2 years ago

Amazing!! Best sandwich ever! Such good service and friendly and we felt welcomed and cared for there! Would definitely go back :)

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Mac R.
281
493
1299

8 years ago

Helpful 13
Thanks 0
Love this 11
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Kelsey A.
119
27
22

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Lexi R.
528
1104
1525

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 4

Tonton Garby Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Tonton Garby

I even saw him layering the tomato and chorizo in the manner than he wanted so that each bite was perfect.

Mentioned in 19 reviews

Read more highlights

Verify this business for free

Get access to customer & competitor insights.

Verify this business

Catherine

Catherine

4.7(23 reviews)
0.4 kmCentre-Ville, Dansaert, Bruxelles
€€

Visiting Catherine's was a bucket list experience that I'm glad I was able to do. The best part was…read moreCatherine herself making our sandwiches! We were able to make selections from over 100 different cheeses as well as a variety of cured meats. The sandwich rivals my other fave from Alain Alain in Paris. It's a small but charming and quintessential Belgian shop. Traditional in every sense of the word. Simply put, it's a cheese lover's paradise. Catherine is extremely kind and patient as are her employees. They offer the ability to taste samples before making decisions. They're very helpful with making said decisions as well. A haven for like minded cheesemongers means the line can sometimes go out the door, especially at lunchtime. It is well worth the wait because so much love and care goes into every transaction with every customer. A most divine experience indeed.

What's not to love about Catherine...the cheese, the meat, the bread, the made to order $5 Eur…read moresandwiches and especially the owner - Catherine. Was so looking forward to our return trip to Brussels and visiting Catherine's. Over our week long stay we managed 3 visits to pick up cheese, freshly sliced deli meat, bead and made to order sandwiches. The cheeses that we selected were so very fresh and the selection to choose from was amazing. Of course my favorite was the truffle. We picked up sandwiches on two occasions and they were basically the same. The second one Catherine added a new little taste with the addition of three small roasted peppers. We had forgotten to ask for arugula and Catherine asked if we wanted it on this one...what a memory. Catherine's is a small place and always very busy. Quality shines throughout. The customers are almost all locals...another great sign. We noticed that when there were about three people inside that the patrons formed a line out of the door. Think out of respect for Catherine. Wish we had had a quality shop like Catherine's in metro Atlanta. We would drive to experience this and here in the hustle and bustle of Brussels there is a gem. Highly recommend. Prices are extremely reasonable. Can't wait to return...sooner than later. Thanks Catherine.

Photos
Catherine - More cheese and condiments

More cheese and condiments

Catherine
Catherine

See all

Panos - Sausage roll

Panos

4.0(6 reviews)
0.2 kmCentre-Ville, Grand-Place, Bruxelles

I wanted a quick snack so I stopped in just before 1 pm on a Sunday and got a sausage roll. It…read morewasn't the best but it's pretty good if you're looking for something quick and inexpensive. They have a variety of other items and it seemed like a lot of people were ordering the sandwiches. They'll also warm it up for you, if you ask. We randomly found this spot on our last day of Brussels but if we knew about it earlier, we for sure would have gone here for breakfast a few times.

I REALLY liked their Brussels waffle; the texture and taste were amazing even if it looked…read moreordinary. This location is at the center of a lot of the major tourist attractions and is therefore great if you're looking for a quick, on-the-go breakfast or lunch without having to sit down (though that is still an option). Panos is a chain bakery/sandwich shop and was recommended by one of the aunties. Stuff you can find here includes sandwiches, wraps, soups, sweet and savory pastries, individual loaves and rolls, salads, coffee, and hot chocolate. Super basic, but high-quality stuff compared to a lot of other chain bakery places we saw as we traveled through Europe. Some of those sweet pastries were just really fancy looking for what's supposed to apparently be a very basic place, while even the basic stuff tasted really delicious. Their croissants were also super delicious, and I thought the raspberry croissant was particularly interesting. This particular location is on the street branching just off Grote Markt (Grand Place) and just across from the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert's southern entrance. It was near where we were supposed to meet up with our tour group, so we dropped by very quickly to grab some breakfast. My chief memory of that morning was that their waffle honestly made me feel better about the first half of the day.

Photos
Panos
Panos
Panos

See all

Friterie Tabora - Fries with Dallas sauce and fries with Andalouse sauce.

Friterie Tabora

3.9(117 reviews)
0.4 kmCentre-Ville, Bruxelles

Since I was in Belgium (which is the country that invented french fries if you weren't aware), I…read moreknew that I needed to check out some good friteries around the city. There were some recommendations online for Fritteria Tabora, and since it wasn't too far from us we decided to check it out. It's a small shop that is to-go, and there was a long line that we waited out of for around half an hour. When you order, they'll essentially scoop the fries out of the oil and put it onto a plate for you. Afterwards, you can order different sauces to try it with. They recommended the Andalouse sauce, so we decided to get that one. I have to say that this was probably the best fries that I had during my trip in Belgium (esp after trying it at like 8 different places), so I think that it was worth the wait. These were the most crispy and had the most satisfying crunch overall so far. Even though the line might be long, if you want to try out what Belgium is known for then I think it's worth the wait.

Nothing in this world brings me more joy than French fries. Actually, let's take it a step further…read more-- nothing on this planet brings me more joy than French fries with multiple sauces. Sweet curry, buffalo, barbecue... not ketchup and mayo. The line was long -- like the whole city had the same craving at the same time. Total Spider-Man meme moment... everybody pointing like, "Oh, you're me? You're me?" The fries were fresh -- not sitting there waiting on somebody. They cook them to order. You literally see the raw fries, then the cooked fries, and it's like an assembly line. One guy takes your sauce order, the other guy repeats it back like telephone, and you watch it get passed down and checked. You get hype listing sauces and then they hit you with, "Only three" before you get too crazy. Service is quick and friendly. They don't ask a million questions because it's simple -- we sell fries and sauces. What do you want? Ambience: tiny walk-up, as small as a food spot can get, but it works. No yelling, no "my order is wrong," none of that. There are tables out front so you can sit, eat, and people-watch on a nice night (or day). Amazing experience. Would absolutely recommend.

Photos
Friterie Tabora - Inside

Inside

Friterie Tabora
Friterie Tabora

See all

Tonton Garby - hotdogs - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...