Review Location:170 Spadina Ave
Toronto, ON
"Restaurant Today, Condos Tommorrow. When? Who knows? so come and get it!" This is literally the first thing I see on a sign walking into the restaurant. And I think it does a good job summing up Come and Get It! (@comeandgetit416) the newest grab-and-go sandwich joint at Spadina and Queen. Having only opened for just a couple months, it's fated to be turned into a Condo project sometime this year. I have it say its an unfortunate decree -- the food was great!
Come and Get It!
Your Come and Get It! experience starts right at the door. There isn't any expensive fancy sign, just a spray paint on the brick wall beside the entrance in big graffiti letters.
Seating Area
The place is very bright and uplifting, even coming during the evening. Half the walls are painted bright pink, while the rest are a refreshing white. Everything about this place screams hipster, urban, and effortless. I don't know why, but I really liked the multi colour spray painted high chairs.
Next to the ordering counter is a picnic bench for more seating, and a wall displaying enough items to trigger a lengthy flashback of my own childhood. A boombox, an N64, and a boxy old CRT computer monitor? Just about sums up all the fun I had in the 90s!
Ordering
The menu is simple and the two giant chalkboards hanging next to the cash registers explain it all. You pick what you want (short rib, pork belly, chicken caesar or green beans), and then what you want it on (sandwich, poutine, or salad) . Makes it easy for indecisive people like me!
Condiments and Things
At each table they had these old-school lunch boxes that make me think about the one that I had when I was a kid. Inside they hold napkins, salt and pepper, and other condiments. Along with the Archie comic books, the table setting fits right into the retro hipster theme that they seem to have going on.
Hawaiian Pork Belly Poutine ($7) - House french fries, mozzarella, cheddar cheese curds,
slow roasted hoisin pork belly, crispy crackling, and a rich beef gravy
I think I have a weak spot for pork belly, because I always end up ordering it if it exists on the menu. This time was no exception. The Hawaiian Pork Belly Poutine comes with a couple long strips of pork belly, which had no shortage of fat on them. I wish it came with more pork belly, but the crunchy crackling and thick hearty gravy held me over. Not to mention the fries are delicious on their own. They're heavily deep fried, in that even the last fry in the box was crunchy despite being in all that gravy. I could feel my cholesterol level going up with every bite, but it was darn well worth it.
Chipotle Beef Short Rib Sandwich ($8) - Braised beef short rib with Chipotle aioli, ancho chili BBQ sauce,
crispy onions and a sweet and sour coleslaw on a milk bun
Next up is the Chipotle Beef Short Rib Sandwich. I don't know if it's different on the other sandwiches, but everything on this one was thinly shredded. After my first bite, half of the ingredients fell out! Despite being a messy sandwich to consume, I quite enjoyed it. Tender pulled short rib, pickled coleslaw that wasn't too sour, and crispy onions which gave the otherwise one dimensional sandwich some texture. It could've used a bit more sauce on it, but definitely not a deal breaker for me.
Overall verdict? Nothing but love! The service is fast, and I would definitely not hesitate to come here for a quick work day lunch...that is if I can fight off the sleepiness consuming all that food! It's really shame that this place won't be here for very long. Guess we'll all just have to do as told, and Come and Get It while we still can! =)
