Four top-notch BBQ joints you need to know in Calgary (plus top news and events)
This week’s guest introduction is by Ryan Sanderson, founder of the Eat More Barbecue website and podcast. The site focuses on Canadian barbecue, plus a dash of American barbecue. Ryan fell in love with Texas barbecue six years ago while traveling to Houston for work and now he seeks out the best barbecue in Alberta, Canada, where he lives. Below Ryan shares some of his favorite local joints. If you would like to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.
When people think of Canadian cuisine, barbecue certainly isn’t the first type that comes to mind. However, barbecue is alive and well here in the province of Alberta and all across Canada.
Even though we’re decades behind our neighbors to the south when it comes to barbecue, the culture here is growing and with it the number of great barbecue joints. This growth, paired with the world-class quality of Alberta beef, pork, and poultry products, makes it an exciting time for barbecue fans around here. In fact, Alberta is Canada's largest beef producer, giving it another reason why barbecue can excel here.
I’m honored that The Smoke Sheet has asked me to share a few of my favorite joints with you. I live in Calgary, Alberta, so my focus for this list will be on four of the best joints in Calgary.
Welcome to the Alberta BBQ Tour!
Paddy's offers great barbecue and craft beer in one place.
Paddy’s Barbecue & Brewery
The first stop on the tour, Paddy’s Barbecue & Brewery, has been open for two years now and is a must-stop for any barbecue fan. Paddy’s is located just outside of downtown Calgary in an area with many craft breweries called The Barley Belt. Paddy’s makes great freshly made beer, but I’m more of a whisky guy, so I go there for the meat!
You order and pay for your food at the counter when you walk in and then your meal is brought out to your table. Owner Paddy Sorrenti is a fan of Texas-style barbecue and at his joint that means meat by the pound and sauce on the side. They also offer platters that provide great value for families or groups. The everyday staple meats are brisket, turkey breast, sausage, ribs and some of the tastiest chicken wings around. Depending on the day, you may also find chicken, pulled pork and pastrami brisket (served on Thursday-and amazing!). The sides at Paddy’s aren’t an afterthought either, with top-notch cole slaw, potato salad, and baked beans.
It wouldn't be Canadian barbecue without a mention of tasty brisket poutine from Booker's.
Booker’s BBQ Grill & Crab Shack
Booker’s BBQ Grill & Crab Shack, widely considered “Calgary’s original barbecue joint,” has been serving up smoky goodness for over 21 years. Booker’s is located in downtown Calgary is in an old warehouse building and doesn’t look like much from the outside, but when you step inside you are transported into a Southern roadhouse atmosphere.
The menu is pure Southern, ranging from traditional barbecue plates and platters to seafood entrees and crab legs. Diners can also enjoy a selection of burgers and sandwiches and a wide variety of appetizers. My family took me to Booker’s for my birthday last year and the four of us shared the BBQ Platter that comes with a full rack of ribs, substantial portions of brisket, pulled pork and turkey, beans, coleslaw, bread, pickles and more fries than you can imagine. Booker’s also serves up poutine that can be topped with brisket, or if you’re feeling ambitious, try the Crab Shack Poutine with crab, shrimp, mascarpone cheese, and a shellfish butter sauce.
The barbecue nachos are a top item at Big T's BBQ.
Big T’s BBQ
With three locations to serve you, Big T’s BBQ is a cornerstone of barbecue in Calgary. Two of the locations are sit down with table service, while the third location is a food stand inside the Calgary Farmers’ Market. The menu at Big T’s borrows from the traditional barbecue regions of the southern U.S. You can order a one-, two- or three-meat plate with choices of brisket, pulled pork, chicken breast, spicy andouille sausage, dusty rib ends, and meatloaf. The smoked and charbroiled meatloaf is a house specialty and can be ordered as a dinner on its own.
I’m a big fan of the Big T’s ribs and you have a choice of St. Louis style or baby backs and four choices of sauce. As good as the ribs are, my favorite menu item is the Gutbuster sandwich. Loaded with sliced brisket, pulled pork, andouille sausage, jalapenos, caramelized onions, and mozzarella cheese, it’s a sampler plate on a bun and it is glorious.
Big Sky offers good Texas-style barbecue just south of Calgary.
Big Sky BBQ Pit
I’ll conclude this mini-tour of the Calgary-area barbecue scene just south of the city at Big Sky BBQ Pit in Okotoks, Alberta. My only experiences eating barbecue in the U.S. have come via work trips to Texas and when I first walked into the open dining area at Big Sky, I felt like I’d been transported back to the Lone Star State. A Texas flag hangs from the rafters to add to the ambiance.
The menu at Big Sky consists of sandwiches on homemade bread, combo meat plates, meat by the pound, and large platters for sharing. It also has a great selection of appetizers and side dishes to accompany your meal, and don’t forget the made-from-scratch desserts with smoked whipped cream. The standout item on the menu is the OMGWTF!!!, a five-pound sandwich that feeds four and is loaded with brisket, pulled pork, housemade sausage, chicken, a pork rib and a beef rib, mac and cheese, slaw, and baked beans.
Big Sky features Western Canada’s largest patio, complete with fire pits, picnic tables, and an outdoor cooking area. The joint hosts a ton of special events throughout the year and the patio is a great spot to spend an evening eating some ‘cue while watching the sunset over the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
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This is just a small sampling of what Alberta barbecue has to offer and I’d be happy to share more details. There are many more joints in the province and many others around Canada that I’m hoping to get to one day. A full listing of restaurants on the Alberta BBQ Trail can be found on my website.
If you’d like to chat, you can reach out to me by email at eatmorebarbecue@gmail.com. I can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and I have a weekly podcast called Eat More Barbecue that you should check out!
Ryan Sanderson
Founder, Eat More Barbecue
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
The brisket grilled cheese at Buck’s Barbeque had been an acclaimed item at the now-closed joint. (Photo via Buck’s Barbeque / Instagram)
Jim Buchanan, pitmaster and owner of the highly acclaimed Buck’s Barbeque in Galveston, Texas, recently announced that the restaurant has closed. The brisket grilled cheese from Buck’s was included on the Texas Monthly list of best barbecue bites of 2019. Buck’s had posted about a catastrophic equipment failure before announcing the closure.
Atlas Obscura recently profiled Dr. Howard Conyers, who is both a whole hog pitmaster as well as a NASA rocket scientist. Conyers wants to help tell stories of African-Americans in barbecue, saying it’s “up to the next generation to pick up and keep it going.”
Red White and Que Smokehouse, one of the top joints in New Jersey, will soon open a second shop focusing on hot sauce, barbecue sauce, and fermented foods, including sauerkraut, pickles, vinegar, and kombucha tea.
St. Louis staple Sugarfire Smoke House will soon be bringing a location of its restaurant to crowded BBQ town Dallas. The restaurant promises to bring quality meats and add a new voice to barbecue in Dallas. “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to bring Sugarfire Smoke House to Dallas,” Texas-based investor Kevin Klika told the Dallas Observer. “Here in Texas, barbecue is no joke, but we know Sugarfire will bring a barbecue bliss this community has yet to experience."
Brandon Hurtado, pitmaster and owner of Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington, Texas, will soon open a brick-and-mortar joint in February. He spoke to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram recently about his famous “Texas Twinkies,” a bacon-wrapped jalapeno stuffed with brisket, pimento cheese, and cheddar cheese.
Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn has profiled the innovative barbecue coming from Houston pop-up Khói Barbecue. The once- or twice-a-month pop-up mixes Vietnamese cuisine and Texas barbecue from brothers Don and Theo Nguyen.
Daniel Vaughn has also highlighted the popular and delicious-looking “Jack Reubie” sandwich from 407 BBQ in Argyle, Texas. The sandwich includes seven-day cured pastrami, melted jack cheese, Russian dressing, onions, and a dill pickle on a sweet hoagie roll
J.C. Reid of the Houston Chronicle writes that cornbread is surprisingly hard to find on Texas barbecue-joint menus. He says cornbread does have connections to Texas barbecue but only a few places still serve it, including The Brisket House in Houston.
Salt & Smoke, a popular barbecue option in St. Louis, has just opened a new location in the Central West End section of the city.
The newest spot for barbecue in Houston is the Houston Sauce Pit, a 100% vegan food truck serving plant-based barbecue. According to Eater Houston, “the new truck will rove across the city with a full menu of meatless barbecue dishes that even devoted carnivores can appreciate.”
College Park-based barbecue restaurant Hattie Marie’s Texas-Style BBQ and Cajun Kitchen is opening three new locations in the Atlanta metropolitan area. According to Eater Atlanta, the restaurant’s owners are “eyeing the cities of Duluth, Decatur, and Stockbridge” and hope to expand beyond Atlanta.
As CEO of Chandler Hospitality Group, former NFL player Garret Mills is helping to expand Oklahoma-based company RibCrib across the nation through franchising and a small-format, fast-casual model.
Maples Barbecue owner Todd Woodruff suspended operations at his Oklahoma restaurant Maples Barbecue recently.
The Orange County Register caught up with rocker Dave Grohl, who showed up not to perform music but to cook barbecue at the 2020 Dimebash music event, the kickoff to the National Association of Music Merchants convention. “Basically, to make good barbecue you need to have patience and you have to have fun,” according to Grohl.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Jon Favreau interviews and learns from Aaron Franklin on Netflix's The Chef Show.
Watch: Aaron Franklin — The Chef Show S1E7
In the Netflix series The Chef Show, writer/director Jon Favreau interviews prominent people in the food world. In episode 7, he and and Los Angeles food truck guru Roy Choi interview Aaron Franklin. During the episode, the three men get tacos, Favreau learns how to prep brisket in the kitchen at Franklin Barbecue, Favreau slices brisket for customers, and more. The episode after this one explores Franklin’s Hot Luck Festival, so be sure to watch both episodes if you enjoy watching Franklin pal around with other big names. Watch here.
Listen: Blane Hunter of Porky Butts BBQ — Restaurant Hoppen
The award-winning pitmaster Blane Hunter talks with Restaurant Hoppen podcast host (and guest contributor to The Smoke Sheet) Dan Hoppen about opening his new Omaha restaurant, Porky Butts. Hunter also pulls back the curtain on the competition barbecue circuit and discusses what makes their burnt ends so magical. Listen to the episode here.
Read: The Ultimate Companion to Meat: On the Farm, At the Butcher, In the Kitchen — by Anthony Puharich and Libby Travers
Fifth-generation butcher Anthony Puharich believes that sustainably raised meat can and should remain the pinnacle of the kitchen: a special and wonderful treat, handled with care by the best farmers and butchers and eaten with respect. In The Ultimate Companion to Meat, he reveals how to make enjoying meat a sublime experience, with more than 100 recipes. Chapters include Birds, Sheep, Pigs, Cattle, and Wild. There is information about breeds, their history, and what they eat and how it affects the taste, as well as what happens on the farm, at the butcher, and finally, in the kitchen. There’s a chapter on technique, including cooking methods and basic butchery. Hundreds of illustrations, diagrams, and stunning photographs make this truly the ultimate guide for anyone who is serious about meat. Buy it here.
The Shed Steak Showdown will be one of the largest SCA cookoffs this year. (Photo via The Shed / Facebook)
January 25, 2020: The Shed Steak Showdown — Ocean Springs, Mississippi
The Shed will be hosting a huge SCA steak cookoff on January 25th. More than 100 teams competed at last year’s event, so expect fierce competition and lots of prizes. More than $20,000 in prizes will be given out to winners, so if you have interest in cooking steak or other proteins, this is a great event for you. More info here.
February 15-16, 2020: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Auckland edition) — Auckland, New Zealand
Meatstock Auckland is back again in its fourth installment of excessive meat and rockin’ blues. The sell-out festival will be returning to its NZ home, the ASB Showground, on the 15th-16th of February. The Festival includes live music, demonstrations, food trucks, barbecue expo, live art, the Rod + Custom Rumble, competitions, free rides for the kids, and refreshments by Liberty Brewing and Jack Daniels, plus more. More info here.
February 27-29, 2020: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Bar-B-Que Contest — Houston, Texas
More than 250 teams, led by barbecue aficionados, compete in the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. While most team tents are invitation-only, visitors can enjoy several public venues, including The Garden, Rockin' Bar-B-Que Saloon, and the Chuck Wagon. Activities include live music, rides, games, and more and visitors will receive a complimentary sliced brisket plate with chips and beans. More info here.
March 4-8, 2020: Charleston Food and Wine Festival — Charleston, South Carolina
The Charleston Wine + Food infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March. More info here.
March 14-15, 2020: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Melbourne edition) — Melbourne, Australia
Meatstock returns for its fourth year with a typically stacked line-up of barbecue enthusiasts and bands. The sell-out, two-day event brings big-name American pitmasters Down Under; sees 50 teams from across Melbourne go head-to-head over the coals to be crowned the city’s best barbequers; and features live music, food trucks and pop-up bars. This year, American pitmasters Moe Cason, Wayne Mueller from Louie Mueller Barbecue, and Ronnie Evans and Philip Moseley from Blue Oak BBQ will be putting on demonstrations. More info here.
March 27-28, 2020: Hogs for the Cause — New Orleans, Louisiana
Hogs for the Cause returns as the largest, tastiest BBQ festival in New Orleans. The city welcomes numerous local and regional BBQ masters and the best backyard chefs to compete in seven categories: Whole Hog, Ribs, Pork Butt/Shoulder, Porkpourri, Sauce, Fan Favorite, and Fundraising Champion. The barbecue festival is a two-day event full of music, local beer, and fundraising. More info here.
March 27-28, 2020: Suncoast BBQ & Bluegrass Bash — Venice, Florida
Since 2010, the Suncoast BBQ & Bluegrass Bash has established itself as a destination for the best barbecue competition and bluegrass entertainment in Southwest Florida. It is the signature fund-raiser for the Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children (SFHC). More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the event, which will feature a large Florida BBQ Association competition, lots of live music, parties, cornhole tournament, family fun, and more. More info here.
April 1-4, 2020: National Barbecue & Grilling Association Annual Conference — Louisville, Kentucky
The National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) Annual Conference will be held at the The Galt House Hotel. The conference gathers members and people from across the industry to network, learn, and participate in a variety of topics and activities around the Business of BBQ. Whether you are a product owner, run a restaurant, involved in media, or any other sector of BBQ, there are boundless opportunities to network, learn, and grow at the event. More info here.
April 5, 2020: 8th Annual Houston BBQ Festival — Houston, Texas
The 8th Annual Houston BBQ Festival will take place on Sunday, April 5th from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Humble Civic Center Arena Complex. The festival will feature Houston’s best barbecue joints all in one place, including Blood Bros BBQ, Brett's BBQ Shop, Buck's Barbeque, CorkScrew BBQ, Daddy Duncan's BBQ, Eaker Barbecue, and Feges BBQ. Read our to learn about the experience. More info here.
See the full Smoke Sheet events calendar online here.
Susie Bulloch of Hey Grill Hey demonstrates the 3-2-1 rib method in our Recipe of the Week.
3-2-1 Ribs By Hey Grill Hey
For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we chose this video recipe for 3-2-1 Ribs by Susie Bulloch of Hey Grill Hey. 3-2-1 ribs are a simple way to get tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs. Susie uses this method to smoke the ribs low and slow for 3 hours, then wraps them with liquid for 2 hours, and finally finishes cooking them with sauce for the final 1 hour. The result will be sticky, sweet, and tender ribs that will delight family and friends at your next gathering. View the recipe here.
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