It’s not often that I’ll order food and then be talked into ordering less. I stood at the counter of the new — less than a month old — White Squirrel Snack Shop and listed off what I wanted. “Is that all for you?” the gentleman behind the counter asked.

Yes. It was all for me.

“That’s a lot of food. You ordered two sandwiches.”

I also ordered wings.

Here’s the thing about the new White Squirrel Snack Shop on Queen Street West, the “snack”-sized options are not as snacky in size as you might expect. I was thinking of the portions often served as “snacks” at other restaurants that would be better off being called “a bite.” The Snack Shop serves the same home-baked goods and quality coffee as its sister shop, the White Squirrel Coffee Shop, which has been fueling patrons across from Trinity Bellwoods park for over four years.

Grateful for the menu advice, I scaled back my order and when my chicken Po-Boy ($6 snack/$10 full) arrived, I was relieved. The Po-Boy changes weekly, and last week it was tender nuggets of juicy chicken tossed with cornmeal, house-made blackening spices and cornstarch, fried to create a crispy coating. Lettuce, tomato and pickles dress the sandwich along with a spicy remoulade.

A breakfast menu includes filling options like a bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll ($5) and a breakfast Banh Mi ($5) with eggs, pate (or vegetarian pate), pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro and hot sauce. People like to grab breakfast to go which makes the Hand-Held French Toast ($5) simply brilliant.

Nothing on the menu is over $10. The menu also hits all the popular food trends consuming hip Toronto diners right now. There’s a burger, banh mi, tacos, nachos, pork cubano sandwich, oh, and salad. The spicy/sweet chicken wings ($6 snack/$10 full) buck the fried trend, and are instead grilled and lightly tossed with chili, maple, lime and cilantro.

Smart customers know to call ahead and pick up their order during the busy lunch hour. Two snacks easily make a great meal.

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