the carbon bar

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 agoodthing.

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.  sogoodin 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!

girls night! when my friends come from out of town, we’ve got to go out for dinner, drinks andgoodtimes. 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!

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 agoodcrunch. 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.

a lat minute decision to go to carbon bar after work on friday was agoodone. my friend got the $5 wine deal that gives you a onus tapas bite. she had 2 glasses of wine soi got to try one of the chorizo bites and it was fantastic. we also shared the shrimp and grits appetizer which was prepared in deep fred sticks. crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. we had the brisket burnt ends lettuce wraps for our main. smokey and tender brisket with slaw and butter lettuce. a super chill place with great food. i hope to go back again soon.

we were here for dinner today (2 of us) and we had a great experience with our food. the place opens at 4pm serving drinks and snacks and the dinner device starts only by 5pm. we walked in a little after 4pm without a reservation, and there were only 3 other people here at that time; but by the time we finished they were pretty crowded.

the tables are very close to each other - so if the place got full, it might not be a great place for a personal conversation.

for starters - we had a k.f.c. from their snack menu. korean fried cauliflower and it was delicious. we loved it. we also got corn bread with whipped maple cream on-the-house and it was verygoodtoo.

for mains - we chose to go with their salad options, as their main portion sizes are known to be little large. we had a pulled pork and brisket burnt ends. both of them were yummm.

for drinks - we had singles of whiskey (collingwood & canadian club) and a glass of house white wine.

the cost of the dinner came to $68 including hst.

overall the carbon bar is good, its very much a networking/business atmosphere. not the best place for families or a romantic date. its really urban, and industrial looking. the service is awesome, the only thing i didn't love was the menu.goodfood but not great, still really worth the money.

decent cocktails, great, friendly service, andgoodportions. love the reworked industrial interiors, made cozy by lighting and leather-stuffed, round banquettes. the food itself was mediocre. we had the pitmaster platter. the smoked brisket lacked seasoning and had an odd tang of vinegar at its edges; and the fried chicken batter was so thick it verged on being hard to crunch. the ribs were the exception: they were tender and finished with a perfect brushing of smoky sweet, tangy bbq sauce. collard green side was disappointing as it was simply steamed, salted and buttered, and the mac and cheese was ok.

for dessert we had a bourbon skull each, which was cute and amusing, in addition to being tasty. it was basically a chocolate truffle, masquerading as a metallic coloured bite-sized skull.

loved our personable server and surroundings, but not sure we would return for the unexceptional food.

i've been meaning try this restaurant for the longest time a d glad we finally did. we were throwing a friend a surprise party and the staff were very cooperative and accommodating to us. the waitress ashley was very helpful to use the entire night from start to finish. we ordered the "kfc" which is korean fried cauliflower, a common staple here. it was quitegoodand i loved the batter used to make it this way. the entire table ordered their signature dish which was the meat platter filled with beef brisket, ribs and fried chicken. it was sogoodand really love the juicy parts of the brisket. it came out to $30/person but well worth the price to try their awesome meat. our waitress ashley was super nice and friendly as our host for that night. great ambience and dining experience. highly recommend it to others and meat lovers alike.

i went there for winterlicious menu.

great service as usual. the menu didnt have that much of variety but still great!

they always havegoodfood and services, and they have not disappointed me this time!!

their apple crisp was a delicious dessert! yum yum.

i can never say one about bad thing about this restaurant.

the best way to describe this place is a sophisticated barbecue restaurant. forget going to places where servers wear plaid and the decor is down south old wood.

and be prepared that the prices are more upscale than other bbq places around but what you get is verygood

we started with a couple of their house special drinks... a dark margarita and a gin based cocktail. both weregoodand strong and combined cost $29

for appetizers there is a single sized portion and a sharing tapa sized section. we got the kfc... korean fried cauliflower, the croquettes and the burnt ends.

the kfc was verygoodbut we longed for more sauce. the burnt ends came like a cold lettuce wrap set up and we're verygoodas well with enough to make three small wraps each. i didn't love the croquettes which were lightly battered pieces of brisket which came with a horseradish chipotle mayo. i found it bland but my partner really liked them.

we shared the beef brisket dinner. it wasgoodbut not great. it was very tender but needed more than just a rub of salt and pepper. the bbq sauce was very yummy.

for dessert we endulged in the apple crumble and the banana split. the split at $14 was delicious but not worth the cost. it had two small pieces of caramelized banana three small scoops of ice cream and a couple of chocolates.

the cobbler was very fresh tasting and a better deal at only ten dollars

the bill with tip was 160 for two of us. we were stuffed and really enjoyed. it's agoodplace for a sophisticated once in a while date night.

the bbq mac n cheese here is the best mac n cheese i've ever had. seriously. perfectly cooked noodles, a perfectly-paired cheese, and it's topped with bbq'd brisket. i swear there was more cheese than noodle (i.e.: agoodthing).

went here with 5 girls for dinner. 1. service was amazing. they forgot to tell us they had no more ribs for the pitmaster platter (other meat was substituted) and we got some shots for their over sight. 
2. the food was amazing!!!! we got a 4 person pitmaster platter for 5 girls and we filled ourselves up and had some extra food to spare. the brisket was melt in your mouth, the fried chicken was so juicy and tasty, the pulled pork was so flavorful. the bbq sauces were sogoodtoo. 
i am such a fan of this place, form the ambiance, to the food to the service to the vibe. 
must try this spot ppl!!

wow! simply wow. high end casual bar meets southern style bbq meets seafood joint. where else do you find fresh lobster on the same menu as fried chicken? and speaking of fried chicken, these ones are addictive. i'm not talking about the typical 11 herbs and spices, my auntie from luisiana makesgoodchicken addictive. i'm talking about rob ford loves crack addictive.

as a huge consumer of eventing bbq in toronto, hands down best brisket in town, just the right cuts to balance fat/meat content on every bit. moist and delicious. ribs are pretty awesome too but i've been a dozen times and it's a bit of a gamble sometimes. the fried chicken however: bring on the contenders. nothing like it this side of mason-dixon line.

the seafood is great, but it's not why we keep coming back. it's all about the bbq. the sides never disappoint, but they keep changing the menu too fast to gauge consistency. no complaints here but they make you love an item only for it to disappear the next time. yes, they are that good. i'm going to start a one man campaign to bring back the "hot mess".

well done carbon team!

brisket: great. the rest: meh.. we went here for my birthday. i'm a bbq fan and want to get a smoker this spring so naturally i was intrigued by the offerings here. the service was without reproach. very attentive and helpful. the food was ok. frogs legs and beef croquettes weregoodbut didn't warrant the price tag considering the portion size. the pit platter looked promising but the only amazing part was the brisket. fried chicken was crispy sure... but bland. same with the ribs. kinda dry and chewy. and the total for 2 people was a smidge surprising. again not all bad and the venue looks amazing but the actual bbq was just ok.

serving up southern-inspired fare, the carbon bar is brought to you by the nota bene team – yannick bigourdan, david lee and franco prevedello.

the restaurant, located at queen and church, occupies a gorgeous space with sky-high ceilings that span two stories. the space features a bar area near the front of the restaurant and a dining room with dark red booths and modern spherical lighting that hangs from the ceilings.

it had been a long week for all of us so drinks were a must:

the alibi – tequila, chartreuse, lemon, buckthorn guajillo chili syrup ($16). while i enjoyed it, i was expecting a bit more heat from the chili syrup but i guess it’s not a very spicy chili pepper.

the deal closer – tequila, campari, cardamom grapefruit bitters & ginger beer ($14). mike said it sounded better on paper and wished that the ingredients were more pronounced – without knowing what was in it, he would never have guessed there was ginger beer, campari or cardamom grapefruit bitters.

the heart of gold – bourbon, port, martini bianco, chartreuse & orange bitters ($14). i didn’t have any of this one but our friend ordered a second one so it must’ve been good.

carbon bar’s food menu consists of several sections – “first up” (appetizers including indulgent high-calorie items as well as lighter options such as sea scallops and hamachi tartare), “from the wood fire pit”, “the plates” (non-bbq items) and “fixins” (sides).

we started off with two orders of the crisp chicken skins – with sweet chili vinegar ($6 per order). since there were five of us, our server recommended getting two orders. when it first arrived, we inquired about our second order but it turns out, one order only comes with two chicken skins. they were incredibly thin, crispy and definitely tasty but i found the price a little too steep for the portion size.

with all the meat-heavy dishes that were coming our way, we wanted something on the lighter side and chose the raw salad – avocado, pear, radish, shaved coconut, corn nuts, coriander & lime vinaigrette ($12). the plate was beautiful with a wonderful combination of colours and shapes.

i loved the crispy and crunchy elements in the dish but wished there was more of the creamy avocado for some contrast. the dressing was quite tart so i’d only recommend ordering this if you’re a fan of sour flavours.

the kitchen brought out some complimentary split pea fritters – with pico de gallo. they made for a great bar snack but the thing that stood out the most for me was the side of delicious pico de gallo.

another complimentary item we received was the cheese croquettes – with apple-chipotle sauce. these deep-fried nuggets of gooey cheese were well-fried with a crisp exterior which wasn’t too greasy. just be careful when biting into them as they’re served piping hot!

you can’t come to the carbon bar without ordering something from the wood fire pit. since we wanted to try as many items as possible, we ordered the pit master platter – ribs, beef brisket, jalapeno sausage & pulled pork ($29 per person; minimum of two people). the platter was for two people. like the chicken skins, i was a little shocked at the portion size…it’s not a lot of food for almost $60!

anyway, if i had to choose, my favourite component was the brisket which had a nice fattiness to it. but was it some of the best i’ve ever had? no. the pulled pork was served dry with sauce on the side for dipping. it was decent by nothing particularly memorable. as for the ribs, they definitely weren’t fall-off-the-bone tender (which i typically prefer) and i found them a touch too salty. like the pulled pork, the ribs were served with the sauce on the side which i found a little too tangy for my liking.

we noticed that the goat ribs ($18) are only available on fridays and since we were dining on a friday, we couldn’t pass them up. the dish came with several ribs as well as a small tenderloin. the ribs themselves were quite small and didn’t have a ton of meat on the bones. nevertheless, the goat was incredible – tender and wonderfully fatty. i liked the fact that it wasn’t covered in any sauce as it allowed the flavour of the meat to shine (they had a gamey flavour which reminded me of lamb). this was definitely my favourite dish of the evening.

in addition to the wood pit items, we ordered the tcb burger – pork cheek, havarti, pickles, mustard & fries ($19). the juicy patty was cooked perfectly and the combination of it with the havarti cheese made it one solid burger. the bun was also quite nice as it held up well against the juicy patty.

a non-meat entrée we ordered was the blackened sea bass – yucca, chili lime, coriander & tomatillo chutney ($22). i only had a small bite of this and didn’t find it to be anything special but the rest of the table seemed to enjoy it more than i did.

as far as fixins go, we ordered the “hot mess” – sweet potato, cheese curds, crema, pickled jalapeno & chopped brisket ($11). c’mon, with ingredients like this, it couldn’t possibly be bad. the hot mess was essentially a loaded baked potato but with sweet potato instead. it was a pretty darngood(but heavy) side.

to end off the meal, we ordered a few desserts to share. the first dessert we shared was the carbon chocolate bar – bitter chocolate, pecan ganache, bourbon caramel ($3 each). as advertised on the menu, these little bites were “just a taste” and a nice way to finish off the meal if you’re stuffed but still want to end off with something sweet.

up next was the pumpkin pie ice cream – rice pudding, barberries, wild blueberries, candied sunflower and pumpkin seeds, spiked eggnog ($9). the ice cream had a very intense pumpkin flavour and while the rice pudding wasn’t mind-blowing, i enjoyed the bits of candied sunflower that were sprinkled over it.

the last dessert we tried was the banana toffee cream pie ($16 for two people). the pie consisted of chunks of bananas and a generous amount of cream sitting on top of a nice pie crust. even though we didn’t detect any toffee, the table still enjoyed this dish.

so, there were some memorable dishes but there were also some misses for me. i also found the prices to be on the high side, especially for the portion sizes. overall, it was agoodmeal but not amazing.

at a glance:

• southern-inspired fare/bbq brought to you by the nota bene team

• gorgeous space located on queen east (at church)

• open for dinner (until late) mondays to saturdays; closed sundays

• prices are on the high side, especially for the portion sizes

• loved the goat ribs which are only available on fridays

ratings (out of 5):

• food: 3.5 stars

• service: 3 stars

• atmosphere: 4 stars