As a big fan of steak sandwiches, I was excited to try the bear steak sandwich after hearing some good things about it. My ideal steak sandwich is a juicy, flavourful classic with caramelized onions and a savory garlic sauce, so I was looking forward to seeing how this one would compare.
The steak itself was perfectly cooked—tender and well-seasoned. The quality of the meat was excellent, and it was clear that the chef knew how to prepare a great piece of steak. The bread was well selected.
Unfortunately, the chimichurri sauce was the main reason this sandwich didn't meet my expectations. It was a bit dry and overwhelmingly salty, with a bitter edge that really took away from the flavour of the meat. To test if it was just the sauce, I removed it from the other half of my sandwich and added a little mayonnaise. This made a noticeable improvement, allowing the flavour of the bear steak to come through more clearly.
While the preparation of the meat was fantastic, the sauce didn't complement it in the way I'd hoped. I appreciate that every restaurant has its own unique take on a dish, and perhaps this style just wasn't for me. Given how well the bear steak was prepared, I'm open to trying it again sometime in the future.

Honestly, this place is not the fanciest, most well-decorated place for a hangout, but oh my it sure was memorable for me.
Tiny humble store, with a just as cute menu, and there is barely seating spot.
However, if the bench outside is available, that is the perfect setting, speaking from personal experience.
Sorry for the yapping but here are my thoughts of the sandwiches.
The steak sandwich, what I came for, was great. Tender meat on crunchy bun, with the chimichurri, though a bit oversalted for my taste.
The roast pork, comes with some stock on the side for dipping. Immaculate, just slightly messy to eat, part of the experience amirite :)
And my favourite, the cheeseburger. DUNK IT IN THE SAUCE THAT CAME WITH IT, NOWWW 🗣🗣
Maybe I really like the burger cuz that is not something I try often, especially for thick patty ones, but for now, BEAR will be the place for my craving!

I tried their original steak sandwich and I thought it was good but not GREAT. There were a handful of bites that were too chewy, where I had to just swallow entire pieces of steak. And it wasn’t cheap either (approx $24 after tax and tips).

That said, the chimichurri sauce was the best part about the sandwich, it was flavourful. Again, overall, it was good, but not exactly something I would go out of my way to eat again.

Bear Steak Sandwiches are absolutely delicious. On my most recent visit, I tried the collab with Great Fountain, and it blew my mind how good it was. The service at the shop is extremely friendly, and the atmosphere is a classic small sandwich spot. The decal on the window is apt it is your friendly local sandwich shop. My only negative here is that I think the servings here are slightly small for the price. I’m not usually full after my sandwich. That being said, I will keep eating here because the food is great.

BEAR steak sandwiches definitely lives up to the hype! I stopped by for the original steak sandwich during lunch, and it was fantastic. It took about 4-5 minutes for my order, but I was the only customer at the time, so I’m sure it would be quicker during busier hours. Overall, I’m really pleased with my experience and can’t wait to come back to try their chef’s pick, the roasted pork sandwich!

Bear Steak Sandwiches in Toronto nails the classic neighbourhood sandwich shop vibe. The staff are genuinely friendly, and the steak sandwich was excellent – especially on a rainy day. If you're looking for a solid steak sandwich in the city, I'd definitely recommend hitting them up!

Takeout only, there really isn’t any seating.

We tried a limited edition sandwich (some sort of thai inspired flavours with cilantro) and it was hands down AMAZING. After picking up the sandwich for takeout, it wasn’t until hours later when we tried it. Despite the few hours, the sandwich was perfect - bun was not soggy, the beef remained tender and juicy. Overall, a well constructed sandwich although on the pricier end.

Will be back to try some of their other menu items.

A great sandwich in a tiny little place! Only a few items on the menu, we were able to try the steak sandwich and the burger, they were sold out of the roast pork sandwich but only more reason to come back! Meat was juicy and flavourful and was prepared quick!

I heard about this place on social media and finally had the chance to try it while I was in the area. The first thing I noticed was that some of the staff in the back were rubbing their hands on their clothes and putting their hands in their pockets while waiting for my food to be ready. I found this to be unsanitary, which immediately put me off.

When my steak sandwich was ready, I saw them handling the food with their hands—which would normally be fine—but considering they had just touched their clothes and pockets, it was quite off-putting. I still took the sandwich since I had already paid for it and didn’t want to make a fuss, especially because the staff were very kind.

As for the food itself, the sandwich was fresh and hot. The steak was slightly chewy but had decent seasoning. The chimichurri was fresh and spicy, adding great flavor.

Overall, I’d rate my experience a 6/10. As someone who has worked in a kitchen, I kindly suggest being more mindful of hand hygiene before handling food. At the very least, washing hands again before serving would go a long way in ensuring a better dining experience.