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Name: Smoque N Bones
Neighbourhood: Trinity Bellwoods
Contact Info: 869 Queen St. W., 647-341-5730, @SmoqueNBones
Owner and Chef: Alex Rad
The Food: Southern-smoked (sorry, smoqued ) meats, prepped by self-taught Q-er Alex Rad. Pork ribs are carved at the bar and served naked, while butts are smoked for 16 hours, then pulled and piled high on soft buns with creamy coleslaw. Classic Southern sides include pulled-pork potato salad and collard greens, which are steamed to order and served with hunks of ham hock.
The Drinks: Fifty different bourbons are served over ice or blended into creative cocktails, like an old-fashioned made with bacon-infused bourbon, orange bitters and maple syrup. For teetotalers, the anise-spiked lemonade is made in-house.
The Place: Formerly a Gino’s pizza, the unit has been stripped to its bones, revealing restored beige brick and preserved dead wires. The narrow space leaves little room for seating, besides a few high-tops and a handful of stools pushed against a counter. Owner Alex Rad is working on a picnic lunch-box program that will let diners enjoy their meals in nearby Trinity Bellwoods Park.
275253 <strong>Smoque N Bones</strong> is located in what was formerly the home of Gino’s pizza on Queen Street, just east of Trinity Bellwoods Park (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-01/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-01 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275254 The restaurant’s wooden bar and tabletops were repurposed from a nearby house demolition on Palmerston Avenue (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-02/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-02 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275255 The wooden wall design was made using a technique called <em>shou-sugi-ban</em>, an ancient Japanese method of charring cedar to preserve its longevity (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-03/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-03 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275256 Beef brisket is smoked for 12-15 hours and served on a sandwich with braised cabbage (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-04/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-04 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275257 Onion rings are soaked in buttermilk for two hours, lightly breaded and deep-fried (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-05.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-05/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-05 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275258 Three classic Southern sides: baked beans, collard greens with ham and sweet candied yams (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-06/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-06 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275259 And three more: creamy coleslaw, mac ‘n’ cheese and potato salad (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-07/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-07 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275260 Pork ribs are hickory-smoked for four hours and served naked with a house-made barbeque sauce for DIY slathering. They come by the quarter-rack or half-rack (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-08/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-08 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275261 No Southern restaurant would be complete without house-made cornbread, which is served with a sweet butter (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-09.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-09/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-09 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275262 The pulled pork is a St. Louis cut, smoked for 16 hours and served as a sandwich with creamy coleslaw (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-10/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-10 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275263 (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-11/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-11 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275264 Pecan pie is made in-house and served with a pool of bourbon-laced crème Anglaise (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-12/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-12 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275265 Owner <strong>Alex Rad</strong> takes a lot of pride in his bourbon bar. He’s aiming to make it the largest in the city (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-13/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-13 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
275266 Lemonade is squeezed in-house (Image: Jackie Pal) Introducing: Smoque N Bones https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-14-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-14.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-14.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurants/slide/smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-14/ smoque-n-bones-toronto-restaurant-14 0 0
(Image: Jackie Pal)
Hopefully they stepped up their quality after the bad reviews on BlogTO. I havent been there since they opened due to the lack of quality in the meat vs. pricing. I will be going back hopefully next week to see if any improvements were made.
go to barque’s instead.
1/2 racks of ribs: disappointed. not great.
you could smell and taste the smoke which was awesome.
but we got a bunch of non meaty rib pieces in our two orders.
do not expect them to be juicy or fall off the bone type.
for restaurant quality, you’d expect every rib to be meaty and wonderful, which was not the case. even told the server they were just okay.
pricewise, i think it was $17 for half rack?
i have no issues with price as long as it’s really good.
overall: cool place to hang out for drinks, if we go back it will be for the buttermilk onion rings but ribs…skip em.
service is slow … lots of confusion there! hearing a lot of bad reviews, have been there thrice… the brisket was good! the service wasn’t so great…. except for lots of personality and great service from the chef with the diamond shape on her hat…
not so happy with this place…. hope that their meats and service improves.