My first foray into breakfast sandwiches on mainland Europe happened during a recent trip to Amsterdam to visit some family. The trip happened to coincide with Pride, making for a packed, festive atmosphere all weekend. Desperate for a breather from the crowds, we ventured out into the calmer neighborhoods.

Due east of Rembrandtplein and just off the beaten tourist tracks sits a seemingly trendy neighborhood called Plantage. We found this rocking spot called Box Sociaal that had abit of a wait but was absolutely worth it. On top of a fun, vibrant atmosphere, they had a robust menu (including a Shakshuka called ‘Shak-attack’) and great ratings online. This was where I had the Kater Breakfast Sandwich.

Overall: 8.8/10

The Good

I thought this sandwich was a home run. They absolutely smacked it out of the park. The sandwich was on a solid house milk bun with a nice slice of chedder cheese (as I’d expect the Dutch to do well). The cumberland sausage was great but the thick slices of bacon were the star of the show (and thats saying something for someone who likes sausage more than bacon). The egg was well done and it had some nice salt and pepper on top. The add ons crushed it with a thick rosti layer and ketchup that was almost a paste it was so thick. All and all, a wonderful sandwich on a beautiful day in Amsterdam.

The Bad

Hard to critique this sandwich but it wasn’t without it’s flaws. The weak point of this sandwich was the integration. The pastiness of the ketchup and the flavor of the bacon overpowered the rest of the sandwich just a bit and I would have liked for those flavors to have been toned down. The cheese was great but, as seems to be a systemic problem this side of the pond, it needed more, maybe another slice. I think this would have helped balance the flavors a bit more. Last but not least, it was missing that “pop” of flavor and spice that would taken this from a great breakfast sandwich to one competing for the top spot. While a great, hearty sandwich that I’d have any day of the week, no one flavor made me think “damn, this is something special”.