Used to manage a store a few blocks away, it was one of only a few places to get food other than Timmies. I love this place for a quick lunch or to take some fantastic BBQ pork home for the freezer.
I have been a patron for years, the corn bread is amazing, the pecan tart a great finish to a good meal. I have not had anything on the menu I would not have again, from the Brisket to the ribs. The manwiche is huge, I can't do that one, just too big.
Look for the roadshow, they have a van they park in various spots downtown,
My reviews for here have been read over 17,500 times. I would suggest any of their locations
I wish this place was closer to my house! A total hidden diamond. Rustic decor, friendly helpful staff, delicious ribs and homemade coleslaw! And the number of bbq sauce options will blow your mind. Will be back!
Great sandwiches! These guys really know how to do a good brisket. I would have liked a whole wheat bun option, and the side macaroni salad left a lot to be desired, but the flavor in the sandwich was awesome.
The brisket sandwich was amazing! The potato salad, not so much... maybe try one of their other sides next time. Pretty basic type of place, only one thing matters, and that is having great food served quickly.
I had their specialty burger, beef and pulled pork. Pork was delicious and juicy but quite oily. Pickle balanced the flavor a bit though. Next time if I go back, I will order a burger with less pulled pork inside. I wanted to rate 3.8, but can only do 3.5 or 4.
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Best pulled pork in Calgary. Or in a lot of places. This place just does it right- no bells or whistles, just the unadulterated flavour of a realllyy good, simple pulled pork.
I recommend getting the " manwich" - it comes with a delicious coleslaw all in a toasty bun. It really is one of the best things you will ever eat. The best part about this place is all the AMAZING bbq sauces they have to offer... All made in house with a TON of flavour packed right in. The actual pulled pork, as it comes on the sandwich, is not sauced, so the best part is adding your own combo of bbq sauces they have to offer.
Honestly a great place to get some gooood eats in Calgary. Place wasn't super busy either, and service was friendly. The restaurant itself could be upgraded, but the funky decor they have fits the vibe of the menu.
The pecan tarts they have are totally worth a try as well!!
Macaroni salad is great as well- they place a big scoop of it directly on the tray next to your sandwich :)
Check it out next time you have meat cravings :)
This place never disappoints with tons of flavor and juiciness in every bite you can't go wrong. The in-house made beverages like their iced tea or lemonade are worth sampling. And with tons of barbecue flavors and sauces to choose from ranging from horseradish to Jack Daniels to Apple Spice you can have literally have 20 different experiences with the same pulled pork or braised beef sandwich.
Don't forget to top it off with their cornbread or in-house made coleslaw. The ribs literally fall off the bone. Top Notch food with an outdoorsy or picnic-y feel but the location is hard to come by.
Good thing for them everybody will travel for this place. Keep it simple, they did! Good food, great flavor.
This is right around the corner from my dads work so usually stop here when I go see him. I've only ever gotten the pulled pork sandwich but it is so tasty I don't want to try anything else. Their array of bbq sauces, while overwhelming is a nice way to try just small little tastes of them here and there. I don't get any of the spicy sauces as I'm a wimp but I imagine they're good. Their cornbread here is extremely tasty, though a little dense, but I don't mind since it tastes so good. Only thing is everything seems quite oily, even the bun which is a turnoff.
Awesome smokehouse pulled pork with a beer? Never a disappointment after years of grabbing lunch at this tasty hole in the wall. Bring your appetite for these big portions!
Great staff, crazy fast service delicious food, the selection of sauces is crazy, there must be 15. Not the best BBQ I've had, but really good. I look for reasons to be in the area at lunch. My afternoon productivity definitely suffers in the afternoon but worth it.
The food is great and the staff are friendly and helpful. I had the chopped beef brisket and the their pork ribs, all were great. I was impressed by everything except the entrance, looked like a jail (minor point). Much better value than going to McD or any other such establishment. I will return if I am on the area for lunch.
Had the beef brisket sandwich today. It was amazing. You have endless choices of sauces to put on it. I recommend the Jack Daniels and the hot momma! They also carry every flavour of pop shoppe you can imagine. Brought me back to my childhood days. Awesome place. Great service!
Holy smoke has the best barbecue around. Rib Tuesday is a must to try. Only downfall is the seating but if your ok sitting with others it works. One of our favorite places to eat at in Calgary. Definetly a contender for you gotta eat here!!!
UPDATE:
Have been back since. Now I'm celiac, when I called and talked to them they assured me it would be handled properly. There meat and most sauces are gluten free. It was a amazing meat sundae with layer of 2 different meats, baked beans and there coleslaw. I highly recommend it and I did not get sick. Can't wait to go back.
Awesome and Delicious! I just found Holy Smoke BBQ (HSB) in Zomato as a good rated place and I couldn't agree more. The Manwich is great and there are a good selection of sauces on the shelf (Perfect sauces!) that you can try.
Just go and try!
Have to agree with Benjammin. There's not much that passes for true BBQ in Calgary but Holy Smoke has the right look and feel, fabulous tasting food, and a friendly staff. It's not quite Southern US good (missing a bit of smoke), but buck a bone Tuesdays (pork ribs) knocked it out of the park. The chili was some of the best I've ever tasted. My lunch companion raved about his chicken sandwich. I loved the selection of sauces on the rack by the serving counter. It truly is an unassuming place (strip industrial mall), but for BBQ, that is pretty much de rigueur. Highly recommended.
Holly smoke is the spot in the city for the best BBQ, dont go expecting the Ritz-Carlton its a tiny hole in the wall location that bangs out some proper BBQ. Cant recommend this place enough!
Ever since trying some delicious BBQ beef brisket in Phoenix, I have been dying to have it again. A few weeks ago my boyfriend, Rini, stumbled upon Holy Smoke BBQ. He sent me a picture of his Smoked Chicken Sandwich and described it as AHHHHMAZZING. I have to say I was a wee bit jealous at that moment and demanded that he take me next time.
I stopped by this BBQ place to check it out. I couldn’t get in last time as they are closed on Sundays. I tried the Pulled Pork (~$6 for small, $9 for large) sandwich with 2 ribs ($1 each). It wasn’t the best pulled pork but it was decently good. The ribs are a good side thing to order and they sell them individually for $1. They have a nice selection of sauces to go with the sandwiches and ribs. I will try the beef brisket next time as that seems quite popular as well. Overall it’s decent food and not too hard on the wallet. I will be back for lunch – only thing is it’s in an industrial area and not so easy to find.
Kylemoore-@hotmail.com
+5
Delicious! Southern BBQ done very well! The manwich meat was delicious as well as the bun! Love the sauce selection as well! I encourage people to indulge!
Had the brisket sandwich. No smoke ring or bark detected. More of a 'pulled' consistency rather than chopped or sliced. Wasn't very smokey. But it's very difficult to be consistent when smoking meat. Still enjoyed the food. Will return. Also tried the house sauce and Jack Daniels sauce. Enjoyed both. Chili wasn't for me. Also bonus on the vibe of the place; not pretentious or fancy.
Friendly staff who love their outlaw and old school country music. It'[s worth traveling for some of their brisket. And a ton of home made sauces to experiment with. A carnivore's dream!
I haven't tried the rest of their que, but they make a delicious smoked chicken sandwich and homemade mustard-based BBQ sauce. They were out of ribs so I'll be back to try them.
Good Tasting Truck Food. (reviewing their food truck)
Decent food truck menu - only a few choices and relatively high prices but that's a practical necessity for all food trucks. They do offer the main meats (beef, chicken and pork) and you can choose the "meat sundae" if you want a gluten-free meal. The meat is tender and well-smoked. It is very lightly seasoned but the truck has a wide variety of BBQ sauces for you to put on yourself. Overall it was a very satisfying lunch.
Lunch time crowd proves how good this is ! so many different sauces to try, and the chili and the corn bread ! MMMmm I haven't tried the north location yet. if you can get a spot outside in the summer hang out under the trees.
It's decent. Not a fan of the chicken sandwich - way too much soggy skin - yuck. Pulled pork is amazing and love all the sauces - just not recommending the chicken.
I have been here many, many times. The sandwiches are always tasty and filling. The choice of sauces is unbeatable and all are delicious. Hands down the best corn bread ever. If I have a couple critiques it would be that the brisket can sometimes be a little to oily and the ribs sometimes be slightly dry but I will still definitely continue to eat here.
Manwich to feed the hungry. Great place to feed the boys after a big move. Always been consistent with their sandwiches. Nothing crazy but definitely above average. Running a freshly smoke meat place would be difficult but Holy smoke does a pretty good job. The Manhattan Road one is better I think because the smoke truck is there. Or maybe seeing the truck there made it seem better..... Either way, better than McDonald's or A&W.
Excellent BBQ - large variety of sauces to pick from, perfect slaw and delicious cornbread - you gotta try it!
Tess, Alex and Mother go to Holy Smoke and get Cornbread for Dessert.. This place makes a great quick lunch! I love the BBQ, but the cornbread and lemonade is where it's at!! Great milkshakes too! GO.
Great BBQ; easily some of the best in town, especially if you like dry rub ribs. I prefer the brisket sandwich over the pulled pork. The 'buck a bone' concept for the ribs is a great idea and allows patrons to customize their meal. A nice combo is the brisket sandwich with a few ribs. Combine that with a beer and a selection of their house made BBQ sauces and you'll leave happy.
Love it! A family favourite!. Love the selection, love the experience on 16th sitting at the counter. Our whole family goes and I'm impressed by the service, warmth and food. One thing, would have a few more kid friendly sauces that are a bit less vinegar!
Awesome BBQ!!! I've been wanting to try this place for a long time, and finally made it this afternoon. If I had one compliant about the food, it would be the baked beans. They were a little bitter. I prefer a more sweet/smoky baked bean. They were still not bad though! Loved the coleslaw and brisket. If you prefer a mayo base to your coleslaw, you may not care for it, it tasted like an apple cider vinaigrette to me. The brisket was tender, messy and delicious! Can't wait to go back, gotta try the cornbread next!
Best BBQ in Calgary. This place is the reason I don't hang out with vegetarians.
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On first glimpse, you wonder what you have gotten yourself into. Finding myself in the middle if an industrial park threw me a little. Not being from Calgary and pretty much only knowing my way to the new south Calgary campus hospital, I was completely out if my territory. But I had a mad craving for an amazing pulled pork sandwich! My husband and I searched the net to find a smoke house or bbq place and found the southern location of Holy Smoke Bbq. The restaurant Decor had me laughing with the licence plates and hanging piggy lights. The young man taking our order was polite and explained the different items on the board to us. Once we ordered we took our seats and waited a short while as we were the only customers at that point. I wondered over to the many different bottles of BBQ sauce lining the counter wall. Hmm what to choose! Got my self a spoon and sampled the ones that weren't labeled lip melter.. Lol or hot mama. I loved the honey garlic mmm, so good. Sweet and smokey , just how I like it. Our pulled pork sandwiches and corn bread came up on the counter and looked amazing. We picked up our orders and smothered my pork with the honey garlic bbq sauce. One bite and I was hooked! OMGosh! Amazing! Fall apart sweet, savoury goodness. The young man serving us then came out with some free ribs for us to sample. The meat fell of the bone, just like it should in a properly cooked rib. I found the rub to be a bit spicy. But then I am very sensitive to spicy food. My husband thought the rub was very good. If you can block out the location of the restaurant and just sink your teeth into the amazing food, you are in for a wonderful lunch time experience.
Ps: please come down to Medicine Hat! We need a good Bbq house. We only have 2 big chain restaurant steak and rib places and they don't even make a homemade burger and the ribs are nothing to write home about. Your food on the other hand , we need some real BBQ down here in southern Alberta!
How It's Done.. Holy Smoke BBQ doesn't attempt to lure you in with good location or fancy decor, they focus on what is important: Fantastic food and service. Immediately on walking in the door we were greeted by an enthusiastic grinning character behind the counter, we ordered a pulled pork sandwich each, and a side of chili. The food came quickly, along with a side order of their ribs, on-the-house! This is how it's done, everything was mouth-watering good, including their house sauces that are provided at the tables, we actually combined the chili into our sandwich's in our food-bliss delirium. Oh and I forgot to mention it costs nothing...right? RIGHT?!? Go here.
BBQ-licious!. We ordered delivery - which compromised the quality a bit. But if what we had was 80% of what it would be if we ate there, then they are doing something AWESOME. You can't beat the prices - the service is super helpful and extremely considerate. They called us because our food would be ten minutes delayed as they had to put a fresh load of ribs on - awesome! Cornbread was the perfect amount of sweet to counter the saltiness of the ribs. Potato salad was yum! Thin slices instead of huge chunks. Thumbs up, up, up!
Finger licking good. As soon as you enter, you can smell the hickory flavor. Price is reasonable. You don't mind getting your hands dirty, ribs are a must try. Don't wear you best jacket though when you eat here.
Thumbs up. We usually stop by every Sunday for lunch as well. Cheap, fast and oh so delicious.
The selection of sauces is incredible and everything we've had there has not disappointed. My husband claims that he's done "trying" the sauces now and that he'll stick with [insert 5 different types here]. I like the House sauce the best, but perhaps because I'm not so adventurous and haven't actually tried the other ones.
I always get the Chickenwich, but Mr has tried a bunch of things and is never disappointed. Now it's where we take people from out of town... and then where they request to go when they're back in town. Basically we're ensuring the owner can finally put in that pool.
I used to live in Kansas City where good barbecue is on every corner of every block... Aurthur Bryants, Oklahoma Joe's, Jack Stack... needless to say I've had some good barbecue and Holy Smoke has been the only place in Calgary that rivals any of the marvelous KC barbecue joints. The sauce selection is mind boggling, if you don't find one you like, you don't like barbecue. The corn bread is to die for, they must put crack into it, yes, it's that good. The meat is great, flavorful and juicy, that sits on a fresh bun. Come here, you won't be disappointed.
Delicious.. The best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had in this city. Ever. Warning: Holy Smoke will incite frequent BBQ cravings!
The place has "character", but the staff are friendly. Once you eat here, you will want to go back again and again.
Food was really good, but I wouldn't go again because the cafeteria style was really tough to manage with an infant and a toddler. And the only vegetable to be found was the coleslaw.
Holy smoke,. Best place to eat like a man! Love their ribs.
Not Bad. We got a pulled pork sandwich, was pretty yummy... I would go back again but not in a hurry... I like all the different sauces they have on offer.
At last I made it down to this holy smoke. Tried the one on 16th and loved it but wanted to give this second location a go. Good, if not better. Really loved the feel of this location. Food as always, excellent. I wish I could get my hands on one of the holy smoke t-shirts.
Great food!. Had a bit of a rough go as we got there right before close but it was still great! Nothing like slathering some amazingly tender pork with great BBQ sauce!
Nice Southern Food. I tried the manwich - very succulent and full of flavor with the different bbq sauces. also, priced very well, there days in calgary, it's tough to get a meal under 10$.
Good food however avoid the buck a bone. Meat does not fall of bone and is hard to eat. Tough as nails and a waste of a dollar.
Alfredo Mamani-alvarez
+4.5
I would say it is ok. BBQ is better when fresh and hot, and the pulled pork bun I ordered was rather cold, I could tell it was cooked a few days back. The BBQ sauces available are big, at least 12 kinds, which gives the bun a lot of flavor. Besides this I tried the day special: some kind of stew made of chicken, which tasted like chicken chili without the beans. Flavor ok overall, but nothing amazing. I don't think I will go back. Not even for the 1 buck a bone ribs, I tried 3, not much meat, too much spice.
Great food and value. 1 small pulled pork and one small beef brisket plus 2 cornbreads and one lemonade for less than $20. The sandwiches were both great. The smalls still had lots of meat and they put a little coleslaw n the pulled pork and a pickle on the beef. Plus some kind of oil on both. You sauce yourself which is nice and they have a good selection. Service was amazing. You want to try this.
So good and inexpensive!. This place was awesome!! the staff was so friendly and they have a million different types of what i assume to be home made bbq sauces! we ordered the chicken sandwich and the brisket sandwich...both amazing... along with sides of cole slaw and macaroni... yum!!! and finally, 2 bones each which are a buck each! YUM!!! this place is kind of a hidden gem in the middle of such an industrial area... but it was so great and so affordable!
Cornbread was delicious. I'm not a dry rub kind of person, but the wall of assorted Barbeque sauces fixed that. Neat idea, I'd go back, but I do think it's overrated.
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Decent BBQ. Went there on a weekday, shortly after 10 am, so it was pretty much quiet (I would imagine during the lunch rush the place gets busy).
This restaurant is small, there is 6 tables that seat 6 people each, but there is also counter top seating too. Decor inside is rustic, with license plates adorning the walls and Deliverance type music playing in the background.
Ordered the small beef brisket sammich and 3 ribs. The beef brisket was a tad on the dry side, but I did find it flavourful. I also had a couple of chunks of bark in my sammich, and there were exquisite ! I could taste the smokiness of the bbq from the bark, and it was extremely flavourful. I did put some bbq sauce (on the table, there is a bucket that contains 3 sauces, ribs, house, and some kind of hot sauce - where you get the cutlery they have a huge selection of sauces to choose from) on my sammich, but I found eating it plain was the best way to savour the flavour of the beef.
The ribs are something else, they were very good. They aren't quite fall off the bone, but are loaded with flavour, the seasoning they used does contain a wee bit of heat. Each rib had a nice pork flavour mixed with the seasoning, delectable !
Just a warning though, it can get messy, so don't wear your sunday best. They put the food on a tray lined with butcher paper, giving it a more rustic feel to the place.
The information on the restaurant's website needs to be updated; they are open til 8 pm m-f, and 11-4 sat. Closed Sundays. I believe they have a second restaurant up north, 16th ave/Edmonton Trail (it is just off Edmonton Tr, in a strip mall), both places have the same black awning with the same font lettering saying Holy Smoke. The prices have gone up slightly too, I believe the beef brisket sammich is $5.75.
Overall, a decent place that has a simple menu and good food.
I liked this place. The food came out really fast and was pretty good. Though after my 1/4 pound brisket and cornbread, I was still really hungry. Great price for what you get though. Kind of in an odd place for a restaurant.
Awesome! Great Food, Great Music, and Great Atmosphere! So lucky I stumbled upon it!
Unreal BBQ, hit the place for lunch and get a half pound monster sandwich of brisket and sides for around 10 bucks. Baked beans and cornbread are very good, slaw is a bit heavy on the cider vinegar. Huge selection of house made BBQ sauces. Meaty ribs are a buck a bone and you get immediately hit with the deep smoke. They even had brunswick stew for a special! The most legit outside of the southern US and the only real true BBQ taste and quality in Calgary.
Best Texas BBQ outside Texas. This is the real deal. Anybody's been to Texas knows what good barbecue is and this is as good or better. Dozens of sauces, all authentic, all fresh. I like oil-based coleslaw and theirs is to die for. Fantastic lemonade. Home made baked beans. I asked the guy if they were home made and he just laughed. D'oh! Everything is fresh and home made and reasonably priced -- nothing over $10. It's in an industrial park, off the beat and path and open only til 4, but it's awesome. Three thumbs up!
Alright food. This is a mild version of an authentic meal.
this is a place you need to eat at the south location. it seems the north must get the food shipped up to it from the south as the portions are smaller and seemed reheated. A resturaunt should not be serving packaged food ie: the reeser brand salads.
If you want a selection of sauces this is the place to go.
i just felt it was not worth the hype, but I have eaten authentic Louisianna BBQ
Please, Oh please move to Edmonton. Found this place by chance during a recent roadtrip to Calgary and my oh my was I glad we did. We may have to head south again. Both the pulled pork and the beef brisket were superb, and the cornbread is every bit as good as the reviews say. Now I just need an excuse to head south. Or perhaps the owners might consider a northern outlet, perhaps somewhere on the south side? Please?
Go for the ribs!. Ate here (finally!) over the weekend. Between me and my husband, ordered a pulled pork sandwich with side of coleslaw, beef brisket sandwich and some ribs. The sandwiches were just ok. They would be much better if you loaded them up with your favorite BBQ sauce (they have several to choose from) as they were slightly dry. The coleslaw was very bland, and I found that I couldn't even finish it.
The winner for me was the ribs. I generally don't even really like ribs much, but these ones were great! They were cooked perfectly and delicious when dipped in one of the many BBQ sauces. I'd go back for these alone, and maybe try a side of cornbread or something.
Incredible Food. Limited hours, out of the way, and utterly amazing.
I've been to the southern parts of the United States and (to be honest) there are plenty of places better. Especially in Texas, once you grok the different BBQ in the various parts of the state.
In Calgary? In Canada? Heck, in everything north of the Mason-Dixon Line? This is an amazing place with incredible sandwiches. I would kill for them to be better located but I understand why they are where they are.
Add a few more classic southern dishes to the menu and I'd probably live here. Become a little more like Texan BBW and I'd find some money to invest.
There really isn't much else to say except go there as early as possible and order as much food as you think you can fit in the fridge.
Awesome Place. Great food, no matter what you order is terrific.
make sure you order corn bread. No matter how much you order, you will wish you had ordered more.
Must be a dozen different sauces, I would reccomend trying as many as you can
Holy Smoke, Holy awesome!. My favourite meatatarian and I just returned from our visit to Holy Smoke. What a great joint. Service was super friendly, thanks Cooter. love the get up too :) and the grub was fresh, fast and delicious. We polished off a manwich, a pulled pork sandwich, mac salad, potato salad and cornbread, mmm. The best part is the sideboard... full of an amazing variety of Bbq's sauces (at least a dozen!) for the taking. We particularly loved the horseradish and the coke versions. Can't wait to go back and try the ribs and baked beans! Giddy-up!
First time patron..........long time customer. Wow. Great food. I look forward to making my way through the menu.
Big Meat Lunch. My favorite cheap lunch. Excellent sandwiches. Big meaty pork ribs sold individually. Big choice of BBQ sauces. If you work off Blackfoot this is it.
Good stuff. Love the manwich, had a couple of ribs. Great sauces to choose from. Pop Shoppe pop, cold beer. Fast and friendly service. A true roadside BBQ joint. Right on!
Chantal Stormsong Chagnon
+5
Incredible food and wonderful service. I have severe allergies and the chef, Daniel, went above and beyond to make sure I was fed and well taken care of.
Geiza, our server, was incredibly attentive and friendly. She was great and making sure we always had what we needed and fantastic at communicating with us and the kitchen. The people with the meat service dishes circulated consistently and there was never much waiting in between.
Definitely the best Brazilian Steakhouse experience in Calgary. We will definitely be back for more family celebrations in the future.
We just had the most amazing family dinner with the best food, service and atmosphere! The drinks were amazing as was every dish we tried. I even enjoyed the chicken hearts:). A great place for a special occasion or just a get together with friends. The BEST Brazilian BBQ in Alberta and the BEST restaurant for gathering.
Really great food! Awesome service as well. Friendly staff and good drinks. You won't be disappointed that's for sure!
Absolutely amazing!!
The pork and the bacon wrapped chicken are a particular delight.
Choice of sides too all combing for an amazing dining experience.
Ambience is great, the personnel are very friendly.
Parking is also available which was very important
A bit pricey but worth every penny or cent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Amazing experience. The waitress was super nice and knowledgeable, the sides were absolutely delicious and the meats were amazing! The pineapple definitely is worth having!!
A fantastic place to dine in Calgary with friends and family. I love Gaucho and would always dine here whenever the opportunity presents. Kudos to the chef and staff that making dinning here always a memorable experience.
I love their churros and chicken wings here. The wings are cooked perfectly and the spices gave so much flavor to the chicken meat..it was so delicious and satisfying for us. Our family love the meat dishes here. Their service is quick and our server is nice and attentive. We liked how she attended to our every needs and how good of a chatter she is. Will be back again.
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