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Best Horseshoe sandwich in Toronto

Thick-sliced toast, hamburger, fries, and cheese sauce—an open-faced sandwich that demands a fork.

Horseshoe sandwich

What the real thing tastes like

The horseshoe is an open-faced sandwich originating in Springfield, Illinois, United States. It consists of thick-sliced toasted bread (often Texas toast), a hamburger patty or other choice of meat, French fries, and cheese sauce. While hamburger has become the most common meat on a horseshoe, the original meat was ham. The "horseshoe" name has been variously attributed to the horseshoe-like shape of a slice of bone-in ham, or to the horseshoe-like arrangement of potato wedges around the ham. It is not uncommon to substitute other meat for the hamburger, such as chicken or ham, or use more than one type of meat. For fries, the preparer may substitute tater tots, waffle fries, or other forms of fried potatoes. Although cheese sauces vary by chef, it is generally derived from Welsh rarebit. Common ingredients include eggs, stale beer, butter, sharp cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce, flour, dry mustard, paprika, salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper. A smaller portion, wit

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The horseshoe is Springfield, Illinois's answer to the question: what if you built a sandwich that *demanded* you eat it with a fork? Thick toast cradles a hamburger patty, a tangle of fries, and a blanket of cheese sauce—a riff on Welsh rarebit that each cook guards like a secret. The name itself recalls either the curved bone of ham or the potato wedges fanned around it, a small mystery wrapped in carbs and cheese.

Order it here when it has

  • adaptable proteins and potato cuts
  • signature Welsh rarebit-based cheese sauce with depth
  • smaller pony shoe portion available

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