Sandwiches rank pretty high on my list of favourite foods. I never get bored of sandwiches, and though carbohydrates seem to have reached a villainous status these days rivalling Somali Pirates or Justin Bieber, you’ll have to tear my grilled cheese sandwich from my cold, dead hands before I give it up.
The explosion of Edmonton food trucks over the last couple years has brought with it an abundance of sandwich-focused, curb-side dining – which is fantastic – but makes it harder to quickly separate the good ones from the not-so-good ones. To help you prepare for next summer, I spent this food-truck season compiling a run-down on 3 Edmonton food trucks that I think are doing sandwiches right:
One specializes in doing everything in-house, from the bread to the meats (even deli meats), another brings a fresh spin on international flavours, and the final contender fills you up with hearty takes on regional specialties. Though these 3 Edmonton food trucks serve vastly different sandwiches, one thing they all have in common is they’re doing things the right way; knocking it out of the park regularly with fantastic flavours at a great value.
S’wich
Fantastic homemade breads are combined with delicious braised meats or house made deli meats at S’wich to create some great, and unique sandwiches that I have a hard time saying no to. It’s owned by the folks behind Lan’s Asian Grill and operated by red seal chef Lex, and Lex knows his stuff in the kitchen. The meats are fantastic, but the breads are a star of these sandwiches in their own right, especially the pretzel rolls. Those are stellar.
As for the sandwiches, here’s my 2 favourites, and an honourable mention:
Korean Smoked Meat– Grass-fed Alberta Beef Brisket, cured with ginger, soy, sesame and gochujang. The meat is pecan-smoked, shaved thin, then tossed in sweet and spicy samjang sauce and topped with house-made kimchi and kimchi aioli. All that good stuff bursts out of a fresh baked hoagie.
So delicious.
S’wich Korean Smoked Meat Sandwich
Green Curry Chicken– stuffed in a fantastic pretzel bun with lettuce, green curry mayo, pickled bamboo, and fresh thai herbs. The deli meat is house made, with local chicken thighs, coconut milk, kaffir lime, and green curry paste.
S’wich Green Curry Chicken Sandwich
An honorable mention goes to the Root Beer Brisket sandwich, cooked in root beer, and finished in a root beer sauce on a hoagie with lettuce, pickled diakon, and horseradish aioli.
What Else Have They Got?
S’wich would be a smart place to pick up a dessert too, as the homemade ice cream sandwiches are top notch.
Drift
Drift’s owners, Red Seal Chef, Nevin Fenske and his wife, Kara, use the tagline “Globally Inspired, Locally Sourced” to describe their concept and I think that pretty much says it all. All their sandwiches come on the same light sourdough bun from a local bakery, but that’s where the similarities end.
The overwhelming favourite on the Drift menu is undoubtably the Pork Belly Sandwichwhich is glazed with hoisin and topped with chili mayo, pickled carrots and daikon, and cilantro. It’s a play on a Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich, and has flavour to spare. I’ve eaten dozens of these sandwiches, and I still can’t wait to taste my next one.
Drift’s Pork Belly Sandwich
Drift’s Pork Belly Sandwich
To pick a second favourite is a difficult task, because I love them all. I’m going to get off the fence and pick a second though, because nobody likes a waffler. Unless of course you interpret the term “waffler” to mean “person making waffles… for me”, in which case I LOVE a waffler.
I’m going to go with the Roast Beef Sandwich, with red pepper spread and pepperoncinis. Shaved roast beef piled high and topped with the tasty spread, tangy peppers, crispy onions, and provolone make it one of the most underrated sandwiches in my opinion, and it always satisfies. Though if they bring back the beloved Jerk Chicken sandwich I might have some internal debate.
Drift’s Roast Beef Sandwich- –(photo credit Kenya Rae Photography)
If you catch a re-run of the Drift Eat St. episode, you’ll see all 3 of those sandwiches in action. Heck, you might even see a certain, very attractive fellow eating a sandwich on the street in that episode. And in front of that fellow, you’ll see me, talking about the truck.
What Else Have They Got?
Drift is pretty well known around Edmonton for having some of the best fries in town. Twice fried, and coated with their own Drift spice blend, these fries are worth coming for all on their own – especially when they are topped with gravy and cheese curds. Unfortunately the poutine is usually only available at the 124 st farmers market and special events, but it’s worth keeping your eyes open for.
Drift Facebook, Twitter, Website
Big City Sandwich
New to the streets of Edmonton in 2014, Big City Sandwich and it’s owner Chris Delany aren’t new names to those in the know about Edmonton food. Chris has been doing pop-ups around town the last few years, earning money to get his truck off the ground, and finally got up and running full time this summer.
Big City Sandwiches really fill you up, and are jam packed with in-your-face flavour. These sandwiches are bold, and laugh in the face of subtlety.
My current favourite is the Baton Rouge, which is a chicken jambalaya sandwich with a spicy chipotle ancho chili sauce that packs a punch. Not only does it explode with taste, you’ll need to explode a whole box of napkins to clean yourself up after this messy work of art. You know when you’ve got food all over your face and shirt, you’ve got your pants unbuttoned because you’re so full and you don’t even care?
Yeah, that’s this sandwich. So freaking good.
Big City Sandwich Baton Rouge Sandwich
Big City Sandwich Baton Rouge Sandwich
Chris’ Omaha Sandwich, which is his version of a Reuben, is chock full of flavourful house made Montreal Smoked Meat, swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on a beautiful marble rye bread. If you’ve never had a great homemade Montreal Smoked Meat, do yourself a favour and give this sandwich a whirl. You’ll never be able to stomach grocery store pastrami again.
Big City Sandwich’s Omaha Reuben
Big City Sandwich’s Omaha Reuben
I’m finishing off the list with probably the most audacious and, let’s face it, the coolest sandwich on the list… The Big City Sandwich Munich Pretzel Bacon Grilled Cheese. It’s bacon and melty cheese on a warm pretzel- what more could anyone want?
Big City Sandwich Munich Bacon Pretzel Grilled Cheese
Big City Sandwich Facebook, Twitter, Website
Anyone else hungry for some carb-loading now?
I’ve been sandwich deprived since the closing of Col Mustards. Recently discovered Big City Sandwich and have visited them 3 times in the last month and everything I’ve had has blown my taste buds away. Can’t wait to try the other 2 trucks now. But what will us sandwich stalkers do come winter when these delicious trucks are hibernating?