Vancouver's best BBQ joints for serious smokehouse flavours
Smokey, succulent, sweet and savoury – a good barbecue feast will please tastebuds and bring people together like nothing else. Whether it’s inspired by flavours from the American South, Korea or Japan, barbecue is universally loved. Here are a few of our favourite places to get great barbecue in Vancouver. [Photo credit: iStock.com/bhofack2]
Buckstop Classic Barbecue
833 Denman St, Vancouver BC V6G 2L7A modern day saloon with taxidermy on the walls and a surprisingly sophisticated cocktail program, this 30-seat barbecue hotspot in the West End specializes in refined Southern small plates and meaty platters designed for sharing. Put on your stretchy pants and tuck into heaping piles of Texas-style beef back ribs, dry-rubbed St. Louis pork ribs, smoked chicken legs, tender pulled pork, and hickory smoked beef brisket. Accompanied by classic home-style sides like mac and cheese, cornbread, fried pickles, and hush puppies, this is classic smokehouse fare at its finest.
Devil's Elbow Ale & Smoke House
562 Beatty St, Vancouver BC V6B 2L3Bring on the meat sweats! Whether you prefer pulled pork slathered in peach bourbon sauce, cherry smoked pork back ribs, or smoked chicken drenched in buttermilk gravy, there’s bound to be an artery-clogging platter to suit your palate at this Beatty Street smokehouse. Open for lunch, dinner and late night eats, as well as weekend brunch, Devil’s Elbow will take care of your barbecue cravings throughout the week. The restaurant is run by the Howe Sound Brewing team, so booze hounds can expect to find local craft beers on tap in addition to the Southern-inspired cocktail menu.
Country Rds Bbq
2 Water St, Vancouver BC V6B 1A4Serving Carolina-style barbecue right in the heart of historic Gastown, Peckinpah dishes up some of the best smoked and barbecued foods in the city. From pulled pork sandwiches to slow-cooked brisket, you can get your meal with a side of mac and cheese or an order of hushpuppies. Top it all off with one of their amazing bourbon-based cocktails.
Memphis Blues Bbq House
430 Robson St, Vancouver BC V6B 0H3Setting the standard for barbecue in Vancouver for decades, Memphis Blues on Robson does it just right. It's one of the only places in town to get what is best described as a tower of meat. The platter comes complete with barbecued chicken, ribs, smoked sausage, pulled pork, brisket and more. With sides of potatoes, mac and cheese or coleslaw, you’re bound to get your fill at this meat-lover’s paradise.
Damso Modern Korean Cuisine
867 Denman St, Vancouver BC V6G 2L9When it comes to barbecue in Vancouver, Korean restaurants reign supreme. You'd be hard-pressed to find one that is anything less than stellar, but Damso stands out thanks to its modern flair. A fusion between traditional Korean barbecue and modern tapas, this West End foodie destination offers amazing osso buco and spicy pork bulgogi that are not to be missed.
Re-Up BBQ
114-810 Quayside Dr, New Westminster BC V3M 6B9Since losing their food cart to an unfortunate accident, this popular barbecue spot has grown into a brick-and-mortar restaurant near New Westminster's River Market. It’s also given the team an opportunity to expand their already-popular menu. So if you miss their amazing pulled pork sandwiches or want to try their fried chicken or ribs, there is no time like the present to seek out Re-Up again. You’ll be glad you did.
Richmond Night Market
3073-8700 McKim Way, Richmond BC V6X 4A5Running from mid-May to mid-October, the Richmond Night Market plays host to dozens of food vendors, many of whom offer their own unique takes on popular barbecue dishes. Foodies come for the pulled pork and grilled squid, which help the Night Market stand out as one of the most unique places to go during the summer in Vancouver. You’ll want to make multiple trips to make sure you try everything the food vendors have to offer.
