Smokin’ Bones

I was walking down Church from my hotel today looking for Southern Style BBQ. Seems like every BBQ place on Yonge is Korean BBQ. Not for nothing, but I want Southern BBQ when I want BBQ. I wandered… I found it.
Smokin Bones isn’t much to look at on the inside, but those are the best places. I had a rather large meal and a tall Coke Zero… ¼ rack of fall off the bone ribs, a smokey andouille sausage, pulled pork which was good (a bit moister would have been better without the BBQ sauce, but that’s my personal preference), baked beans which tasted like they were slow cooked, and cole slaw which was with mayo but not drowning. Everything here is homemade (only the sweet potato fries which would ruin the oil as the owner noted and the buns are outsourced) which is always best.
Negative was that for my taste, the middle (Spicy) BBQ sauce had too much black pepper, but I will chalk that up to individual taste.
A nice thing is that you can control how much you spend. If you’re looking at lunch, you can get away under $ 10 and have a great meal from what I see. I had a larger meal, so my price would colour this, but I will say… VALUE VALUE VALUE. I ate really good for the price.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve tried their pulled pork sandwich, andouille sausage sandwich, babyback ribs, and fried chicken. I believe that the only side I’ve ever gotten here is their sweet potato fries. I always seem to come at non-​peak times and since a lot of their food is kept warm at a steam table, my perception may be coloured by the question of «how long has that been sitting there now…»
Both times I’ve tried the pulled pork, it was kind of dry and the sauce was the only defense against it. That being said, their bbq sauce doesn’t really wow me (both spicy and regular renditions). The bun it came on was different on the two occasions since they changed it (due to customer feedback) from a more traditional white bun to a denser one that would hold together better. I’m a fan of the more traditional one just because I don’t believe you should get away with eating pulled pork without making a mess and really getting into your food but it is worth noting how they take feedback and actually change because of it.
Andouille sausage was pretty decent but I don’t think it takes as well to their newer bun. It’s also not as filling as I would like it to be. Their ribs were dry and not as fall off the bone tender as I would have liked.
Their fried chicken is pretty damn good (probably because they make it to order) but I believe they’ve taken it off the menu now since not enough people were buying it and it’s not worth the effort of making it to order (which is truly unfortunate since it was moist and not overly greasy).
Never really had a problem with their sweet potato fries (except it was once a bit oversalted but hey that happens).
I’m not opposed to going here at all when I’m in the area but I don’t make an effort to really go. There’s not a lot of places that are geographically close to their location that fills their culinary niche (and especially not at the same price).

I was looking for a Pre-​Karaōke Snack or Dessert around 9pm in this region of the CITY. I came across this place and remember the name so I looked inside the open garage door. I walked in a narrow low doorway towards the menu board to look at what’s up. I couldn’t really read the board much as the spot lights were in my eye so I picked up the take-​out menu.
I was drawn to the MEAT Combo (any 2/​$ 9) and attempted to see it on the blackboard but NOPE. Either I was blind or just tired, but wasn’t there so I ordered it anyways. Too bad there was no Fried Chicken available, so I went for the Pulled Pork and Ribs. I sat at one of the limited seating as it’s mostly standing room dining.
The cashier staff was probably a student at the nearby Ryerson University and had good conversations with a couple customers his age. The chef at the back was cooking my RIBS while the server opened the lid to the steam-​tray to pull some Pork which was already sloppy soaked with juices. It wasn’t oil, because I took a sip of it and it wasn’t oily at all. I asked for Spicy Sauce on it which was A-​OK.
When the kid came out from the back showing me the Ribs which looks completed covered BBQed, I had to go for the Volcano Sauce. I licked a spoonful of the Volcano Sauce which was generously slathered on, and it lit my tongue on fire. Scotch Bonnet Peppers came to my mind. I DUG into the Pulled Pork w/​Spicy Sauce to cool myself down.
The Ribs had a GREAT smell to it and I know because I put some leftovers in my bag and everywhere I went I could smell it from my bag all night. Baby Back Ribs might have been overcooked at this time of night as it took some effort to pull the ribs off the meat. The portion I got didn’t appear to be meaty at all, so it was unfortunate. There was plenty of smoke ring, so much that all there was was smoke ring.
The Pulled Pork was alright and the Juice that came with it really help add some flavour and wetness to the Pork/​Spicy Sauce/​Juice combination. Its not what I had before but its pretty good stuff. For this specific experience, I give the Pulled Pork 3 *Stars* and Ribs 2 *Stars*. Overall 3 *Stars* for the Volcano Sauce waking me up enough for my next event of the night.

I’ve pondered my star rating for Smokin’ Bones for several minutes before writing this review – I want to be as fair and accurate as I possibly can be. One one hand, I’ve only tried one main dish here, the pulled pork sandwich, which was very good and deserves a high rating. I’m really not sure if anything else is as good, though. And while the décor is somewhat miserable and the service can be as non communicative (or uncomfortably over-​communicative – one worker keeps telling my friends and me that he’s been nagging at the owner to charge more for everything… hmmmm) as you get, it’s all worth it because at any given time – say right now for example – I find myself craving their food.
So, to be fair, I’ve taken off one star for décor (I’ll just pretend I’m in Bön Temps hanging with the locals eating Lafayette’s home cookin’), and the service (I’ll just pretend, yet again, they’re Bön Temps locals who are edgy about vampires and such, but mean well). Three of the four stars go to the pulled pork sandwich with hot bbq sauce and a heap of coleslaw piled on a kaiser bun. This is what dreams are made of. At least my dreams anyway. I am SO happy they opened up in the downtown core, which frankly is void of good’n’cheap food options.
I’ve tried a few of the many, many sides options. The baked beans are sweet and tangy and are loaded with lots of pork! The mac’n’cheese is really good, too – much better than the tasteless goop I was served at Ceili Cottage once. One thing I’d love to see on the menu, though, is a dessert option like peach cobbler or pecan pie. We were informed by our over-​communicative server that the reason they don’t have dessert yet is because their oven doesn’t heat up properly… tmi!
Did I mention the prices? The mere fact that the pulled pork sandwich is $ 6 is enough to earn a whole star on its very own, bringing the total up to four.

This is the only 2 star place I would consider going back to. I picked up some takeout here last week and it started out as a great experience. There was easy parking right on the side street, the guy was really genuine when he greeted me and we chatted the entire time that he made the food. I ordered 2 pulled chicken sandwiches, a large fries, a small coleslaw and a small cornbread.
Nearly everything was a failure food wise. I feel like I owe it to them to say that I was here at the end of the night and that likely contributed to my not being impressed because I was getting all the end-​of-​the-​day-​remains.
The specifics (we’re not even going to do good and bad here because the only thing that was good was how friendly the guy is):
— The pulled chicken was good; the sandwich failed on a sauce problem. I ordered the spicy sauce and it was not spicy. I don’t do well with spicy things so for me to say it was not spicy… likely means they gave me the wrong sauce.
— The sauce was in warmers inside the counter and developed a gelatinous ‘crust’ on the top that needed to be broken and mixed in before sauce could be sourced. I wish they had assembled this in the kitchen where I couldn’t see this happen.
— The fries were good but they were way overcooked. They would be good fries on a better day.
— The cornbread was reheated and flavourless. It looked like twinkies and tasted like nothing. It was probably the most disappointing thing here.
— The coleslaw was also lacking flavour but it was still acceptable.
I really want this place to be good but I hated everything I ate. I saw someone else ordering the shaved beef sandwich, and it was made fresh in the kitchen, not scooped from the warmed trays in the front counter.
Next time I would come at lunch, order the shaved beef with volcano sauce and a cold side (coleslaw, potato salad, whatever) and I feel like I might avoid further disappointment.

Smokin’ Bones ain’t much to look at; their interior decoration budget looks to be nonexistent. Regardless, when they’re dishing out sandwiches this big and this cheap you’re not going to hear any complaints from me.
The Pulled Pork Sandwich ($ 6) comes with a huge pile of juicy pulled pork. The bun is just a basic kaiser style, but at least it doesn’t have any of that weird sweetness I’ve had in buns at other Southern BBQ joints. The BBQ sauce is made in house and also great; it comes in mild, spicy, or volcano. The volcano isn’t quite as spicy as the name would suggest, but it’s got a bit of a kick.
If your appetite is big enough you can order one of the many sides for $ 3. I had the fresh cut, shoestring style French fries and they were excellent. The red beans on rice was also good, though there was a little too much rice for the amount of beans.
Although I didn’t try it, they have a lunch special for $ 6 that looks like a great deal. You get a sandwich with your choice of meat, one of several sides, rice, and salad. I assume the sandwich in the lunch special is smaller than the normal sandwich, but still, that’s a great deal.
The menu has a ton of other stuff that I’m excited to try, like pulled chicken, jambalaya, and mac ‘n’ cheese. Apparently they’re going to start offering house made pie soon as well.
There are a couple things that could be improved upon. First, the aforementioned crappy décor, which doesn’t bother me, but could be an issue to some. The place is honestly a little ugly and uninviting inside. It is at least very clean and they have a few tables and counters to eat at, though not enough chairs.
My second complaint is that they don’t have ketchup left out to be used for the fries. You have to ask one of the staff and they fill up a little paper container with ketchup for you. Minor, but a little weak. Seriously, just put a couple bottles of ketchup out.

I’m a big fan of side dishes, always have been. The sides here are pretty good for a mainly meat-​based establishment. The mac and cheese was oh so creamy and a little spicy, which was a welcome change. The potato salad was good, although I’m usually not into cold salads. The cornbread also looked yummy, but I was full from the other sides already. The portions are generous and inexpensive.
It’s not really meant for dining in; I felt stared-​at out on the stools at the counter. Next time I’ll get it to go.
Beverage plus: they have an array of Jones Soda and Dr Pepper.

Saw it in the Unilocal email the other day and wanted to try it out. Had the pulled pork which was piled high with meat and smothered in thier spicy BBQ sauce. Brought it back to the office and had everyone drooling over it. Enjoyed every moment of it and wore the sauce on my face. Needed a few moist napkins to get through it. I would definatly go back. Saw that they will be offering delivery in the spring

Great shaved beef sandwich with spicy bbq sauce! Soft fresh kaiser, moist tender slices of beef. I dont even like BBQ sauce, but this house made spicy sauce has me as a convert. Most filling delicious lunch I have had for $ 6(Monday Special). The sweet potato fries are really good too, though a bit salty.
They have daily specials, sides that sound amazing (biscuits with gravy, anyone?) and friendly service. The place is only 2 months old, and quite clean.
This is going on my lunch rotation. I shall be back Smokin’ Bones!

This place might become more well known for their pulled pork sandwiches. They are fabulous. The sauce looks a bit like thick ketchup in consistency but adds a really great flavour to the sandwich… along with the coleslaw. Yum.
I like the ribs. The sides are very homemade tasting, which I think is great. It was like eating mom’s food. I think the baked beans are a bit too sweet though, and the mac and cheese a little bit bland (could use just a bit more flavour). My hubby and I decided to try as many things as we could for a good value but it ended up being a bit pricey for the amount of food we got. Like 32 — 34 bucks for a half rack of back ribs (very small and were supposed to be beef ribs but they didn’t have any) for 12.00 (a full rack is 18.00 with NO sides mind you), you have to add sides to all of their meals which is and extra 3.50 for one side and a pop. I think that for what they give you, that a side should be included as the sides are very small. We also got the 2 meats for 9 bucks deal and you get a small piece of great fried chicken (it was great cuz it was fresh and that can be a rarity at most franchised places here in Toronto), and the back ribs because again I was supposed to get beef ribs but they didn’t have any so because you only get like two or three bones in the 2 for $ 9.00 meal we just got the half rack more of back ribs. We again had to add 3.50 to this for a side of and a pop, and we also added another side of coleslaw for 3 bucks. My husband also got another pulled pork sandwich for 6 bucks (add 1 dollar for coleslaw on top but we bought our own coleslaw as a side so the hubby used that). We figure the best value are their grand opening specials, which are inevitably going to go away in the coming months if they stay open, but the pulled pork on Wednesday’s is $ 5.00, great value for an 8oz pulled pork sandwich. Both my husband and I are most impressed with the sandwich, AND that the food was comfort food, you didn’t feel sick or overly full after you ate it.
I must admit, we here in Canada need to do something about the amount we charge for this stuff… if I was in Detroit I could get the same things and A LOT more of it for like 20 something bucks and feed a family of four. I know our dollar doesn’t stretch as far here and cost of living is different, but seriously… I think the owner would do better if the side and pop was included in his meals. The downside is his portions are small. BUT, his ribs and sauce are MUCH better than Phil’s Original, in my opinion, the only reason Phil’s gets play is because he had proof on the food network that he had a smoker in the back. But let me tell you, he knows nothing about the authenticity of soul food and bbq (his sauce is way too sour), if you’re looking for a more authentic soul food experience in Toronto, which people here know very little about, go to Smokin’ Bones… Good on ya guys! Keep up the good work. Oh, and they are adding jamabalya, gumbo, collard greens :-)p, and beans and rice to the menu soon.

Visited this establishment today (Jan.27/10) after reading about it via the Unilocal e-​mail I rec’d this morning.
I was rather disappointed. The décor isn’t very welcoming, especially when one considers what it was like before (Neighbourhood bar that was bright and cheery). Now it’s dark and the colours used are terrible in my opinion.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich on brown (they now have brown hamburger buns) with a side of coleslaw.
The pork was uneventful (no flavour) because the sauce overpowered the pork. Note; That I have lived in the U.S. south and know what authentic pulled BBQ pork is supposed to taste like. This offering is nothing in comparison.
In short, I can’t recommend this place. I am glad that some new establishments are moving into the neighbourhood, and I’m sure that th e Ryerson students will patronise this place, if they keep the prices as low as they are now. However, I don’t think most of the kids know what an authentic pulled pork sandwich should taste like, therefore have nothing to compare it to.
It would be great if the owner used different buns. Crusty Italian style rolls would be better than the soft mushy paste like dough that the present buns turn into when the BBQ sauce is piled on. There is a reason why the Italians use crusty bread on their veal & sausage sandwiches!
I talked with the man behind the counter whom served me. Don’t know if he was the owner, but he talked like he was. He didn’t seem to be aware of what Unilocal is, and how important it might be to his business.
I’ll give it another try in a few months to see if it’s been improved.

This is a most welcome addition to the neighbourhood. It’s right up the street from my work and I can grab lunch for $ 10. The pulled pork sandwiches are fantastic — tender and moist. The bun could be better — it’s your basic white bread, not crusty bun — but it’s not bad. A good piece of bread could elevate a sandwich to heroic standards but these BBQ places seem to like the lifeless types of bread. Had the fried chicken, too, which was not too greasy but tasteless. Tried the shaved beef with a side of mac & cheese today and went back to work happy. Looking forward to trying the gumbo when it hits the menu.