Fat Friday - Barque Smokehouse

On a lovely Saturday afternoon last summer, Matt and I headed out for a full day of adventures. This mainly included traveling to Roncesvalles to enjoy a much-talked-about BBQ dinner at Barque Smokehouse, followed by an evening with Brian Wilson at Massey Hall. Both of these things were high on our list of ways to enjoy the weekend.

We arrived promptly to make sure that we had plenty of time to enjoy dinner and still make it on time for the show. The place is really cozy and immediately we noticed how family friendly it was, with benches and tables for parents and kids to eat together. The smell of grilling meat and vegetables filled the air, and sunshine filled the room.

The menu has a variety of smoked meats and sides to choose from, but where to begin? We opted for the Barbeque Sampler Platter for two: a choice of three meats and three sides. We chose the beef ribs, the baby back ribs, and the brisket, with sides of smoked asparagus, Cuban Corn, and house made ravioli. 

While we waited for our food to arrive, we enjoyed the complimentary table snacks – spicy Cajun popcorn! It was a very nice and unexpected change from the usual bread or tortilla chips, and totally works with the rest of the menu. I think that bucket of popcorn alone sold us on coming back. But then our food arrived. And we ate our food. And we loved the food. While we have yet to go back (there are just too many new restaurants to try), I would recommend to this to anyone look for some good barbeque meats and vegetables.

We left Barque with full bellies and smiling faces, and the only way to top that dinner was to listen to the peaceful harmonies of Brian Wilson and his band. The show was fantastic. It was one of those concerts where the audience knew every song and often sang along; some even braved dancing in the aisles. It was a concert where the generation gap was obvious from the Hawaiian shirts mixed with the plaid shirts, but that made no difference. Brian Wilson is for everyone. Fingers crossed we’ll get to enjoy a similar concert this summer when the Beach Boys reunite for their tour.