Cherry Street Bar-B-Que

Verified by N49

I was really hyped up to try the barbeque here - I've read and heard tons of great reviews but honestly the experience fell quite flat. We were seated on the patio and ordering was self-service, which honestly is a real pain especially for such a large sit down restaurant since the line up to order could take really long during peak hours.

We ordered the Three + Three Sampler (we chose beef brisket, pork ribs and pulled pork), the Large Sampler which came with more brisket, baby back ribs, pulled pork, wings and sausage, as well as two orders if the riblets. Came up to about $200.

The food looked incredible when it came out and portion wise, more than enough to feed 5 people, but the flavour just wasn't there.

The beef brisket just felt too lean, dry and just overall lacking flavour. I wish it had been seasoned more or served alongside a sauce. The pork ribs were dry and felt overcooked, and the pulled pork felt cold to the touch and didn't really feel pleasant to eat.

The wings and sausage were pretty good though, and definitely the highlight were the BBQ Pork Riblets which were excellent, but those were really the only good dishes. Even the sides of mac & cheese, sweet mash and fries were meh. The cucumber salad was just flat out not good.

Maybe at one point in time Cherry Street was a place worth missioning all the way out to Toronto's port lands for but, I've had much better barbeque elsewhere in the city. Disappointed.

A group of us went after a dinner party the night before to chill and have a lovely Sunday brunch.
We had reserved the BBQ Experience. It was divine! The started us off with small, very tasty empanada's with a sauce that was yummy and pickled onions!
I loved the spare ribs the most, closely followed by the brisket, and the other popular item was the chicken wings. Nice and juicy. There was so much left over, and they have takeaway packs at the ready!
The service was prompt and friendly - it's my 4th time there. Each time, it seems to get better!

We came here after seeing it was Michelin bib gourmand. Having high expectations, we were ultimately disappointed by the bbq. We got the large platter with an add on of the riblets, wanting to try most of what this establishment has to offer.

The brisket was decent, having a great texture such that it would fall apart upon picking it up. However it came short in its flavour. It was relatively bland with not much seasoning or smoked flavour, so we asked for some barbecue sauce. The sauce wasn't great. Super sour and watery, and they only have one sauce, something sweeter would have gone better with the brisket and pulled pork. The riblets were good. Sweet, smokey, and some were fall off the bone whereas most were a bit too charred and stuck to the bone with a super hard texture from being overly charred. The pulled pork was great, would have been better if paired with a sweeter sauce. It was a perfect balance of fatty and lean with a decent enough smokiness. Chicken wings were pretty standard. The sausage and ribs were ultimately what ruined the experience. Ribs were super, super dry and starchy like a mouthful of clay, without any noticeable flavour. The texture of the ribs is bewildering for an establishment given bib gourmand. The sausage had an okay taste but was also super dry and starchy, and some bits had hard pieces of cartilage blended in. Did not give any vibes of being a smokehouse or barbecue shop's homemade sausage. Honestly would have preferred a costco all beef sausage over it.

Overall came having high expectations, left extremely disappointed. The bad taste and texture of the ribs and sausage will remain in my mouth as long as I think of this restaurant.

A group of had dinner here on a weekday. Service was professional and friendly. The server understood immediately when I asked for the pork products to be separated in the platters. Seating was a bit crowded inside as it was a bit too cold to sit outside anymore. The brisket was amazing followed by the pork ribs. The other fare of pulled pork, sausage, wings, etc were good, but not at the same level as the brisket. The sides were pretty good also.

As an American visiting Toronto this week , BBQ was not on my list of things to do. I travel the US to eat BBQ with friends. My favorite is Joes KC in Kansas. However, just WOW regarding the food here. It was a last minute decision for me and 2 friends and a 20min can from downtown. The 3 of us are the Cherry Street sampler for $170 and the plate was clean at the end. The brisket literally melted in my mouth. The sweet tangy sauce on the ribs was awesome. They had a slight crisp edge and fell off the bone. Third was the pulled pork tied, thin pulls, perfectly cooked and then the home made sauce with the chicken and last the sausage. We ate it all. Great selection of ciders too. I was so excited to find this gem (I’m sure the locals are saying “duh” reading this. Super friendly staff, great service and on a warmer day great outdoor seating. Well done Cherry St BBQ team.

I am not personally a fan of American-style BBQ myself, however, Cherry Street Bar-B-Que is one of these spots that I certainly do not regret visiting. It is located in the Port Lands which is currently undergoing redevelopment, so it isn’t the most accessible spot. However, it’s got a wide range of beer options, and some of the best BBQ I’ve had. The BBQ sauce wasn’t too sour and it’s right on spot, and the meat was mostly tender. The portion was good, too - it wasn’t exactly budget food but it wasn’t pricy either.

It also has a order-at-counter style service where the food gets delivered to your table. The patio is super nice in the summer, where you’d see many local cyclists stopping by and getting a bite. In a nice summer day, you’d have CN Tower right in your line of sight - with some cold beer and BBQ, that’s proper summer life in Toronto!

Taste: 4/5 | Service: 3/5 | Value: 3/5

Absolutely outstanding BBQ. Probably the best I've had in the city.
The brisket was perfection. Nothing could be improved on it.
Spareribs also excellent.
I think the chicken could have been cooked slightly more though.
We got the trio sample platter which was perfect for two moderately hungry adults. It could also be good for one SUPER hungry person. The sides could have been a bit larger though. You get three of them but they really are just taste samplers more that full sides.
Friendly staff too!

First time here. Canada Day. About 2pm. A few people lined up in front of us. 10 minute wait but good time to view menu options on the wall. Had the beef brisket with beans and potato salad. Ate inside large room. Food was amazing. Not a morsel left on my plate. Will be back to try other meals. Very enjoyable.

I am a great fan of BBQ food and I have visited some of the best places in the USA. This place definitely ranks amongst the best in North America.

Food is nice and warm, it’s bought out to you so you know it’s been freshly prepared, I would highly recommend as this place exceeded my high expectations.

Customer service and staff here are polite and efficient. The place is busy but equally tables are cleared and cleaned promptly.
Definitely worth a visit.

I went here with friends when I was visiting! I'm glad they brought me here. The staff was super friendly and I loved the vibe of the place. The food especially, was excellent! I hope I get to visit again.

This place has the best north of the border BBQ I've ever had. They legit know how to smoke, and serve it up fresh with tasty sides. The holy grail of any BBQ joint is the brisket and they do it perfectly here. Pulled pork is also excellent, and probably so is just about anything on the menu. It's surprisingly not too busy, but this is probably due to its location where there has been construction going on. Even so, it always seems to maintain a loyal clientele and I suspect as soon as the construction is done, you'll be waiting in a long line to get this BBQ. Prices are very reasonable with most sandwiches in the $10-15 range. They also serve beer and mixed drinks at a side bar.