Five stars for that brisket and garlic fries. Keep these guys alive at all cost!! Honestly Fk it order the 1lb brisket don't be shy. Lol

Went there after Beerfest, and quickly got a spot at the tables to grab some food. Ordered the 'Two Meat Sampler', and here are my thoughts: - SMALL portions! For $24, I would have expected a little bigger. - The roasted chicken was good. - The beef brisket was DELICIOUS! - The garlic fries were insane! I didnt want them to end! This place gets major points for easy accessibility. Its right on 7th Ave, right infront of the C-train! What else could you ask for? The upstairs is huge and has enough tables to safely guarantee a spot (I went on a Saturday night and the place was half empty), and the downstairs has some kind of kind of band playing if you're in that sort of mood. All in all, I would definitely go back again for the beef brisket and the *gasp* FRIES! read more

What an awesome place in Calgary!! Centrally located and definitely great Alberta vibes. The BBQ was delicious and portions were huge. We had the deep fried pickles, smoked wings, and the 2 meat plate with brisket and ribs. The brisket was a little dry but definitely still delicious. Service was excellent and love that it was a more mellow and mature crowd. A must go for a chill meal on a Tuesday night to wind down after a busy work day. will definitely return!! read more

The Palomino - Barbeque Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

After catching a show at The Globe last night, a friend and I made our way over to The Palomino for some drinks. With a western-themed decor, my guess is that The Palomino will be PACKED in the upcoming weeks with all the Stampede mayhem getting underway. Considering the wait staff is extremely friendly, I'd be happy for foreigners to experience The Palomino as being authentically Calgarian. Although I didn't actually eat here, I did peruse their menu and they have quite an assorted selection of food at reasonable prices. Overall, I was feelin' the vibe. I'd like to head back some time soon to check out one of the many live performances that The Palomino hosts. Maybe I'll see ya there? read more

We came here ready for some finger lickin, bootie smackin, foot stompin bbq, but it was just okay. The chicken was a bit bland and overcooked. The bbq beef short ribs were good and just fell off the bone. Not the best I've had, but not bad either. Could be that I'm from California and have had a lot of good BBQ there. As for the sides, I tried the cole slaw, grilled veggies, bacon wrapped corn and the yellow and sweet mashed potatoes. My favorite was the cole slaw. Forget about the grilled veggies. They were okay but I only got like two pieces of zucchini and 3 slices of bell peppers. I was really looking forward to the bacon wrapped corn but was disappointed to find it was dry yet soggy. I much prefer the corn I make at home on my bbq grill just plain and grilled in the husk to maintain juiciness. The yellow and sweet potato mash was okay, but was cold. This is still a memorable place for me because it is where I had my first "Canadian" experience. I was told that I should try a Canadian dish called Poutine. So I tried the pulled pork Poutine and it was delicious. I was told that the classic Poutine is just french fries with gravy on top and cheese curds. The Poutine here had all of that plus pulled pork on top of it which was so good. The gravy was excellent that I even dipped my chicken into it until it was all gone. I am a bit jealous now that I know Canadians get to to enjoy Poutine all the time since it is even offered at fast food places like Burger King and A&W. California has no such thing :( I don't believe we have the cheese curds that is used. The closest cheese curds I've ever had is cottage cheese which I can't imagine tasting good with gravy and fries. To complete my "Canadian" experience I had a pint of Molton's Canadian Beer. It's was light, refreshing and went well with the BBQ. Even better it was on special that night so it was only like $5. They have good and cheap drink specials. There is a drink special for every night of the week which I thought was cool. I didn't get to see any of the live music that night, but the food was okay. read more

We went there on Jan 6 th with a band playing at the night. The smokehouse offers Bbq pork ribs, Alberta beef briskets and not to mention the cocktails-lemonade, and bourbon teas. the atmosphere is to die for, relaxed! The dessert is one and only bourbon banana gelato. read more

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Food was great!!! Service however complete fail! We were a group of 13 and when we went to order our food the server failed to mention to us when seating us that they were out of 4 of their major dishes, so we all had to go back to the menus and decide what we wanted instead now. I get selling out of 1 or maybe 2 dishes but 4 dishes is a little ridiculous. When we were ready to pay the server seemed very put off that we asked for our bills, which took over 10 mins to get as "the manager has to put on the auto gratuity" the mother of the birthday boy asked the server to have his bill put on her bill and she abruptly replied sorry the bills have all been set out already. If you want great food but not so great service, and are not in large groups than this place is ok for you. read more

Not very often will you find me downtown during the week but after the oil and gas expo, my girlfriend and I decided to explore since we took public transit and have dinner downtown since we were in the area. We hit up the map world first, as she needed to buy a map.... and then we asked the guy working what places he suggested nearby that were good eats. He suggested a lot of places but "BBQ" stood out to us. "MMMMMM is it like fall off the bone good?!" we asked, and he said it would be totally worth it. He mentioned it was just around the corner on 7th avenue. We walked around the corner and saw a rustic brick looking place across the street ..."PALOMINO" the sign shouted. We walked over and saw a standing sign '$5/lb of wings after 4PM' outside. We decided to go inside to take a look at the menu. The atmosphere was pretty chillax... loud music, people shootin' the shit; laughing...it definitely seemed like a place where a lot of people hit up right after work to let loose and have a beer. We took a seat near the door and were greeted promptly by Kim (know her name from the receipt). Anna decided to order 2 lbs of wings, 1 lb salt and pepper and 1 lb spicy teriyaki. The other flavors were: Jack Daniel's BBQ, Jamaican Jerk, Salt, Chipotle, Carolina BBQ, Jethro's Hot Sauce or Ass Rippin'! I decided to order half rack of the Kansas City pork ribs which came with two sides. There was a big selection of sides which ranged from fries (garlic or boring), mashed, slaw, beans, BACON wrapped corn, soup, apples to cornbread. I went with garlic fries and grilled seasoned vegetables. Kim came by with our plates, utensils and some sauces (honey mustard, jack daniels bbq, and chipotle bbq) before bringing the food out. First, the wings came out in baskets (lb of wings is about 8-10) and they looked big and JUUUUICY! The wings were meaty, big and nicely battered for that crisp. The salt and pepper were tasty and crispy and the spicy teriyaki was SPICY. There was definitely a kick to the teriyaki. When I first took a bite, I had to dive into my water asap. Maybe I'm just weak/being dramatic (as per usual) but I thought they were so spicy that she mistakenly brought out ''ASS RIPPIN'". Nevertheless, we ate them all up. The half rack was a little disappointing...I mean they were delicious but I thought they were going to be FALL OF THE BONE delicious (maybe the map dude hyped it up too much for us?!) They were lightly covered in jack daniels bbq sauce but I squirted more on because the sauce was really good. The garlic fries were nice, a perfect hint of garlic. Vegetables were normal seasoned vegetables. Kim was attentive and friendly. The only thing was, I wish she was there to refill my glass when I chugged my water down cause my mouth was burning...but it's all good!! Palomina is a place I would stop by if I was craving wings or something and if I happen to be in the area, but I don't think I would go out of my way for this bbq joint. read more

The Palomino - Spicy teriyaki and salt and pepper wings! - Barbeque Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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I really don't know how this place got so many stars for a rating. It's lucky it got 2 stars from me.... I had called to make a reservation for 10 people on a Saturday night at 8pm. No problem there. However, the section we were in were all small round tables, and it was so dark, that it was impossible to see the menus. Good thing we have flashlights on our cell phones. The service was sub-par, if you want to call it that. It took a while for us to even be greeted by anyone, let alone make a drink order. The menu looked decently good. As a Barbecue place, and with pretty good reviews on Yelp, I had high hopes. Boy was I disappointed. My husband and I ordered deep fried pickles. They were actually really good, but definitely not house made. No worries, they were really good. My sister in law ordered some nachos for sharing, and it came with a side of chicken, and a side of baked beans. They were also really good! Just before we were ready to order (which was an hour after we had arrived) the computer system went down. Oooookay. As for the food: 3 of us had ordered ribs. One person didn't eat them because they were so dry, one person sent them back because they were so burnt, and they completely messed up my order. How can you mess up a half rack of ribs, slaw, and baked beans is beyond me, but it was at LEAST 10 minutes before my food came. The ribs were hot, but they were super dry. The beans and the slaw were the best part. My husband had a double burger. He said it was tasty, but again, it was really dry. The corn bread was a complete write off. I picked it up and was shocked at how heavy and hard it was. The taste of it was sweet and had some jalapeno. However, you had to chew it, and chase it with a drink because it was so dense and so dry, that it sucked up all the saliva in your mouth. My sister in law had the chicken, and she said "well, it was good, once I removed the burnt part". I guess she didn't see it, because it was so dark. My other two sisters in law had the pulled pork sandwich. Guess what it was. Dryyyyyy. I don't even think it had sauce! Brother in law had the catfish po'boy. Not sure if he even ate the whole thing. Not sure what the rest of my party ordered, as I didn't hear much in regards to the main dishes. The general consensus was that the sides were the best. Knowing this, we would have just gotten the Side Car, which was 4 sides. The slaw, the beans, the garlic fries (oh wow, those were good) and the bacon wrapped corn on the cob. Maybe it was just a bad night but I don't think I would come back, or recommend this place... Everyone else agreed we should have went somewhere else too... Sad but I guess now we know. At least the football game was on, and the Eskimo's won.... read more

The Palomino - Barbeque Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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My friend has been so anxious to take me here since I am new to Calgary from TX. You know how we like our BBQ! =P Sadly, we ended up having a very strange experience with a waitress at this restaurant. Another waitress came over and ended up giving us our meal for free, and that was very sweet. We left right after since we felt incredibly uncomfortable. However, it's the next day, and I can't stop replaying the events in my head trying to figure out what happened. Very upsetting. Trying to write it off as a waitress that hopefully just had a bad day since I can't explain it and need to put it behind me. (This is the first bad review I've ever written on any platform in my life...) read more

My boyfriend and I spent a fantastic Friday night drinking at this bar while on our recent mini-vacation to Calgary. Tasty non-traditional bar munchies including garlic fries and corn on the cob. Best bartender ever. I'll say again. The BEST bartender ever. We enjoyed free entertainment with the quazi-country band upstairs and could've gone downstairs for even more rock & roll had we wished. As a tourist, I was too absorbed with the local flavor happening all around me as the night wore on and the patrons got more and more intoxicated and the bartender got less and less willing to tolerate their insanity. Thanks for making our trip to Calgary more awesome Palomino. read more

Met up with some friends here last night and thought I'd check out the wings. WOW! Huge, saucy, meaty wings with some kick. Had ordered the 'Hot', not the suicide, but I'd imagine that the suicide must be damn hot based on how hot these ones were. We ended up ordering two rounds of wings they were so good. The only complaint was the service, which ended up being a running joke at our table by the end of the night. The waitress had these giant glasses on, which we swore only allowed her to see things within 4-5 ft of her. We ended up bussing our own table for a bit even. Beware the automatic 17% gratutity tax they slap on your bill as well if you're a group bigger than 6-7 people. I will be back for more of these wings. read more

The Palomino has always been a staple Calgary BBQ delight and with the addition of gluten free buns and the Beyond Meat burger their offerings have only improved. I always have a great experience at the Palomino and I appreciate that this place continues to be a great venue for live music as well. I look forward to continuing to enjoy this amazing spot. read more

Pulled Pork Sandwich. That's all I should say to you. This sandwich is absolutely delicious and it's only from the Palomino! The Palomino gets a lot of a lunchtime crowd, since it's located right downtown. They have a pretty decent lunch menu at quite average prices. It seems like it's always pretty busy since there is always a crowd of smokers standing around outside. The food is good ol' fashioned barbecue and it's always good! At night, however, this place turns into a pretty decent bar! They have loud music and sometimes the occasional hip hop rap show. It's not so much a dance club as just a bar where people congregate to chat and drink and generally just have a good time. The Palomino has a nice western-theme to it, which proves just how Calgary it really is. I'm not really a western girl myself, but that doesn't change how much I enjoy dinner or a drink at the Palomino. read more

Solid BBQ and cheap beers. It can get a bit crowded in the back, and the interior has no air conditioning -- which makes it insufferable in the summer. read more

Visiting Calgary for the first time found this place in a hotel magazine .. Setting is a bit old and dusty we ordered a couple of burgers, brisket and ribs, the burgers were ok the buns were cold ;( the corn wrapped in bacon seemed like a good idea but it felt short. Anyways don't think I would come back . Service was good, waitress was very nice. read more

One of my pals played here in the summer so I was able to go ~ I returned to bring a buddy from Vancouver about a week or two later. This place has a GREAT upper floor ambiance - not try hard, doesn't seem to scenester. Outdoor area at the back is meh, BUT at least there's something. Downstairs was small but great for the band. Being Vegan I can't eat a lot here, but it smells TO DIE FOR in there. I believe I did eat something on my second pass over however, I had been to a few pubs on the way and I can't remember enough to evaluate it fairly. Oh well, guess that means another trip! Check it out. read more

BBQ is about as specific and varied as the people's opinions about it. I had the brisket, which is sort of like the orange chicken, or pad thai is to Chinese or Thai places in terms of a litmus test. It was good. Not amazing, but not dry and chewy, so I was happy. The Q was served with bottles of mustard and three different sauces, in addition to ketchup. Wow. So many choices. I had to try them all! And...all were good for different reasons. One spicy, one vinegary, one tomato-e. I like selection. The coleslaw was meh, and the garlic fries were okay, though the addition of some ketchup and BBQ sauce went a long way to make them better. I can tell this place get noisy and crazy at night and I imagine that the crowd can vary quite a bit depending. That being said, it was nearly dead when i went in, a random assortment of country-ish music playing and limited server support. Service was slow, but I was not in a rush so that's okay. The craft beer selection was okay, more domestic than craft, but a few winners on the list including Big Rocks Traditional which I thought was wonderful. This is a good spot for loud groups and live music, though I would not want to hang out here for just a random beer or snack. read more

So from service to food to atmosphere everything sucked. Messed up my drink that I had to wait for 20 mins. And food was greasy and for a bbq place they have no idea how to make it. You will be disappointed. read more

I only stopped in for a beer and had the starter ribs but that dry rub is delicious. I will have to come back for a full meal experience one day (soon?!). read more

The Palomino - Kansas City dry rub starter ribs. Dip them in the sauce! - Barbeque Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

When you're this far from Texas, this is as good it gets for bbq. I love their garlic fries. My favourite mains are their slow smoked chicken and kansas pork ribs. Both are juicy, tender and flavourful. My favourite side is the JD apples. The service is good and the portions are generous. IMHO this is the best bbq place you're gonna find in Calgary. While this is not the best bbq I've ever had in my life, it will curb the craving until my next trek down to Texas! read more

Stopped in on Sunday night to catch dinner while staying at a hotel nearby. Eating alone so didn't want to go to a pricey eatery. After reading the other reviews was not surprised that it had a bit of a seedy roadhouse look that was actually fun to experience. Wanted to order the ribs and brisket but unfortunately out of ribs at dinner time. Brisket was good ordered a side salad which had the wilted pre made look fried would be a better option. Never understood why restaurants serve meat that requires a steak knife and has bbq sauce on a plate covered with a wax paper. Always picking out the paper on the food. All in all the brisket was good but the rest was uninspiring. Server was efficient but obviously bored with her work. I will try again on a better night. read more

I have eaten at The Palomino a few times and it has always been with a group of friends. We have ordered "The Fat Ass platter". This is great to share with a group of 4 or 5 and everybody will be full and will have gained a few pounds too. Greasy but good, sums it up! The Patio has a good vibe during the hot summer evenings. Beware they ID everybody on the weekends even if you are in your forties. read more

I wish the Palomino was more consistent. The food is never bad, but often quite average, and once in a while really quite good. The place does have a great feel to it though, and the back patio is lively during summer. Great place to catch a show, but many better options in the area for food. read more

The smoked salt and pepper wings were awesome. Had the ribs, brisket and pulled pork. Loved the ribs great smoke flavour, the pulled pork was a bit dry, the brisket was thick sliced. Otherwise the food was very good. Large portions for a full belly. Live music on Fridays with no cover before 9 pm. It is downtown calgary so plan for crappy parking. read more

The Palomino - Ribs pulled pork and brusket with bacon wrapped corn cob (highly recommended). - Barbeque Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Wow! This place is amazing. A great smokehouse. Wonderful prices amazing service and great poutine! I live in New York City so when I'm in Calgary I run around to all the places serving poutine. Probably the best I have had (I eat this stuff daily when I'm here) they have live music although I came during lunch so no music but the bar has a very western look and feel. Make sure you come by this spot. Well worth it! The plates are very big. So come hungry read more

The Palomino - Brisket Smokehouse Poutine. Yum-a-licious! - Barbeque Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

I usually enjoy the Palomino. I work for a large office downtown and I wanted some of my coworkers to taste the palomino's fare. 7 of us showed up Friday afternoon only to be turned out by an rude hostess. The restaurant was not full but apparently putting 2 tables together would had been too hard. The food is usually good but not worth the crappy experience we received. You can bet your bottom dollar that I will make sure that my company never hold events or order catering from the Palomino. read more

The food was great as usual but this is the first time in my life I have not left a tip. We were served, very friendly at first. I wanted to order a second beer and waited, and waited and I said to one of my friends, when you see the waitress (my back was to the people) let me know so I can order another beer. I was told she was right behind me. I turned and said "Excuse me" and I was going to say " when you get a chance can I get another beer" Before I had a chance she stated with a snap " I am talking to another table" According to my friends, she gave me a dirty look as well. So now I leave, feeling awful for not leaving at tip as I always do! She could have said that she will be with me in a moment, the snappy comment and dirty look was totally uncalled for. If the tip is split with the cooks, I apologize to them. Food was excellent! read more

The service was pretty good. The food was ok. I had the half rack of ribs with cesar salad and garlic fries. I thought the ribs were nothing spectacular and a little dry. The fries were way overdone but the salad was pretty good. I think I would come here again during stampede if I needed a place with ambiance but it wouldn't be my first choice. read more

One of my favorite places in downtown Calgary to grab a pint or some food after work. Service is always great. The beer is always cold and the food is even better. Recommend just about everything but my favorites are the ribs, chicken wings, Mac and cheese and deep fried pickles. My only complaint is the wine. Poor selections poured in an odd glass. But I don't expect a large wine list at a place like this. read more

Loveeeee palomino. Food is delicious. Huge portions. There is live music as well. Great place to eat when you can enjoy it outside.

I came here by accident with my husband summer of 2016. I am wanting to go back because I'm having a hard time recalling all the details but believe the food is rather good. As a girl from the US Midwest, I know and can appreciate good comfort food. I had the BBQ pulled pork sandwich (without coleslaw, blegh.) The pulled pork was very tender and saucy, which i appreciate in a good bbq. Was not a fan of the cornbread stuffed with bits of jalepeño pepper. Maybe that's the southern version of cornbread, but back home it's subtle and sweet with a touch of honey. I feel like my husband enjoyed his meal. It was rather dead when we went ab I remember it being very dark in there with a lot of sports paraphernalia hanging on the walls. Very typical bar decor. read more

Great place for people who like BBQ and other meaty dishes. They host tons of shows upstairs and downstairs which is the main reason I visit. Their kentucky bourbon apples are pretty delicious too, its like a fancy pie filling. read more

The good old Pal. The only place in the city that makes me want to commit a crime. The BBQ sauce is so good I have to fight back the urge to put a bottle in my purse as I leave. But in all honesty the best Mac and Cheese and chicken wings I've ever had. Not to mention a killer country and rock and roll atmosphere that makes me feel proud to be a little country. read more

My experience at the Palomino is largely relegated to the basement, though I have heard the joint is broken up into three levels, including a rooftop patio. We have played here about four times, and each time it has been an eventful gathering of people eager to rock out with metal knights. The food, or at least what I have sampled, makes me sad I haven't eaten more: the pulled pork was delightfully tender, and the burger I had was on the delicious side. An intriguing conceit of BBQ and metal music together in harmony in the heart of Calgary, but there is no better way to do it! read more

I love this place, awesome rustic decor, the food is second to none, a little pricey but I have paid way more for terrible food ,the staff is friendly, I love this place. I would give this place 5 stars but they let hipsters in here but I guess douchebags have to eat too. read more

Drinks are too expensive so be aware. The food is a typical American bbq style but good. You may spend more than anticipated.

Followed the yelp, and then the smell - amazing smoked brisket. Neighborhood hangout.

I had high expectation of this place from reading the other reviews. I don't know if it was just an off night or of all these people are wrong. Service was soooo slow and our server was never anywhere to be seen. Took her ages to take our order. Food took ages to come, and it was cold. Plus when we asked for the bill it took her 5 mins to bring the credit card machine over. Maybe they were busy, but for the size of the place and the amount of people in there I really don't think this was read more

Hi and goodbye! Now this is a place I will NEVER visit again. Overpriced and not worth your time. I went for a few drinks with the co-workers. Ordered poutine with chicken. Asked for NO SALT on my fries. They brought the dish so salty it was uneatable. The chicken was so dry and overcooked and the cheese curds looked like some cheap mozzarella cut into a round shape. I returned the dish, the waitress brought a second attempt, just as salted. I returned it once again and said I wanted NO SALT on my fries, besides the gravy was something made out of a bag, super salty too. Now the bearded , rude manager came back with the plate and literally told me: " It is what it is...what do you expect? It's pre-made fries from a frozen bag! We can't control how salty they are ". I was appalled by his comment and how rude he was. I did not want to make a big stink in front of co-workers, but if it had been me solo or with my family, he would have heard an earful from me. That poutine had a price tag of 13 bucks! Of course I expected home made fries and cheese curds. I will never go back to that place again. YUCK. read more