**1/2 stars
I made homemade ribs the night before, but my partner in dine (out of a few options) decided that he wanted to have BBQ again.
Smoke is only a few weeks old and is located in a no-man's-land on Harbord Street with the only sign of life being the busy Ici Bistro across the street.
The restaurant itself has quite a cool interior with a deco-wall made entirely of old newspapers. It reminds me of a pimped out version of a lunch hall at summer camp with a lot less lighting.
To drink I ordered an Old Fashioned (a really STRONG drink - what I would call a man's drink) and a Dark + Stormy (which I ended up swapping my OF for).
We ordered the sample for 2 (choice of 3 mains + 2 sides).
Smoked Chicken - I don't think chicken is ever supposed to remind me of tuna. The texture was almost grainy which I think points to it being DRY and therefore overcooked. The skin was flavourful, but chewy as opposed to crispy.
Baby Back Ribs - Great texture, zero flavour. Did they even season this? Fear not, easily remedied with one of 3 sauces provided:
- Carolina (think mayonnaise-like), slightly sweet
- Texas (tangy and ketchupy)
- Smoke (tangy and sweet)
Corned Beef Brisket - The winner of the night for me. Tender, thinly sliced and a good fat to meat ratio. Condiments might even taint the taste of the beef and I enjoyed it just as well in the nude. Rivals the brisket at Schwartz's in Montreal.
Sides:
Mac 'n Cheese - Creamy, cheesy - standard
Waffle Fries - Loved them. Think tic tac toe board meets Ruffles chips - that's how they're shaped. They were well-seasoned and in my humble opinion a great way to consume taters.
The service was lacklustre. No enthusiasm, not very helpful when it came to giving suggestions and things were forgotten.
So my search continues for a worthy BBQ joint in Toronto.