Introducing: Smoke BBQ House, Harbord’s new no-nonsense barbecue joint
Harbord’s new Smoke BBQ House is the latest restaurant in Toronto dedicated to straightforward southern barbecue. Unlike places like Barque, which offer more elaborate presentations, Smoke serves the goods straight up, with the sauce on the side and a silicone brush to apply it with. First-time restaurateur Francesco Grandi, who still works at an ad agency by day, outfitted the formerly abandoned space with communal picnic tables and a big new picture window facing the street. In the kitchen is head chef Tony Gallippi, whose devotion to barbecue was cemented on trips to across the border to Detroit while he was running a restaurant in Windsor (Motor City, it turns out, has a surprisingly healthy barbecue scene).
Smoke’s menu contains the smoked classics you’d expect, like baby back ribs ($25), half chicken ($15) and Texas-style brisket ($15). There’s also a corned beef brisket ($12) which is brined for 48 hours, dry-rubbed and then smoked for 14 hours. Gallippi tells us they plan to rotate in a new sauce each month; the current selection includes a house mayo and a South Carolina–style apple cider vinegar–based number. For drinks, there are craft brews like Hop City’s Barking Squirrel, and Oliver Stern of the Toronto Temperance Society is putting the finishing touches on a cocktail list (expect plenty of bourbon).
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- Sauces: Texas, South Carolina and mayo-based house sauce
- (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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- Sides ($3.50; two are included with each main): waffle fries, sweet potato fries, baked beans and mac-and-cheese
- (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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- Clockwise from bottom left: pulled pork, baby back ribs, Texas-style brisket, smoked vegetables, corned beef brisket
- (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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- The silicone brush that’s set at each table setting
- (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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- The drinks menu will soon feature a selection of cocktails from the Toronto Temperance Society’s Oliver Stern
- (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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- (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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- (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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- Owner Francesco Grandi and chef Tony Gallippi
- (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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- (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
- Introducing: Smoke BBQ House
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Smoke BBQ House, 536 Manning Ave., 647-342-1840, smokebbqhouse.com
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/smoke-bbq-house/&title=Introducing: Smoke BBQ House, Harbord’s new no-nonsense barbecue joint&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/dec12-Smoke-intro-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_183836" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Owner Francesco Grandi and chef Tony Gallippi (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)[/caption]
Harbord’s new Smoke BBQ House is the latest restaurant in Toronto dedicated to straightforward southern barbecue. Unlike places like Barque, which offer more elaborate presentations, Smoke serves the goods straight up, with the sauce on the side and a silicone brush to apply it with. First-time restaurateur Francesco Grandi, who still works at an ad agency by day, outfitted the formerly abandoned space with communal picnic tables and a big new picture window facing the street. In the kitchen is head chef Tony Gallippi, whose devotion to barbecue was cemented on trips to across the border to Detroit while he was running a restaurant in Windsor (Motor City, it turns out, has a surprisingly healthy barbecue scene).
Smoke’s menu contains the smoked classics you’d expect, like baby back ribs ($25), half chicken ($15) and Texas-style brisket ($15). There’s also a corned beef brisket ($12) which is brined for 48 hours, dry-rubbed and then smoked for 14 hours. Gallippi tells us they plan to rotate in a new sauce each month; the current selection includes a house mayo and a South Carolina–style apple cider vinegar–based number. For drinks, there are craft brews like Hop City’s Barking Squirrel, and Oliver Stern of the Toronto Temperance Society is putting the finishing touches on a cocktail list (expect plenty of bourbon).
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Smoke BBQ House, 536 Manning Ave., 647-342-1840, smokebbqhouse.com){kind=link}
looks awesome!
are you fantastic bastards open for lunch so I can git a sandwich or what
does anyone know who designed this space? I love the burnt wood walls!
Us bastards will be open for lunch in the New Year. See you then.
Nice looking interior, super friendly attentive staff but the sauces taste like sugary ketchup (akin to Diana’s if that’s what you like) and the meat is dry and over-cooked. Food needs serious, immediate attention. Hope they fix it and thrive as it would be a nice addition to the neighbourhood.
Opening hours don’t appear to be listed on the website or on the outgoing voicemail message. Also no FB or Twitter page…are you open today?
Looks good but you can’t learn about Texas brisket in Detroit. I’ll get my proper BBQ fix in Texas, thanks.
Rank amateurs. Service slow . Food is strictly OK to poor. Sauces don’t save it.