Review: Farrow Sandwiches

Farrow Sandwiches at 8422 109 Street - in the same building as Three Boars Eatery.

Farrow Sandwiches at 8422 109 Street – in the same building as Three Boars Eatery.

A couple of weeks ago I went for lunch with my coworker/friend Marta to try ultra hip sandwich spot Farrow Sandwiches (8422 109 Street) for the first time! Marta wanted to write about Farrow for the Edmonton Journal’s Dining Out restaurant review section (see her review here!) and I’m just always up for checking out new food spots I’ve never been before.

Order up! Menu changes every few days. Staff are very hip.

Order up! Menu changes every few days. Staff are very hip.

To sum up the experience in a few words: Farrow puts out some really damn good sandwiches, and is also a hipster hot spot. The clientèle when we were there over the lunch hour was very much beards, floppy hats, tattoos, ironic T-shirts and oversized sweaters. The friendly guys taking our order and putting together the sandwiches fit this description to a T. Nothing against hipsters of course, but I definitely felt very uncool in this setting. Lol.

Farrow is tiny.

Farrow is tiny.

Farrow is a tiny (cozy, intimate) shop located just south of the High Level Bridge, attached to the Three Boars Eatery. They’re also connected by more than just the wall. Farrow is the offshoot of Three Boars – with the clever name of Farrow meaning a litter of pigs (or Three Boars’ baby boars! Super cute). They use Three Boars’ kitchen during the daytime (7 a.m. to 2 p.m) and then close up before their Three Boars opens for the evening crowd. It’s a pretty nice partnership. Most of the customers don’t stick around and eat (there’s only three stools) but Farrow also has a nice patio/outdoor seating area out front as well (though probably not well utilized during our colder months).

Orders slide to the kitchen on a clothes pin/line.

Orders slide to the kitchen on a clothes pin/line.

There’s fun (hip lol) music that plays loudly in the sandwich shop (a bit loud for me, but it works for the atmosphere they’re going for). I actually thought one of the songs that came up seemed out of place when it first came on (R Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet) but it ended up being a parody version of Weird Al’s Trapped in the Drive-Thru. The music is actually made even better by the fact that the four guys behind the counter are singing along throughout most of the lunch service!

The Grick Middle - bacon, fried egg, greens, rosemary aioli, tomato jam and smoked cheddah ($7.75) from Farrow Sandwiches.

The Grick Middle – bacon, fried egg, greens, rosemary aioli, tomato jam and smoked cheddah ($7.75) from Farrow Sandwiches.

Marta and I ordered two sandwiches – I had their Grick Middle – bacon, fried egg, greens, rosemary aioli, tomato jam and smoked cheddah (spelt with an ‘h’) – $7.75. They said their sandwich menu changes every couple of days except for this Grick Middle – and you can see (or taste) why immediately. All of these ingredients combine together wonderfully, with a perfect runny egg and crunchy bites of bacon. At the price, it’s a super affordable, delicious and filling sandwich.

The Welcome Back Ricotta - herb tofu ricotta, pickled fennel, roasted red pepper, tomato, arugula, and balsamic oil ($7.50) at Farrow Sandwiches.

The Welcome Back Ricotta – herb tofu ricotta, pickled fennel, roasted red pepper, tomato, arugula, and balsamic oil ($7.50) at Farrow Sandwiches.

Marta got their Welcome Back Ricotta – with homemade herb tofu “ricotta,” pickled fennel, roasted red pepper, tomato, arugula and balsamic oil ($7.50). Marta thought this was a flavourful, fresh and healthy Vegetarian/Vegan option. I had a bite and thought the ricotta was quite good – though I’m not a fan of balsamic.

Slowly-brewed coffee!

Slowly-brewed coffee!

Along with their artisan sandwiches, Farrow also sets itself apart with its slow-brewed coffee. I don’t drink coffee but even I was curious with their coffee-making set-up. They use a goose-necked kettle and coffee drips into a mason jar before it gets to you. Very cool (hip). They also sell these goose-necked kettles too, if you’re interested in being hip at home.

Farrow sells T-shirts too.

Farrow sells T-shirts too.

They have Bloom cookies for sale as well, and on their chalkboard menu, “kettle chips” which I got really excited about because I love chips, but my excitement dropped significantly when I saw they were just kettle chips in a bag. My only disappointment from the whole lunch – I would think unique, delicious sandwich makers would also offer home-made chips too.

Overall, I loved my experience at Farrow! If I was in the area more, I’d be there all the time for breakfast or lunch. It’s definitely worth stopping by on a weekend if you’re not often in the area. The sandwiches come out quick and are delicious. Their other creations (as seen on their Facebook Page) sound amazing – but I’m glad they keep at least one sandwich the same – and I’m glad it was the very good Grick Middle which I can attest for.

At between $7-$8 a sandwich, you can’t really go wrong! As Marta put it in her review, the “oft-maligned sandwich has been reclaimed by food lovers!” and I agree.

So have you been to Farrow? What did you think?

Linda


Farrow Sandwiches on Urbanspoon

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