BOAR SANDWICH SHOP

I was very excited upon hearing that the owner of Black Camel was opening another sandwich shop, just down the street from my work. Considering I happily make the trek via TTC to Black Camel at lunch, having Boar within walking distance could be dangerous and amazing.

Atmosphere: The shop is small. There are only 7 seats, 3 against the front window and 2 small tables along the wall. This is definitely a grab and go lunch place, even more so than Black Camel. The kitchen area is open to the service counter so the air inside is smoky from the grill. Everything feels efficient, from your order being taken, shouted to the kitchen to the sandwich being dropped off, wrapped and ready to go.

Service: As mentioned before, the service is minimal. There was only one person working the counter, taking orders and giving out orders but the wait was still short and there wasn’t a back up. We arrived at 12:15, in the middle of lunch rush and had our sandwiches in under 10 minutes. Later in the hour, there was a 5 minute wait for sausage orders but it was still very reasonable for freshly grilled food. Similar to Black Camel, there is a loyalty program where you get one free sandwich and topping for every 12 stamps (cute boar head stamps).

Food: I ordered the chicken sandwich, with arugula pesto, cremini mushrooms  and pickled hot banana peppers. The grill marks on the chicken were nice and crispy, while the meat was still tender and moist. The pesto was creamy but light and mushrooms were a nice addition in texture. I was a little disappointed in the banana peppers because I was expecting a kick and there wasn’t any. You could taste the pepper, but the spice level was zero. I would love an addition of a hot sauce to the menu.

My friends ordered the veal (pictured) and the sausage sandwiches, along with a side order of roasted potatoes. I loved the potatoes, still firm but cooked through and covered in butter. Next up, the sausage sandwich.