The Canteen

The Canteen was a solid eatery and worth a trip to Dartmouth. My salmon sandwich was very good, but I still really regret not getting the signature Crobster or Big Dad.

Really great sandwich spot tucked away upstairs. I had the Flank and it was super good. The fried chicken sold out early in the day but looked amazing. Great spot, people working were really nice.

It seems that I failed to review The Canteen the first time I went, so luckily I was over recently to go again and stuff my face hole. Tough life, I know.
The first time we were there, it was in the mid-​afternon after the lunch rush and everything was fairly picked over and only two varieties of sandwiches were still available. This time around, we were one of the first customers of the day and the upstairs area above TIBS that The Canteen occupies was quite quiet, in contrast to the coffee-​fueled buzz downstairs.
It’s a cool space up there; it’s small but it doesn’t feel cramped with the open view on TIBS. There’s a small counter where you order, and a cooler full of salads and drink options which divides an open prep area from the seating. There may not be a lot of seating, but what’s there is great — comprised of a handful of tables plus bar-​style seating around the edge of the stairs, this area provides some killer people watching for your meal. From the TIBS staff that look like they got yanked from the cast of a post-​apocalyptic movie, to the cool parents out for a coffee with their kids, and of course the completely random sort that you wouldn’t be surprised to see in downtown Dartmouth — they’re all here.
I was hoping that they would have the ever-​so-​delicious looking meatloaf sandwich that I’ve seen on their social media pages, but alas, it wasn’t on the menu board that day. However, being May 5^th, they had a cinco de mayo sandwich. With house-​roasted beef, pico de gallo, gauc, fresh veggies and sour cream, it was a more than adequate consolation meal. I also went with the cauliflower and snow pea salad, for added healthy goodness to balance out the patio drinks I would have later on that day.
Pouring ourselves some water and grabbing our seats, it was only a few minutes before our trays of food were ready, and what a tray it was. Our thick flatbreads were packed with medium-​rare slices of roast beef, and tons of veggies and sauces. The Canteen may not be cheap, but this sandwich definitely came to the table with both quantity and quality. The meat was served cold, otherwise it would just fall to pieces, but was still quite good although it could have used a tad more seasoning and have been sliced thinner to make it less chewy. There were a lot of great flavours going on though, from the pop of the grape tomatoes, the lightly garlicky guacamole, to the rich creaminess of the sour cream. I was also pleased at the absence of cilantro as too many restaurants use that to make their foods more Mexican, and it can be easily over done. The cauliflower salad was a refreshing little side, with a lot of crunch and plenty of fresh dill. No sad, limp iceberg lettuce here — this was what salads should be like.
Now that’s it summer, I’m looking forward to coming back to both The Canteen and other new-​to-​me Dartmouth spots, because who doesn’t like a ferry ride and food on a nice Halifax/​Dartmouth day?

The first time I went was a Friday around 2:30−3 and they were out of everything except cabbage soup (really?) and the staff walked away from me mid-​question and seemed more interested in their phones.
I decided to try it second time I went on a Sat around noon and the only thing (sold out of the other two choices) they had was a tasting sounding breakfast sandwich. Got it and it looked ok. Tried to eat it and it turned into a pile of goo and I couldn’t eat more then a ¹⁄₃ of it. All that for $ 12? No thanks. I’ll give them another try maybe after they get some experience

Really delicious sandwich of pulled pork with ham Dijon coleslaw and pickle on still warm bread. First rate! Will make it part of my life as it is near the vets at First Circle.

So I went to The Canteen sandwich shop here in Dartmouth because they advertised a Cuban sandwich. If you’ve ever had one you know the only thing that separates them from being a glorified Ham and Cheese is the marinade in the roast pork which flavours the sandwich and the pressing of the Cuban bread loaf itself to seal everything together. Now since the sandwich was served on two slices of rye, cold and unpressed and the roast pork was flavourless and over powered with the taste of Dijonnaise. Can you really call it a Cuban? I told them it was good but it wasn’t a Cuban. She told me it was their version, rolled her eyes and walked away actually saying «That’s too bad» The food is good but the price might be a little high for what you get. It seems however that any customer input or any criticism will apparently not be tolerated. It’s too bad, I was hoping for a local spot where I didn’t feel rushed out even though I was the only customer in there at that time, or disregarded at saying I was disappointed for wanting something close to a classic sandwich which has stood the test of time for about a 100 years.

Trendy design aside, there are certainly a few holes in this Canteen.
My fiancée and I ordered two sandwiches here and waited 20 minutes for the first one, then the staff forgot about the second. By the time the second came up I had headed downstairs to TIBS Coffee and successfully navigated my way back with delicious coffee and baked goods.
The sandwiches were good, but not spectacular. A few tweaks in service and employee communication would make The Canteen a much better place to eat.

I can’t even begin to explain how happy I am that The Canteen opened up about 5 months about! For health reasons my diet is very restricted and when they opened just up the street from me I was delighted that there was a place with fresh local ingredients that I could eat! Their cool an creative sandwiches and salads keep me coming back every time! It feels great to know exactly what your eating and that your supporting the local initiative when you eat there. Thanks guys and keep up the good work! Can’t wait to see what they create next.

Was excited to try The Canteen after hearing so many good reviews… which was why I was astonished that my egg salad sandwich consisted of ½ of a small pita, served alone in a basket. For $ 10.35 I would have expected something more than this tiny sandwich which was not very much larger than my iPhone! My friend had ordered the same and was similarly shocked when she received her order. Yes, the environment is nice, but after this experience, I think I’ll stick with the food and beverages downstairs from the coffee shop, rather than venturing upstairs again.

LOVE this place and I am not a sandwich lover… that is until The Canteen. I have been here 5 or 6 times (eat in and take out) and have been happy every time. I have had the brisket a few times and also the quiche… I have not tried any of the salads yet. Yes folks, it is $ 10 or $ 11 for a sandwich BUT the size was great for me, the meat was local and delicious, the bread is made in-​house and the pickles are prepared by them also… I could go on and on but I think you get the picture — LOVE The Canteen.

Good food doesn’t last long! Get here early!
I have eaten here several times and every time I am impressed with the quality and portion sizes. You won’t find a better bang for Buck as far as quality, tastiness and freshness. Especially when you consider all that they use is locally grown product.
I have been following the owner Renée (Feisty Chef) for some time now, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to find the fine dining quality applied to a sandwich joint would be so good!
It is a bit more than your local fast food sandwich spot, but there is no comparison in flavour and freshness.

A home run! This was the perfect way to end my morning of baby-​free bliss! I had a massage at the Interlude, then eagerly came in here around 11:30. Both the café and Canteen were hopping busy, but I only had to wait about 10 – 15 min. for my soup and sandwich. There were two soup options, and I had the roasted garlic and red pepper. OMG! It was amazingly good! I also had the Deli sandwich (one of about 5 options I think) and it was soooo good! The homemade bread was great and I just can’t say enough good things about the sandwich as a whole. I loved the décor and all the plants and flowers. There’s not a ton of seating, but I imagine a lot of people take out and return to work with their yummies. I did notice a high chair if you happen to meander in with a little one. I really recommend supporting this great local business! Go in early to avoid disappointment because I hear sometimes the options get slimmer as the day goes on as they run out of certain items.

A friend and I thought we were being wise by heading to the canteen at 1:30 to miss the lunch rush. Unwise. All but two sandwiches were sold out when we arrived. I understand this is shrewd for the business owner — if you are making less than the demand there’s less chance of potential waste, though it was still disappointing as a patron.
My friend ordered one of the two remaining sandwich options and I ordered the last slice of quiche. The girls working missed my order post-​it note so I waited about 10 mins before the girl on cash realized no one had brought me my lunch. When she went to retrieve the slice of quiche she asked if I wanted it heated — yes, but my friend had already had her sandwich for some time and was waiting for me so I opted to have it cold. The quiche filling (kale, asparagus and chèvre) was great. But the crust seemed slightly undercooked.
I think The Canteen is obviously filling a niche and the food seems unique — but definitely some kinks to work out,

Horribly Overpriced.
Paid 25 $ for a root beer, a chicken salad sandwich and a veggie sandwich. Portion sizes are very, very small for what you pay. We were then offered to get our own warm lemon water that was kept on a jug on a bookshelf. Very disappointing – will defiantly not return!