Review: Electric Mud BBQ is a raucous Parkdale party spot for barbecue and bourbon
Electric Mud BBQ ★½
5 Brock Ave., 416-516-8286
The team behind Grand Electric, Parkdale’s new-wave taqueria, has opened a nearby southern-themed restaurant carefully decorated to resemble a badass roadside tavern, with plywood walls, vintage neon signs and a Southern Pride smoker in the open kitchen. The cooks do double duty as DJs at the bar-top turntable, alternating between blues and ZZ Top. The place is named after a convention-busting fusion album by Muddy Waters—an apt choice for a menu that breaks sacred barbecue rules. Tender, chili-licked pork ribs are sprinkled with crushed peanuts; duck is cured and cold-smoked like Black Forest ham, then served with hoisin, quick-pickled cukes and shards of duck crackling; an addictive deep-fried pig’s ear is glazed in sweet-and-sour sauce. These experiments work brilliantly, but they deserve better sides than watery collard greens and leaden hush puppies in corn aïoli. Bourbon cocktails are strong and cheap, like the Clydesdale, a head-walloping concoction of Jim Beam, grapefruit and lemon.
worst ribs ever – some ends were dried out, other pieces were just pieces of fat. gross.
crack spread was tasty, but the rolls tasted store bought (no frills, not whole foods at that) and disappointing
duck ham was stringy and weird. duck that tastes like ham. why?
tired of restaurants being lazy with desserts. mason jarred banana thing was mushy and tasteless. why bother even having a dessert option?
seating is terrible – its either bar seats or shared picnic tables. super uncomfortable.
you couldnt pay me to eat here again. what a waste of money.
yet another hipster joint.
The food at this restaurant is amazing. We have eaten there many times. Its popularity speaks for itself. Please people – get over fixating on “annoying hipsters” and get a life. Maybe you too can go out and enjoy yourself.
Got take-out. Super tasty. Also, I’m pretty sure “hipsters” are now just people who like good restaurants and like to go out and have a good time. Lighten-up folks.
Hopefully there are more people like you out there because this place is already super busy.