the carbon bar

i enjoyed the openness of the dining room, where noise levels are kept well under control. i found that the food was average, although a couple of dishes were made with ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking, which was quite delightful. the way that they organized the wine list was smart, with wines neatly categorized under $39, $59, and $79. however, if i have to pin-point, location is probably one of the main reasons of why i would return. worthy of mentioning is that tcb’s washrooms are modern, roomy and clean. this is pretty hard to come by for a downtown restaurant, unfortunately!

you know those cravings you get when you're just in the mood for well done meats. this is one of those places you go to, to fill that craving. considering they brought us a platter to split, you'd figure there would be some favourites and some would be left behind. while on the contrary our only regret is that we let the brisket get cold. the ribs, brisket & fried chicken were nothing short of fantastic. the add-ons also played a major factor as the potatoes with kimchi, coleslaw & mac n' cheese were the perfect bunch of sidekick. wish we had room for dessert. when i go back i look forward to trying the seafood platter next!

the night ended with a bang with the innovative desserts — the small but memorable carbon chocolate bar with bourbon caramel ($3), and various ice cream flavours like coconut, goat's milk & wild honey, or lychee & kombucha.   the dining experience overall offers a bit of everything here. the menu is part-barbecue, part-latin.

the carbon bar is a great environment that can provide some wonderful surprises for the palate. the wallet may take a beating, but the experience is worth it.

fabulous food, great atmosphere, friendly and very helpful staff. definitely we will return when next in to. thanks for the surprise anniversary chocolates👍

this week i went to the carbon bar.  twice.  so, that tells you something, right?  met a friend on monday night before heading over to massey hall for spandau ballet (random or what?).  we had a couple of glasses of wine at the bar while we waited for our table..  super nice bartender and it's $5 a glass before 6!  i just love the interior so much.  the highest ceilings around and modern cool styling.  makes you feel like you are in a different city.  which can sometimes be a good thing.

our super friendly waitress pointed out that on mondays, the old fashioneds are $9.  digging the drinking friendly environment big time!  we ordered a couple and they were delicious and went well with our app.  bbq dusted crackling.  yum.  the sweet chili vinegar dip is what made the dish.  we've all had pork rinds, right?  well this was an upscale version.  portion was smaller than i had hoped but it was good.

overall, the menu has an upscale american bbq sort of vibe.  my friend ordered the bbq rib mac & cheese which was super decadent because it had both fontina and aged cheddar in it.  imagine that cheesy, gooey goodness?  sooooo rich and then add the bbq rib mixed in there.  yowza.  i had the conchinita en pibil tacos.  pulled pork.  i googled it.  soft tortillas that you assemble yourself and they were good.  i've had better pulled pork.  by far.  i'll give them a 3 outta 5.

we had to get trucking but wanted a little something sweet before we blew outta there so we both had the carbon chocolate bar.  perfect.  2 bites and a whole buncha flavours going on.  chocolate, pecan, caramel.  really really good.  so good in fact that i suggested carbon bar to another friend i was meeting for dinner on wednesday.  and we both had one and loved it again.  i would have ordered another if it didn't seem ludicrous.  

earlier that night we both ordered the volstead which is a super refreshing drink combining gin, amaro, cucumber, agave and orange bitters.  unfortunately the waiter told us that they are taking it off the menu (but you can still order it on the "secret menu" and i would if i were you) because sometimes you have to "kill your babies" to make room for new ones.  we decided to split the mac and cheese because i realized that you really should split it even though i hate sharing because i'm the eldest child of three.  it's just too rich for one person.  we also split the roasted cauliflower.  meh.  bigger portion please.  it's just cauliflower and quinoa for pete's sake.  gimme more.

i'm giving the carbon bar a 4 because i love the atmosphere so much that it makes up for the dishes that were only so so.  and that freakin chocolate bar knocks it out of the park. i'll be back for drinks for sure!  beautiful bar and great drink selection!

really excellent food in a modern environment

visited carbon for the first time this week for dinner, and was really really impressed with the entire experience. reserved table was ready, wait staff were attentive and helpful with the menu, and the food was exceptional. the ribs were the best i have had in a long while, and the sides are pretty amazing too...don't miss the kfc appetizer and the mac and cheese is sinful. can't wait to eat there again!

2019/06/04
after a company customer event, about 8 of headed to the carbon bar for dinner. large dining room, high ceilings, elegant decor all made for a comfortable atmosphere.

we started out by sharing the huge fishmonger platter, which had a variety of tastes and textures: oysters, snow crab ,argentinian wild shrimp, little neck clams, mussels, mezcal & lime cured salmon, tuna ceviche nikkei. not sure i could pick a favourite in that bunch. it was all good.

then we shared the pit master platter, which was also huge and filled with st. louis cut pork ribs, prime beef brisket, buttermilk fried chicken, dill pickles and fries on the side. all good, but my favourite was the brisket; lean, smoky, tender and lots of flavour.

finally we shared an indulgent (and huge) rocky road sundae. finished the meal on a sugar high.

fortunately someone else picked up the tab. 🙂

girls night! when my friends come from out of town, we’ve got to go out for dinner, drinks and good times. i wanted to try somewhere i’d never been and carbon bar, at queen and church, had been on my list for awhile! reservations were made and off we went. . the unusually large entrance welcomed us as we were seated. high ceilings with sleek lighting greeted us with trendy, yet comfortable décor. at the front of the dining area is a large bar with seating all around with more fabulous lighting and wood accents. this place is on point!

quiet at 4:30pm but started to fill when we left at 6:30 on a monday night. food was better than average for bar food. decor was kinda industrial. friendly staff. i wish they had a solution for their fly problem. it was distracting.

perfect for a date night. food and service are great. their cauliflowers are so delicious! love it! 
ps. the bartender looks delicious too hahaha

earlier this week, i had the chance to check out the carbon bar to take part in their lobster burger promotion. this was my first visit to the carbon bar, and i was in awe of its space. the look was of a vintage yet updated rock-and-roll discotheque diner with high ceiling and an open kitchen. overall, it was a lively atmosphere with a large cocktail bar situated in the middle of the dining space.

currently, the carbon bar has an ongoing promotion where you can get a nova scotia lobster burger for only $20 with the purchase of an alexander keith's beverage. hurry in soon, as the promotion is only available until the end of september. i had the pleasure of trying the special deal earlier this week, and thoroughly enjoyed devouring the burger. the alexander keith's nova scotia burger was a sky-high burger with pit smoked bacon truffles hollandaise, beef steak tomato, dill pickle, and old bay mayo. the burger itself was quite a mouthful, and filled with large lobster chunks for the lobster lover. the bacon truffles hollandaise added a nice balance to the overall flavor, and the strip of bacon provided a good crunch. lastly, the burger contained a surprisingly large amount of meat and coated with a lightly fried patty.

the carbon bar has always been on my endless list of restaurants in toronto to eat at least once. since we were there for dinner, we decided to splurge and got a bunch of other dishes on the menu as well. first and foremost, we got our meat fix by ordering two portions of the pit master platter (minimum 2 people) ($30 per person). note that you need at least two people to order this platter, and it was more than enough for the four of us. the southern-us inspired platter was plentiful with pork ribs, beef brisket, buttermilk fried chicken, coleslaw, pickles, fries & chipotle mayo.

phenomenal food, trendy decor & atmosphere, and fantastic service. the staff there was efficient and polite when we notified them that we were in a hurry to get to a show. the food came quick but it was all still flawless. we unfortunately had to rush through dinner but already have plans to go back so we can stay and enjoy for longer!

this place is amazing! great drinks food and atmosphere! the space is so cool it use to be the old electric circus stomping grounds! all the drinks that i've tried were amazing and different! it's a smoked bbq house but for some reason my favorite dish was the octopus! i know it sounds weird but it is a must try item! also i would recommend the kfc ( korean fried cauliflower ) , and the pit master platter! this place is definitely a hot spot and i would say a must try restaurant when your in town!

nestled away on queen street e & church, the carbon bar serves up their fair share of your not-so-average dishes. they don’t do normal over here; they have options to enhance patrons’ experiences by offering items in platters to ensure patrons are stuffed trying a galore of different items whether that’s from their seafood bar to their wood fire pit offerings. i’ve visited the carbon bar on two occasions. once in their dining room section and the other time at the bar – both visits left me a happy camper.