Toasta & Co.

Cheese and bread, is there anything better?! This new toasted sandwich and schnitzel joint in a quiet street of North-West Melbourne is from a team behind food trucks of the same name. The food is awesome. Most sandwiches and burgers are between $12-14. Absolutely worth it. The Mac and cheese toastie with caramelised onion was delicious and crispy. We also loved the poutine schnitzel (with gravy and chips) in a bagel bread roll. Vegetarians and vegans are well catered for with eggplant schnitzels on offer that taste amazing. They are thinly sliced to give them a tasty crunch. The herbed Mayo with spicy sauce and rocket was delicious. Coffee is nice and served in bright yellow cups that match the venue. Indie seating is quite limited but there is plenty of big tables outside. Really cute place and we are looking forward to going again.

It's not often you can argue that $12 for a toasted sandwich is good value, but Toasta and Co are that one, rare exception. Hidden in the warehouse district of North Melbourne, a 7 day toasted sandwich restaurant is an odd location, but having eaten here 4 times now, I'm not alone in having discovered it. It's generally busy from 11am onwards, and there's a queue by 1pm. If you're after something light and tasty- go the Harry, if you're wanting something more substantial- the Poutine schnitzel served on a soft pretzel is great, and then for the absurd- grab a Mack Daddy- Pulled pork, Mac N Cheese between grilled cheese slices. Yep. Overall a good experience, but don't stop by if time is tight. 15-20min waits to get your takeaway goodies aren't unusual, and it's worse outside peak rush period. They're also licensed, so if craft beer and toasties are your thing, magic. Well worth a trip.

It's not hard to make a toasted sandwich. Even the most culinary challenged could whip up a fairly decent toastie. But Toasta & Co do something differently that makes spending $13 on a toastie seem like a bargain. That loaded, melty cheese combined with the perfect crunchy yet buttery sourdough. It is something I am yet to experience elsewhere. Stuff it with your favourite fillings and you have got yourself a toasted sandwich carved by the gods. I live in Brisbane, so maybe it's the hard-to-get aspect that makes these toasties so desirable. But I will say, when I do fly down to Melbourne a Toasta & Co toastie is always on my to-do list. Let me finish this by saying, I eat a lot of toasted sandwiches... but Toasta & Co is always the best.