Top-tier toasties – the Gold Coast’s best sandwich slingers to sink your teeth into

Delightful by Deluxe, Tweed Heads
If you find yourself in and around Tweed Heads with a hankering for something delicious, fresh and healthy, make a pitstop at Delightful by Deluxe. The light and bright noshery is an extension of Deluxe Grazing, which was created by long-time friends and Banora Point locals Alisha Marshall and Monique Bathie. With only a handful of tables, a seat at Delightful can sometimes be hard to come by. When it comes to the menu, it’s a compilation of Alisha’s favourite recipes that she’s been collecting since childhood, such as chipotle chicken, BLAT and a prosciutto, pesto and brie. If by chance there’s nothing that takes your immediate fancy, there’s a build-your-own option where you can curate the sandwich of your dreams. Helloooo happiness!

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Cheese Me Baby, Mermaid Beach
With a name like Cheese Me Baby, you can pretty much guarantee you’re in for a delicious cheese-filled feast. The converted shipping container kitchen has become a thriving hub of activity on the corner of the Gold Coast Highway and Tamborine Street slinging coffee and seriously next-level toasties. While everything on the menu is guaranteed to hit the sweet spot, the More Than Breakfast and wagyu bolognese toasties are the bees knees. If you’re a toastie for dinner kind of person, you’ll be pleased to know they’ve recently kicked off nighttime trade from Thursday through to Saturday, 4:00 pm til late.

Joe’s Deli, Broadbeach
You’ll find Joe’s Deli at The Patio at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre. The mouth-watering menu features deli-style sandwiches such as the Original Deli, a glorious combination of salami, mortadella, cured ham, iceberg lettuce, provolone, pickled cucumber and red onion slathered with yellow mustard, aioli and jalapeno relish. It also has a range of hot dogs, of which the most popular is – perhaps surprisingly – the Lobbie Roll. Everything at Joe’s Deli is made fresh to order – no shortcuts, no exceptions, just really excellent produce that speaks for itself. Wash it all down with a preservative-free craft beer or a glass of natural wine, which you can also purchase to-go.

Rob Roy Deli & Drinks, Tweed Heads
If you’re after a one-stop-shop where you can get wine, fancy cheese and a top-notch sanga, look no further than Rob Roy Deli & Drinks. Seriously, this place has everything! Filling the shelves is a scattering of organic and bio-dynamic drops, smallgoods, pantry staples, ready-made meals to heat and eat as well as an array of cheeses, salt rubs, pickles, preserves and picnic essentials that uphold the venue’s strong ethos of supporting local farms and producers. The cabinet is where you will find Rob Roy’s selection of ready-made sandwiches that are guaranteed to hit the spot.

Santa Barbara Specialty Coffee, Hope Island
Last, but by no means least, Santa Barbara Specialty Coffee on Pinnaroo Street promises to annihilate any pesky pangs with its selection of loaded sandos. The range changes regularly, but among the current rotation is a mouth-watering pulled pork, truffle mushroom and herb chicken! Offt. Thats’s a recipe for a food coma of the best kind.

Pop’s Milk Bar, Southport
Inspired by retro diners and milk bars of days past, Pop’s Milk Bar aims to recreate a  nostalgic corner-store vibe with striking wood panelling, a stand-up pinball machine and a classic aesthetic. The blast from the past extends to the menu with a selection of that childhood classic, the cheap and cheerful jaffle, available in both sweet and forms. Will you opt for the cheesy baked beans, spaghetti o’s or classic ham and cheese tomato? Or will you decide on a dessert jaffle stuffed with peanut butter and jam or fresh bananas and melty Nutella? Either way, what bliss.

Burleigh Baker, Burleigh Heads
Burleigh Baker’s award-winning sourdough can be found gracing menus all over the Gold Coast, gaining somewhat of a cult status for those in the know when it comes to dough. The sourdough  is created using a long, cool fermentation process that ranges from 12 to 48 hours to develop the dough’s complex flavours, optimise digestibility and taste. You can find this iconic bread turned into some fresh sandwiches in the bakery’s shopfront where it adds a special punch to everything from Reubens and BLATs to beef brisket buns and banh mis.

Doughed, Hope Island
Doughed is a one-stop-shop to satisfy all your stomach’s cravings, be they sweet or savoury. If you’re seeking something a bit more substantial than the store’s delicious doughnuts or chunky NYC cookies, you can sink your teeth into one of the seriously tasty sandwiches on offer. The succinct selection includes bangers like the Doughed Rueben, the Early Riser breakfast sandwich and the Mortadella Medley, which is layered with mortadella, salami, mozzarella, rocket with balsamic glaze, semi-dried tomatoes, green pesto and a drizzle of chilli honey.

George’s Deli, Kingscliff
Just a short jaunt across the border into New South Wales, this eye-catching bright-orange deli weaves together Filipino flavours with American-style toasties and doughnuts. On the board you will find four terrific toasties, including the ‘Ain’t Reuben’, which is the venue’s take on the classic using dill sauce instead of sauerkraut and pastrami instead of corned beef. Trust us, a meal from George’s is well worth the trip.

Side Piece Coffee, Varsity Lakes
This much-loved local haunt runs on the mantra of brews, chews and banter. The chews in this winning formula take the form of some top-notch toasties. There’s a weekly rotating mystery toasties for those who thrive on adventure in addition to tried-and-tested favourites  like the B&E toastie and the mould-breaking tuna melt. This particular version is heavy on the pickles with a generous swathe of the tuna mix, offering the perfect hint of nostalgia with a whole lot of flavour.

Tarte Bakery & Cafe, Burleigh Heads
Tarte may not instantly leap to mind at the first mention of sandwich spots. The continental-inspired cafe is known for its indulgent brunch bites and rustic baked goods. But its poached-chicken sourdough sandwich with miso mayo, pickles, crispy chicken skin and watercress is so finger-licking good it’s inspired a cult following, worshipping its chickeny glory. There are other sensational sambos lurking on its menu too, like the egg and Mi Goreng sandwich, and the five-cheese toastie with truffle, triple-smoked ham and mustard that marries comfort food with class.