This popular Toronto restaurant is rolling back its menu prices and partying like it’s 2014
That means $12 cocktails and oysters by the half-dozen
In a city where restaurants feel the need to reinvent themselves overnight—Mexican cantinas converted to burger joints, trattorias transformed into cocktail bars—the 12th anniversary of a place that has remained the same since it opened is something to celebrate.
The Carbon Bar has been slinging smoked meat and cocktails (some of which are also smoked) since 2014, long before the average old fashioned cost $25. Rather than dusting off the shelves and quietly moving on, until the end of January, they’re partying like it’s the year they opened and turning back the clock on inflation.
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“Reaching 12 years is an incredible milestone for us,” says owner Yannick Bigourdan. “When we opened in 2014, our goal was simple: bring real Texas-style barbecue north of the border with the warmth, craft and hospitality that Toronto deserves. Over the years, we’ve watched this city embrace slow-smoked meats, bold flavours and the communal spirit that comes with great barbecue, turning what started as an idea into a beloved local institution. Toronto isn’t just a food city—it’s a barbecue-loving city.”
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But, even more than ribs and brisket, Toronto loves a good deal. To mark the occasion, sous-chef Taylor Wells has rolled out a playful lineup of $12 dinner specials—a greatest-hits curation of the restaurant’s most popular dishes and drinks from the past 12 years.
The discounted snacks include the Korean fried cauliflower (a menu staple since day one), shishito peppers (also one of 2014’s hottest food trends) and a half-dozen freshly shucked oysters.
Specially priced cocktails span crowd favourites and bar classics. There’s the Black Mamba Margarita (a moody twist on the tropical drink made with charcoal-infused tequila), the Pit-Fired Old Fashioned, the Smoking Manhattan, and the bright and bubbly Tokyo Breeze. Select whiskey pours—including Pike Creek double-barrelled, Gooderham and Worts, and J. P. Wiser’s 10-year—are also just $12, as is every dessert on the menu.
In a city obsessed with the next new thing, Carbon Bar’s staying power proves that consistency, quality and a little swagger—and, yes, good value—never go out of style.
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
