The Best BBQ Restaurants in Toronto

Follow the smoke to this somewhat secluded spot at Yonge & Eglinton, and find a menu of low-and-slow, Texas-style treats. Standards include brisket, pulled pork and familiar sides, with specials — such as burnt ends and Dino beef ribs — stealing the spotlight throughout the week.

The Port Lands' main draw, this counter-service restaurant specializes in Southern-style meats seasoned with white oak smoke. At lunch and dinner, 7 days a week, the team doles out a giddy array of dishes, from BBQ chicken sandwiches to sampler platters groaning under the weight of spare ribs, brisket, smoked wings, and more.

In the Upper Beaches and at Yonge & Bloor, diners crowd into this local gem for spice-rubbed meats rendered achingly tender by indirect heat from oak-wood fires. Devotees of Central Texas-style BBQ, the team manipulates a host of options — from pork belly to beef brisket — to their will, serving them à la carte, on platters or as the main draw in hulking sandwiches.  

Barbecue cravings are easily quashed at this family-friendly Roncesvalles restaurant, where the team preps Ontario-style barbecue using smokers, grills and a whack of patience. Though brisket, farmer's sausage and smoked turkey are expected finds, branzino and tofu burnt ends reveal the team's creative side. 

An active pit room and heaps of burnished meat leave barbecue stans twitterpated and salivating at this Annex-area restaurant. Available by the pound and as part of pre-set platters, Texas-style brisket, pork ribs and sausage can be squirreled home or inhaled in the spare space. A slew of sides, from esquites to charro beans, round things out.

From fried chicken to loaded mac n' cheese, the menu at this local haunt (in Baldwin Village and West Queen West), has plenty of Southern-style temptations. Still, smoked with a blend of hickory, sugar maple and red oak, it's the baby backs, pulled pork, brisket and more that deserve top billing. 

At this veteran Corktown restaurant, polished surroundings and craft cocktails are perfect pairings to a menu of saucy delights. A spot that expands on the go-to BBQ joint formula, this is for pit-smoked ribs and Angus brisket, as well as fried chicken, fresh oysters and weekend brunch with Southern twists. 

A casual spot for BBQ fare, this Beaches restaurant has built its reputation on sauce-slicked, smoke-licked sustenance. On days when too many choices overwhelm, the Indecisive Platter combines brisket, pulled pork, cheddar jalapeño sausage and back ribs into one stellar sampler.

Working exclusively with halal-certified meats, the team at this Annex restaurant answers diners’ cravings for smoky, generously-seasoned lamb shanks, beef ribs, brisket and more. Grab a few friends and avoid FOMO with an order of the Whole Nine Yards, a bountiful spread of salads, fries, sides and six of the menu's most popular meats.