Hogtown Smoke on Colborne St.
Southern-style barbecue dripping with flavour rules at this downtown smoke house, the standstill evolution of its wildly popular barbecue-on-wheels and beaches predecessor.
Here, Pit Master Scott ' Hogfather' Fraser & Executive Chef Sean Simons take enthusiastic customers on a ride through the expansive wonders of smoking, grilling and saucing with stops along the way at pulled pork, brisket and baby back ribs meaty enough to shame a caveman. The addition if a custom built wood fire grill behind glass expands their famous menu to include steaks, seafood and fish.
Everything is cooked a long time here, but your patience pays off in spades. Guests dig in with both hands, their collection of spent napkins growing in direct relation to their enjoyment of the meal.
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The food was amazing and the service from Jenn was terrific. Visited the last night of being open before Covid19 closures and they were fantastic.
The smoked chicken wings and brisket were pretty tasty, but the other dishes we ordered (friend pickles, ribs, smoked link, burnt ends) all tasted just 'OK' and felt expensive for the portion served. Definitely not the best BBQ in Toronto.
Table of 2. Went on a Saturday evening at 6pm, the restaurant was practically empty with only two other tables. By the time we ordered, the other tables had already received their food meaning ours was the only order in the kitchen... Took over 45 minutes for food to arrive and the server said "sorry, our kitchen is understaffed". Really? There's literally one order in the kitchen for a table of 2 and it takes close to an hour?
The food is tasty, but the service is seriously lacking. Won't be returning.
FYI, I posted the same review on Google reviews.
It's a great spot for a Boy's Night Out. Good Food and Good beer
The food was fantastic. The service was abysmal. Took 20 minutes to have someone even come to the table, despite us asking 2 times about 10 and 15 minutes in. When I brought it up to the server when she finally came (thinking she maybe was not told by the hostess we were here) there was no apology, just a shrug and a "I don't know I just got here"
I am disappointed to say I won't return or recommend to a friend because the food was truly great.
Service was great. Nice place. Got busy before the game. Reservations are the way to go.
Thx for making the trek from Newmarket! Glad you enjoyed it.
We have been to this location about 3 times for department lunch and although the food is awesome, the service can be 'meh' and the draft beer and pop is ALWAYS flat.
I ask each time (my colleagues roll their eyes) and our server always replies 'yes' enthusiastically....then the drinks arrive.....flat. Last two times I exchanged my draft beer for a canned tallboy - I suggest you do the same. And with the pop too. My colleagues followed suit and traded their flat pops for canned ones. My turn to roll the eyes.
Server wasn't overly friendly, just getting through her shift.
Hi Andrea, We are very happy you love our food but not happy about the flat pop. We look into this to see what we can do to improve this issue, perhaps changing brands.
I've been here a number of times, so I generally like it, especially the meats. I highly recommend brisket, side ribs, links, chicken. We had a poor experience this time because the service was slow and unreliable. We had to remind the server of missing items from our order, and in the end there was one item we never did get but which showed up on the bill! Speaking of which, it took three tries to get the bill correct.
My only other complaint is that the beer selection is very limited, which is surprising for a place like this.
Hi Donair, glad you enjoyed the food but not happy to hear that it was a challenge to get your bill correct. May have been new staff but we will look into that further to correct for next time.
My wife and I had seen this restaurant while walking in the neighbourhood, and the comments on OpenTable were so complimentary, that we determined to try a new spot. Unfortunately, this did not meet our expectations.
I enjoy/ appreciate BBQ/smoked cooking, however, meet was too chewy and sinewy/stringy - expected it to be at least as good as the summer BBQ street tests. Though the servers performed well the food was disappointing.
The food is extremely tasty and reasonably priced. The service was on top of our needs. My only issue was it was a bit cold, but we didn’t voice this. I will certainly return.
Thx Jojo glad you enjoyed it! Hope to see you back again sometime soon.
Very good, went with a 2 year old and didn’t know what to order. The person made some good recommendations and we were more than satisfied.
Enjoyed a mid week lunch, at Hogtown, service was prompt. Met my reservation request to have a regular height table. Other tables in the main room have the high tables and stools that older people like me do not find comfortable. We really enjoyed the brisket sandwiches with the duck fat fries, shared a generous side of creamy coleslaw and large cornbread muffin. The tables have a container of various BBQ sauces to try. We liked the decor with rustic wood tables and exposed old brick walls. I had eaten at Hogtown once before and LOVED the mac & cheese. Will try other items next time.
Exceptionally slow service. Two hrs dinner. Food; s good but not for that amount of delay
We were here for team outing and holiday dinner. Everything was good and food was delicious. I had beef ribs and were amazing. The service was pretty good and friendly and fun. Definitely coming back again.
Incredible ribs. Very nice service. However there was a lot of confusion when trying to do ½ off ribs. If I hadn’t looked closely at the bill I would have been overcharged.
We prefer the Queen St location, for food quality, service and overall experience.
The online menu is different than what is offered at the restaurant. Since I was planning for a group that had vegetarians, the options were fewer. I understand it is a smoke house so this might be expected but it would be great if the website reflected what was actually offered
Exceptional food. Highly recommend the beef ribs and chicken wings. Service second to none. One of the best dining experiences we have ever had!
Great food and service. The duck fat fries and brisket are really good.
Prices are a higher than the chain BBQ restaurants, but the top quality food makes up for it.
Amazing brisket and smoked meets
Table was given to another who did not have a reservation, bills where mixed up with another table. When we notified the manager, nothing was rectified and panic ensued. Not one to complain usually but the service was terrible and managers/owner were unable to resolve anything. Food quality was very good and the chef came to ensure we had the right food. From the time the first bill was given to when we were able to leave was 45 mins. Unacceptable and not worth the stress. Food was good though so maybe take out is the better option.
Been here a few years ago and it was a great experience. It’s gone downhill since. Very loud, service was sub par, and food was so-so.
We had a great time. We enjoyed our experience and our food.
The food was good! Especially the mac & cheese which had a delicious smoky flavour. Their BBQ sauces were also delicious.
5/5. The food was fantastic and there was a great selection of beers. Great service. Would definitely recommend to family and friends and will certainly return.
15 minutes before we were greeted by our server
15 minutes to be brought two cans of beer
30 minutes for our food to be brought out
Witnessed multiple tables be sat only to walk out after not being greeted for 10-15 minutes.
Food was good but service was terrible.
Our server was excellent and was very accommodating to our baby - he played with her and changed the tv channel to a kids channel (from sports)!
Great wings. Service was good and
No complaints . Would go again for sure.
Food was great and prices for downtown Toronto were great. However for only having two tables of people the service was very slow, waiter only came to our table once and it took a long time to get the bill.
The decor and vibe are all BBQ joint. The service is pretty good and we were sat quickly and orders taken promptly. The food is good, not the best BBQ I’ve had in Toronto, but definitely delicious. The pricing however is a little steep for what it is. There is MUCH better value at other BBQ joints in the city.
Fabulous place
Decent looking restaurant, all the elements you would expect of a smokehouse. Not the most extensive menu, but the side ribs and brisket were good (back ribs were the special of the night and they had run out of them by 6:30 pm).
Service was terrible. Slow, confused and little knowledge of the menu or drinks available. Mass confusion at payment time.
Lots of great BBQ in this city to choose from, Won't be going back to Hogtown Smoke though.
Great place for a heavy meal of meat, that makes you want to nap after. Thankfully, I had a server who was familiar with the ketogenic diet, and was able to point out everything that was safe for me to eat like; brisket, pulled pork, and ribs without sauce. Every bite was full of flavour that I could only dream of in my everyday life.
OK food, very friendly, informal service. Restaurant very quiet, though we did visit on a Sunday evening.
Ambiance and options were good and service was fine, though having to ask more than once for water for the table even after having been served our meals was a bit annoying. Portions were large, but quality was a bit disappointing. Poutine was uncommonly lacking seasoning and pulled pork was dry. Chips were very good.
Saw this restaurant on the TV show “ You gotta eat here !” After eating there , I agree ! Great food at a reasonable price. Generous portions and superb BBQ/ Smoke house taste ! I will definitely be back and I’m bringing more friends with me !
Excellent Food - great service! Perfect casual Lunch experience! one of my favourites in the city!
Great smoked BBQ ribs!
When I visited they had a mouse problem in the dining room and kitchen, I really like this place I hope they have addressed the issue.
