After a long day's ride (or even a short one), nothing hits the spot quite like some good old-fashioned BBQ. If you've ever taken a trip to the southern U.S., you may have visited one of the pit BBQs or rib joints and thought how lucky you are to be in the only place that can actually do BBQ right. Well, guess what? We're doing BBQ up here north of the border and what's more: it's actually better in Ontario! While most places look to the south for inspiration—Memphis and Carolina BBQ styles are well represented—you will find a northern touch in many of the menus of these fine establishments.
This is a big list, totally worthy of Ontario's enviable girth, so we're going to need a lot of help finding the very best in the province. Let us know your favourite BBQ joints to stop in at while riding in Ontario.
Get Ribbed Smokehouse & BBQ Pit
A family-owned business where "authenticity takes time," Get Ribbed serves delectable meats cooked to perfection in their custom-built Texas smoker (the only authentic fruitwood smoked southern BBQ joint in Northern Ontario). Located right on the Mattagami River in beautiful Timmins, it's the ideal spot to pull over and refuel the belly.
North Bay
Sudbury
Cochrane
Algoma Country
Sault Sainte Marie
St. Joseph Island
Northwest Ontario
Kenora
Thunder Bay
Vermilion Bay
Southern Ontario
Ontario's Southwest
Leamington
London
St. Thomas
Windsor
Huron, Perth, Waterloo and Wellington
Cambridge
Kitchener-Waterloo
This Kitchener favourite has a simple mission: keep it local, keep it fresh and homemade. All of their locally sourced meat is smoked over 100% Hickory hardwood using their own recipes for the rub and sauces. They use only the freshest ingredients and nearly all of the menu is made from scratch. Open Monday to Saturday. Watch for regular blues nights.
Bruce Peninsula, Southern Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe
Barrie
Collingwood
Midland
Port Elgin
Recommended Route: Cruise the Coast
Brantford
Georgetown
Hamilton
Milton
Niagara
Recommended Route: Niagara Parkway