earlscourt bbq toronto

Toronto BBQ joint that was always overcoming obstacles has permanently closed

A BBQ restaurant in Toronto that persisted through a fire and lockdowns has sadly shut its doors for good.

Earlscourt BBQ struggled to reopen after a devastating fire, facing delays in reopening. Then once they finally had reopened, they continued to grapple with more challenges like technical problems.

The restaurant located in the Corso Italia area of St. Clair West was known for its BBQ, especially their ribs. Earlscourt had just made extensive updates to its kitchen when they reopened in May 2021.

Suddenly, on August 4, the restaurant posted to their social media that they were out of business effective immediately.

"We barely survived a fire and the pandemic, which took their toll financially and emotionally. Before starting a business, you know in the abstract that it will be difficult," reads the post signed by owner Jason and the Earlscourt BBQ/Pork Ninjas team.

"When you experience it, it becomes real and can break a person. Sometimes a business owner has to 'fire themselves' and walk away."

The post goes on to say they don't know whether there will be another food business but to stay tuned for updates.

Lead photo by

Jesse Milns


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