Hamburger was top-notch. It was juicy and perfectly sized. The bbq sauce and maple syrup on it hit…read moreit perfectly. We came during trivia night. It was a little loud but made for a fun night, especially for us passing through.

When I was in town for a blood donation, I decided to visit Belly Up BBQ as a way to both replenish…read moremy iron levels and try a new-to-me restaurant. There was a small surge of BBQ places in Halifax in the 2010s, and while that eventually died down, it's good to see the trend spread elsewhere to add new kinds of cuisine to other areas of the province. The interior is spacious, with a bar at one end, a section with several booths, and even more tables beyond that. The décor isn't over-the-top with southern US kitsch like many barbecue joints and could easily pass for a regular bar and grill. Normally when I try a BBQ place for a first time, I go all-in on a sampler platter to try as many of the smoked meats as possible. Alas, Belly Up is the only BBQ place that I've been to that doesn't have this option. As a result, I went with the beef brisket platter since that's more unique to Belly Up, and things like ribs and pulled pork can be found at many restaurants these days. It wasn't too too busy when I arrived and most people were already eating, so my food arrived in quick order. The brisket came as two long, thick slices, and the broad layer of fat on top told me I was getting the fatty end of the brisket. There was a bit of a smoke ring around the edges, although I didn't find that it had a prominently smoky flavour. It was spot-on for tenderness though - the meat broke apart easily, but didn't crumble from being overcooked, and each bite was tender and juicy. You get a choice of a few different sauces with your meat (which is served entirely on the side) and the chipotle sauce was savoury and not *too* sweet, but again, I'd prefer a heavier level of smokiness from the namesake pepper. You get two different sides with each entrée, so again I went with some of the more unique options - the corn fritters and the apple coleslaw. The corn fritters were very well executed - crisp on the outside, fluffy and moist on the inside, and with a hint of sweetness. The ginger and jalapeno honey sauce that came with them was also a surprise hit, with a good balance of sweetness and subtle layer of heat. I generally prefer a vinegar-based dressing for my coleslaw to cut through the rich dishes that it's often paired with, but I still enjoyed Belly Up's apple slaw. The additional crunch and sweetness of the julienned apples brought some complexity to what is often the most forgettable part of a meal, and honestly it's just nice to see a slaw that's done in-house instead of coming out of a five-gallon bucket from Sysco. Service was friendly and attentive throughout my meal. There's definitely some tweaks that Belly Up could do to polish their BBQ game, but it's a still a solid option for something different in the food scene in Truro.

The brisket poutine was amazing! Service has always been friendly for us. Love the picnic tables,…read moretho a bit harder for disabled folks to sit.

Amherst does not really have seafood. For a Nova Scotia tourist, that's a faux pas on the town's…read morefault. Yelp said this was the best restaurant available, and I was quite intrigued by the idea of BBQ in Canada. Verdict: Similar to Dinosaur in NY, what I call "northern BBQ". Not the real Southern style, but what do you expect in Canada? The homemade sauces are great. The staff was very nice and let me try all five sauces to see - I didn't really want blueberry BBQ but just had to experience that flavour for myself. (Note proper Canadian spelling of "flavour.") Went with: * Pork ribs - A little overcooked, not falling off the bone. I know it's hard to get the pork to fall off, but two of the six ribs kinda worked so they're close. * Sweet n spicy sauce - Really nice BBQ sauce flavour. I recommend it. The hot sauce is just normal Tabasco style, not BBQ. * Potato salad - I like the idea, but some of those potato chunks were undercooked. Should all be smooth and crushy in my mouth, not crisp. * Chili - Wow, that's meaty. Really great stuff, interesting flavour. 5 stars. A bit mixed but I'm a BBQ snob in another country, and if you want BBQ you may not find a place this good in the entire Atlantic Time Zone. So sure, stop on in!

I love smoked fish. I said it. Just re-reading that sounds gross, but in all honesty it's so good!…read moreIf you're new to smoked salmon I would recommend the smoked maple, un-spiced. I usually buy mine at the local grocery store ( Pete's, Superstore, Sobey's) but when I drove by I couldn't help but stop in to the actual smoke house. This stuff is seriously so addictive. It deserves every star because it really doesn't get any better than this. They sell lots of other fish stuff in here as well, but I'm all about the smoked kind. I also picked up some cinnamon honey butter made locally at a farm in the area which also deserves 5 stars. The building itself is huge with only a tiny shop for general public purchasing. The rest is smoking and processing. If you're in the area, I strongly suggest you stop in.

One word - SPECTACULAR! I discovered them at Mike's Fish Shop at the Halifax Farmers Market and…read morenow I'm addicted. You have to put eating the maple smoked salmon on your "list of things to do before I die" Then again, if you like things more smokey and savory, then the smoked mackerel is just right . And head over to their website for recipes. If you can't get to the market or or at least can't wait until Saturday...then you can pick some of their awesome products at Pete's, Sobey's, Superstores, Even Fortino's in Ontario sells them. What are you waiting for!!!!

Definitely enjoy here although last time I got a call stating they don't put the honey butter on…read morethe cornbread which I have requested and it's been done for as long as I've been ordering- you have to order it separately like the cornbread but honestly you can't just slather a bit on it? 2$ and yes I'm sure you'd get a bit more but I don't need that and for the price of what I already paid- I'm good.

This is an award winning bbq place! And it deserves awards! We ordered a huge array and I have…read moreloved everything! Full slab rib plate - juicy tender ribs with really sensational seasoning and light sauce. Love the house bbq sauce our order came with. Basket of cornbread - really dense cornbread which is unusual but I like the taste and texture. THREE meats - pulled pork melts like butter in your mouth so moist. 1/4 BBQ chicken leg - nicely done Smoked sausage - a nice option. Handcut fries - I wouldn't say I'm a fan, these were too mushy for me. Large potato salad - yes go for this all the way! It was a really nice side. Lots of onions though so if you don't like that well too bad. TWO meats - Beef Brisket - falling apart so delicate and good 1/4 BBQ chicken breast - again nicely done Large Mac n Cheese - a little spice hit I enjoyed but the kids didn't like it. Orders online and it was done right on time for pickup. Noticed a few seats inside. Dark interior vibes.

The food, the atmosphere and service were amazing. Our host was very respectful and helpfulread more

Such an amazing experience! Staff were so sweet and friendly! Food was so amazing, I'm probably…read moregonna make this my go to place now! Had so much fun ordering the bbq meal for 3! Makes it fun to enjoy with friends and family!

Up until recently, all my years in Halifax were spent car-free (not to be confused with CAREfree; I…read morehad many, many cares) and living on the Halifax side of the harbour. As such, there were many places in places as relatively downtown Dartmouth I'd never been to, let alone as far out as 2 Boys Smokehouse and Deli. Now that I'm living on the Dark Side and have a sweet set of 2016 wheels, I made the effort to hit up 2 Boys for a late lunch and for some of their carnivorous wonders when I was in the area one day. Despite it being mid-afternoon, there was a steady line at both the meat and sandwich counters. I was hitting both - grabbing a couple smoked pork chops, double-smoked bacon and some Black Forest ham at the former, and the mixed meat sub at the latter. You can choose from a large swath of options for breads, cheese, toppings and sauces, and I appreciate that there's no up-charge for things like smoked gouda. Twelve bucks for a big ol' sub, and that's that! I attacked my sub once I was back in the car, although I opted to only have half of it before heading home. I forgot to ask, and now can't readily find the answer online, but the meats in the mixed meat appeared to be salami, ham and donair. A true Nova Scotian sub! The smoked gouda held its own against the hearty meats, while a generous helping of lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, and red onion brought crunch and freshness. For a sauce, I went with their "sub sauce" which seems to be an herby vinaigrette, and its tanginess helped cut through all the big, rich flavours and add some zing. A step outside my car to brush the crumbs off myself and the seat, and I was on my way home. My next time back at 2 Boys found my wife and I looking for a quick lunch in the Cole Harbour area after having gone for a walk on the Salt Marsh Trail. Once again, despite the mid-afternoon time, there was a constant flow of people in and out of the store, but luckily the ticket system was getting put to use today, so in spite of the poorly-formed line, the individual numbers helped keep things moving along. This time around, I went for a ham sub, while my wife got the Montreal smoked meat sandwich. I continue to be a big fan of their toppings options, especially the inclusion of ostensibly more "premium" cheese like the smoked gouda with the regular items - without an extra surcharge. Staff guided us through the sandwich construction process deftly and with a smile, which can't be easy with the constant onslaught at 2 Boys. This time we sat down at one of the small, two-person tables along their storefront, to take in the sights, sounds and smells of Cole Harbour Road. There was a good amount of ham, with the layers of lightly sweet and salty meat generously topped with my chosen toppings of lettuce, onions, bell peppers, tomato and cucumber. The smoked gouda added some more umami oomph to the sandwich and having had my sandwich toasted brought out the flavour of both the meat and cheese more. My wife's sandwich went over well, as she's a big fan of Montreal smoked meat. I prefer it when it's been heated, like in the delis where it originated, but even at fridge temperature, the peppery bite of the smoky meat comes through well. The regular white bread was pushed to the edges of its structural integrity with the stack of meat, but it *just* managed to hold on. Whenever I'm in 2 Boys Smokehouse & Deli, I feel like a kid in a candy store, with so many great options - both the sandwiches, and the deli and grocery items. It's a diamond in the strip mall rough, and one that I'll be frequenting when I'm in the area.

Amazing deli sandwiches! It was our first time here and the staff were very helpful. We also got a…read morefresh loaf of their garlic toast for dinner.

Walking in, it was inviting and the atmosphere was fun and the smells were mouth watering! We…read moreordered our drinks, found a seat and headed to the food ordering spot. Easy peasy, ordered grabbed waters and the food was up fast and hot! And oh man, mouth watering food was definitely what we got! You will see from the pics how delicious everything looked (and it tasted even better!) While we were there, a musician played and a pop up oyster bar arrived! The oysters were fresh and delicious as well! They have a taco food truck and fish food truck for those who did not find something on their menu! We will come back and grab a pizza next time!

Great food and comfortable, casual atmosphere with country music playing. Enjoyed the bacon…read morecheeseburger and Reuben with fries. Got the shandy and the blueberry cider to drink. Both were delicious. Service is good at the counter but a bit confusing. When you enter, walk to one of the counters - food or drink - and place your orders. Then find a seat anywhere. That's not clear when you walk in.