Review Big T's Bbq - Calgary

I was so excited after seeing this restaurant was featured on "You've Gotta Eat Here" on the Food Network. The menu points out what exactly was on the show. The platters have a range - I shared the smallest one with two other ladies and we ate to fullness and still had some leftovers! The low range (2) would be two very hungry guys. The rest of the table was jealous of our platter - we got to try a bit of everything. The coleslaw isn't creamy - very fresh and flavourful. My favourite out of the meat was the pulled pork. One lady preferred the brisket. I found the ribs a bit dry - good thing it's served with extra barbecue sauce. The chicken was moist and tender. The cornbread was sweet and perfect end to the meal. The smoked poutine looked really good, too.

The staff hers is just amazing. They cater to everything, super fast, super friendly. Management is excellent as well. So polite! Their sausages are amazing, and the ribs are honestly to die for. I've never had better ribs in my life. Fall off the bone, melt in your mouth, and the amount of food you get for the price is ridiculous. You will NOT leave this place hungry, you will leave satisfied. Thanks to the staff and manager for brightening up my day today. Can't wait to come back. 🙏🏼

Solid food, the wings were quite good, I really liked the sauce that came with it. They only come with one option. The brisket, which I had high hopes for, had a really nice smoke ring and bark to it, but it was quite dry. Pretty good selection of local brews

The flavours of the Memphis style rib and the brisket was unique and delicious. Both meats were cooked perfectly, tender and juicy. Service was great. Unfortunately the sides did not compliment the mains. Fries are just frozen and then fried, coleslaw was just a mush of veggies, corn bread was really dry. Brisket sandwich could also use some kind of aioli on the bun or perhaps “au jus” to take it to that satisfactory level. Overall it’s a great place to have some bbq dishes and I would highly recommend it. But just request to owner/management to get fresh cut fries, better coleslaw and something to moisten the brisket sandwich. Should be relatively easy to do.

Great place for a family, group or even a single person. We had the barbecue ribs and it was great, perfectly sauced and falling off the bones. It was delicious and we had a good time. The waiter was cool too. I definitely recommend.

I had St. Louis ribs half rack first but it was so good that i ordered another half. It was big meaty & tender fall off the bone as described. The best poutine gravy ever! Loved the smoked mapple cheesecake.

Stopped at Big T's due to hunger getting the better of us. Checked reviews and decided to try it out and glad we did. Nothing better then the smell of smoked meat. Service was great. It was about 8:00 when our family came in and the server took very good care of us even though she was very busy. Good food choices - too many when the group is hungry as we wanted to try a little of everything. One of the group had the brisket and loved it, two had the chicken sandwich which was very good - tender and juicy but lacked the smoky taste. The other had the meatloaf and liked it. The portion was too big but was large enough for me to try a few left over bites. The ribs looked good as some other tables were having them. Cornbread was excellent. A great experience and something we will go to again, next time we are in Calgary.

Very happy with the quality and the quantity! The Memphis Dry Ribs were exactly what I was craving - all meat, but juicy. Well smoked. The spicy slaw was fantastic as we're the beans...sweet, smokey but not over the top.

A colleague recommended this restaurant when she found out I was traveling to Calgary for the day and am I ever glad she did! Thanks Kate! I was warmly greeted as soon as I walked in & was seated immediately. Brandy was my server & she was just fabulous! Brandy is very friendly & is very knowledgeable about the menu. I had the Burgoo Soup & deep fried pickles served fast & piping hot & delicious! I ended my meal with the Smoked Maple Cheesecake ...interesting smoky flavour along with the delicious sweet maple syrup drizzle....so delicious!!! Definitely a must to try if you love cheesecake! I was pleasantly surprised that John, the owner took the time to stop & chat with me at my table. Thanks Brandy & John for a wonderful dining experience, I’ll definitely be back!

Unfortunately not a great experience, and to top it off it was our first experience. We were a party of 14, there to celebrate a birthday. We were unable to reserve a table big enough for our group, so we all had to sit at seperate tables. We asked our server who I was unable to get her name. She was a brown woman with a sleeve tattoo and blueish hair; if we could combine our tables together. Instead of a positive approach, she was incredibly dismissive and aggressive not even wanting to hear what we were saying. After a few more rude comments from our server, we decided to talk to the manager, who kindly solved the promblem and got us all seated together. Now having a new waitress, a petite blonde woman things are starting to run smoothly. She was super helpful, and on top of everything. You'd think all our worries and issues would have ended after having a new server... WRONG! Instead of letting us eat in peace, our family was constantly hearing the brown woman with blueish hair talk poorly about us to other staff members. Things such as " yeah you see that.. im not here to babysit, thats why in not dealing with them" along with a handful of other unnecessary comments. The food was amazing, but after such a horrible experience, I don't see our family eating there again. Mind you our bill was around $300. We were there to spend money, not leave with a bad taste in our mouth.

The smell helps bring you in , the staff can not do enough for you . Once you have eaten you are going to want to go back ,we have nothing like it in London I wish we did . Thanks for a very good meal.

Was excited to try with all the reviews had the meatloaf and it wasn’t good at all :( was over cooked/very dry But the sauce was good. Certainly wasn’t worth the money

Really nice place. Super clean and the staff is friendly. The food was quick and the taste was amazing. Worth the drive from Red Deer!

1st time here!! When you walk in the smell hits you immediately!! The food was delicious and the staff were friendly!! Service was fast even when a huge takeout order came through!! Will be coming back again

Wow, amazing. I have never had such amazing meat, so delisciously well done, phenomenal service. Great prices, wow, I can’t believe it. Popped in by chance, am out of province, just amazing. Highly recommended, I never write reviews. I will be back here again. Amazing!

If you're reading this then you know what you're looking for. And Big T's does it WELL. Bbq so good that you can smell the smoke in your nostrils hours after eating. Meat so tender a butter knife will suffice. This place is legit. Stop reading. Just go eat.

First visit, but I will be back. Good service, great food. Meatloaf the best I have ever had. And the beef short ribs weren't bad either.

Always a good choice, if you like meat! We split a Priscilla Platter, intended to serve two, and added on fries on the side (because fries!) and were more than sated by a sampling of pulled pork, brisket, smoked chicken, and ribs!

The meatloaf is to die for mmmm . If you're starving you won't go wrong with a meal Big T's Bbq & Smokehouse

Delicious food, great service and most of all SO many gluten free options for those of us cursed with celiac!! Great all around! �

If you are a diabetic, or have any other sort of medically controlled condition, expect to be treated badly by the staff. "Only crappy thing about the whole thing was how the server handled their personal issue with seeing "diabetic related supplies" on the table. She made rather a fussy, in a note nice tone of voice, asking that they be removed from the table immediately, while the person was still checking their sugar, because if she sees it or even a "drop of blood" she will faint, dead on the floor." Makes you wonder how she can serve a rare steak, doesn't it?

Love this place! It's the first place I go for supper when I visit Calgary!!! Best Gluten Free Meal!

My wife and I were in Calgary yesterday and tried this place for lunch before heading out. She ordered a Smoked chicken burger and I ordered the pulled pork poutine. The pork was very well cooked juicy, smoky, and had just enough spices to give it a subtle bite. There was the perfect amount of gravy but a little bit lite on the cheese. Fries were good and crisp but soft on the inside. The rub used on the chicken tasted great and the chicken perfectly cooked with delicious fresh tomato and lettuce. The only thing I would have done differently would be to pound the chicken or butterfly cut it before putting the rub on so the chicken breast fills the bun allowing you to get tasty chicken in every bite.

I saw this place featured on a show from the food network. We stayed a few doors down and intended to come for dinner but there was a football game going on across the street and this place got packed quickly before the game. We came this morning after opening. So after being seated promptly and checking the menu over, I chose the chicken burger and the husband had the pulled pork poutine. As my picture shows, the chicken brest was as is on a over sized bun. It may have been better served if the chicken was butterflied or pounded out slightly to be the same size as the bun. I tried some of the pulled pork poutine and lacked flavour. Perhaps if the gravy didn’t taste of flour and had it cooked out and with seasonings, perhaps it would work. The poutine also lacked cheese curds. I needed the washroom. They had a old metal table in there. Only thing that could come to mind is a baby change table. Was odd but ok. To much hype for what it was.

Superb! Seriously you can not have a better experience if you are into this kind of cuisine anywhere else in Calgary! It is been more than 5 years now that I am a frequent flyer here and never been disappointed! Service is perfect and food is awesome! The best thing about here is the meat quality! And believe me I am super picky when it comes to meat! <br/>Make sure you try house brewed iced tea! It is awesome! <br/>Just give it a try and you won’t be able to resist the temptation to return!

What a joke, I walked in between 8.30pm and 8.45pm and really didn't want to sit right in the middle of the restaurant. i asked if I could sit at one of the three tables by the window, but was told that that section was now closed because they closed in an hour or so. Seriously, its three tables, that's not a section.<br/>So no one would be able to serve me at those tables because they were maybe 6' from the other "section"<br/>I'm sure this will seem petty to many, but if you've been to that location you can see how small it is, and really not a huge deal if i wanted to sit in the forbidden section

The beef ribs are delicious. Huge portions. Poutine was good. Beans are excellent. Pulled pork wasn’t my favorite and I prefer it more moist. Good overall.

Best pork ribs I've ever had! Smoked to perfection and glazed with just the right amount of sauce. I've eaten a lot of ribs over the years and this has been the best so far

The food was pretty good, but we had a few issues with service. I was part of a big group of 10 people and we had originally made reservations for 14 people. When the first person from our group arrived, he had mentioned to the greeter that we would only have 10 people. I guess this wasn't communicated to our waitress, who seemed annoyed that we didn't tell her that we had 10 people instead of 14. There were several other tables free at the time. Also, while we were eating our food, our waitress asked us (don't think we really had a choice) if she could take one of our two sauce buckets away because they were low on buckets. It was pretty hard for our group of 10 people to share one set of sauce. Lastly, when my friend asked if she could have 3 little containers to take sauce home with her leftover ribs (she probably had at least half a rack leftover), the waitress said she could only have 1 for free and it's $1 for each additional container. I guess it's OK if you just pour sauce on your leftovers, but it's more costly for them to offer you a container to hold the sauce.

Went here for lunch and loved it. Can't wait to go back and try more! Delicious pulled pork, super filling and full of flavour. Can choose marinated coleslaw or spicy, they also have a few different BBQ sauces, i tried the mustard one and it was great. Deep fried pickles and the dip are also very good. Awesome service! Food came quick, although we were there when it wasn't busy.

We had the Priscilla platter and it was a good amount of food. My favourite was the beef brisket, it was so delicious. The pulled pork was good too, it would probably make a really good sandwich. The coleslaw and beans were perfect side dishes. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in Calgary.

Kid friendly<br/>Great bbq for Canada<br/>We had the 80 dollar platter. It was great for two big boys their wives. They have a few bourbon. Not huge selection

I visited this restaurant twice. I liked the food and the setting. I've tried their brisket and dry ribs. I found their cornbread to be moist and tasty. Service was fine the 2 times that I visited the restaurant.

Friendly service, so many options, you definitely need to try this place more then once. The platter for two was the perfect amount of delicious. Delicious spices, sauces and tender flavour filled meats. There is a reason Big T's is known as one of the best places for BBQ. Must try!

A lot of hype and very pricey BBQ. The service has always good even when it has been very busy. The amount of smoke was decent but I found the seasoning to be rather bland... the sides are solidly okay. On our last visit 4 of us shared an elvis platter which is huge. I found the overall experience to be very average especially for the price. My grandmother was born and raised in Georgia and was a bbq queen so maybe she set my standards pretty high.

Busy for a Sunday night but did not have to wait long for a table. Had the gutbuster with veggies. Nothing to write home about for the veggies but the main was great. Lots of food. Friend had the pulled pork with coleslaw and cornbread. She liked her meal as well. Service was pleasant enough. Prices were very reasonable. Recommend this place.

First time going, very good food with good service. Menu is a bit overwhelming, because you want to eat everything.  The gravy is to die for!

I've enjoyed consistently good food and service here for several years. Today's brisket sandwich and onion rings continued the tradition. Tasty. My friend's 🥓 bacon mac and cheese hit all of the right notes; cheesy, salty, smoky. Mmmmmm. Next time its got to be ribs!

Glad to see they have remodelled the place it has changed the atmosphere. I never really enjoyed the food when we had previously gone there but this time was different. I had the brisket and the sausage. I was served the point of the brisket and it was good, I would have liked to have a piece off the flat of the brisket to see how moist it was but never had any on my plate. The sausage was also good as well. The other guests had ribs and they were ok. If you have had allot of BBQ from places down in the Texas and other southern states you may be disappointed but this does know how to BBQ. I do allot of ribs and brisket on my smoker at home and I think mine is just as good... but I maybe a bit biased ;). Overall I will be back when I have a craving for BBQ because Big T's have upped their game over the last few years. The atmosphere is good but they could use more tv's and bigger ones so you can enjoy some football or hockey. The food is good for the price as well! The owner (I assume) seems to be involved in the place and to me this is what is making it a successful restaurant! It is hard to do southern BBQ because the taste can be to sweet or not or to smokey or not enough! Overall it's back on my list as a go to place in the NW.

The place was redecorated since the last time I came. It had a really nice modern and clean pub decor with wood accents. The server was very friendly and helpful. We ordered the 3 meat platter and got the brisket, pulled pork, and sausage. All were really good. The price was excellent as well.<br/><br/>This place is great for a casual dinner will definitely be back.

If you, friends and family are looking to get food poisoning this is the place to come. Came here for my husbands birthday not to long ago. We (8 of us) ordered the meat platter to share. Not even 24 hours later we ALL got violently sick. Called the place to let them know and nobody even cared to call back and apologize. Wasn't looking for a free meal or anything just a simple call back would have done. Will never return here again

If I had an opportunity I would go back to this place. Came here based on positive reviews. Ordered the chicken wings, shrimp and donut shaped appetizers ( can't remember name). With the meat you get a selection of different bbq type sauces. I was happy with the flavor of the meat and the accompanying sauces. Based on food I would come back as I watched others orders come out , all the food looked appetizing. I would recommend this place to friends.

Been several times, didn't do it for me, the feel of the place is good and I enjoyed the surroundings but while the food was okay,I didn't think it lived up to its billing, portions were large but the food was Luke warm and the tastes we kind of on the bland side, BBQ should jump with flavour but this place just didn't have the jump on this night,

I knew that it was a good sign when we arrived at 5 pm in a week day and there was a line up. I loved the lay out and it has a relaxed ambiance. After seeing someone carry out ribs I knew what I had to order. The ribs were tender and I had a choice of bbq sauces to cook it with which was a plus. The baked beans were amazing, and the desserts were to die for. Great service, good drinks, and lots of good food. The only negative was the bathroom is small with only one sink. I opened the door and accidentally hit a little kid. But if small children gets minor injuries during my hunt for good BBQ I'm ok with that.

Wow really good. <br/>I walked in and immediately was hit with the smell of smoked yumminess.<br/>We started with an andouille sausage just because well it's andouille and I must say it was as close to being in Louisiana as if been able to find in alberta, they are not afraid at big t's to spice it properly and it was so juicy I was so happy next time I go I'm trying the "chilli dog"<br/>We then shared the the first platter on the menu. I don't remember the name but I do remember the taste it was near perfection. <br/>Perfectly smoke pulled pork. <br/>Sublime 1/2 chicken<br/>1/2 rack of ribs fall of the bone tender<br/>And the only reason they lose my .5 from a perfect score nicely smoked a seasoned brisket just a little dryer that I would have liked. <br/>Lovely authentic side of beans in nice molassesy goodness and an awesome "spicy" slaw that gave me a chance to avert the meat sweats. <br/>There where three house made BBQ sauces to slather on and further enhance an already tasty Smoke house experience. <br/>Service was fast friendly and fun. <br/>I left quite justified in spending $80. Bucks for a a couple nice sleeves of beer an appie <br/>And a platter of "Q" oh ya forgot cornbread yum. <br/><br/>

Stampede is in full swing and what’s better than a bit of BBQ to satisfy your stampede cravings. Yes you can make your way over to the grounds to get your fill or you can avoid the line up frustrations and get some delicious BBQ at Big T’s. I’ve been meaning to visit Big T’s for as long as I can remember but for some reason never made my way there. Luckily for me I did earlier this year because boy have I been missing out.Atmosphere: Family style restaurant serving big portions in a boisterous surrounding.Price Range: Mid $10s - $30+

Stopped in tonight for our first time for our 22nd Wedding Anniversary, place was nicely set up, atmosphere was spot on, service was top shelf - the staff was super friendly and fun to talk with.  But the food...... RIDICULOUSLY GOOD!  Only regret i have is that i didn't go back and shake the hand of the chef who put our meal together!  We had the Big T Platter that had a little of everything on it and there was so much food 5 people could have eaten it and still had food left to take home.  By far the best BBQ i have had...... ever?!?!?!

Food was delicious and plentiful. We ordered the platter that serves 2, bit of each of their meats. Staff was on the ball despite the restaurant being full. Just wish they had booths for seating.

Lovely local restaurant served authentic food. Highly recommended their BBQ Rib. Love their spicy chilli hot source. You need to try the corn bread and Hush Puppies, so yummy! Also love their wild rose raspberry  beet too.

A great bbq joint. The meat here is always very flavourful and juicy. The pulled pork sandwich ($13) is my personal favourite, and I would definitely recommend it. The brisket is also good, but can sometimes be on the fattier side. There's also a nice range of sauces to compliment the meat, each with varying levels of heat. All the sides are pretty tasty too, especially the onion rings, hush puppies, and sweet potato fries, but the cornbread can often be a bit dry. Surprisingly, the veggie burger's really good for such an otherwise carnivorous menu! I have eaten here many times and have never been disappointed.

Great flavours, tender meat and tasty sides. We ordered the platter for two - slightly disappointed as the brisket was sold out, but sausage was a good substitute. Ribs amazing, definitely recommend. Amazing range of sauces to compliment. Will be back!

Awesome smoke on the ribs! Great choice of side dishes, the spicy slaw is delish! Bucket of sauces provided for you to try! Service was very good, prompt delivery of food and very welcoming friendly staff

If you like meat, you need to come here!! The signature BBQ sauce was delicious. The brisket is something I highly recommend. I normally don't like sausage and I thought the sausage was really good. Bring a big group and order the big platter. You won't regret it!

Generally disappointed with the BBQ.  Soul Kitchen Food truck is far better.  Flavourless. Dry.  <br/><br/>There are too many criticisms of the food to mention. <br/><br/>I will definitely not return.

The only thing that's changed at Big T's BBQ over the years, is the quality of food and service. At one point this was a staple barbeque joint for Calgary, now it's just a relic. Try to source out a more local barbeque establishment before driving to this location.

Highly recommend coming here if you feel ravenous because the portions are huge! So much delicious meat, and it's not over priced either. Super thankful this place is very close to the University of Calgary.

Overall it was decent. The concept is easy to like... The execution not so much... I mean if a restaurant specialized in ribs they should be able to get the ribs real moist and fall off the bone everytime... It's a decent place non the less.

I went here with a group of 15 people. The wait was long but only because the people at the largest table were talking for an hour after they finished eating. Just not cool. The place Was packed but the kitchen staff was standing around as no one had ordered in ages. Staff was friendly and competent. <br/>We finally got a table and I ordered the one meat dinner, brisket with cornbread, smashed potatoes and spicy coleslaw. <br/>The brisket was good, the potatoes were average and the spicy slaw was delicious. I still think the marinated slaw is the best though. <br/>I would give this place a 4 if it was larger.

Went here for lunch with my girlfriend and had the Priscilla platter to share. Overall was very delicious and satisfying. Ribs were fall off the bone, baked beans were nice and smokey, and the chicken had lots of smoked flavour and was still very moist. Only aspect we didn't really enjoy was that the cornbread was dry but the other elements of our meal more than enough made up for that downfall. Definitely would recommended as it was perfect to share. Our server was Danielle, who was very helpful in answering questions and quite knowledge. Her friendly and accommodating service made the experience even better. Can't wait to go back and try their other menu items!

Great spot for a good meal of smoked BBQ! Been here a few times now, food is always tasty and the service is good. Come hungry because the portions are large.

For someone who isn't the biggest fan of meat in general, this is a really great barbecue place. I don't have much to compare it to for a bbq perspective but I really like the different kinds of meats they have. I usually go with a large group and get the Elvis platter. There's always so much left over and it's awesome for the next days lunch. The sides they have are really good too, specifically the cole slaw and rice. Love their deep fried pickles as well.

Tried their $8 and up luncheon menu with a buddy last week and was pleasantly surprised.  The food and service was fine. Good value.  <br/>I ordered the beef brisket on a bun with a choice of a side ($11). I chose the dirty rice. My buddy ordered the pulled pork sandwich with fries. The brisket was smokey and flavourful. The dirty rice was different from what I expected, without the chicken giblets. It was packed full of flavour and fairly spicy.<br/>Service was efficient, we received our orders in about 15 minutes. The waitress was friendly and un-intrusive. The ambiance was relaxed, casual in a bright, open space. Conversation may prove a bit  challenging for the folks who are hard of hearing because the hard floor and walls.<br/>Overall I would recommend it and will go back to try other items.

This has been another time where food networks "you gotta eat here" has lied to me. I was expecting some amazing BBQ and was sadly disappointed. Ordered the half St. Louis ribs and the half chicken with their signature BBQ sauce. None of the ribs fell off the bone and the chicken was drrrrrrryyyyyyy! The sauce however tasted amazing, it's just unfortunate that the meat was crappy. The corn bread was also stale. The best part of the dish was probably the hush puppies. I also ordered a side of mac n' cheese which was cold and disgusting and I NEVER turn down Mac n' cheese.

My husband is a big BBQ fan. We try bbq in whichever city we visit. Overall, Big T's was a disappointment. Great decor. Fantastic waiter. Delicious chili fries. The buck stops there. <br/>1. Corn bread is a staple for bbq joints. This cornbread was so stale and dry that it was inedible. <br/>2. Fried pickles had great crunch and ok flavor. However the dipping sauce for them was tasteless. <br/>3. Fried green tomatoes were greasy with zero taste. They probably used too ripe of tomatoes. They are called green tomatoes for a reason people. <br/>4. The ribs. Bbq ribs are supposed to be the star of the show. However, they were a huge disappointment. Sadly, Montana's (gag) and Tony Roma's (double gag) even have better ribs. Yes, Big T's ribs were tender. That's were the positives end. We had ordered the Maple Bourbon sauce and there was very little on them. The supplied extra sauces on the table did not include the Maple Bourbon, instead there were three other bland and disappointing sauces. <br/>Our bill exceeded $120 and none of us finished or meal. Needless to say, we will not be returning.

Went here a few hours after the labour day classic ended across the street and there were still some fans there so it was fairly busy. We were able to be seated pretty quickly regardless and they were accommodating with a high chair for our toddler. The décor is pretty much what is expected from a BBQ joint. The service staff were friendly. I had a chicken sandwhich, it was good but nothing super amazing. My wife had a catfish that she really enjoyed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone looking for some BBQ.

Meat lovers paradise! We got the Priscilla platter for 2 and sampled a delicious array of beef brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken and it came with a small side of coleslaw, baked beans and cornbread. Would be perfectly enough to feed 3 people but we must of been really hungry. I wish there were more veggies but a strong recommendation if you are craving some good BBQ! Try their variety of BBQ sauces too!

Simply a perfect meal. Great service, great hospitality, great value. It doesn't get better than this.<br/><br/>We will be back again and again. It is the perfect place to entertain good friends.

We came here because of "YOU GOTTA EAT HERE". the patty is okay, a bit less favor on the chicken, service is pretty slow too. a good try but not the best

"Juliaaaaaaaa!", a waitress from Ontario (you can tell who she is by her laugh), is very welcoming. Chard, the GM, is a rock star. The renos look great and open the place up. The food...am I in Memphis? Make sure you try the brisket, dirty rice and fried green tomatoes. Righteous food...

I know this is stupid... Being a vegetarian going to a BBQ smokehouse!!! But I'll comment anyways.. (to help other vegetarians lol??) The service was awesome and friendly! The manager is very nice too, and I didn't try the meat or anything but I heard it was good (the ribs), but that the burger and some sausage sandwich wasn't anything special. So as anyone could guess, I got the veggie burger and although I appreciate that they even have a veggie burger, it wasn't very flavourful... But luckily they have those homemade sauces. Also the fried pickles were really good!

We love the new look at Big T's since their reno in January, and it's the same great food and service they've always had! We have always had a great experience at this restaurant, and tonight we went with some out-of-town family for dinner, and it was fantastic. The food was great (we had a few different orders of the ribs, the gut buster (my hubby's fave), the pulled pork sandwich (ask for it with the spicy slaw) and some appies - fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, hush puppies) and the service was way above par. Our server was friendly and fun, and the GM was a super guy. Excellent experience all around, we'll definitely continue going to Big T's for our BBQ fix!

This is not a cheap restaurant. The decor is extensive and the wait staff are very friendly and young. A good place to gather with friends. Lots of parking. The food was not remarkable to my tastes but there are multiple BBQ sauces that are quite nice.

Delicious food better than before. Great renovations. Prices should be $$$ now but worth the price. Brisket and Andouille sausage the best and don't forget deep fried pickles!!

Great BBQ Chicken, Pulled Pork, Rib Ends, Andouille Sausage, Hush Puppies, Deep Fried Pickles & Sides (Spicy Coleslaw, Beans, Cornbreads, Etc). Fantastic renovations have also recently been completed.

<br/>I have been here a few times before they renovated. It was good bbq... but the mac n cheese was really bad. Just fake cheese like KD. Serious! Soupy mess. Was not impressed.<br/>I went a few weeks ago and mentioned the mac n cheese. The waiter said it is the real deal now. Good. Looking forward to<br/>trying it. My husband had the brisket burger and i had the smokey Southern melt. So good!!<br/>Ceasars were great! Waitress was great.<br/><br/>We will be back!

Went with a group of friends today and even with a few hiccups it was great. We had a larger group and even though we had to wait a bit the manager was great and kept giving us an update on how long it'd be. Then when one of the girls complained that her meal was way too salty the waitress was fantastic and instead of ignoring us, she listened to our concern and offered to get her another sandwich, she declined. The waitress came back to tell us as we were paying that she'd mentioned it to another waitress who said that she'd had it the day before and felt the same, so she would make sure to mention it to the cooks to cut back on the salt. Keep up the good work!

Wow. Amazing food. Most of the items on the menu are gluten free! and they really take pride in that. Modern but nicely done interior. Friendly staff and manager. You can see the kitchen from the dining area which is cool. The bbq sauces are made on the premises. What we liked is that they don't pre-smother everything in sauce, instead they bring 3 different sauces to the table. We had pulled pork, chili covered fries, ribs, half a chicken, meatloaf and onion rings and it was all superb. Right next to LRT and McMahon Stadium ... and Crowchild.

Smoked Meatloaf. My boyfriend and I were visiting Alberta from Ontario and gave this place a try. <br/>The service was terrific. We ordered the smoked meatloaf and brisket sandwich. Both dishes were really great. The in house made sauces were a good compliment. The meatloaf was moist and had just enough smoke. The brisket had a nice smoke ring, good pull and stayed moist. I would recommend this place, and we will return if we find ourselves in Calgary again.

Happened by this place and was blown away. Meatloaf was extremely moist and had great flavour. I really liked the spicy kick it had. I've had better cornbread, but it was still decent. All so good I came back the next day.

Excellent!!!!. Ordered the big T plate and its soooo good!!!!

It's not that good. I had two sandwhiches and both where dry and the quality of meat was horrible and then the two sets of ribs same thing bit had no taste and believe me or not Joeys had way better ribs maybe when they opened Frist they had good stuff but after my experience I will<br/>Never eat their again

We went on Saturday over the Easter holidays and it was packed! They don’t take reservations after 5PM so if you’re going later on a weekend be prepared to wait. One of the management staff was kind enough to offer Hushpuppies to the people waiting for tables. They were piping hot and the maple syrup dip was the perfect touch.<br/><br/>For starters my family shared an onion rings and my sister had an order of deep fried pickles to herself. I’m not a pickle fan, but she loved them and from the tiny bit I ate they weren’t bad. The onion rings were good. Nothing special and I didn’t enjoy the dipping sauce.

Pretty good. I need to say that I have not been to Big T's since the renovation but before that was a regular starting from the opening. I live nearby and often went to Big T's with family and friends. I always enjoyed it and found it pretty good. I have had a lot of barbecue all over the US and Big T's compares pretty well. It is pretty good but not outstanding. I go because it is pretty good and there aren't many choices for barbecue in Calgary.

This is my new favorite family meal place. The food is amazingly good. Service is excellent!

The Best. This is my nee favorite place to go on a friday night.<br/>Awsome deep fried pickles. The staff are so nice. A small wait at supper time, but very much worth it. We will be back!

Crazy. They seat 2s and 4s and people with 5 or 6 don't get in!

Great space, great staff and great food!!! Fantastic upgrade on the renos!

FANTASTIC!. I love this place. It was just a huge coincidence that we were all craving ribs/Big's T's last night, only to find out they had JUST reopened after a 6 week renovations. My better half frequents the US, especially Texas, and I too have tried Pappa's BBQ. Big T's is WaaaaayyyyyYY better!! And the service is wonderful, too. Just a wonderful experience all through out our evening. We also enjoyed the chocolate pecan pie, and even though they didn't have any sauce to drizzle over it, it didn't need it. Rich and delicious! Calgary has many excellent dining establishments without ever having to venture into any of the "chain" establishments. Big T's is one of out favorites!

Love this place! Can't wait for it to reopen! Love the deep fried pickles and the deserts!!!!

Underwhelming. Prices high, portions small, service adequate. Totally underwhelmed by whole experience. I won't be back.

Bring Back the Old Big T's. Although Big T's is still quite good, it sure has changed from a few years ago. The prices have went up, the portion sizes have went down, and even the quality has went down. The pulled pork used to be super moist and melt-in-your-mouth tender every time. Lately, it just tastes like the same slightly chewy pulled pork that you can get at any chain restaurant. Even the buns have changed! They used to be Calgary Italian Bakery buns that were obviously as fresh as possible. Now, slightly stale buns that taste like the old hamburger buns from a grocery store. The side order of Burgoo used to be a decent sized bowl with lots of meat and veggies in it. Now, the side order is about 4 spoonfuls and is mostly just potato and you are lucky to get more than one piece of meat in it. The new decor at the Deer Run location has completely taken away the "Blues and BBQ" charm that the McMahon location has always had. It just feels like a cheap chain restaurant that has moved to town. I really hope that the McMahon location isn't being renovated to match the Deer Run location. I still want to love Big T's but its losing all the charm and the delicious BBQ that the original location used to represent which has all but disappeared since Big T's was on You Gotta Eat Here. I won't give up but I have to say I am really disappointed, Big T's used to be my favorite restaurant in the city, not so much anymore :-(

Favourite BBQ in Calgary. We have had the pleasure of visiting Big T on many occasions and we always come away with happy bellies and happy minds. Top notch establishment.<br/><br/>Joe

Big ts BBQ review. I had a full rack of St. Louis style ribs.<br/>I also had the full rack of baby back ribs.<br/>Spicy coleslaw and onion rings.<br/>Plain coleslaw and fries.<br/>Overall I would rate the food at 5 out of 10. The above order with 2 root beers cost a total of 68 dollars. It did not turn out to be a good value. At almost 4 dollars per rib the enjoyment really wasn't there. I would recommend spending your money elsewhere.

What an absolutely amazing experience last night at the grand opening for the one in deer run. The staff was super nice and right on the button with everything. We ordered the Elvis platter and oh my gosh!!!!! What amazing delicious food!!!!! I could not complain about one thing everything was just so amazing. I would highly recommend this place to absolutely everyone I know :) thank you so much for a night I will never forget!!!! The picture I have loaded is what was left from 6 of us eating completely worth every last cent!!!

Loved the Big T Platter. Three of us split a Big T Platter and had plenty of left over. The ribs were fantastic. Everything was delicious, and the service was great too.

Really good bbq. This place is beside our hotel and we decided to give it a shot and the food was really good! I picked the 3 meat and my girlfriend tried the 2 meat sandwich.<br/>I had brisket, catfish and chicken. the brisket was great, not a lot of seasoning but very tender. the catfish wasn't anything special but not bad, the chicken was great!! the sauce on it was really good and it was really moist. the cornbread was so dry, I've never had anything as dry as it was. the sandwich had brisket and pulled pork. she had no complaints about any of it. <br/>just as we sat down a guy was paying for his meal and told the waitress to give his compliments to the chef because he was from Houston and he couldn't find anything as good what he just had.

Best food in Calgary. I have been to Big T's often since moving to Calgary and have never been disappointed. The service is always fantastic, and the food is even better. You are always greeted and seated as soon as possible, and all the staff are friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu items. Their deep fried pickles and BBQ sauces are to die for!

Looking for Ribs.... Working out of town, Big-T was working distance from the hotel.<br/>Great ribs,great service and cold beer.<br/>I will be back.<br/><br/><br/>-----18 Nov, 2014-----<br/><br/>St. Louis Style Ribs. Drop off the bone ribs with a dry rub baked in. Ordered with dirty rice and bake beans.

Good bbq but there's better in the city.... Went to Big T's for the first time since moving here. I've made it a mission of mine to find the best bbq in the city and i must say that Calgary hasn't disappointed. We shared the platter and although it was good, it was a bit dry and lacked that smoked flavour i'm accustomed to. If you live near Big T's, its a great bbq option, but if you're just looking for the best i would suggest Bookers BBQ. Palomino is also decent and would rank as the same quality as Big T's. As for the service, this definitely needs work. Atmosphere is okay but doesn't compare to Palomino or Bookers. Like i said, the bbq is good so please don't let this review deter you. Everyone is different and is just my opinion. I'm from down south so i have more expectations than most when it comes to the food. I'll be back IF i'm in the area...

Having mixed thoughts...We have been here many times and always loved the food and experience. The last 2 times we went the service was terrible! Will try again and hope for better because the ribs are excellent!

Not a good as last time. My last visit I was wowed by the food. This time my meaty ribs were fatty and greasy. I hope the quality of the meat didn't go with the Reno<br/><br/><br/>-----16 Oct, 2014-----<br/><br/>The baby backs were big, beautiful, and tasty. The sides are plentiful as well. This place is pure and simple good eats

Loved the smokey flavour. We were visiting Calgary last week and enjoyed Big T's so much we ate there twice. Memphis dry rub ribs were moist and delicious. Beef brisket and chicken breast were excellent with a great smokey flavour. The coleslaw was very good too, although it might be too spicy for some. Corn bread was good one night but overdone, dry and crumbly the other night. Fast and friendly service both times. If you're a meat lover, I would recommend Big T's.

Great service ruined by disappointing unsalvageable food.. Can't understand how this place has any good reviews. <br/><br/>Ordered: <br/>Fried pickles <br/>Cornbread<br/>Mac n cheese <br/>Creole shrimp<br/>Catfish with hush puppies<br/>Would've ordered more, and looked forward to BBQ ribs, but after eating the above, we figured there couldn't be anything that came out of that kitchen that we would have considered tasty. <br/><br/>I love deep fried pickles. Juicy, crunchy pickles deep fried in a great batter and fresh, clean oil is so satisfying. The skinny turds that came out of the kitchen and hit our table were the exact opposite. The fried outer crust came off the limp, elastic little guys - not crispy, but very hard. Like you were biting into double-fried day-old [insert any food item that can be fried here]. <br/><br/>At least the fried pickles were warm, which was more than we could say for the cornbread. This particular disappointment tasted bland and dry, as if a pan of it was made yesterday morning and sat there uncovered and neglected, waiting for us to eat it at dinner lest it be thrown away in the trash (which is what the cook really should have done when he came on shift). We got through half a square of this appetizer, and left the other 5 pieces behind. <br/><br/>Onto the buttered bread that came on the side of the creole shrimp. Cold. Lifeless. Hoagie bun with butter on it. On the side of what was otherwise the tastiest item we ordered. Creole shrimp were good. We ate those. Not spectacular but the best item out of what we ordered, hands down. <br/><br/>Mac n cheese, similarly, was alright. I don't know if our expectations were too high, but between the two of us, we could have made a tastier kraft dinner. It was gooey and perfect for sharing, just like its description says. Also, it was steaming when it got to the table. All good signs. <br/><br/>We had high hopes for the catfish. We are fans of southern style cooking and like I said, we were going to order BBQ smothered goodness until we realized that there ain't no love in any of these items. The catfish was edible. The side of coleslaw was acidic and sour. "Mmm little doughnuts!" we thought, when we saw the hush puppies. Little did we know they would also taste like deep fried day old cornbread that sat in a pass-through window for half a day before unfortunately reaching someone's mouth. <br/><br/>Our server was friendly, prompt, and knowledgable. And deserving of his tip. I'm hoping he didn't have to tip out the kitchen at the end of the night, because those guys robbed us of an enjoyable, edible dinner. <br/><br/>In case you're wondering, there wasn't any point in asking to remake any of the dishes. They were all subpar. I don't care that if the portions are big, the food is relatively cheap or that it seems to be family friendly. Who cares, when you suspect the cooks think you might be some rabid animal that will indiscriminately eat food shaped items. Quality over quantity!<br/><br/>Would never come back here unless I was completely obliterated-drunk and not at all particular about what I fuelled myself with.<br/><br/>After reading others' decent reviews of this place, I figure either the food is completely inconsistent, or they have to be friends of the owner. Hopefully if someone else is brave enough to eat here, they are fed by much better cooks, or fresher, higher quality food. Calgary has much better food and higher standards than this.

Good friends are nearly regulars here, and have been telling me about it for months. I don't get the negative reviews. We went early, got an immediate seat, and was treated to excellent service, great food, and John was an absolute delight! I'll be back! Good luck with the renos! I can hardly wait. Holy Smoke, you have to step up your game to beat this level of good.

Great food and service - will be back!. I've seen some poor reviews on this site; however, we didn't experience anything but great food and great customer service. There were two of us on a Saturday - we got there about 5:50pm and the place was full, there was a group of 5 in line in front of us and we were told 10-20 mins wait. It was about 15 mins. Not bad. But the line behind us went crazy by 6 - there were a lot of people wanting to get in! <br/><br/>So, first off, our waitress Angela was great. She explained everything. We got the deepfried pickles to start and they were good - the batter was very crisp, with a cornmeal base and the pickles were big and tasted like homemade. The dipping sauce for the pickles was very good. We could have got the Big T's Platter to share, but opted for the half rib/half chicken combo with corn fritters as a side and the Three Meat Combo with brisket, catfish and smoked meatloaf, with burgoo as the side with the intent to share it all. General comments: the baby back ribs with the sauce we chose were great! Fall off the bone, not dry, and very flavourful. The chicken, yes, it was dry... but what do you expect when you smoke a little chicken? Just cover it with their homemade sauces and enjoy! The smoked meatloaf was delish! It had chunks of peppers, onions, and was a good, dense, flavourful chunk of meat! The catfish had a crispy coating (I think cornmeal again) but the fish inside was mushy. It tasted really good dipped in the homemade spicy mustard sauce, but I didn't like the soft fish. The brisket was good - not too fatty like some are. The burgoo soup had great cajun flavour - I just ate around the potatoes because I had SO much food to eat! The corn bread was dry, yes, but I've never in my life had a corn bread I enjoyed. The beans were awesome - there was even smoked meat inside the beans! The were a dark, flavourful little bowl of goodness! The coleslaw had mustard in it - my boyfriend was the first to say he really liked it. And it was quite refreshing. The corn fritters - OMG - save them for dessert and dip them in the warm syrup they provide... it's like a combination of a pancake and a timbit and something made with love! Yum! <br/><br/>We will for sure be back, and will bring family from out of town as a treat. The one consideration of getting the plates to share versus getting a platter, is that with the platter you get a tonne of fries. If you want to fill up on fries, that's fine. But, you may want to consider sharing multiple plates like we did so you can try more sides and don't have to worry about filling up on fries.

NOT what it used to be. Been to Big T's many times but the last couple of times have been a total let down. First, the customer service WAS friendly but these last couple of times...so not. The waitresses face was in a knot and she acted like she just wanted outa there. Really not a good impression! <br/>Secondly, the food! Ok... Got the pulled pork sandwich and it was dry, overcooked and flavourless. Like really DRY. I had to douse it with bbq sauce just to make it edible. The beans and coleslaw were good, as usual. Just a note to the cooks if they read this....hot meat should never be put on a cold bun, (you cant put it on the grill for a minute before plating?) and why are we using store bought buns?? YUCK. The whole sandwich was just a huge disappointment. My friend got the brisket sandwich and it was also dry and the meat had no flavour either. The corn bread is sooooo BAD....dry as dust, just nasty. They have seriously reduced the portions too. Poor, poor quality food!<br/>Thirdly, the place was dirty. Took a quick look around and the floors are greasy and dirty and there is so much dust on the ceiling you know that s**t is falling in your food. Theres dust hanging on the bar overhang and on the other décor as well. Totally gross<br/>The owners need to seriously step it up or they will be outta business so soon. Right now the fixes are easy and could bring back customers who have given up.<br/>POINTERS:<br/>Work on sincere friendly service. Train cooking staff!<br/>Improve food...fresh fresh fresh, get some new recipes (replace the corn bread and dried out meat) and have some specials!<br/>Give the place a makeover. CLEAN, paint, lose the rundown, dated décor. <br/>RE-OPEN

Big Burger!. I went to Big T's BBQ last night and had a lovely experience. I got the burger and oh was it good! It was everything I wanted the burger to be. You could taste how fresh it was, it was juicy and delicious! I also got the deep fried dill pickles. I loved how crispy the batter was. So much better than other places that use a beer batter that gets soggy. I can't wait to go back and take all my friends!

For a BBQ place in Calgary, it was okay. I like the space itself, interesting and fun. The service was a bit frantic, and there seemed to be a bit of confusion with tables. <br/><br/>The problem with BBQ restaurants is that the menu selection can be huge, with lots of sides to add on. I had the smoked meatloaf, which was pretty moist, good portion size, although I couldn't identify the main flavor. The cornbread was dry and not good. The hushpuppies were dense and dry. Normally hushpuppies have pieces of corn in them with are a bit rustic. These looked like processed food, very uniform, uninteresting. <br/><br/>For the prices charged, the food should be better prepared. The menu is too big, cut it down, 86 the sides that underwhelm, and focus on "wowing" customers, not just hammering out average grub, table after table.

The best BBQ in town !!!! Love the fact things are not smoothered in sauce they bring it to your table and you can choose the flavor and how much. We had the combo platter -- great individual flavours. Our server was the best!! Even photo bomed us - so awesome. We will be back and telling everyone.

Meh.... Nothing spectacular. Had deep fried pickles, hush puppies and sausage. Didn't care for the corn fritters at all. Very dry and crumbly. Too much breading. I prefer chicken on the way's fritters. Yum. <br/>The deep fried pickles were nothing spectacular either. Batter was too thick and crunchy. <br/>Service was fast and friendly. Atmosphere wasn't what we expected. Small and outdated. But I guess it suits a bbq shack. Won't return

Everything same flavored smoke. Found quite dry. Service was good. Probably not one we'd recommend

Delightful and tasty experience at Big T's. We ordered the Big T's Elvis Platter. It was huge, but the smoky, barbecue flavor was terrific. The platter gives <br/>you samples of all of their meats, lots of fries, baked beans and dirty rice, all of which were delicious. The restaurant is small and full and John, the host, creates a wonderful atmosphere. We will go there again.

Tasty food and drinks!. Went here for a buddies birthday. We ordered the Big T's Platter, and it was more than enough for the group of us. The pulled pork and sliced brisket were my personal favourites as they were both perfectly smoked. We also had the deep fried pickles and smoked chicken wings. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for something different.

Amazing. I had the chicken burger with shack fries and a side of corn bread. I have tried many different chicken burgers and this one has to be the best I have ever had when eating out. The food there I think was even better than the keg and white spot as it tastes homemade. I recommend the shack fries as well. I will definitely go back to eat here again.

Bummer Burger. For a BBQ Smokehouse that appeared on a Food Network show, I was sadly disappointed by the food. I ordered the Big T's Hickory Burger and my date ordered Pulled Pork Dinner... I was expecting a big juicy burger, instead I was disappointed with what appeared to be a frozen patty!!! It was topped with dry brisket that did not add flavour to the burger. It was finally topped with an onion ring and hickory sticks, which could have been towered by some delicious onion rings. My dates pulled pork lacked something, we would have preferred it be tossed in BBQ till its dripping! Service was fine, no family feel to it though. The beer did have floaties, which happens, no biggy, and from my experience it did not appear to be a 16 oz Pint which was indicated on the menu. I suppose ordering one of their signature dishes would taste better, but if its on the menu it should also deliver. Sadly I will not be back!

Truly a flavourful experience!. Have been wanting to drop by on my next trip to Calgary since I saw it on Gotta eat here.<br/>Had the 2 meat (Chicken Breast and 1/2 rack of Baby Back Ribs). Excellent texture, cooked just right, not dry, nice smoky flavour.<br/>Server was excellent, attentive and food came very quickly. Chili was just the right amount of heat too!<br/>Would highly recommend!

Awesome food! If you like meat you will like this place. Great cornbread too

Best BBQ in the city! My boyfriend took me here for my first time today and I have nothing bad to say. The food was five star, and we even got to meet the owner and he was an awesome, down to earth guy. I will definitely be back and recommend this place to anyone!