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| - So there is a place at No. 420 Parliament Street called 420 Smokehouse. Great idea. Blaze up!...
...the grill, that is. As intriguing and attractive the punny name may be, it does sound misleading as 420 Smokehouse isn't smokin' filled with foodie hipsters nor hip decor, nor crazy top chef-grade cooking that attracts foodies like a 420 rally attracts stoned activists. That is because 420 Smokehouse is more like a family diner than Toronto's newest must-try smoked meat house. The simple decor speaks to its accessible appeal; it does not scream damn-right Texan barbecue house like it would elsewhere.
Which is not a bad thing. I wouldn't want a lineup of carnivorous foodies running along to the laneway here. But at the same time, I wouldn't want people to not know there is good food here at this end of Cabbagetown. As I have experienced, 420 is as welcoming to a family dinner sitdown as it is to a small group of soccer fans at their bar, staring with intensity at the TV, screaming, "No No! Ronaldo, Ronaldo! Get the ball in! Get it out of there! Yes, GOOOOOOOLLL! Yes yes!," beside a family trying to quietly enjoy a meal. I guess we were the bratty kids at the diner. (By the way, go Deutschland!)
An 8oz burger patty is pretty big, and for $12, you can indulge in their "420 burger," a well-charred chunk of big beef goodness topped with bacon strips. I enjoyed it much, even in the simplicity of its clean appearance.
As the name implies, 420 specialize in smoking anything that moves. (Haha.) Their menu isn't limited to just beef, chicken wings and ribs, though their chicken dinner sure looks good, and they also have a $18-ish chicken and ribs special. Jerked pickerel sounded intriguing to my friend ("Smoked and fried pickerel is awesome, but jerked? Gotta try that!"). They didn't have the pickerel that night, sadly, so he opted for pulled pork sandwich ($12) instead. He was quite impressed by the flavor.
Service is generally pleasant, though could use more tweaking to escape the new restaurant jitters. They will own up to their mistakes from what I have seen; these two guys beside me got free drinks for their not-thoroughly cooked chickens. All in all, this is a decent addition to Cabbagetown, an area that could use a few more great eateries. Just hope nobody here takes the name literally.
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