Smoque N’ Bones

My husband and I frequently get takeout from here. I always thought my dad’s bbq ribs were the best… But now he’s got competition! A little taste of home in Toronto!
Very moist, not greasy, flavourful ribs. They come with extra sauce on the side but they don’t even need it since they have so much flavour already.
The pulled pork and brisket is awesome here too. My favourite side dish has to be the Mac and cheese. Creamy, cheesy comfort food! the potato salad is really nice too!
I haven’t eaten in the restaurant itself because I’m such a messy eater and no one wants to see me eat ribs in public– but while waiting for takeout I notice that it has a fun, lively vibe, especially in the summer when the front is open to the street. The staff is also really pleasant and food comes out in good time.
Overall, I would recommended Smoque N bones for great comfort food.

The loud atmosphere makes it hard to carry on a conversation without yelling.
Service was slow despite the restaurant not being overly busy for a Saturday night dinner service.
Our waitress forgot to put in 2 of the items from our order and it took very long for them to arrive to the table once we enquired about their whereabouts.
Despite them advertising themselves as a bourbon bar, when we asked to see a bourbon menu we were told that they «didn’t really have one», but they had «pretty much everything»…
My party sampled the brisket, pulled pork, rib tips, sausage, and a number of sides.
Food was decent, but not the best bbq in the city that I’ve had.
The cocktails though are FANTASTIC and very much worth the price.
Bread pudding w/​caramel bourbon sauce for desert was the best I’ve ever tasted.
Overall an average experience, but I am open to making a return visit to try them out again.

Came here for my bday in Sep 2015 and we were given one of the large tables upstairs. Ordered few apps for people to munch on. Drink, food and service were outstanding. Liked it so much that we returned last month for my wife’s bday. They remembered us and took care of our guests that much more. We tried their ribs and pulled chicken sandwich and they were outstanding
Writing a review now cuz I just forgot. Came across the place just now and thought they should get recognition they deserve

I decided to have my birthday at Smoque n Bones (we were really impressed with the food, drinks and staff after my husband had his birthday there back in September) And it was just amazing, everyone had a great time, enjoyed the atmosphere and quality of the place … The staff were very attentive! Bartender made amazing cocktails! And don’t let me get started on the food! From the ribs through the short rib to the chicken sandwich everything was mind blowing!
Definitely one of my favourite spots in Toronto!!!

I love this place! So far I’ve tried all of the sandwiches and the pulled pork is my favourite followed by the pulled chicken, beef brisket, and peppercorn beef being my least favourite. I also love their sweet potato waffle fries. My bf got some sort of rib from them last time and that was delicious too.

Boyfriend and I shared the Sampler tonight — ½ rack of ribs, ½ chicken, ¼lb brisket, cornbread, buttermilk onion rings, and coleslaw. The meat was exceptional — smokey, flavourful, very tender — and though we enjoyed it all, we both liked the brisket most for its overall texture and taste. The sides were also delicious, but what stood out the most for us was the coleslaw — creamy, tangy and seasoned with dill for a unique and really pleasant dish.
The service was good — our reserved table was ready when we got there, drinks and dinner ordered within 10 minutes of arriving, plates out 5 minutes after that. The restaurant is small and cramped though, and on a busy Saturday night that made the experience a little less than ideal. We were seated near the door, so there was a draft every time people came into the restaurant. People waiting for tables or takeout were standing right beside our table which was a bit uncomfortable. Definitely wouldn’t want to sit there again.
TLDR; great food, small restaurant, would go back

In my original post I had given smoke n bones 1 star, due to poor service at the time. My 1^st review is below. They were kind enough to contact me to invite me back but me and my fiancé felt too awkward. Since then, me and my fiancé have tried many of the best rated Bbq places in Toronto. In the end smoke and bones was the TASTIEST! I want to apologize to the owner for the horrible review and let him know to keep up the good work. Your food is good. We haven’t been back since but I know we can’t ignore the best bbq joint in town forever. We will be back and hopefully no service issues. I’ll update this post on our next visit, hopefully I’ll end up giving them 5 stars instead of 4 stars.
I took my family here to try something different. When we arrived the restaurant was relatively empty. The staff were not very friendly moving us from table to table. We had a six people at our table and it was loud and hard to hear, unpleasant for a family dinner. We ordered our food and waited… 40 minutes went by and all we had was our water. We asked our waiter and he said he would check on it. After 20 minutes and no word from our waiter, I approached the waiter again and told him it been an hour and we have no food. He said its he would check on it again. He talked to another waitress but never went to check. At this point our lovely family dinner has become a stressful nightmare, with angry hungry family members. I decided to take things into my own hands so I approached the owner explaining its been over a hour and my family is ready to leave. He told me we were NOT waiting an hour and it’s coming right now! I went upstairs told my family and we waited another 10 minutes. 1 hour 20 minutes and no food and poor service made us walk away. Second time in my life walking out of a restaurant due to poor service.

Portions of food were very chinsy. We got the Mac n cheese, cornbread, brisket, and pulled pork ($ 36 between the two of us before tax and delivery fees). The food was good but definitely not worth the amount we spent for the portions we got. Barely enough food to feed the two of us.
Would not go back.

Food: ⁸⁄₁₀
Atmosphere: 7.5÷10
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Overall experience: ⁸⁄₁₀
Went for a friend’s birthday party. If you are looking for a great place to host a lot of people, they will provide you the entire upstairs. Fantastic as it has its own bar, and you are able to be as loud as you want!
Truth be told I was not looking forward to eating here. BBQ has never been my thing, but I was pleasantly surprised when I really enjoyed the food! I managed to try a lot of items, as two pairs of people each shared the «sampler for two» (Comes with 3 meats and 3 sides — great for your first time!). Highlights were: peppercorn beef and the pork ribs. Onion rings were good as well.
THE BOTTOM LINE: satisfying BBQ, and a definite recommendation if you’re looking to host a large party.

As an experienced BBQ fan I had to try this place based on the recommendation of a friend. The portions vary in size and quality. Chicken and ribs were ample and tasty, brisket and pepper steak were puny. My favourite side was the unique Brussel sprouts. A must try !
Service was friendly and the space is great. There should be more emphasis on unique sauces and the overall price value is a tad steep.

We had reservations and we were a table of 5.
We came for the bourbon and they didn’t actually have a list or menu of what they had available for us, just the cocktail menu. That defeated the purpose of us going out to a bourbon bar.
Service Cons:
Slow service — our food didn’t come out at the same time, a few dishes at a time over 1 hr and 40 minutes. We were getting 2 samplers and more, but we were expecting to receive most things at one time. We were never asked if we wanted more drinks, we had to call the server over to ask for more drinks ourselves, ask for water and call the server to remind them of the food we hadn’t yet received (3 times) and called the server over to request dessert and then again for the bill. The server was very pleasant but incredibly overworked as the place was packed and he seemed like he was the only one on the floor. Didn’t feel like we were being taken care of at all.
Food Cons:
Ribs were burnt and dry. This was past the point of charred on purpose.
Pulled pork was bland and dry.
Incredibly small servings. We ordered tonnes of food and still weren’t full at the end of the meal because portions were miniscule. A few tablespoons of coleslaw and beans at a $ 3.90 serving was just ridiculous. Though corn bread was good and moist, you got 2 tiny little pieces as a serving.
Coleslaw just takes like cabbage in sour cream with lots of dill.
Pecan pie — meh and overpriced.
Collard greens were bland.
Pros: BBQ sauce is amazing. Both beef dishes were juicy and tasty. Sausages and chicken were good. Onion rings were outstanding. Sweet potato fries were delicious. Pudding really moist and delicious.
The food was good. Not great, not bad. Just good. But for the price, servings were small and it didn’t seem worth it when we got the bill and we weren’t that full and frustrated at the lack of service. Don’t expect a quick meal and be ready to fork out the cash just to fill your belly.
Won’t be returning.

My husband and I have been here 4 times so far and even brought some of our friends with us.
3 out of the 4 times the food was amazing. The pulled pork sandwich is slightly tangy which makes it really good. The ribs are great and the string fries and onion rings are really good and some of our favourites. Quite honestly 3 out of 4 times the food has been 4 stars and the best southern food I have eaten yet.
The only downside is that the last time we went both the food and the service were more like 1 star. Our ribs were burnt (to the point where all you tasted was burnt food) and the half chicken was still cold on the inside. It also took a very long time to get a refill on our water and when we left I felt like I had filled up on fries and water for dinner! They did not charge for the ribs which was fair. I think it was just an off night for them.
I’ve given 3 stars as an average for my cumulative experience.

Low key BBQ spot that can definitely throw down and hold its own! Been here a handful of times and food is always consistent. Pork ribs are smokey, and tender. without too much sauce. You a sauce type? No problems! It comes with a side of sauce and a paint brush just in case. Brisket and beef ribs are equally good, but their sides could use a bit of help. I’d like to see a little more southern flare like fried okra, or hush puppies but can’t ask for everything. Drink program is decent too. Try an in-​house Old Fashion while you’re there!

Went there last week late at night. We wanted to sit upstairs but they closed the area so we sat downstairs
Ambiance (Medieval tavern)
I play video games and this gave me the feeling of walking into a tavern straight from the Witcher series (slavic medieval fantasy). Their décor compliments that setting. I absolutely love how they prepare the food in front of you and leave you drooling over it. Needless to say that it is pretty loud just like any other tavern in medieaval times ;) and they have loud music (Jazz?) playing, definitely not a place where you will be able to talk comfortably
Food:
I had the half chicken, it came with a paint brush and bar be que sauce! PAINT BRUSH! that won my heart, ¹⁰⁄₁₀ for creativity. The idea is to paint the sauce on your food with that brush (thanks cap’n obvious). The chicken was really good, flavourful and juicy, slightly burnt to contribute to the smokey flavour. My foody partner ordered a pulled chicken sandwhich and the cool slaw on top of it is a really neat idea.
oh and one of the best sweet potato fries I have ever had! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and just done perfectly!
They have a huge selection of drinks, they make it with pickles and what not, sounds cool but we were not in the mood for alcohol se we left it.
NOTE: they don’t have beef ribs here yet, it shows on the menu but they don’t make it yet.
In short, loved the ambiance and the food was really good as well. Will go again and try different stuff, particularly beef ribs when they start making it.

went there with my girlfriend and 2 friends on a Friday evening. We did not have reservations, so we had to wait 15 minutes for a table to open up for us. We were seated on the second floor.
Ambiance: (3.5 stars)
The music is a bit too loud, and the place was a bit crowded (Seats close to other tables…). The seats were on stools/​bench so it was not the greatest.
Service (4.5 stars)
The waiters really knew what they were talking about, we asked for suggestions for portion size and they have and they helped.
We ordered the cocktails and they were as delicious as advertised.
In the washroom they ran out of paper to dry your hands (not a big deal, but it shows lack of commitment).
Food (3 stars)
I have been looking for a place that services this kind of food for a while, and I am sad to say that I was disappointed.
The brisket had quite a bit of fat (3 stars) the ribs were a tad dry (3.5 stars) Pulled pork was likely the best thing we ordered. (4 stars).
The total came to 160 with tax and tip for 4 cocktails, 3 meals, and 2 sides.
Would go again if I am craving pulled pork, or if I am in the neighborhood. Would not go out of my way for it.

I honestly did not know that I could fall in love with barbeque meat!
This place has forever changed my life. (hehe sorry for being dramatic)
As soon as you get to the front of the restaurant, the distinctive midwest/​southern-​smokey flavour will drive all the little guys in your olfactory system wild! A good ol’ glass of scotch will perfectly complement this place.
For three girls, we shared the Sampler for Two which was actually more than enough for us. It comes with a choice of 3 meats and 3 sides.
This was what we got:
Meats:
–Pork ribs — this is by far our favorite one.
–Half a chicken –this was good too!
–Beef brisket — meh, I was expecting the brisket to be more like pulled pork and less like slices of meat
Sides:
–Cornbread — ahh so good! It was slightly crispy on the outside and soft and sweet as you bite into it. It came with a really flavorful butter too!
–Buttermilk Onion rings
–Brussels sprouts — Tasty! And made us feel less guilty about having all the meat.
I honestly can’t wait to go back to try the pulled pork and the other sides!

Went back tonight after speaking to the owner about our prior experiences, much better experience! Alex took it upon himself to coordinate and serve us directly which is pretty humble — a rare occurrence in this town!
Pulled pork — amazing. Exactly what you would want from the dish.
Ribs — very blackened. Not to my taste but my dining partner liked them.
Brisket — I didn’t eat them while hot so by the time I got to them, they were rubbery. My dining partner liked them.
Mac and cheese — sooooo good. Must have!
Caramelized brussels sprouts — I hate Brussels sprouts so I didn’t love these but I didn’t hate them either. Good twist on a veg.
Sweet potato waffle fries — served up work chipotle mayo, delish and a huge portion for a side!
Cole slaw — apple cider vinaigrette with dill.
Butter dipped onion rings — ERMERGEEEERD
Maple bacon smoked bourbon drink thing — my partner ordered this. Came with a bacon and orange garnish.
Also, holy crap he loaded our drinks!
The owner is incredibly personable and friendly! He definitely made the experience.
ALSO — this was all the sampler plate. DO IT. So much food and it came out QUICK.

Pretty good food and downtown so not too far to travel for me. I am usually a brisket fan but the pulled pork took the stage here. The beef rib was very good as well but the amount of meat on each rib varied, and the rib that I got didn’t have much (I shared with a friend) but my friend’s had a good amount. The sampler for two, as others have already commented, is not an awesome savings so just order by the dish.
The one thing that brought the experience a little lower was that the food didn’t come out smoothly. Mind you, we were a large group so I have to give some leniency, but they brought out a wave of the meat and we were almost done the meat before we got our sides. Also, the water comes in old whiskey bottles, very cool, but the glasses are like whiskey glasses so they were petite, I think it held maybe 50ml so we were constant refilling them with water after 2 gulps.
The second floor was great for our party, I would definitely go back!

My wife and I were on vacation in Toronto and I am a BBQ junkie and there are only a few in Toronto, so I had to try this place.
It is very small, but the food was AMAZING! I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with a side of baked beans. The beans came out first and they were beautiful, a little sweet and almost al dente. A little more firm than American baked beans, but I actually liked them better than our version, which are really tender.
The pork sandwich came out and it was fork ready, because it was too large to eat as a sandwich.
It is kind of cool that the chef is cooking right in front of you (It is that small!) Our service was fantastic and they have multiple beers on tap.
Loved this place!

Flat out one of the best BBQ’s you can find in the city!
Get the shared plate (~$ 45). You can pick several of their meats and several of their sides. This WILL feed 3 hungry people. Definitely go for the ribs and watch them grill them right before your eyes. The BBQ sauce included makes them even better. In between «fall off the bone» and «nice and meaty». Other recommendations — if you have a group get the sausage. Great flavour and large portion. The sides are also gems not to be overlooked. Mac and cheese + candied yams. done.
I tried the maple bacon old fashioned as well. Nice twist, but stick to beer.
Honestly, if you don’t like the food here you must be a vegetarian.