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Big T's Bbq & Smokehouse
Category: Restaurants Barbeque Barbeque [Edit]
2138 Crowchild Trl NWCalgary, AB T2M 3Y7
(403) 284-5959
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
23 reviews for Big T's Bbq & Smokehouse
23 reviews in English
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Review from Matt M.
Calgary, AB
5/4/2012
Must Have: deep fried pickles, hush puppies (available as an appy or as a side with your meal), brisket.
Avoid: cornbread. It's cold. It's feel like a rubber block. It's not good at all.
This place has decent food but I think The Palamino, Jojo's BBQ truck, and even Tony Roma's serve up better bbq. -
Review from Ken S.
Calgary, AB
5/18/2012
I really don't know why I keep going back to Big T's. The food is just average but the service is abysmal.
The waitstaff are always surly and even the most mundane request is met with contempt. -
Review from Tracy H.
Calgary, AB
5/7/2012
If you want hot, delicious, home-made food with excellent service, then you should check out Big T's! I'm not a huge meat eater so I unfortunately cannot compare to actual southern BBQ. However, the ribs, chicken, pulled pork and catfish po' boy that my family ordered were all very good! And the beans - homemade baked beans. Not an easy thing to pull off and they were yummy! The portions were just right and the desserts were excellent!
Most importantly, service was fast and staff was attentive. With 2 growing kids (especially my 12 year old son, who surprised everyone by ordering the largest meal), we'll be back! -
Review from Leah L.
I'll start by saying that I know nothing about BBQ... I was a vegetarian until a few years ago. Now that I've discovered meat it's all I ever want... so I nabbed a coupon for this place off deal find. It's looks kinda ghetto from the outside..and inside lol.
I started enjoying myself when I ordered iced tea and it was real iced tea, not nestea. Deep fried pickle appey was good, but hard to finish even between two people. My hubby and I both had brisket on a bun. The worst part about this meal was the cornbread...my mom makes it and it's delicious but here it was cold and oddly rubbery. My brisket was great... Yum yum. Cole slaw was edible, which makes it the best restaurant slaw of my life (many bad experiences). We would have had a better time if our server made eye contact or smiled or something, but she was limping so who knows maybe she sprained her ankle and the boss won't give her a day off. In that case id be pissy too. But our food came out lightning fast and our drinks were never empty. Id go back for more! -
Review from B M.
Calgary, AB
2/1/2012
I went here because of a dealfind voucher. I read the reviews first and thought I had to try the deep fried pickles. Well it was a dissappointment. They were really hard and nothing special. I don't see what the big hype was. Then I had the catfish and beef brisket. Both very good indeed! The sides however were a dissapointment. The baked beans were really hot, no warning on menu and the coleslaw was nothing to write about.
Basically the main dishes were good as my sister had the andouille sausage and pulled pork which I tried as well. The standard sides that come with it are not but I'm here for the main dishes.
It was suppose to have 4 different sauces but only 3 were brought to the table. We asked the waitress and she just said no only 3 sauces. The honey mustard was the best for my liking.
Overall would go again as I have 2 more vouchers to use anyway. lol -
Review from Anthony S.
4/19/2011 2 photos
"Genuine Southern" BBQ" in Calgary? Its April 19 and its snowing! Like Al Gore, they misjudged global warming I guess.
This is pretty good bbq. Brisket is very tender with nice smoke flavor (with Canadian Alder, nice touch). Lots of rib choices, but I did not try. Andouille sausage was fine. Onion rings crispy and not too greasy. EXCELLENT mustard BBQ sauce. Cord bread moist, but slightly sweet, Beans and slaw are nothing special.
This BBQ place could survive Northwest of Kentucky in most US states. -
Review from Justin B.
11/12/2011 4 Check-ins Here
The deep fried dill pickles will change your life! More likely your life span but totally worth it.
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Review from Wendy P.
11/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when my frisbee team suggested heading to Big T's after our last fall league game of the year (which just so happened to be Halloween night and I was dressed as Wendy from Wendy's... see the photos on my profile).
Big T's is kinda like cheez whiz. It adds some personality to your meal. Servers included. Our server had a nickname for everyone at our table as she took our orders. There were easily 15 of us there. Other personality adders - menu items like the Butt Rub Burger (guess what I ordered?).
Although I enjoyed my Butt Rub (ideal after any strenuous exercise), I was a little jealous of the folks in our party who ordered the two meat meal. Yep, your choice of any two meats (sliced brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken breast, meatloaf, Andouille sausage, catfish and dusty rib ends). The chili was something to shake your fist at too... no bull.
Remember to also try the hush puppies. I'm not going to tell you what they are, but they sure are tasty.Listed in: Good for Groups, Sporting Team Friendly, Get stuffed
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Review from Dawn N.
Calgary, AB
9/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
Not worth going IMO. We did not enjoy our lunch at Big T's and won't be going back.
I had a pulled pork sandwich which needed more "Carolina" Style sauce, not the nasty "house" BBQ sauces they give you in the bucket. My fiance had the butt rub burger which was terrible and dry. We also ordered deep fried pickles and were very dissapointed with them too. Not even home-battered, just bought junk.
Don't bother with this lame BBQ. -
Review from Cornelius V.
Calgary, AB
7/1/2010 3 Check-ins Here
I went here with a foodie from Texas. I actually flew out for a weekend just to get BBQ with him. Therefore, we were complete snobs at Big T's and I am going to share this snobbery with you.
BBQ places in Texas all have their own vibe and style. No two places are the same, and they are definitely not like a Chili's. Lots of them are cafeterias that have spunk, there are dozens of microbrews in ice buckets just waiting to be consumed, augh, dining at one of these places is an EXPERIENCE. Walk up, order, get your number, wait up to 10 mins, help yourself to chips, wait in anticipation, and gloriousness awaits. Better yet, grab a tray, order your food and sides cafeteria style, and sit on a bench in the 90f heat at 9pm. Big T's, however, is just like any other banal, boring, uninspired experience in Calgary. Walk in. Wait for one person to tell you where to sit. Sit in restaurant with contrived interior style. Wait for another person to come. Order. Wait 15-20 mins for mediocrity.
We were fine with this crap until my friend asked the server for a the moist cut of the brisket. In Texas, the response is always along the lines of "certahinly, bayebeedahl!!". In Calgary, it tends to be long the line of: "we cannot do that." We scoff, she continues: "we pre-cut the brisket, mix it, and put it in bags". Yes. She said that. Almost proudly. We didn't have to ask her to tell us that they only smoke once a week instead of nightly.
Knowing BBQ, the food was average to below average. If you never had BBQ, you will probably think it is pretty good. It falls really short from what real BBQ should be. Calgary has incredible access to good beef and pork and there is no excuse for it being this half assed. Pre-cut and put in bags. Wow. -
Review from Trish C.
Calgary, AB
12/19/2011
Big disappointment. Went for lunch, my nephew ordered deep fried pickles, couldn't eat them because the pickles were too tough. He ate one and sent them back. Our server had recommended the dish and when we sent them back the response from her was one of disbelief, "these pickles were voted the best at the Calgary Stampede". That may be true, but this batch was not edible.
I had a pulled pork sandwich, it was cold like it had been taken out of the refrigerator, fries were fairly warm and soggy. I told the server after we had eaten about our disappointment, but there was no real concern. I told her that I had eaten at Big T's in the past and asked if they had changed ownership or something, she said no. We were charged for the pickles, no apology and the sense that no one cared, I felt uncomfortable even giving my feedback. That is the reason I will never be back and will not recommend this place to others.
The bill came to nearly $50 with tip and no alcohol. -
Review from Beau R.
5/1/2009 2 photos
I guess you would figure I would go after some Barbeque while in Calgary. This place just happened to be near my hotel, so I walked over there.
They had a few different selection of meat. I went with the St Louis Pork Ribs, which came with cornbread, hush puppies, baked beans and coleslaw. I wouldn't expect to find great ribs in Canada, but these weren't that bad. The St Louis Style had a decent dry rub on it with some sauce. The sauce wasn't that great, but the dry rub and pork were fairly decent. The meat didn't have a lot of smoke flavor and I was disappointed to see the chefs using the microwave. As for all the sides, I thought they were all below average.
http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
All in all this place wasn't bad, but I would only come here for a sandwich. But Canada isn't known for barbeque. I would give this 2 stars if it were in the USA, but since its Canada I will give it 3. -
Review from Jessica A.
9/30/2011
Pretty good BBQ ribs, not the best but I enjoyed them. The price is decent and portions are huge.
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Review from Cody S.
2/9/2011
Here's the rundown. This place, conveniently right across from McMahon Stadium, is just ok with me. The decor is definitely inspired by classic southern bbq's. There are old blues posters on the wall along with alot of pine. This can make for a great environment, especially if you are aiming for good bbq. The food, on the other hand, tastes like they don't care much (or assume there aren't enough people in Calgary that don't care or know about BBQ). The house BBQ sauce is ok....you might find yourself using it more than often considering how some of the meat is quite dry.
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Review from Jason G.
Calgary, AB
5/7/2010
Big T's is a pretty decent formulaic facsimile of a southern BBQ joint.
They've got the wood tables and the blues posters on the walls to create the rustic casual vibe you'd find in the Deep South.
But that's about where the similarities end, unfortunately.
Sure, they offer all the right items - pork ribs, chicken, brisket, pork butt - but they just lack the succulence and that true smokiness of the real deal. The food's not bad, just uninspired.
But when you love BBQ as much as I do, a decent approximation is better than no BBQ at all, and that's what you'll get if you pay a visit to Big T's. -
Review from Lindsay K.
Halifax, NS
10/30/2009 2 photos
Vegetarians beware! Seriously. If you don't like meat, don't go to Big T's!
I was almost sick after leaving my meal at Big T's. Not because I don't like meat or because the food was bad or anything like that, but because I saw and ate so much meat it's enough to make anyone sick, even the strongest of carnivores.
I went in with a group and actually ordered a group meal. They brought out a giant platter of all these different kinds of barbecued meat. There was different smoked meat, chicken, ribs, and pulled pork. It was served with a bunch of fries and other sides, like salad and potatoes. It was just enough for the four of us, but I was with two other girls and one boy. If it were all big eaters, we would have needed something a little extra.
If you are a meat-lover, you will most definitely LOVE Big T's. They know their meat, and they serve it well. -
Review from Tom K.
Calgary, AB
12/30/2010
The only restaurant I have ever purposely not tipped. Dry, bland everything. Never take a visitor here with Alberta beef in mind. They will just have fuel for an Alberta joke.
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Review from Jayde G.
Calgary, AB
11/12/2011
We have been going to Big T's for about 4 years now. The food is always great and they have very friendly staff. I think it would be a great location to have a party because of the huge platters... I believe they are big enough for 10 or more people. Located right across from Mcmahon Stadium it's convenient to grab a bite before or after the game. The lunch specials are around $8 and the portions are perfect
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Review from Don B.
7/17/2010
I simply cannot compare this place to the BBQ places I have eaten at in Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas and Kansas in terms of value or taste. None of those places had their baked beans taste like they are right out of the can. If you are going to serve corn bread at least use a decent recipe so it is not so dry and cold that you could use it for a hockey puck. Their meat portions are very small and they need extra sauce added from the table to give it some flavor and moisture.
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Review from Christopher W.
Calgary, AB
10/6/2008
The smell of Big T's BBQ is enough to make anyone salivate, if they came hungry or not. The food itself holds up to it's rich aroma. This place offers a full-range of traditional BBQ meats, from pulled pork to smoked chicken to their own catfish ??? sandwich.
When I ordered the half-chicken, the server asked what type of homemade BBQ sauce I wanted with it. I ordered Big T's original sauce, but she brought out all of the others in a basket with my meal, thereby rendering my selection meaningless. Which she couldn't account for. It was cool though because the Carolina mustard was definitely worth a try.
The portions were large and the whole atmosphere worked well. It has a New Orleans blues theme with posters of old musicians hanging everywhere, wood tables and that smell makes you want to eat in a weird way. You half expect to look over and see a chubby bluesman sucking back ribs and cornbread -- which they serve with all their meals.
Worth a try if you're hungry and looking for some southern smoked BBQ meats. -
Review from Trish L.
Calgary, AB
9/20/2008
The food was ok... nothing to write home about. I've definitely had better bbq, even here in Calgary. The food portions were very large, which translates to very good value for the money. But the flavour of food itself was "meh."
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Review from Julianna C.
Calgary, AB
7/30/2009
This place disturbed me. There were flies everywhere, landing on the massive piles of meat piled up in front of you. Everything tasted similar... and not a leafy green in sight. "Good Value", sure. But then again, you often get what you pay for in Calgary, unfortunately.
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Review from Charles T.
Calgary, AB
11/10/2009
I went there for a business lunch on a Monday. My lunch partner had not arrived yet so the waitress seated me and then ignored me completely. Even though the place was pretty much empty. The service improved somewhat after that but I wouldn't give it high marks.
I like the ambiance - kind of old west with blues music playing in the background. I had a barbecue pork special. It was pork on a bun with coleslaw, beans and french fries on the side. The food was OK but nothing special. I think I may have been spoiled by my exposure to good Southern US barbecue - Big T does not measure up to that.
