Adamson Barbecue

This. Is. The. Place.
When people talk about good BBQ in Toronto, you'll inevitably hear about this spot. Located in an industrial area full of warehouses in Leaside - one of those warehouses is full of delicious BBQ. They're cooking up Central Texas-style barbecue, which they proudly boast with a giant Texan flag on the wall. The fresh meats are cooked with wood fires that lead to some epic smoke rings. I knew that I had to pay them a visit after blogTO named them #1 Best BBQ Restaurant and #1 Best Ribs. Toronto Life has them at #75 on The City’s 100 Best Restaurants 2018.
The trickiest part about this restaurant is arriving before they sell out - which happens! They're open until 8pm, Tuesday to Saturday, however if you think that you're gonna show up at 7:30pm and have a full selection of meats, you are sorely mistaken. Your best bet is to show up early. Opt for a lunchtime feast instead. You'll still be faced with line-ups and difficult parking... But it's worth it. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon and was able to avoid any disappointing sell-outs. You might also want to plan your visit around their weekly specials: Tuesday~Burnt Ends, Wednesday~Pork Belly, Thursday~Baby Back Ribs, Friday & Saturday~Beef Ribs. Count me in for some Tuesday next time!
So what do you do first? You line up. Get your a**  in line and wait for your turn. Once you approach the counter you'll be dealing with your sides first. They'll slap down a metal tray, toss some pickles and onions on it, and the rest is up to you. In my opinion, building your own platter is the way to go. They say that it's the best value plus you get to customize it however you want. The sides come in three different sizes and you can choose from; Potato Salad, Coleslaw (creamy or tangy), Fancy Pickles, Macaroni Salad, Beans, or Cornbread. We ordered up Potato Salad ($3.00), Macaroni Salad ($3.00) and two Cornbreads ($6.00). I would've liked to see something in the realm of mac & cheese but they do offer daily side specials so maybe they do it sometimes.
Next you'll roll on by the drinks and the desserts. We made a huge mistake by not ordering a drink, only to realize that grape drank (Grape Crush) is an option at the pop fountain. I will not allow this to happen again!
Your next stop is MEAT. Initially, I was confused about how this works but it all became very clear. You can order ANY amount of ANY meat that you want. They'll weigh it out and you will pay for exactly the quantity that you've chosen. I really like this! Your platter becomes truly customizable this way. As for meats, you can choose from; Brisket, Spare Ribs, Turkey, Pulled Pork, Bratwurst Link, Jalapeno Cheddar Link, and Half Chicken. Plus whatever is on special that day. We ordered 0.8 pounds of Brisket ($24.00, $30.00 per pound), 0.3 pounds of Turkey ($6.60, $22.00 per pound), and 0.5 pounds of Spare Ribs ($10.00, $20.00 per pound).
Then they'll throw some white bread on there and you give them your money.
You now have a glorious platter!!! The spacious warehouse-like dining room is full of communal tables and you simply insert yourself wherever there's room! I loved the loud 90s rock that was pumping through the speakers. Decor is minimal, save for a few rustic items here and there and the aforementioned flag. We were also sure to load up on their incredible sauce.
You sit down and there are no plates. Instead you grab some butcher paper, lay it in front of you, and prepare to eat directly off of the table. I love this! Need a napkin? Tear some paper towel off of the roll. The entire experience feels so authentic and fun! We dug into the feast!
Brisket. This was some of the best brisket that I have ever eaten. This meat had the fiercest smoke ring that I've ever seen. Extremely tender and juicy, the brisket melted in my mouth. It was seasoned deliciously well and reminded me of why this is the best BBQ meat around.
Spare Ribs. Very, very good. I don't often come across ribs that I really enjoy and these ones were next-level. Again, the visible smoke ring promised extreme flavour. Like the brisket, these were expertly seasoned and the tender meat fell off of the bone. Delicious!
Turkey. We were surprised by how much we enjoyed this meat. They took everything that's good about turkey flavour and enhanced it with a perfect cook and great seasoning.
Potato Salad. Creamy and chunky and good. I liked all of the veggies that they sneak into this which makes for a satisfying crunch.
Macaroni Salad. I was intrigued by these twirly noodles. Dressed with what tastes like a smoky aioli, this is a solid choice.
Cornbread. Great!! These little loaves were warm and moist - not at all dry. This is exactly what you want cornbread to be. Amazing dipped into the sauce!
Now let's talk about the "included stuff" for a sec. The sauce!!! Bathe me in this!! Made with what takes like apple cider vinegar, this thin vinegary sauce was perfect with everything. I was dipping bread into it just so that I could eat more sauce. The bread!! It's just white bread... Or is it? It tastes fresh and homemade and is ultra soft and wonderful. You actually don't need cornbread when you're getting this bread anyway. It'll sop up every drop of deliciousness. Pickles! These also taste homemade and I loved them as a briny palate cleanser.
Did we get dessert? Yes, we did. They had Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding and I needed that. (I even got back into the line for it.) I figured that if this was made with the same homemade white bread then it couldn't be wrong. Warm, gooey, full of boozy banana flavour. This was the perfect last few bites.
I really enjoyed this entire experience. The meat was incredible and I'd love to try their sausage and chicken. I'd also like to try the beans. This will be my go-to place for BBQ in Toronto until further notice!

Hey Barry Appleton, when EVERYBODY says the food is amazing and the customer service is great, not only all the other reviews here, but all the T.O. foodie websites, too, and you're the only one that has had a bad experience, then either you had a very unusual experience on a bad day, or maybe you have to look in the mirror.

I have been to Adamson BBQ several times now, and it is without question THE BEST legitimate Texas style smoked BBQ brisket I have had, including the ones I had in Texas. The other meats Ive tried are also very good.

In addition, the young couple that runs the place seem not only passionate about making great food, quick to engage in BBQ foodie chat, and very friendly.

I don't know them, but on all my visits, I've had only great customer service as well as pleasant conversations with the young owner, as he hand slices the melt-in-your-mouth brisket, so I'd suggest you may want to give the place another shot before running down a young couple's business and making Grand sweeping statements without explaining how you came to your unique and singular conclusion.

Fortunately people aren't listening to your dramatic, yet non-specific, complaints, the lineup continues, the food is amazing, and I hope that wherever you are enjoying your barbecue, that you are happy as I am, enjoying Adamson's astounding melt-in-your-mouth brisket.

Just a few bites from our full review - 
"Adamson BBQ's only significant downside is that it is only realistically open until late lunch hour and only offers sober lunch as an option. "
"Juicy meat, friendly attitude and great energy all over made this one of our best lunch experiences in a long time."

This place definitely wasn't bad. I like the seasoning on the meat and I like that it isn't too saucy. I also like that it isn't as heavily salted as the other places. I'm really picky about BBQ. Although it was better than a lot of the other places in Toronto (far better than Cherry St. BBQ), I don't think it's worth the wait or the trouble to go early before they sell out. I still prefer Electric Mud.

Yes, this place is as good as people say! Open only a few hours a day, it is almost always busy. There is almost always a lineup, but for good reason! We chose the brisket lunch plate, which comes with two sides. More food than a person needs, for sure, but it was SO good we could not leave anything behind. Tender, tender meat. There is a good assortment of menu items, either in sandwich or lunch plate format. Great staff, too. A really fun and friendly dining experience!