Golden Horseshoe Barbecue

This is a tough one to write, mainly because I wanted to love this place! The story about the inception during COVID days to pop-ups to the brick and mortar that exists today is a lesson in learning, passion, perseverance and patience! In short order, here are the ups and the downs. First the sides, because that's how they take your order. Potato and beans salad, mac 'n' cheese and esquites were flavourful and delicious, we would order these again, without question! Coleslaw is exactly what was expected, which is a great thing, cabbage and radish and other ingredients to make a simple oil and vinegar based slaw, the seasoning was on point, loved it! The cornbread did not live up to expectations. It was under seasoned, no real distinctive sweetness, corn taste, saltiness or spicy enhancements. To be frank, it was bland. The Texas toast was not necessary and not toasted, maybe lightly which made it feel more stale than toasted.

The meats. The order was ribs, brisket, pork belly burnt ends and a link of sausage. Simple and to the point, sausage (made in house) was delicious and perhaps a touch high in salt, just a touch, but really enjoyed it! The pork ribs were outstanding, truly and definitely something worth a return visit. The rub had a great balance of salt, spice and sweetness, delicious! The pork belly burnt ends were tasty, very tasty, except two of the three pieces were all fat. I ate a piece of the fat and it was very good, but it was a small piece and rich enough that a small piece was enough. The rest of that piece and the second were tossed at meal end. Finally the brisket, if scoring out of 10, its a 6.5 to 7.5. Tender, maybe. Tasty, not really, no pepper, no salt and very little smoke flavour. That pink smoke ring was noticeably absent. (See picture)

The service was outstanding, the atmosphere is great! Having smokers out back make it legitimate Texas BBQ and for all the trouble they went through with the city to get this done, kudos to Golden Horseshoe for their incredible efforts.

I will go back, BBQ is finicky and always a challenge. Ambient temperatures dropped over the last few days, line ups started to lessen recently and perhaps variables have an effect. For the ups I mentioned a return visit is in the future!

Golden Horseshoe BBQ is the best barbecue in Toronto. The brisket was the best I’ve ever had: melt-in-your-mouth, deeply smoked, and flat-out better than Terry Black’s in Dallas or any barbecue I’ve eaten in the US. It’s also significantly better than Adamson’s. The sausage was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten it was snappy, juicy, perfectly seasoned. The turkey was moist and extremely tasty, not an afterthought. Sides were excellent: the alone corn was amazing and the mac and cheese was creamy. The ribs were cooked perfectly with a clean bite and lacquered bark. Save room for dessert: the banana pudding was the best thing silky, nostalgic, unforgettable. If you’re searching for the best barbecue in Toronto, Golden Horseshoe BBQ is by far the place to go. This Toronto BBQ review sums it up: world-class brisket, ribs, sausage, turkey, and sides. I’ll be returning.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely incredible BBQ!

A group of friends and I came to Golden Horseshoe BBQ after drooling over their Instagram stories — and it did not disappoint! We literally tried every item on the menu, and every single piece of meat was cooked to perfection. Juicy, tender, and packed with flavour.

The sides were just as impressive — the chili was hands down the best I’ve ever had, and the mac and cheese was the perfect mix of cheesy and flavourful. The homemade pickles? Unreal. I even begged the owner for the recipe (still waiting, haha!).

Every bite was worth the wait, and we’ll happily make the hour-long drive again soon. If you haven’t tried this place yet — you’re missing out!

Definitely a gem in the city that serves great Texas BBQ. The staff here is super friendly and have great personalities of their own (the guy cutting the meat especially). The atmosphere of this restaurant is well done and the amenities are great. It is really cool to see the smokers outside the windows.

The two free sauces that they offer are both amazing in their own way. I orded about half pound of each meat (except the chicken) and each meat was great. The sausage links were definitely the star of the show and had the most flavour. The burnt ends were very flavorful, the brisket had amazing texture and I do like that they serve the full rib. However the pulled pork was a little disappointing and dry but nothing that the sauce couldn't fix. Overall I'd definitely come back for yhe sausage and to try the sides (:

This is hands down the best BBQ smokehouse in Toronto. We waited in line for about an hour, but that’s expected. If you want the best of the best, you’ve got to wait. They make a limited quantity each day, so it’s first come, first served.

Be sure to get the beef brisket and beef ribs. The meat is unbelievably tender, juicy, flavorful, and melts in your mouth.
The sausage was okay. A tad salty for me.
The pork ribs aren’t dry at all, juicy with great flavor. We arrived around 1 PM, and the burnt ends were already sold out.
Truly worth the wait!