Review Holy Smoke Bbq

Paul Ekberg

Ordered skip the dishes pickup from the 16th Ave location by accident and they honored the order! That type of service is never forgotten, super friendly and helpful staff! And I have a delicious brisket sandwich, ribs and coleslaw, the day is saved!

Behnam Rashidian

Best BBQ place in Calgary. The food and service here is a lot better than Hayden Block and any other BBQ place in Calgary. It’s not a place for a romantic date but you get your money’s worth and come out happy.

Adam F

Absolutely delicious food. But setting aside the food I want to address the service. I arrived a short while before close and the girl helping us out went out of her way to prepare us a meal that I genuinely didn't expect. Everything was still hot and fresh. Everything was available. That's not something I expected. We ended up ordering 2 sandwiches and a whole mess of ribs. Absolutely delicious. Fall off the bone tender. Smokey and well seasoned.

Joseph Vedres

Great portion size. Friendly laid back staff. Great bbq sauce selection and suggestions

David Penny

Highly recommend the pulled pork on a pretzel bun. It was probably one of the best sandwiches I've had in a really long time. Paired up with their great selection of sauces you can really find something to suit your taste -from smokey and sweet to spicy and my personal favorite, their BBQ Horseradish sauce. Prices are totally reasonable, and you definitely get more than what you pay for! Get the platter and choose from a handful of different sides like corn bread, coleslaw, and fries (which are seasoned to perfection!) I absolutely enjoyed every bite, and will definitely be back again, but I'll make sure to wear something that has a little elastic in the waist!

Aaron Santos

Absolutely amazing food looked small when we got it but omg so worth it amazing scrumptious done bbq and deliciously baked cornbread. . Yummy shakes

Rob Fegan

Was here about a year or so ago thought it was great, but this time not nearly as good. Brisket sandwich was well portioned but I found it a bit dry, saved only by the many delicious sauces. However I ordered a Pepsi as the drink selection was fairly limited. I got it and the top of the can was filthy. Kinda grossed me out.

Carina Kwok

This tiny restaurant specializes in BBQ and sauce, choosing to do a limited menu to perfection. They offer pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked chicken and ribs, along with a variety of sides, like the best cornbread in the city. They make a huge selection of sauces, ranging from sweet and mild to smoky Jack Daniels to spicy. Prices are reasonable. Service is functional and I've always found it to be friendly. I've observed most customers coming in standing and staring at the menu until they decide so the staff doesn't interrupt but waits patiently. You order at one end of the counter then move down to the other end to choose your drink, pay, then sauce your meat. Holy Smoke has small cups beside the racks of sauce bottles so you can taste multiple sauces on your sandwich. There are about 12 seats indoors along the window, plus one small table for 4. There are 3 tables for two outside. Behind the building, there is a large park with picnic tables - a much nicer outdoor space to eat. Parking lot is small but ample when the Chinese restaurant next door is closed.

Mr Jimmy

I love this place, any of the locations is great, consistent quality and great service. Watch for the pop up food truck downtown. The smoked pulled pork is amazing, the manwiche is a go to. I have never had anything I would not have again.

Chmacdaddy

All food is good & the fries are outstanding. Used to order from here all the time but have now stopped after having their pulled pork sandwich the last 2 times, only to to be removing bone shards from the meat. Was a bit unexpected & hard on the teeth. Seems more like carelessly shaved with an electric knife pork sandwich than pulled pork.

Facebook User

For 14.88 you get the barnyard a huge portion of smoked brisket, smoked pull pork and smoked chicken sandwich can’t be beat great price for portion of really good BBQ. Best in town by far. Too many in house made sauces to list if you haven’t been get down there. Great service smiles all around. Small place, big taste. Can’t speak more highly. My go to for BBQ now, even though it’s 15 minutes drive away well worth the trip. Is there a 6 star category?

John Dobson

$14.34 for a pulled pork sandwich and a can of pop. Are you kidding me? Weighed less than a quarter pounder at Mc D's. And you have no choice but to leave a tip with their debit machine. NEVER AGAIN!

Big_Spoon

Not bad. I was expecting a little more. I had the large brisket sandwich and a tart, the brisket was tender but it didn't have enough BBQ sauce. The tart was a total disappointment. I've had better BBQ at Bookers or Palomino.

Cindy

I got the chili while my friends got pulled pork and the brisket. The meat in the sandwiches were bland and the sauces didn't help. The chili was made with pulled pork I assume but it just felt like a mouthful of sauce and not a hearty chili. Minimal amount of vegetable/beans if any at all. We arrived at 740 and they said we had to eat outside after we ordered because they were closing but Google/zomato both say they close at 9? Not impressed.

Scruffle

I like Holy Smoke, and I've been to all three locations several times -- there's another one in Deerfoot mall. Apparently they're run by three separate partners and they're all just a bit different, although the meat apparently comes from the same main outlet off Blackfoot. Nothing is made here on site except maybe the chicken and the sides. And yes, they are made from scratch. I love the sauces, horseradish and Carolina mustard are my faves. I find this location to be more convenient being on 16 but the food isn't as good as Blackfoot. You really have to get down there on a day when they're smoking ribs and brisket to get it fresh. And yes, the prices have creeped up. What used to be a $10 lunch is now $15, which is getting into expense account territory. But overall, good quality Q. As good as any in Texas or Mississippi and definitely the best in this city for the money.

Massal

Followed the advice of other eaters and was rewarded. Had the beef brisket sandwich with "hot momma sauce " and coleslaw. A perfect lunch with a residual burn.

Jf

Passed by this place a few times and finally made the decision to check it out. The staff were very helpful, pleasant and suggested the "Manwich" for a first time customer. I had the potato salad instead of the coleslaw and once I tried the salad , it tasted as if it was store bought and not made in house. However I did not ask to their defence if this is true. In terms of the "Manwich", not overly impressed. Meat was not seasoned enough, bun a bit dry, and not worth the $30 for myself and brother's lunch (Included tip). Not horrible, but definitely not great :)

BriGuy28ca Food Reviews

Had lunch today at Holy Smoke... Not overly impressed. The meat was greasy and felt leftover, the ribs have changed in size, and the sauces tasted topped up with to much vinegar. I still love the food, hoping today was a bad day for the kitchen!!

Fat Mak

headed over for lunch and ordered the large beef brisket sandwich, a few rib bones and the coleslaw. i had a difficult time picking between the brisket and the pulled pork, but having tasted the brisket - i'll def be back to try the pulled pork and chilli con carne. very reasonably priced, good bbq - nice variety of bbq sauces. just a note, like most bbq pits that i visited - this was mostly counter eating.

A.D.

Is it the best BBQ? Best best? Hmm, but In Calgary? Like best good? Maybe... Good best? Best Eva? Maybe... Maybe.... Well anyway - real good meat. A tonne of sauces. Don't skimp on sauces, that's the fun but. It's missed if you brake it to go. And amazing milk shakes. Maybe better than peters down the road. Maybe... Yes.

Laut

I've eaten at their food truck and stampede locations multiple times and love it! The staff are always friendly and give great advise on what to order if you're never sure. Pulled pork with the Carolina sauce all the way!

Chris Symes

6-8 good sized ribs, a quartet chicken, slaw, cornbread and liter of lemonade, like 20 bucks. Great deal, real food. Cooked that day, about a dozen different sauces (I like house and honey garlic) haven't tried anything else, won't be until I'm sick of those ribs, which I can't see happening ever. Check it out, awesome if you're in a hurry/too high to be in public.

G Hatch

Good food, good sauces. No great places to sit down. The ambiance of the Blackfoot location is much better. .

Ryan Kelly

Not quite as good as its sister location in the south, it's still worth grabbing some corn bread and brisket to go if you're driving along 16th.

Vic Michalowsky-S.

When eating AT Holy Smoke, the food and service is fantastic. However, I tried ordering catering from this restaurant (because the food is delicious) and I was severely disappointed in their customer service. I never received a response back from their catering person's email, so I had to call in and have since been dealing with someone else. And even though he was very nice and courteous on the phone it has taken me almost TWO MONTHS to be get two quotes (based on two different guest numbers) from them. Because it's taken so long, my numbers have changed again and I'm not even going to bother asking for a new quote. I'm going with a different caterer since my event is next week and I don't think I could trust Holy Smoke to deliver on time or at all.

Mike Sheret

Hey all of you guys (and gals!) went here last week and all I can say is WOW what a sauce collection. Lots of meat more meat than I can usually handle. Place was a bit small though wouldn't go here till probably the 5th date once I get to know you. I was too hungry so didn't get a chance to take a pic before my meal (see after pic plz). Oh yeah parking spots are really small had to jump in through my passenger side cause of trucks! Anyways all you followers hit me up if you want to meet up some other time my fellow foodies!

Bkruppi

Awesome BBQ. We stopped in on Thursday night to get take out. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich which they topped with coleslaw. The sandwich was full of flavor and as well you have the ability to fill as many containers you would like with the various sauces that Holy Smoke BBQ has available. My husband had the Manwich which he thoroughly enjoyed and his favorite sauce for it was the horseradish sauce. For side dishes we picked the potato salad and baked beans. I loved the potato salad and it was seasoned well and very tasty. At this point I would have given Holy Smoke BBQ - a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars. The big disappointment was the baked beans. They are bland and need some zing to them. Perhaps Holy Smoke will revisit their baked beans and add some flavour - such as molasses, bacon, maple syrup, mustard just to get some more flavour in the beans. I will be back for the sandwiches and definitely the awesome potato salad.

Lnrs

Tender meat but extremely bland! I had the pulled pork sandwich with two ribs. They were both flavourless and you need to dose the food in their BBQ sauce for any flavour. The meat however was tender.

James

Terrible experience. Served by an older lady who didn't understand a word of English and a girl with pink hair who was like a zombie. Suffice to say the order was incorrect. Meat was good but cold. Sauce taste and selection was excellent. They need to staff this place properly. I will never be back to this location.

Jessemariereeves95

I'll be back. Went there for the first time and it was about 10minutes to close and we were still far so I called and they stayed open for us two and gave GREAT service. Gave us extra ribs and lemonade :) and the sauces are amazing ! They were so nice and so helpful. And for everyone that says the meat have no flavours , that's why you get to choose out of so many sauces. Thank you holy smoke ! I will definitely back solely because of the service I received .

Zab.frances

Pulled Pork Sandwich. A bit greasy but so flavorful! The choices of bbq sauce are the cherry on top! Good portion of pork and the option to have coleslaw was great.

Elizabeth Blake

Pulled Pork Sandwich. To die for! Love this place and love that you can buy sauces to take home. Corn bread a must as well as the lemonade. This is one of my go to places to eat

T.ma88

Very Oily, No flavor. Went out to the foodtruck with a couple of co-workers. We all ordered the "Manwich". Had tons of meat, but the downside was that there was no flavor or seasoning on the meat. By the end of my last bite, there was a pool of grease and oil. Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Aightcoo88

Downhill. This place, when it opened, was pretty good. But as of my latest trip there last week, you can tell by the quality of the food that things have fallen apart just like the pulled pork that they serve. The meat is now dry, prices are as high as ever, and like normal - parking is limited to about 5 stalls. Not worth the time nor the effort to visit. There are better places in town that are miles ahead of this place.

Lankanlioness

Love everything about this place. I have been here a couple of time and I really have nothing but great things to say about it! The best part is all the complimentary sauces that they have! I would recommend trying all of them, especially the spicy ones if you are up for it! The homemade lemonade is perfect for a nice hot summer day. Highly recommended for a nice quick lunch! I only wish that they had a location in the NW of Calgary!

Rob

Not bad, but not good either.. My wife and I ate here recently. Having just returned from the south, we were hoping for some southern style BBQ. This is not similar at all (although I don't know if that is their intention). I had the brisket sandwich, which was ok. The meat really wasn't anything special. My wife had a the pulled pork sandwich, which was on the dryer side. Both were served on sort of plain white 'Wonder Bread' style buns which didn't add anything to the mix. I also had 2 ribs, which were a bit tough. My wife had the cornbread, which was nothing special either. Also, you sauce the sandwiches and ribs yourself after they are made. It would nice to see an option to have your meat tossed in a bowl with sauce so that you can get more than superficial top coverage. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad food, but it's not anything special either.

Facebook User

Holy Smokes BBQ. Had the Beef Brisket and Chili Con Carne, and both were awesome!! Staff are friendly and helpful..!!

Rambo

Worst ribs, fatty brisket!. Picked up a dozen ribs, and some brisket Sunday afternoon. Bad decision, the ribs where way under, cooked still "pink" inside, to the point of "no way", into the oven for a couple of hours! The brisket had "large" chunks of fat, you know the kind that squeezes through your teeth and you gag! For the price, "no more".

Steph

Great sauces!. Yum yum yum! Love the selection of sauces.

A And D Food Team

Pretty impressive. We were there yesterday and ordered a Pulled Pork sandwich and a Manwich. We washed it down with lemonade and a root beer milkshake. Food was great, awesome selection of BBQ sauces too!

Nathan

Always get The Manwich (half pulled pork, half beef brisket). Their corn bread is so delicious and moist that I always regret only having one piece. Kind staff and a great atmosphere. Even better still is the price for the quality of food they provide.

Chris

Are the buns oily? Yup, grab some extra napkins. Not enough sauce on the pulled pork? Yup, sauce it up to your liking. Can't complain with to much or too little if you do it yourself. Plenty of sauces to choose from. Loved the Dr. Pepper milkshake. I'm getting my own and not going to share. Best part going there. My hands smelt like campfire for the rest of the day. Mmmmm. I'll be back.

Chris

First things first. You're in Calgary NOT the United States. Secondly, this place is the best BBQ in this city. The staff is friendly and it has a great selection of sauces. I've had BBQ In KC and Iowa, and nothing compares. However if you got a craving for brisket and pulled pork then Holy Smoke is the place to go.

Ricosuave

Not bad, but.... You would likely do better by making it yourself. Seriously, google is your friend, and so is a slow cooker. They started out gang busters down off Blackfoot, but between then and now, they lost something. A little on the pricy side, they are certainly better than Big T's, but thats not saying much. Their cornbread was a little too dry, as were their ribs, but the meat was still OK, and the only thing that saved it was the wide variety of sauces. Worth a try.

Michael Buzan

Yankee says go to Kentucky if you want better Que. Went here on a Saturday afternoon. Had a pulled pork sandwich and a side of chili and I enjoyed it. Meat had good smokey flavor, portion was good. Chili was different for me, but good tasting. If you want the best BBQ go to Kentucky but this was pretty good for northerners.

John

Had a pulled pork and a beef brisket, the meat was good but oily. The bottom bun was soaked in oil. If it was meat juices it would have been fine, but it was oil. The ribs were excellent though, nice spice rub on them. Sweet tea wasn't sweet, coleslaw was good but could be creamier. Good selection of BBQ sauces.

Bob

Went there for the first time yesterday. Still craving it today. My biggest problem was all the sauces are great. Couldn't stick with just one used almost 10 different kinds.

Hk

EEEWWWWWW. It has changed!!!! was looking forward to a nice smoked meat sandwich...and what did I get??? it was oily.....where oil was dripping on the tray??? must have changed the smoking method.... bun was dry??? and have lost my taste for Holly Smoke. Not sure if this has changed hands, but the food sure has. Ordered a side of chili.....and can you say Stagg canned chili..... Think before you go.... so upset :-(

Dude01

Meh!. If you are a meat fan (meat for the sake of meat), this is your place. If you are looking for something with more dimensions, well, eat cornbread and drink milkshakes. Probably what ruined the experience for me was seeing the shredded meat coming out of a plastic bag. My hopes for something freshly made ended there. I had the Manwich and it was plain. Yes, you can have the sauces but it wasn't anything spectacular. If I go back there it will be for the cornbread and the milkshakes and try something that is not the sandwiches.

Ana Todorović

This place is great. Have been going there for a while. I highly recommend the chick n which and baked beans.

Van Blake

I have eaten at the different locations a number of times and overall it's "just ok." I love the cornbread and the chilli is super hot and spicey good. The ribs are hit and miss. They leave the membrane on, which I am not a fan of. I don't like any of my ribs to be fall-off-the-bone as I prefer a firmer texture and that's the one plus. It's almost like they use a liquid smoke and cook them off site then just reheat them at each location. The past two times the ribs have been cold. The sauce selection and flavours are really great, as is the staff.

W

Why are the buns so greasy? Other than that everything else is great.

Jade

Amazing corn bread! The pulled pork sandwiches and ribs were pretty good but the pumpkin corn bread was to die for. Not very many options on the menu but a great place for a quick, filling meal. Not the place to go if you want to sit down and chat. The seating consists of a bunch of stools and a bar in front of the windows. Overall, great place to go for lunch.

Rgrealty

You call this BBQ. This cannot be called southern style bbq the meats dry and has very little flavour, you have to rely on the sauces and water to wash it down.....PLEASE guys go visit the southern u.s and do some real bbq tasting before serving that mess you call bbq. But if you customers to end up there, eat the corn bread its delicious

Jsmith

Pull up a stool and grab the napkins.. This place entices you with the smell and their food is definitely worth it. It's fast and delicious. They have a small menu with a huge amount of tasty sauce selections, it's like going to your friends for a BBQ. Just a warning though..... Have napkins ready!

Renee Cousins

Can't get enough. Sometimes I wake up at night in cold sweats dreaming about the BBQ beef brisket sandwich smothered in Jack Daniels BBQ sauce. OMG, I think I might have a problem.

Giggly

Loved it!!! Smokin good! Full of smoky flavor, filling and good price. Will be back!!

Samantha Lawrence

Good but not an every-day thing. I came here extremely excited to taste some BBQ as my boyfriend is from Texas and I visit him regularly, I've been missing the sweet-tea and pulled pork. I brought my little brother here with me, we got two regular sandwiches, 2 drinks and 1 corn-bread, it cost over 20 dollars. While the sandwiches were very delicious and the corn bread was some of the best I had, I'm a bit disappointed with the price. The tea could have used more sugar as well.

GD

Stopped in yesterday for the first time after I saw Paul Brandt tweet about this place. We tried a Manwich, cornbread and a couple ribs. All in all pretty good. Service was fast and friendly, Manwich filling. Not a great fan of ribs a little too spicy. Would go back to try the pulled pork.

Babycakes

I've lived in NC and know how difficult it is to find true authentic BBQ outside of the BBQ belt, but alas a friend steered me towards Holy Smoke and I was very impressed. The pulled pork was nicely smoked, tender and juicy, topped with the right amount of coleslaw and surprise, surprise it was doused with butt sauce!! If you've lived in the south you'd know this is how you dress a true pulled pork. To top it all off I was greeted with what felt like true southern hospitality, bluegrass music in the background and a friendly, chatty server. Felt like home.

Skennedy84

Disgusting. We had sandwich's and a chili. The sandwich literally driped oil, not grease but what seemed like a canola oil. The Chili was inedible. Needless to say $30 later and we are still hungry.

Daniel Lemottee

WHAT A BAD JOKE!. WHAT A JOKE! It was not cooked all the way.. and the pork membrane Was STILL ON!!! they COOKED IT LIKE THAT! I will NEVER order from there again and Im gonna try and get my money back,

Lynch C

Is this a joke?. I went there with my roommate today after seeing the rave reviews about this joint. The staff were friendly, the sauces are plenty to choose from and the price, portion seems to be about right ($8.75 for a manwich with beef and pulled pork, a pickle and a bit of slaw). The problem is it has absolute no taste and DRY. No wonder they provide all those sauces. I wonder if the meat were slow-cooked and smoked with flavorful wood chips. Perhaps I watched too much Diners Drive-ins and dives and expect Kansas quality BBQ food at good price in Calgary, which is almost impossible. I am better off trying to learn how to smoke my own meat at home.

Jennifiend

HOLY JOKE. What a let down. I had read rave reviews about this place and was really excited to try it but I was really disappointed when I went. I had the small sized brisket sandwich, which had about a teaspoon of coleslaw in it and the meat had absolutely no flavor. I also had to pick out almost half of what was in my bun because it was either chunks of fat or gristle. I only managed to have three or four bites of it. I tried both the sweet apple sauce as well as the jack Daniels one and it still tasted like crap. The sauces are extremely thin, almost like they've been watered down or something. I ordered a side of macaroni salad and it was basically the same slop you can buy from a fast food restaurant or in a tub at a grocery store. My husband had the Manwich, and he was also disappointed. He said it had no flavour either. He ordered some kind of "limited time only stew" as a side and the portion was pitiful but I guess that was okay because it was disgusting. The only things I can say that are positive about this place are that the employees were nice, it was clean and tidy, and I guess my husband thought the ribs were decent, but said they were fatty and a bit tough. I was really surprised at how poor the food was because it has so many raving reviews. I would never go back. I would never recommend this place to anyone. Oh and I shouldn't forget to add, both my husband and I got the absolute worst case of heartburn ever. This place is way overrated. Yuck

Tammy Lambert

Been waiting to try this place for awhile, finally made it today. all I have to say its mehh, I have had much better. I tryed the ribs and found them very dry and anorexic. And the coleslaw was very very dry. I find this place is overrated, much better out there.

Herb

Another good Holy Smoke. We had one each of the small sandwiches (chicken, beef and pork), cornbread and coleslaw. The sandwiches continue to impress. We had it to go so we HAD to remember some sauces. I continue to like the option (responsibility) to sauce yourself. The sandwiches were all nice and tender and flavorful. The food isnt cheap but its close. I consider both Holy Smoke locations to be great values.

John Stewart

Very Good. Had the Manwhich and the ribs both were delicous. Very good value for the money! Will definitly be going back.

Cameron Rout

Devastatingly good. Like a kick to the crotch of awesomeness. Leaves you rolling on the gound, clutching your belly, begging for more!

Michael Diamant

Holy S**t - Good BBQ. Great food! As soon as you walk in, the air is filled with the smell of wood-fired BBQ. I ordered a large pulled pork sandwich with a small coleslaw. The bun was good, and the portions generous - tons of pulled pork, and a good amount of coleslaw for a small. Both were delicious, and Holy Smoke has a dozen or so sauces to choose from that you can pour yourself, so you can use as many as you want. I chose a few - The Hot Mama, Sweet Apple, and House sauce, and though they were all good, the Sweet Apple was incredible. I would return in a heartbeat.

Matty Cox

This place was on mine n my gf's mind for a while. We both decided after a long over due wait to give it a try. I got the large pulled pork n she got the reg pulled pork and also after reading reviews I decided to get an extra, large coleslaw to go even better with the sandwich. Must say excellent choice and the meat was juicy and had good spice. Getting the extra slaw was worth it and also if you like sauces to add or dip your sandwich into we tried them all and the best we thought complemented the pork best was the pig pickin. The homemade iced tea was good too and I would Definately go here again. Others say oh I wouldn't try it again to get it on a good day, any day is a good day especially with the slaw, with it being just the right amount of sweet n lil sour which is just not over done like most places. So if you don't fancy this place your too high class or too picky to eat here, then bugger off and go to your BP's crap food. I'll take this homemade food any day of the week!!

Fat Cat

Regular lunch spot. I am working on a contract just up the street from Holy Smoke and it has become a regular lunch spot. It is, as some have noted, occassionally off base but most of the time it is good food and good value. Limited choice but all good. Today had the chicken sandwich and five of the ribs. Excellent. If you want absolute consistency keep going to MacDonalds for the churned offal burger. I will put up with the odd bad day to get real food.

Frank

Below average.. I first tried the Holy Smoke on 16th ave few months back and was unimpressed. The lady serving me had quite a difficult time understanding my questions, and the sandwich was served on what looked like a tiny, generic bun that one could find at any 7-11. After some trepidation, and assurances from others that they had probably just run out of buns that day, I decided to give it another shot today. The bun issue seems to have been corrected, but unfortunately, they pulled pork was nearly cold and incredibly dry. Generally, the coleslaw is added to moisten up the sandwiches...but when you only get half a teaspoon, it really doesn't do it. It this case, 2 strikes and you're out. I have no intention of going back for strike 3. What a shame.

Dylan

Awesome!. I found the Manhatten rd location awhile ago, and I was saddened at the fact that they're only open Mon-friday 10-4. As I work Mon-fri, 8-4. So when I discovered there is another location, that is open on weekends. I was in! I had the Manwich & cornbread, and my friend had a pulled pork & macaroni salad. Both sandwiches were tasty, and even better with a combination of sauces. The cornbread was good, although a little too cake-like for me. The macaroni salad was also worth going back for. Overall, the food is good, priced well, staff is friendly and much better location and hours than the Manhattan rd location. Definitely going back!

Leigh Martin

My new favorite place in cow town. Best BBQ in town, absolutely love this place!! My fav is the soco and 7 sauce!

Bevgsmith

Great for highway drivers and quick lunches. Just had a take-out sandwich of pulled beef from this place. It has been in business just a few months and I found the array of about 20 sauce options stunning. I got the ribs sauce but was intrigued also at the apple, hot mama, garlic and assorted other choices. Fun to adventure. Good prices and though we had the macaroni salad which was fine, the beans and chili options are by repute worth coming back for too. We did not pick the cornbread but it looked fun. What I did take home were the long ribs - $1 each, which not only are spicy and great to nibble on but make great bones after for the dogs. Real food, good prices, great free parking. Only downside is you don't notice it easily. You come up on quite fast heading west and it is easy to miss the turn. I got the homemake lemonade, with a touch of sugary iced tea. Very tasty They also do milkshakes. Wow- very good.

Hitting The Sauce

Holy yum!. Ordered a manwich, two ribs, and coleslaw. The manwich just melted in my mouth - soft, succulent meat that just melded into the squishy bun. I enjoyed the coleslaw and pickle inside. The coleslaw wasn't oily or soaked in mayo - but nice and light. Finally - ribs were tender and tasty - love the spicy rub. Recommend house sauce for the sandwich. Friendly staff.

Nonskim

Great For Lunch/Poor for Eating At. Had a great lunch consisting of a Manwich, filling with enough sauces to spicy up/cool down/sweeten/tang ever bite. But sitting inside with the noon day sun in your face magnified by the clear window, is sweat induling in an unpleasent way. Some tint or binds would help make eating in house a pleasent experience

HungryGhost

Let me start by saying that I grew up in the south, and I ate a looottt of BBQ down there. That being said, I have give Holy Smokes props.. So far, this is the best BBQ I've had in Calgary. The meats (we tried the brisket and pulled pork) were done perfectly. Although I didn't expect it to be piping hot, it was a little too cold/room temp for my liking, but we didn't go during peak hours which could have been the problem. Let is be said that that didnt stop me from demolishing my sandwich. The sides, Mac and potato salad, were decent, but I didn't think they were worth the extra $1.99 and think they should include a side with the sandwich price. Sweet tea was dead on. The huge variety of sauces was a plus, although some were much better than others, make sure to try them before drenching your sandwich!!

MissCara

Holy this place is good. Great food, prices and service. Food was hot and all around perfect. Pulled pork with house sauce was killer!

Mike McDonald

Would be so good if they could manage to serve any of the food hot.

Bloefeld

I have travelled the south and eaten every style of barbeque there is. The joint ranks in there with some of the better finds. While not a true hole-in-the-wall joint it has a good ambience for a bunch of Canucks trying to emulate some of the finest food there is. The pulled pork is just fine, a bit of Memphis and a bit of Texas. Melts in your mouth and well sauced. The Texas style Brisket reminds one of Sonny Bryant's when it was a single place in Dallas. Great smoke, amazing sauce, perfect bun. It's good, it's all good. Not many places are actually better. I've been to a bunch of barbeque cook-off's and tasted the best there is, and Holy Smoke can make a legitimate claim to being authentic. I can't wait until I can actually get one of the alleged links, and I need to check out the chicken still. There's a place in Weller Texas, west of Houston down the 10 that is better, but the food is always cold by the time you get it back to Calgary. Other than the insanely short operating hours, I give the place a solid 9 and recommend it to anyone who lusts after true barbeque.

Kenton Dueck

Amazing Smoked Ribs. I went today and had the full Manwich. On the side, I had two ribs and the potato salad. The sandwich was fine, but next time, I think I'm just ordering ribs and more of them - they were THAT good - perfectly smoked.

Kate Luxen

I came to this location after visiting the south east spot. The food was tasty but lukewarm and I really missed the atmosphere of the restaurant in south Calgary. More suited to takeout.

HungryCanadian

Great Calgary Smoke BBQ. Went into Holy Smokes newest location there 2ND one on 16Th Ave close to Peters Drive In. I was hit with the aroma of smoked meat permeating through the air as soon as you walk in, what a fantastic welcome on a cold winters day. I had the pulled pork sandwich with a vinegar Cole slaw, sweet and moist corn bread, and a single rib. The pulled pork was full of flavor my only wish was that I should have ordered the large sandwich instead of the small. Service was very friendly quick and full of smiles but the food was simply delicious I will be a frequent customer!

Lcritter

Disappointed. Although the service staff were excellent, the brisket, the pulled pork and the ribs were all barely warm. cornbread was not authentic, but was good... jim liked the coleslaw, but by the time they brought it he was darned near finished eating. iced tea? all out. it was all kind of weird, and much less than i was expecting compared to reviews of holy smoke 1.

Vicki Pinches

Smells great!. As soon as you walk it, you're hit with the smell of the smoke that is infusing all those meats with wonderful flavor. It's a great little stop on my way home. Tried it for the first time 2 nights ago - loooooved my sandwich (beef brisket) and the BBQ sauces and my coleslaw, but the baked beans were a little under done and drier than I prefer. Can't wait to try the pulled pork.

Bonnie Milner

Yum!!!. Yum...need i say more. Fantastic simple slow smoked goodness. The corn bread is like little clouds of corny goodness :) I want t eat here every day!

Cindy Cheung

It was definitely worth the wait and the hype, but for that price tag, it’s probably not a place we can come to regularly. I do have to say that it was a lot of food and I certainly left full and happy – I even had to give some of my manwich to Mark because it was too big for me. So the value for the buck is certainly there.

Andy

The place isn't brilliant but it's alright if you don't want to pull out your own grill. Pros: Decent-ish price and filling portions. Unassuming and down-to-earth atmosphere. Cons: Somewhat dry meat, oily cornbread; there’s a use of fat in the wrong context at this place. Sauces are almost essential to food.

Bigvinnysd

This…. This place is true-blue-BBQ. Not to be missed if you’re in the aptly named Cow Town, AB. Seriously. Don’t. Miss. This. Place. Please….

Food Holes

I’ve rarely strayed from eating the Manwich, comprised of both beef brisket and pulled pork piled on a soft bun with some coleslaw and a lovely, crunchy pickle slice to make you feel a little bit better about yourself. I usually add a side of coleslaw (which is fantastic), a rib or two and like to follow with a pecan tart (raisin free which is a score 1 for Kelsey).

Elsie Hui

The ribs was absolutely delicious. It’s not “fall off the bone”, but you can definitely clean the bones really well. The flaovurs was awesome, and you know it was made with lots of love. We ordered some potato salad with the ribs, and it was made with nice chunky slices of potatoes. It was tender and not over cooked, and quite a great side! We loved the ribs so much we went back and ordered another 6 ribs after we were done! Below is a picture of the selection of sauces Holy Smoke BBQ has to offer!

Nomnomnom

Great smoked beef brisket, pulled pork, chicken... we MEAT again!

For The Love Of...

The "Manwich" contains pulled pork and beef brisket, topped with coleslaw and a pickle. The meat was nice and smokey, while still maintaining it's moisture. The pickles and tangy coleslaw added good crunchy texture. For every order, you get to select one sauce to go with your meal. The apple BBQ sauce complimented the smokey pulled pork sandwich.

Review Holy Smoke Bbq - Calgary