Taste Test: Vancouver’s Best Grilled Cheese

We tracked down the best grilled cheese sandwich in the city.

You’ve probably been eating it since before you could say “provolone”—but these days, melted cheddar on multigrain bread just doesn’t cut it. Here’s what happened when we asked three expert judges to find the best grilled cheese sandwich in the city.

Best in Show

Mom’s Grilled Cheese Truck

Mom’s cheddar, pepperjack and bacon grilled cheese is “a bit greasy” (a compliment, in our judges’ books). They also enjoyed the sourdough-to-cheese ratio, as well as the potato chips and pickle spears that were served along with it. “It’s the full package,” said Jordan. $10.25, twitter.com/momsgrilledchz

Honourable Mention

Meat and Bread

The aged white cheddar in this sandwich was a little too bland: “It could use either a bit more cheese or an older cheese,” said Spurrell. But the “rustic” bread and thinly sliced red onions gave it a slight advantage over our other competitors. $7, 370 Cambie St., meatandbread.ca

Burgoo

Burgoo’s medley of mozzarella, Gruyère, Emmenthal and white cheddar was “a bit mild.” But the judges did enjoy what they thought was a crisp Parmesan crust on the sandwich’s too-thick exterior (“So much bread, so little cheese,” said one). $15.50, multiple locations, burgoo.ca

Save On Meats

While Buss liked the combination of processed slices and marble cheese (“I want to eat this one for a midnight snack”), the others couldn’t get past the only partially melted texture. They all agreed, however, that it’s perfectly “suited to the diner.” $8.95, 43 W Hastings St., saveonmeats.ca

Jack’s Place

The lunch counter inside Army and Navy is far from serving a gourmet sandwich—it’s just plain white bread and good ol’ fashioned cheese slices here—but their grilled cheese is fresh and melty. And the two-dollar price tag is hard to dismiss: “This is definitely value-driven,” said one judge. $2, 36 W Cordova St.

Meet the Judges

Laurel Buss is a communications professional—and our Twitter contest winner! She’s also a self-proclaimed carb addict: “Anything with two pieces of bread is my kind of meal.”Tret Jordan is executive chef at Homer St. Cafe and Tableau Bar Bistro, where he spends his time reinventing comfort food classics and working with bread and melted fromage (the foundations of grilled cheese).Allison Spurrell is co-founder of Les Amis du Fromage; ironically, this cheese connoisseur’s evaluations were based primarily on the quality of the bread.

Check back for more from our A to Z guide to the essential dishes, chefs and hidden gems that make Vancouver an eater’s dream.