The Stockyards: Smokehouse and Larder

Torontonians who love BBQ knows about The Stockyards, Tom Davis' modest BBQ joint on St.Clair West. If I can sum it up in one sentence, I would say that The Stockyards offers modern renditions of classic comfort food for all your BBQ cravings. Because whether it be a fried chicken over belgian waffles at 9am in the morning, a grab-and-go BBQ beef brisket sandwich for a quick lunch, or a big juicy Beast Style Burger or Butter Burger for dinner in front of the TV, The Stockyards has you covered (well besides Mondays when they are closed.) And if you ever find yourself in the mood for a "carnivorous binge", make sure you get your butt at the restaurant 5pm sharp on Tuesdays, Fridays or Sundays for their whole rack BBQ pork ribs and/or whole smoked chicken. Believe me, it is worth it and it will change your life. 

Despite the fact that The Stockyards opened four years ago in 2009, their 48-hour brined and marinated fried chicken and authentic wood smoked Carolina style BBQ still attracts a lot of buzz:

Ranked #1 in blogTO's "Best Fried Chicken in Toronto" (Jan 2011)
Toronto Life's "Eight of Toronto's Best Joints for Fried Chicken" (Jun 2011)
Post City's "Toronto's Tastiest Fried Chicken" (Jul 2012)
Ranked #1 in blogTO's "Best BBQ in Toronto" (Apr 2013)

Ranked #1 in NOW Magazine's "Toronto's Top 5 BBQ Restaurants" (Jul 2012)

Ranked #1 in Toronto Life's "Five Best Barbecue Restaurants" (Oct 2011)

With only 1,500 square feet and 18 seats, The Stockyards (@thestockyards) is a tiny restaurant with wood ceilings and a long, open kitchen. Guests sitting at the bar has a view of the kitchen where they can watch their food being prepared. With The Stockyards' limited space, it is obvious why take-out is so popular.

Stockyards Fried Chicken Dinner ($14)

4 pcs. of Buttermilk marinated chicken served with fries, coleslaw, and hot sauce

Pulled Pork Sammy ($8)

Slow smoked, BBQ Sauce, slaw on a store bought squishy

BBQ Beef Brisket ($12) 
Smoked beef brisket with Stockyards BBQ Sauce, garlic mayo and carm onions

I'm not sure if you know this but I have an affinity for food served in cast iron skillets! Regardless, the food at The Stockyards is awesome. To start off, the fried chicken was very tasty. First marinated in buttermilk then fried, its skin is well-seasoned, crispy and thin (although I prefer a thicker skin for fried chicken.) Underneath the skin lies juicy, moist chicken which is absolutely delicious by itself or with a dab of hot sauce. The pulled pork sandwich, piled high with fresh slaw on top of hickory smoked pork shoulder thoroughly slathered in a tangy BBQ sauce, was also wonderful. I enjoyed the BBQ beef brisket even more; the combination of the hickory smokiness of the beef brisket, the spicy and sticky BBQ sauce, finished with creamy garlic mayo and sweet caramelized onions was like heaven in my mouth. So succulent. So good. 

With a no reservation policy, The Stockyards is one of the very few places in Toronto that I would actually line up for. This, in itself, speaks volumes.