Inspired by owners Katherine McCallum and Nora Smith-Beckett’s travels around the world, the menu at Leslie’s Sandwich Room includes a list of salads, sandwiches and desserts where nearly everything — down to making the dressings, chocolate chips, chip seasoning and roasting the beef — is done in house.

Hence, the aroma of the fluffy focaccia bun, available for purchase by the loaf, permeates the shop. Unlike other lunch spots in town, Leslie’s Sandwich Room boasts minimal wait times, with sandwiches prepared fresh throughout the day.

This includes the 7 E 11, a unique sandwich inspired by the best egg salad sandwiches found in Japan.

“In Japan, the best egg salad is available at the 7/11 and it’s just so rich,” says McCallum, who is also the pastry chef and general manager. “It’s just an unreal egg salad experience so we wanted to do the same here, but with a little bit of a twist.”

Another already popular choice that combines the classic with a twist is the La Morta, a unique mortadella sandwich featuring custom cilantro pesto and pistachio nuts for added texture and crunch against the soft focaccia.

“With all of our sandwiches, we really thought about all the senses,” says McCallum. “So, when you bite into the sandwich, you have softness, crispiness, acidity creaminess — you get everything in one bite.”

Mixing approachability with innovation, the menu also boasts a stacked roast beef sandwich, a Yellowfin Tuna option, prosciutto, and the intriguing Green Eggs and Ham, which is more than its name suggests, featuring bacon and pate as toppings.

Even the pickiest eater won’t turn down the grilled cheese on the menu, served crustless with apple slices and plenty of ketchup—a nod to McCallum’s own three-year-old.

While sandwiches take the spotlight, the salads at Leslie’s Sandwich Room are equally enticing. Choose from three generous options, including Mediterranean, a hearty grain salad and a vibrant chopped salad featuring corn, napa cabbage, and pickled onion.

Whether you’re headed to the office or grabbing a bite on the way home, Leslie’s Sandwich Room offers convenient to-go order combos packaged in cardboard lunch boxes.

“It’s just inspired by childhood and having your lunch box to bring to school with everything you need in there, and everything fits,” says McCallum. “It’s convenient and a fun idea you don’t see anywhere.”

Make your lunch break extra fun by pairing your combo with a limonata, rosé bubbly non-alcoholic wine, or a non-alcoholic Italian bitter. Both combo options also come with a side of chips—with the option for a one-of-a-kind house specialty flavour: peanut butter and vanilla.

“I got the idea from a war-time treat called peanut butter candy,” says McCallum. “They would mix mashed potatoes with peanut butter and sugar and that was their candy then.”

In the future, as Leslie’s Sandwich Room settles in, McCallum. plans to expand the sandwich selection, experiment with chip flavours, and introduce weekly specials.

“We really want to have fun in the kitchen, brainstorm new sandwich concepts, and experiment with chip flavors,” McCallum enthuses, expressing gratitude for the warm reception from the community. “The neighborhood has been fantastic, and we’re thrilled to share our sandwiches here in Leslieville.”

Leslie’s Sandwich Room is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days per week at 969 Queen Street East.