There were some highs and lows to this meal so I would give it more of a meh star level but they did have great service and attention to detail. All the food is tapas style so be prepared to spend a pretty penny to be full! We started out the night with some cornbread du jour on the house. Little mouthfuls of soft cornbread seasoned with herbs was a good start. The tartar was one of the better dishes with great seasoning and the chips held up surprisingly well. The brisket was a nice, tender meat with a good meat to fat ratio. I can see the effort placed into this dish. Unfortunately, even though the fish had a delightful crisp skin it was a little dry and lacking in flavour. The smoked cauliflower was the most disappointing. It tasted more like raw cauliflower than anything else. Not sure where I was suppose to find the smoked flavour but it was the weakest of all the dishes. Will probably be back to try out their cocktails but not again for dinner. read more

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The Bootleg Smokehouse is a new restaurant from the folks behind Roxy on King and Watson's, now occupying the half-house on Spadina. I can only comment on the first floor as I didn't see the upstairs. The inside is functional enough, the furniture nothing fancy, but there are nice little touches of decoration here and there: framed art and mirrors on the one wall, old black-and-white photos hanging clothespinned from strings on the other, a chalkboard which that day bore a quote from Hunter S. Thompson. There is a standing area with a counter set in the wall opposite the main bar, so looks like they anticipate the placing becoming quite busy as an after work spot. There is a nice selection of bourbon and scotch available, as well as some tequila and other spirits. Ten taps for draught, which look like they will likely be rotating, and included some ordinary lagers and also more crafty IPAs when I visited. There is a selection of options on the menu besides beef and pork, including a variety of seafood. I got the brisket and was rather unpleasantly surprised to see it come as only 3 small slices with a few ramekins of sauce, given that it was $19, which seems mighty pricey to me. It was delicious if not a little on the fatty side. The sauces were just ok - one so spicy you can't taste anything, and the chimichurri was pretty oily. Can't fully judge as it just opened, but I hope the place is a success and other items on the menu are a little more value for the money - otherwise this would just be an ok place to stop in after work for beers. read more

Bootleg Smokehouse - smoked brisket - Smokehouse Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This new smoked BBQ joint is on my list of cool restaurants that are blithesome and lively, and at the same time gives off an easy and relaxed vibe. Everything from the nice staff and good service, to the chill playlist that plays in the background while you experience a simple but flavorful menu. Food items to try: - Bootleg Pork Back Ribs - Three Peppercorn Brisket - Mac & Cheese - Bootleg baked beans The Ribs and the brisket did not disappoint; seasoned very well, with every bite as juicy as the last. Their housemade hot sauce added such a surprising and delightful zing to it, to keep in mind for those who are not into spicy things all that much. The baked beans were unique and tasty. The mac and cheese tasted good, but I would say the star of our experience was the BRISKET! Would definitely recommend trying these items! OH, and their complimentary cornbread is to die for!!!! The dessert menu is also worth exploring!!! This experience almost reminded me of Adamson's BBQ quality. read more

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Such a cool looking building and the food was great but they can definitely improve on a few things. Let me start by saying that the food was really good and deserves all 5 stars. Ribs were very YUMMY they also had some interesting appetizers, I liked all the dishes we ordered (which was a lot!). The service was good I really liked our host he was very nice and friendly. The place is not expensive, average prices for this area I really really didn't like the dining room decor it doesn't look like a smokehouse decor, very weird looking and not inviting at all. The first floor was a little better and they had a bar which is awesome. I really hope they get the word around and get busier because the place has a lot of potential and the food was really good read more

First time at this place with friends on Saturday night before the exciting Raptors game! Kinds of tapas style dining and the portions are small so come prepared to spend! Started things off by ordering a bottle of wine, the Baco Noir. Freshly baked cornbread is offered for the table and it really is quite tasty. For the meals we got, beef sliders, pork tostadas and, tuna ceviche and steak tartare. Ingredients used are fresh and precise. I'd say come for the experience of slightly refined dining on contemporary Canadian and world cuisine. read more

Stopped in for the first time. Wanted to for some time, but noticed the sign out front yesterday saying they do Brunch. Stopped in and wasn't disappointed, I want to come back for dinner! Tried the Brisket Benny and it was awesome! See more photos on my Instagram at @sofa.king.delicious read more

Bootleg Smokehouse - Avocado Toast at Bootleg Smokehouse - see more photos on Instagram @sofa.king.delicious - Smokehouse Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I was really looking forward to trying out this spot and I have to say that I was disappointed. The Mac n' cheese, beef tartar and brussel sprouts were yummy small plates but the half rack of ribs...I was not impressed at all. The ribs were dry, chewy & cold which then I asked for another order because I was not enjoying what I was eating. They brought out another half rack that was warmer in temperature but the freshness was still not there. I wouldn't recommend this place for ribs but maybe the other items on the menu. Personally I wouldn't go back here myself. read more

Bootleg Smokehouse - Half rack of ribs & beef tartar - Smokehouse Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We were at an event before this and there was a lot of booze at the event, so we figured we'd get some food into our systems and this was close by, so we came. While this is a smokehouse, don't be expecting trays of meats and bread and sides and whatnot. This is more of a small plates kinda place. We got the tilapia fritters ($10), the brisket ($18), and the 2 pc jerk fried chicken ($8), and they start everyone off with complimentary mini cornbread muffins, so we had those too. The cornbread muffins come two per person. They're not too sweet, which I appreciate, and they've got a crispy exterior. There's also a really small cube of salted butter that comes with it. If the butter is smoked, I couldn't taste it. The tilapia fritters come three to an order and they're served with a dill fennel yogurt with some spring mix salad and pickled onions on top. I appreciate the pickled onions. They did more for the fritters than the yogurt, which I found a tad watery. The fritters themselves had a prominently mashed potato-esque texture, but there was also a subtle hint of smoke coming from the fish. You could tell there was fish in the fritter but it felt mostly like potato. Crispy exterior. Other than the mild smoke flavor, nothing particularly noteworthy, and didn't really whet the appetite for more. The brisket and the fried chicken were recommended to us by our server. I was going to get the pork belly, but if the brisket is recommended, we'll get it instead. It was perhaps 6oz of brisket with smoked peaches, avocado, and chimichurri on top. The smoked peaches and avocado are diced and served atop the brisket. I'm assuming that they mixed the chimichurri into there too, although they also had some around the brisket. The brisket was not melt in my mouth, but it also wasn't dry. The exterior was on the salty side. I'm assuming it was because of the rub. The peach/avocado mixture did a lot to make up for the fact that the brisket wasn't as juicy or tender as we would have hoped. The creaminess in the avocado made the brisket feel like it was melting in my mouth more than it actually was, and while I couldn't taste the smokiness of the peaches, the peaches did add a nice touch of sweetness. The chimichurri added a wet, oily element to the dish, but none of the vibrancy or the zing I was hoping for. At $18, I expected much more from this. The jerk fried chicken was the best dish of the night. It was the only one of our three items that didn't come on a wooden board. It came on a small plate with very little garnish save for thyme sprigs I didn't even see until we took the chicken off. It also came with scotch bonnet hot sauce. It's not the crunchiest fried chicken I've ever had, but you can tell it's fried. For jerk chicken, it wasn't very spicy, but the chicken inside was juicy and well flavored. This is the only dish we had tonight that I'd consider getting again. I'd give the tilapia and the cornbread perhaps a 2.5-3 star, the brisket a 2 star, and the jerk fried chicken perhaps a 3.5. Service was very good but overall, I'm not impressed. read more

Great Meal. The service was fantastic and attentive. The restaurant had an intimate and cozy vibe which was perfect. We had the sirloin tartare, andouille, brisket, brussel spout and a salad. All were very good, well seasons and absolutely delicious. My old fashioned was on point and the bartender made an amazing mocktail for my friend. read more

Not as good as they want to be or as good as youd expect for the price you pay. We had about 5 of their "share" plates. Best: chicken and above all brussel sprouts. Worst: the brisket was awful unless youre looking for thinly sliced overcooked roast beef sandwhich meat. That said the service was good. read more

Great to see a new place closer to Front street. Very nice Bar area and stools are really nice. Brisket was tender and all sauces on the side. Rather than hiding the meat under it. Service was friendly. Would like to see half portions of sides, as being a solo diner I would of liked to try a couple. Works if your sharing. read more

On Saturday night myself & 5 great life long friends went to the Bootleg on a whim. We thought perhaps we'd discovered a hidden gem! I'm at a loss for words - the BBQ might be the worst I have tried, the portions are small, the prices are high, food did not come out on time, the brisket was overcooked & tasted like roast beef, the ribs were simply awful. I could go on and on. The manager and our waiter were really nice I will give them credit for being professional. Please if you want to save money & try a great meal DO NOT eat here. This place will be closed in a month. read more