The Best BBQ Restaurants in Toronto

The best BBQ restaurants in Toronto are rubbing, grilling and smoking up meats using a variety of regional techniques for the best bark and pink rings. Come for the meaty fare and stay for fixins: These mostly Southern-style joints are serving their ribs and wings with sides of coleslaw, mac and cheese and peach cobbler.

Here are the best BBQ restaurants in Toronto.

Cherry Street Bar-B-Que

Trips to Cherry Beach aren’t the same without indulging in half pounds white-oak-smoked brisket, pulled pork or baby back ribs from this Port Lands staple. For the full experience, order platters of their pit-smoked meats and sides of slaw, beans and corn bread.

Barque Smokehouse

Grab a Sunday smoked chicken dinner from this Roncesvalles restaurant, or opt for Angus beef, rubbed and smoked for 12 hours. Not only is this decade-old spot known for its meats, it also has a selection of relatively healthy sides and desserts to go alongside.

Beach Hill Smokehouse

Beach Hill owners Darrien List and Terrence Hill brought their Texan BBQ to the Upper Beaches in 2018 and they haven’t looked back. They now have a second location on the Danforth for massive beef ribs and handcrafted sausages. Peach cobbler and BBQ sauce galore are also on the menu.

Smoque N Bones

West Queen West’s only spot for southern BBQ has been smoking up ribs and andouille sausages since 2014. It’s just a stone’s throw from Trinity Bellwoods Park, so consider this your cue for a feast in the park.

Northern Smokes

It’s a medley of BBQ styles at this Scarborough joint on Old Kingston Road. This halal menu ranges from coast to coast, making everything from Texas-style briskets to Montreal smoked beef, spicy jerk chicken, and California-style tri-tip beef roast.

Lead photo by

Hector Vasquez, of Beach Hill Smokehouse