The Best Barbecue in Toronto

The ssämjang is fermented in-house, which is either a signal that the kitchen takes Korean barbecue seriously or that it has too much time on its hands, probably both. This upscale Korean BBQ spot on College Street dry-ages an international roster of proteins and has servers manage the grill so you don't have to. The banchan rotates with the seasons, and the cocktail list leans Korean. Canada's 100 Best landed it at number 46.

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2. Canada's 100 Best #46 · Best Restaurants
3. The 50 The 50 Discovery

The brisket here is cooked low and slow over oak until the smoke does exactly as much work as it should, no more. This is a Central Texas-style BBQ shop in Toronto, with all the markers: smoked meats by the pound, saucy sandwiches, and weekly specials that tend toward the Flintstones end of the portion scale. The pitmaster brought the method up from Dallas, and the regulars who've figured out the beef rib schedule consider that a personal win.

1. Air Canada 2019 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
2. Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Toronto, Canada

A red neon sign cuts through the dust of a massive waterfront construction site, and inside the old bank building behind it, the smoker is a repurposed shipping container on the patio. This is a serious barbecue joint, Michelin Bib Gourmand, running Texas brisket and St. Louis ribs alongside wings and sausage links that regulars know to order first. Come on a weekend and the meats sell out, which is either a warning or a recommendation depending on your planning habits.

1. Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand

1. Chinese Restaurant Awards #17 · Elite 30 Canada

1. Chinese Restaurant Awards Top 50 Honourees · Elite 30 Canada

A custom reverse-flow wood smoker does the heavy lifting at this halal barbecue spot tucked into a Scarborough strip mall, and the smell reaches you before the signage does. Order a multi-meat plate, a sandwich, or by the pound, and the menu swings from Montreal-style brisket to Korean-inflected short ribs without losing the thread. The maple-smoked beans are a quiet reminder that you're firmly in Canada, not Tennessee.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant

Cold noodles made from scratch with sweet potato starch imported from South Korea set the tone before the charcoal even lights. Piggy's is an a la carte Korean BBQ spot in Thornhill that leans into sourcing and culinary culture rather than the all-you-can-eat race to the bottom. The pork ribs are aged in-house and cooked over Korean oak charcoal, and the room fills quickly with people who already know what they're ordering.

1. Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Toronto, Canada