Toronto Island BBQ & Beer Co. — Restaurant in Toronto

Oh, boy. Strap in because this review is going to save you $$, and possibly your sanity. My family and I made the brave decision to visit this "establishment" on August 24th, ’24 and let me tell you, it was an experience. Not the good kind, though. More like the kind of experience that makes you question all of your life choices up to that point. So, this review is my way of helping you avoid wasting money.

First off, this place? Total pit. And I don't mean a BBQ pit where delicious things happen. Nope, this is more like the kind of pit you accidentally fall into and spend hours clawing your way out of. They are producing some of the worst excuses for food I've ever tried to eat. Seriously, halfway through, I started looking around for hidden cameras, convinced I was being punke’d!

Now, let's talk about The Bad:

I ordered the ribs ($27), fully expecting smoky, juicy goodness with BBQ sauce dripping off both sides. What I got instead? Ribs so dry they could double as sandpaper. No sauce on the other side & a few strokes on the top. Not even full coverage. I asked my daughter to go ask for an extra sauce and they declined to give her one saying, "We do not just give out free sauces". LOOK AT THE PIC. YOU DIDN'T EVEN SAUCE MY RIBS! (My wife then stepped in and got me the sauce in the pic). DRY DRY, I'm talking Sahara Desert levels of dry here. I'm pretty sure these ribs were cooked sometime back in the prehistoric era and then reheated by “Chef Mic” minutes after my order. They were so dry, beef jerky would've looked at them and said, "Whoa, maybe hydrate a little?" Even the birds circling outside took one look and decided they'd rather starve than touch those ribs. If you see the pic

And the burgers: Yeah, that's not beef. That's... something. I'm not entirely sure what, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was a mix of filler meat and regret. As for the taste, well, let's just say the best thing I can say is that it was unforgettable, but not in a good way.

The chicken strips: The coating was doing its own thing, clearly not interested in hanging out with the chicken. This isn't food, folks; it's a breakup on a plate.

**Washrooms should have police tape around them.

But hey, not everything was terrible. The Good:

The sweet potato fries were decent, as were the regular fries. Also, the drinks and beers were solid, probably because they didn’t try to cook them. So there's that.

Listen, do yourself a favour. Get Pizza Pizza, Subway, or just chew on your shoe - anything is better than what you'll get here. Don’t waste your money at this place; they clearly don't deserve it. And if you decide to go anyway, well, that's on you. Consider this your warning. Total bill $137 HARD...

For those visiting Toronto Island, BBQ & Beer is definitely a great choice to complement your visit. The restaurant is located two minutes from the ferry departure and taxi boats, making it easy to find both upon arrival and arrival.

The restaurant is spacious: it has an outdoor area with tables and chairs, as well as an outdoor bar, and men's and women's restrooms at the back. Entering the indoor dining room, there are numerous tables, a bar, reception, and a food ordering area. Further back, there is a staircase leading to the rooftop, which has more tables and chairs, a bar, and men's and women's restrooms. From both the outdoor area on the ground floor and the upper floor, the view of the Island and Downtown is incredible.

For guests with physical disabilities or limited mobility, the tables are wheelchair-friendly, the floor is smooth, and there is no interference. The ground floor restrooms are equipped with grab bars, but they do not have automatic doors or emergency alarms. Unfortunately, they don't have a Braille menu, but all staff are trained to provide excellent customer service.

Guests with children: The restaurant has high chairs, juices, and easy-to-eat foods.

The menu has a lot of variety, and the ribs are definitely a great choice, as the meat is extremely tender and falls off the bone. The drinks menu also has a great variety, with something for everyone.

The prices aren't much different from those of restaurants downtown, so in my opinion, if you're heading to the island and don't want to bring food, this restaurant is a great option.

Note: They regularly host annual events on St. Patrick's Day and at the...

SO DISAPPOINTING. My partner and I visited just this past Saturday (the weather was gorgeous so the island was quite busy). It was a toss up between this place and the Greek place. We opted for this place as we thought it might (read: should) have some interesting beers given its name... They had Coors, Molson, and Heineken on draft. There wasn't much more available in bottles. There isn't table service in the traditional sense (which isn't the end of the world) but the line was long to order food (they only had one person working the cash) and when the food did finally arrive it was cold. They give you a number when you order, and then someone has to hunt for your table to deliver the food. It seems like they were short staffed. There was only one bar open, and there was also a long line for this.

We thought my partner got the wrong order as it was missing toppings listed on the men. My partner ordered the brisket burger, but it looked like a really sad premade/frozen patty. I got the pulled pork tacos. While they were tasty (and I could imagine they would have been decent if warm), they also arrived cold. Both items cost $18 (maybe $20 for the burger) I think, which given the quality, seemed a little steep.

The inside of the restaurant is dark and kind of run down looking. They did have a nice wrap-around patio that was right on the lake, but it was entirely occupied by some sort of half St. Patrick's Day event. This may just be a case of unfortunate timing as I assume this was booked way in advance.

Unfortunately, I would...