EARL Canteen

Great lamb sandwich. My friend had the meatball and said it was great too. The potatoes (tater tots) are fantastic.

Awesome sandwiches. Unfortunately they only have one vegetarian sandwich which is based on grilled eggplant. Even though I do not like eggplant a lot, it was amazing. Toasted to perfection with mozzarella, basil and a delicious tomato sauce. Coffee was a tad bitter to my taste. Very friendly staff. Absolutely recommended.

You know what I love? Sandwiches. How had EARL not hit my radar until recently? Who knows. Despite being pretty full from lunch, I had to squeeze EARL into my latest tour of Melbourne a couple of months ago.
The friendly, smiling gentleman behind the counter clocked me coming a mile away. Despite reading a bunch of reviews all raving about the pork belly, I wanted to get right to the heart of things, so I asked the guy for HIS favourite sandwich. The answer? «The pork belly is the most popular.» Dude, that wasn’t my question! He was emphatic about it, though, so with a resigned shrug, I ordered the pork belly, and a side of potato gems POTATO GEMS?! ROSEMARY SALTED POTATO GEMS?! I DON’T KNOW WHAT I LOVE MORE, SANDWICHES OR POTATO GEMS. MY TINY BRAIN CAN’T HANDLE ALL THE FEELINGS I’M HAVING OVER THIS PLACE BECAUSE LOOK I CAN’T LIE TO YOU I AM VERY PRO-​BELLY AS WELL I NEED TO
I JUST NEED TO
OK shhhh it’s ok, everything’s going to be ok
phew.
Despite having no room left in my stomach, I FOUND ROOM to scoff the potato gems as I made my way from the CBD to Fitzroy. The sandwich stayed on hand and I wolfed it down enthusiastically after seeing Noël Fielding’s live show and I don’t know if a sandwich ever tasted better. I can only imagine how glorious it is when it’s still toasty warm. Next time, EARL. Next time.

I had the chicken & hummus. These are extremely good sandwiches at an affordable price. When are you guys going to open a store in Sydney?!

Had their tri-​tip sandwich. Hearty portions. Clientele consists primarily of suits. Beat the lunch rush and go early. Their coffee was ok at best.

This sandwich spot is tucked behind the NAB building which means that you can regularly find seating even during the peak lunch rush. FYI, it is communal seating and probably difficult for a group larger than four if you want to eat in. Stick to the recommended sammies of chicken and chips and pork belly as those are the standouts and come in generous portions. The side salad that we had (broccoli with lemon-​sumac dressing) was lacklustre and probably unnecessary given the size of the sandwich. Try the Lemmy’s lemonade, it is worth the sugar content.

The pork belly sandwich here is the stuff of legend. Melburians have been eating EARL sandwiches for about four years and it is this hearty meal of ciabatta stuffed with roasted and crispy pork belly, greens and slaw that sends the crowds wild.
Me? I’m not so much of a sandwich girl and would prefer instead the fillings. What you might not know is that the salads here are just as good as the sandwiches. They’re choc-​full or fresh and healthy ingredients and packaged already to you can grab and go.
My favourites:
Smoked Salmon — Tasmanian hot smoked salmon, free-​range egg, beans, capsicum, sprouts, rocket.
Zucchini & Hummus — Grilled zucchini, grains & seeds, almonds, baby spinach & house hummus.

I was visiting Melbourne from Los Angeles and found out about this place from a top fifty review.
Tried the pork belly sandwich. Delicious as promised.
The gentleman manning the register (dark hair, glasses, mid-​forties) was a bit brusque and discourteous. The rest of the waitstaff thankfully were lovely and saved this eatery from a negative review.

While a lot of people talk very highly of the sandwiches that come from this place, I want to talk about the coffee and the service.
These guys love their coffee and you can tell when you order one from here. They spend a little bit extra time on the coffee to get it just right and made exactly the way you like it. Its a wonder that there arent queues out the door every day for people who just want a quick coffee!
Another paypass place. No need for cash!

A consistent and fantastic place for lunch. The changing variety of sandwiches, salads and sweets makes it worth it to come time and time again. Some really healthy and tasty bites. Ask about the daily macaron flavours!
Very nice coffees as well!

When I think of 500 Bourke Street, memories of the former NAB headquarters, Movida Aqui and Paco’s Tacos are evoked all with different levels of emotion. The aforementioned culinary delights are accessed via the outdoor area on level one of the eponymous NAB plaza and for the most part I have neglected the shops and cafés on the ground floor with the one notable exception being EARL Canteen.
Nestled next to Prime House and across from the Cafenatics franchise, this small but smartly designed café has a varied menu available for dine-​in or takeaway for breakfast and lunch on weekdays along with a very limited alcohol menu. Should you be in a rush, which seemingly most of the patrons are when the corporate bell rings and they are allowed an allotted time to be fed from the trough, the display cabinet houses pre-​made sandwiches, but in my experience, the bread has always been soft and the fillings a bit more on the premium side compared to other cafés in the area. On my last visit, a Corned Beef Wagyu Beef ($ 9.50) sandwich which had Moondarra Wagyu beef stood out along with an Egg and Watercress ($ 8) sandwich.
If you do have the time, take a table if you can secure one either outside in the plaza or inside at one of the few high communal perches. I have found service to be very efficient and friendly in depositing a bottle of water on your table and bringing menus. This time around I opted for the Chicken & Chips ($ 13) which is a roast free-​range chicken, crushed peas, bacon marmalade and potato crisps. Don’t be confused thinking that you are going to get a plate with piece of chicken, peas and crisps on the side, all of the elements are presented inside a soft and large bread roll including the crisps. Normally I am adverse to large pieces of bread, but not in the case of the EARL Canteen. I do enjoy the bread and the quality produce that they use to construct the sandwiches and this particular sandwich was really nice and ultimately satisfying with the bacon marmalade the most vexing and playful taste. Why else would I carry on about this place when normally I would type out so many words musing about the places upstairs? Simple. What EARL serves up, is just good.
Besides a couple of entries for piss and plonk on the drinks menu, there is also Hepburn Springs mineral water from the Daylesford area along with organic lemonade ($ 4) which I find really nice.
With so many places competing for my daytime dollars in the Melbourne CBD, I have always considered EARL a standout considering the produce that they use and the efficiency of the staff — not only in delivering your order to the table or on the rare occasion sorting out takeaway or processing your exit with a Paypass facility. The place just works well.

Pork belly sandwich! What else do you need to know? It was great.

I have avoided this place seeing it is a gourmet sandwich shop where they use bread as a main ingredient, and I will not tolerate gluten. I just won’t have it. But I recently discovered they have a gluten free alternative.
I ventured down on possibly the best day for an introduction. Bright and sunny, I wondered into the courtyard outside the shop to discover all the bright young things of lower Melbourne CBD strewn over the concrete structures in the sun, like a harem in an oasis.
Entering the ‘canteen’ I found it delightfully presented, clean, a handsome shop. Despite the sun we decided to sit inside for some reason. Though I think this enhanced the formal experience of table service for a first timer. Staff were clean, well presented, and efficient. A interesting staff uniform of a cross between preppy hipster and yacht deck hand.
We discovered some tech community colleagues on the next table and with a quick hello we took our seats. We were quickly followed by another pair of tech community lunchers coming in, like a lame tech flash mob.
I had the Marissa lamb in a gluten free wrap and a weak coffee (not that one orders that). Rather delicious and an altogether pleasant experience. I will certainly be back when I want to blow $ 15 on a sandwich, and that’s not every day.

The hype around this iconic establishment at 500 Bourke St (access from Little Bourke St) is justified! A highly popular lunchtime pilgrimage for hungry corporates, Earl Canteen breathes fresh life into the humble sandwich! If fact no longer the humble sandwich — now a gourmet sensation! (They also do breakfast by the way…)
I’m a big eater but I doubt I could go two of these sandwiches. Unlike other places where one sandwich is never enough!
My life has involved vast numbers of vegemite sandwiches and fritz and sauce sandwiches as a child… Then cucumber sandwiches at cricket matches… Of course jam and peanut butter sandwiches between meals… Even the old club sandwich was a previous high! But this is another league! This is the premier league first division of sandwiches!
The standout is the pork belly sandwich… I’m talking generous portion of tasty moist perfectly cooked pork with cabbage and fennel coleslaw, wilted silverbeet on a fresh baguette… The star attraction for me is the pork crackling! Oh yum! Never enough! (I don’t care if it’s salty!)
Other amazing choices include the Duck Confit with caramelised figs, walnuts, onion jam, radiccio, watercress on ciabata…
Pork Belly and Duck are winners on any menu!
Or try the Trout Nicoise featuring seared trout, tomato beans, potato, olive mayonaisse, butter lettuce on a focaccia… mmmm.
Or then there’s the Wagyu Meatball sandwich or the Slow Cooked Lamb sandwich…
We discussed it in the office and a survey among well travelled corporates couldn’t identify better sandwiches anywhere… New York rated a mention. But Earl Canteen is a global winner! Totally delicious creative fillings!
I love how they prepare the sandwiches to order and make them fresh in front of you…
I love the ambience of Earl Canteen bang in the middle of hectic corporate Melbourne…
The service was excellent and like a restaurant they bring your food to the table — or can give you an impressive take away pack!
The lunchtime line up was long but worth the wait. If you can get a seat inside it’s a bonus.
Make sure you visit Earl Canteen one lunchtime! Is there a better sandwich anywhere in the world?

Enjoyed a lunch with my sis sitting out in the sun. It was my first time here, I went straight for the pork belly sandwich. Very tasty, but I prefer a sandwich I can eat with my hands without the need of cutlery. Good coffee.

Best sandwiches in the CBD. That’s all you need to know!

Some of the best sandwiches in the city; great gourmet variety of food. Best.

Yes, these guys are pretty much the pinnacle of the gourmet sandwich. And in an idealistic world, all sandwiches would look like EARL’s. The filling combos are fairly extraordinary. I’m about to poke a few holes in this picture-​perfect world though… There’s no wholemeal or gluten-​free options. The gluten-​free, I can forgive but I really like my wholesome brown bread!

Is it wrong that I considered taking a job in the city based on its proximity to Earl Canteen? I didn’t end up taking it, but the thought of those wonderfully practical and delicious lunch boxes did almost push me to the edge.
I mean, it makes sense. We spend our entire childhoods eating lunch out of a box. We’re trained to expect that at our lunch hours. And then we grow up and lunch boxes are perceived as childish. Well Earl Canteen says ‘no, you can have a box.’ Their version is half of one of their delectable gourmet baguettes or sandwiches (which, trust me, is enough), a serve of a fresh and tasty salad, and a sneaky little treat like a macaroon or a friande.
If you’re a party pooper, you can just order a full-​sized baguette or sandwich off the menu. Either way, their food is a rare find in Melbourne CBD, but good luck getting it at lunchtime ’cause it’s always busy. I guess there are quite a few people out there hungry to feed their inner child.

CBD lunch places are sometimes hard to find. I mean, they’re there, and you can find them, but it’s not necessarily what you wanted to find.
Earl Canteen makes the absolute BEST sandwiches in town. Forget Subway and Pie Face, this place gives you quick options to grab and go, or you can stick around for a while and have one made from scratch.
The Duck Confit will give you palpatations, with figs and walnuts and onion jam on super fresh bread. I’ve also fallen in love with the REAL Steak Sandwich — but I always add cheese, all melted on top. Mmmmm.
Seriously, it’s worth the trek into the city for lunch occasionally, but if I worked nearby, I’d probably have a nameplate at my favorite seat: the tall bench on the left, at the far end (closest to the kitchen… order by sight instead of by menu!).