Who’s Serving up Christchurch’s Best Toastie? Here’s the Top 15 For You To Try!
Bacon, beef and wild boar and more! Christchurch’s eateries have come up with some outstanding toastie combinations as they vie for the title of Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover champion for 2024.
With just two weeks of judging to go, now is the time to get out and try Christchurch’s best toasties. To help you here’s the top 15 toasties you need to try (in no particular order):
1. ‘Bacon Overdose’, Bacon Bros 📍Christchurch CBD
One for the bacon lovers out there. Featuring textures of bacon, Swiss cheese, cheese sauce, McClure’s Pickles, topped with a bacon battered pickle on Bacon Bros bread.
2. ‘Earth, Surf and Turf’, BEERS, 📍sockburn
Lamb pastrami, McClure’s Pickles, three cheese blend & mushrooms. Topped with a bacon stuffed mussel and pickle gel on Bacon Bros bread.
3. ‘Fat Stacks’, Birria (FOODTRUCK) 📍various locations
One of the more unique toasties in the comp, Birria serves up their award-winning handpicked short rib birria with McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles and Wairiri Oaxaca cheese, sandwiched between two birria tacos with McClure’s pickle and jalapeno salsa verde and secret recipe consomme.
4. ‘Short Skirt’, Bison BBQ, 📍Ferrymead
Bison BBQ has gone with a combo of house smoked NZ beef skirt steak, smoked streaky bacon, smoked cheddar, McClure's Bead & Butter Pickles, chimichurri and caramelised onion and garlic chutney, melted between grilled sourdough. Served with your choice of any regular menu side item and Bison onion dip.
5. ‘Carlton’s Canterbury Ploughman's’, carlton bar, 📍Merivale
Sweet, smokey, tangy and crispy the Carlton Bar’s toastie features Canterbury smoked ham, grilled apple, McClures Pickles, sauerkraut, Gruyère and parmesan in charred ciabatta with salt and malt vinegar crisps.
6. ‘Pork Chicharrónes Medianoche’, Casa Publica,📍Christchurch CBD
Taking after the Cuban tradition of sandwiches, Casa Publica’s toastie is a Medianoche style sandwich featuring chicharones (crispy fried pork), buffalo aji roja, ginger, green onion, queso and McClure's Garlic & Dill Pickles.
7. ‘The Roastie Toastie’, Coasters Tavern, 📍Redwood
All the glory of a Sunday roast in one toastie. Get stuck into Coasters’ Roast wagyu rump, honeyed carrot, roast potato hash, McClure's Pickles with sage stuffing & horseradish mayo nestled in a double Yorkie.
8. ‘Deluxe Reuben’ , Downtown Bagels, 📍Christchurch CBD
A classic executed beautifully. The Deluxe Reuben features corned Beef, Gruyere cheese, McClure's Bread and Butter pickles, sauerkraut and house-made Russian dressing on a New York style bagel, hand rolled boiled and baked each morning.
9. ‘Efterrätt’ , Fika, 📍Christchurch CBD
In what could be the competition’s most unique blend of ingredients Fika combines Peter Timbs’ free range bacon, house-made chocolate rocher cream, McClure's Bread and Butter Pickles, gouda, havarti & maple syrup on their house-made shokupan (Japanese milk bread).
10. SHARP DRESSED SAM , JOE’S GARAGE, 📍9 locations citywide
The most widely available toastie in this Christchuch, you’re guaranteed to find a Sharp Dressed Sam near you. Featuring smoky beef & bacon chilli, sharp cheddar, mozzarella, McClure's Sweet & Spicy Pickles, dijon & garlic confit butter on thick fresh toast bread. The cheese pull on this is excellent.
11. ‘The Cheek and Cheesy’, Little River Cafe, 📍Little River
Slow-cooked simplicity. Braised beef cheek, smoked cheese, chipotle mayo, rocket and McClure's pickles.
12. ‘Hold Em' Chicken’, Monza Sports Bar,📍Christchurch cbd
The only chicken contender out of Christchurch. Monza’s toastie features jackpot crumbed parmesan and lemon chicken breast with camembert cheese, McClure's Pickles with all in mushrooms between toasted sourdough bread. Served with rustic fries.
13. ‘Spudnik’, Moon Under Water, 📍Somerfield
One of the more exotic ingredients in the competition, the Spudnik features Manuka-smoked wild boar bacon, cheese sauce, American cheese, McClure's Bread & Butter Pickles and a house made potato rosti on Grizzly milk bread.
14. ‘Shaka Deli’, Shaka Bros, 📍Christchurch cbd
A seriously moorish offering from Shaka Bros featuring pork pastrami, choucroute, cheddar, mozzarella, McClure’s Pickles & Mr Peanut Butter Stout BBQ sauce on Bacon Bros bread.
15. ‘Beef Brisket Toastie’, The Donut Destination, 📍Wigram
Toastie + pasta, that’s right, double trouble! The Donut Destination combines slow-cooked beef brisket with a macaroni cheese with a twist (blue cheese) and McClure's Pickles.