Toronto's newest breakfast sandwich restaurant might also be its most unique — here's why
Toronto has no shortage of restaurants serving up beautiful breakfast sandwiches, but this recently opened joint could be one of the best.
People in Toronto tend to be as faithful to their go-to breakfast sandwich spots as they are to their own families. Whether it’s the self-named classic at Gold Standard, the Deli Breakfast Burrito at Masa Deli, Lazy Daisy’s Rise & Shine or, heck, even a Tim Horton’s Bagel BELT, everyone has their go-tos for the most important meal of the day.
That doesn’t mean that one should keep their heart and mind closed to potential new favourites, and if any shop has a chance at rising to the top of your list (while warming your heart with bad jokes and good food), it’s Little Portugal’s Dad’s Breakfast & Coffee.
Founded by Phil Akkawi, a former owner at The Libertine, the idea for the shop was born when Phil, shortly after selling the club, found himself living in New York City, inspired by the city’s breakfast sandwich-centric culture.
“I always wanted to open a quick service counter that only did breakfast sandwiches and coffee, [even as] simple as one sandwich and only drip coffee,” Phil tells Dished Toronto. “While in NY, the idea of turning that into a reality became more and more tangible. I came back to Toronto, and planned out Dad’s.”
The name of the shop, Phil tells Dished Toronto, came from his reputation among bar staff and patrons for “always having had a ‘Larry David-esque’ outlook on life,” being seen by them, he says, as an “old man.”
“[They see me as] an old man who doesn’t like loud music, enjoys a good night’s sleep, and loves to give unsolicited advice to young people,” Phil says. “I leaned into it. I’m Dad.”
As Phil continued working towards making that dream a reality, his friends Gianpiero Schiavone and Paul Jackson hopped on to help, Gianpiero with the buildout and Paul with visuals and artwork. Another close friend, Bonita Mak, joined the project to design branding. All that was left to sort out was the chef.
Enter Giuseppe Sansone, a former chef at notable Toronto spots including Bar Buca and Badiali’s, “and we were off to the races,” Phil says.
With just two staple sandwiches, a handful of rotating options and coffee-based offerings including drip coffee, espresso, and coffee slushies, which Phil says are the shop’s most popular right now (understandably, given the city’s recent fixation with slushies of all kinds), Dad’s Breakfast & Coffee is a far cry from the single-sandwich counter idea that the dream was built on.
Still, it’s safe to say the model is working. Since opening its doors this past Father’s Day, Phil has scarcely been able to make it to the shop’s official closing time without selling out completely.
The two staple sandwiches on the menu are the Dad’s 48, named after Phil’s dad’s birth year, which is their take on a classic bacon, egg and cheese, and, their more buzzed-about offering, the Katsu Dad, which Phil describes as “truly like nothing you’ve ever had for breakfast before.”
What he means by that is that the sandwich features a katsu-inspired, panko-crusted egg patty, caramelized onions, and a generous drizzle of chili oil for good measure — a far cry from your under-toasted and virtually flavourless Tim Horton’s Bagel BELT.
Phil plans to rotate through additional sandwich offerings regularly, even hoping to invite a new guest chef each month to create their own, limited-time breakfast sandwiches for the Dad’s menu.
“And that’s about it. Breakfast sandwiches, wholesome daytime vibes, dogs, laughs, friends, and bad jokes,” Phil concludes. “That’s Dad’s.”
Dad’s Breakfast & Coffee
Address: 1473 Dundas St. W., Toronto
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