Classic, American-style barbecue isn't exactly widespread across the island of Montreal, but that isn't to say the city doesn't have some amazing BBQ restaurants.
But as with any type of cuisine, there are many intricacies to the art of barbecue, and not all of Montreal's best BBQ spots are quite equal when it comes to specific dishes.
Some restaurants achieve brisket greatness, whereas others have fried chicken as their strong suit. Ribs could be the show-runner at another joint, and the same goes for wings.
So rather than you play the guessing game or have to read tons of reviews to discover what dish is strongest at a Montreal BBQ restaurant, I've taken the liberty of rounding up the city's best BBQ dishes and where to get them. Get ready to salivate.
Icehouse's Ribs-in-a-Bucket
51 Roy E
You don't even know what tenderness is until you've had a bucket of ribs from Icehouse, which are easily the best in the city. Icehouse may be known for its fried chicken, but truly, the ribs are the star of the show. So incredibly moist and juicy, doused in the perfect amount of BBQ sauce, and served in a bucket with some cornbread on the bottom to soak up all those meaty juices...mmmmmm.
Sorry, I lost myself in a ribs-flashback there for a second. But seriously, I could wax poetic about these ribs for hours, and perhaps best of all: they're literally dumped right onto your table so you can get your hands all dirty without worrying about plates.
Dinette Triple Crown's Fried Chicken
6704 Clark
Fried chicken can be a bit difficult to find in Montreal, not that you really need to look any further than Dinette Triple Crown. Achieving the holy trinity of fried chicken, DTC's fantastic foul is simultanously crispy, juicy, and tender. Every bite will leave you with a crunch and burst of flavour, without being too greasy. Paired with some of DTC's homemade brown gravy, and you have the perfect fried chicken experience. But be sure to enjoy the chicken with some of DTC's many amazing sides, which are a beautiful meal unto themselves.
Blackstrap BBQ’s Dry Rub Ribs
4436 Wellington
There's a lot of great barbecue going down at Blackstrap, with their chicken and brisket being real showstoppers, but I have to pay dues to the Verdun smokehouse's fantastic dry rub ribs instead. Why? Because dry rub ribs are a rarity in Montreal, with most places over-slathering their ribs with tons of BBQ sauce. Enjoying a tender, moist, and well-seasoned rib was a real treat at Blackstrap, and the dish shouldn't be overshadowed by the resto's other amazing BBQ fare.
Diablos BBQ's Burgers
3619 Saint Laurent
Boasting a 1/2 pound beef patty, bacon, cheddar, fried onions, mushrooms, and jalapeño poppers, it's easy to see why the classic Diablos Burger is such a winner. I mean, jalapeño poppers in a burger, it's sinfully delicious. A burger at Diablos is always a good call, especially if they have an original burger-creation at the ready. These guys have owned Burger Week with their unique burger creations (like the Six Deadly Sins burger pictured above) in years past, and they definitely bring that skill year-round. The Honey Adobo Fried Chicken Waffle Sandwich for brunch is no slouch either.
Smoked Chicken Wings At Rubs
699 Boulevard Curé-Labelle
Greasy, fried chicken wings are great, but even your favourite bar has nothing on the succulent smoked chicken wings to be enjoyed (read: gorged upon) at Rubs. Keeping true to their namesake, Rubs' chicken wings are rubbed in their "secret spice mixture" then smoked for the perfect length of time, resulting in some seriously juicy and flavourful wings. Dip a wing in some blue cheese dip (or one of the many other sauces available) and you're in for a mouthwatering experience.
Lattuca Barbecue’s Brisket
15 de la Commune
In all honesty, if you're going to get anything at Lattuca, it should be the Trinity platter, which comes with three types of meat and two sides. But if you really want to zero in on the best meat to choose from at Lattuca, it's gotta be the brisket. Somehow the brisket is able to achieve that perfect balance between fatty and lean, with plenty of crispy, smoky bits on the skin balanced out by the incredible tenderness of the dish. While many other spots on this list make a great brisket, Lattuca may have the very best.
Le Boucan's Pulled Pork (Poutine)
1886 Notre Dame W
All on its own, the pulled pork at Le Boucan is utterly delicious. Perfectly flaked and moist, the luscious pulled pork is complimented by Le Boucan's BBQ sauce, with the restaurant being sure not to douse too much and overpower the taste of the meat. But as with all things, the pulled pork is ameliorated by the addition of a poutine. Now, this isn't one of those poutines where a random ingredient is just thrown on top, no sir. Le Boucan's pulled pork perfectly melds into the fries, cheese, and gravy of the poutine.
Tejano's BBQ Burritos
511 de Courcelle
What's this? A burrito place on a BBQ list? Who would affront the high lords of BBQ in such a way?
If that's whats going through your head right now, first, calm your panties, because no one should react that strongly to anything on a restaurant listicle. Second, under most circumstances, I would totally agree with you, because burritos are not barbecue. Except when Tejano BBQ Burrito is in the mix.
Opened by the same folks who run the show at Blackstrap, Tejano is a Tex-Mex burrito shop that brings American smokehouse barbecue techniques to the mighty Mexican dish that is burrito. Available meats include smoked chicken tinga, chorizo spiced pulled pork, and ancho cumin BBQ beef, with all of them being the perfect burrito filling.
In my not-so-humble opinion, Tejano makes the best burritos in all of Montreal, and if you like BBQ, it can't be missed.
