How a top BBQ restaurant and a bakery formed an unlikely alliance in Toronto

One of Toronto's best barbecue restaurants recently shacked up with a popular bakery, and by all accounts, it's been smooth sailing for the unlikely alliance ever since.

You can think of it like a culinary Romeo and Juliet​​​​​​: one business, hailing from the realm of all that's sweet and flaky, meets another, that's all about things juicy and smothered in sauce. Despite their differences, the two find utter, perfect harmony.

Only, unlike Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, the story of XO Bisous and Barque Smokehouse has a happy ending. Sometimes the most unexpected pairs make for the greatest outcomes.

But just how, exactly, did the Roncesvalles barbecue joint come to call XO Bisous, a St. Clair West sweet treat staple, the home of its second location? Barque owner David Neinstein explains it all to blogTO.

After operating Barque's Roncesvalles location for 15 years, Neinstein was finally on the hunt for a second location to expand the restaurant's footprint north of Bloor when he was introduced to XO Bisous founder Genna Steckel.

Steckel, after initially opening XO Bisous in the Financial District in 2016, relocated to St. Clair and Bathurst in 2024. While the bakery-cafe was —and continues to be— a smashing success by day, its kitchen went entirely untouched past 5 p.m.

"It was a great fit, so we created a blended space where Barque took over the savoury food program," Neinstein tells blogTO.

The new concept, wherein savoury bites from Barque are served for lunch seven days a week and dinner Wednesday through Sunday, while XO Bisous serves sweet treats and coffee all day, seven days a week, soft-launched in late April 2026.

Now fully operational, nearly three months later, the unlikely pairing is just as sweet as it was on day one. Their everyday brunch even features a menu with a combination of staples from Barque and XO Bisous. On Wednesday, diners can score AYCE chicken wings and on Sunday, AYCE baby back ribs.

And afterward, when the time comes for the compulsory post-meal sweet treat, you don't even have to leave the building to get one. A match made in heaven, indeed.

XO Bisous and Barque are located at 572 St. Clair Ave.