Where to Eat BBQ in Ottawa

Article content

Juicy brisket, fall-off-the-bone ribs and melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork—BBQ has never been hotter in Ottawa. With the expertise of Ottawa Citizen restaurant critic Peter Hum, who is also a certified judge with the Kansas City Barbecue Society, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide based on our most tantalizing, smokiest reviews from the past four years.

Article content

Each Ottawa restaurant on this list has been thoroughly taste tested by Peter to ensure the dishes will wow your taste buds. You’ll find all the details you need, with direct links to detailed reviews and release dates, to help you find the best places to satisfy your barbecue cravings. Here’s where to start:

Junior and the children’s BBQ

Thursdays from 11am at the Orléans Farmers Market (1675 Tenth Line Rd.) until October 31juniorandthekid.com

Pitmaster Chris “the Kid” Villeneuve is a master at preparing brisket, pork belly and other delicacies from Lavergne Meats in Navan in a 500-gallon offset smoker trailer he calls Tilly-Mae. My favorite part is the wonderfully smoky and tender brisket and pork belly sandwiches Villeneuve serves for lunch on Thursdays as a vendor at the Orléans Farmers Market.

Burnt ends, made from the juiciest part of a beef brisket, are a real treat. But you’d better get there early, as the brisket in particular can sell out quickly. Warning: The jerk chicken drumsticks, while delicious, are as fiery as Jamaican jerk dishes get. — Reviewed on August 20, 2024

Article content

Meat dishes

5380 Canotek Rd., meatings.ca

Opened in Ottawa’s east end in 2012, Meatings began as a catering business specializing in pork roasts. Soon, the menu expanded to include pork ribs, pulled pork, and brisket, both individually and in sandwiches, along with a plethora of sides. You can visit their new restaurant in Orléans, catch them at a pop-up, or grab their dishes to go (reheating is required).

At a pop dinner in late May 2023, the ribs and especially the pulled pork were spot on. While the homemade barbecue sauce was a nice addition, it wasn’t necessary because the meat was so good. The brisket, known as a difficult cut of beef to grill, was a little dry and under-seasoned, but still a delight, especially the thicker cuts. — Reviewed on June 1, 2023

Read the full Meatings review

Lexington Smokehouse & Bar

344 Richmond Rd. and 97 Clarence St., lexingtonottawa.com

At its Westboro and ByWard Market locations, Lexington Smokehouse & Bar offers a more upscale barbecue experience that also includes other Southern dishes like roasted chicken and well-crafted cocktails. During our visit, the best dish was an appetizer of “burnt ends,” the spicy-sweet and delicious cubes of beef brisket made from the fattier part of the meat. — Reviewed on June 1, 2023

Article content

Read the full review of Lexington Smokehouse & Bar

Smoque Hut

250 Downtown Ave Bay 106smoqueshack.ca

Smoque Shack has been serving barbecue to Ottawa residents at various locations since 2011, and is now located in the Beyond the Pale Brewing Company space in the City Centre complex. There, Beyond the Pale’s large parking lot patio is a tempting spot for craft beer and smoked meats. While the flavors of the ribs, jerk chicken and pulled pork with rich sauce were good, there were flaws in texture, likely because the meat was reheated and not served as fresh as possible from the smoker. — Reviewed on June 1, 2023

Read the full Smoque Shack review

Photo by: Moe’s BBQ

2446 Bank St., in Towngate Shopping Plaza, moesbbq.ca

The official grill master here is Pakistani-born Mobeen Hussain Butt, who has been serving halal-smoked maple meat since 2018. While beef brisket has been a bit of a hit on my last visits, beef ribs are a top-shelf treat. Lamb ribs and pulled lamb can also pop up as specialties. — Reviewed on May 25, 2023

Read the full review of Moe’s BBQ here

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Article content

381 Riocan Ave Unit #M5Barrhaven, dickeys.com

After spinning off hundreds of franchise locations not only in the U.S. but also in Dubai, Singapore and Japan, the Dallas-based barbecue company opened stores in Canada, including one in the Chapman Mills Marketplace shopping center in Barrhaven. Beef, chicken and turkey are the main meats here, while pork is absent because the menu is halal. This location’s signature dishes were beef rib and brisket, the latter in a sandwich rather than on its own. Chicken and turkey were fairly average. Of the side dishes, the deep-fried onion strips known as “tanglers” stood out. — Reviewed on May 25, 2023

Read the full review of Dickey’s Barbecue Pot

Smokin’ R&R’s BBQ

1441 Stittsville Main Street, Stittsvillesmokinrrs.com

Pulled chicken poutine at Smokin’ R&Rs BBQ in Stittsville.

Serving lunch and early dinner crowds in west Ottawa daily from a parking lot on Stittsville’s Main Street, Smokin’ R&Rs food truck offers its pulled pork and brisket, usually shredded, either in buns or as a topping for poutine. — Reviewed June 1, 2023

Read the full review of Smokin’ R&Rs BBQ

Where else should Peter Hum go for a barbecue? Leave a suggestion in a comment or email it to: [email protected]

Want to stay up to date with current events in Ottawa? Sign up for the Ottawa Citizen’s arts and life newsletter – Ottawa, Out of Office – our weekly guide to eating, listening, reading, watching, playing, hanging out, learning and living well in the capital.

Article content