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Lou Dawg's
Categories: Restaurants Barbeque Restaurants Sandwiches Barbeque, Sandwiches [Edit]
589 King Street WestToronto, ON M5V 1M5
(647) 347-3294
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 11 am - 11 pm
Thu-Fri 11 am - 4 am
Sat 10 am - 4 am
Sun 10 am - 2 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
Howard H. said: "In Toronto, this is the place for smoked meat. Full stop. I am a true connesueur of all things deli - Katz's in SoHo to (the late lamented) Wolfies/Rascal House in Miami, From Schwartz's to Corky &Lenny's in the land of Cleve all…" read more »
49 reviews for Lou Dawg's
Review Highlights
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"a poutine topped with brisket or pulled pork." In 32 reviews -
"The sweet potato fries are awesome." In 9 reviews -
"They do a very good pulled pork and beef brisket." In 6 reviews
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49 reviews in English
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Review from Weez G.
Toronto, ON
2/12/2012
Go to Lou Dawgs and order the DRY-RUB wings. Eat one. Now try one with some hot sauce. Now have another plain one. Repeat until all wings have been consumed. You will be thoroughly innoculated against fast food restaurants offering "boneless-wing-style-Buffalo-flavor" nuggets. If you are not a fan of hot wings, use the above instructions substituting one (or both) of the barbecue sauces to innoculated yourself from deep-fried frozen wings dunked in goop from a food-service bucket.
In addition to the BEST WINGS in the city, Lou's. Offers old-school po'boy sandwiches, brisket, ribs, pulled pork and other American faves as well as homegrown Poutine. Before you ask; yes there are vegetarian options however I think a vegetarian that wants to patronise a barbecue spot is a little like a dermatologist that goes to a tanning salon. Service is excellent and the portions are heavier than they look. (Who would think one tiny bowl of potato salad or beans could be so filling?) -
Review from Tina N.
Toronto, ON
4/4/2012
The BBQ smell in this place is awesome! You get such a strong waft of it when stepping into the restaurant. Its a really Southern styled place with a wooden interior, love it.
After sight seeing the whole place, my partner and I took a seat and ordered the Lou Poutine which was amazing. Fries topped with the traditional gravy and cheese curds along with smoky pulled pork and a fresh helping of coleslaw! Can you as for anything better? Everything put together was such a pleasant to eat, I couldn't help myself but eat most of it. We also ordered half a rack of their famous BBQ ribs which were just as tasty with a tangy sauce and fall off the bone meat. Mmmmm. The only thing I wasn't so happy with was their dry rubbed chicken wings. It was dusted with intense seasoning but their chicken was over-cooked and so dry I couldn't even eat it. Dry chicken and dry rub do not make a good combination - almost makes you wanna cough out dust.
Other than that, this place really made me have a stronger love for Southern foods with their juicy pulled meats and BBQs. -
Review from Gord M.
East York, ON
3/19/2012
More filler for the mediocre BBQ scene. *2.5 stars
I'm no stranger to BBQ, from absolute garbage to primo stuff down south and Lou
Dawgs fits perfectly in the middle. They get points for style, but few points for execution.
To be fair, I'm a dry rub BBQ fan and not a fan of the stuff slathered in BBQ sauce. It's copping out if you ask me, 'cause when BBQ is done right, much like a great steak, it doesn't need much help, if any at all.
The mains and the sides were okay at best. The beans were okay, but the brisket and the pulled pork were completely uninspiring. The brisket was dry and I couldn't find a hint of smoke and the pulled pork had no flavour other than BBQ sauce.
I want LD's to be great, but I'll just have to wait until Buster Rhinos finally makes its downtown. -
Review from Benjamin C.
Etobicoke, ON
2/29/2012
It's OK for what it is. I've had the meat platter to myself twice, and it's not really that filling for the price. Usually at a place like this you get the platter to share, but it's around 20 bucks and not filling for one person. The meat ranges from tasty to bland, all very tender though. It's the only BBQ of the sort around, and in a pretty ritzy area so I guess they can get away with being overpriced. I hear really good things about the Loutine, but really everything on the menu is 5-10 bucks too much for the quality and quantity of food.
The service and atmosphere are awesome, though. -
Review from Becky Y.
Toronto, ON
5/11/2012 1 photo
The food was alright, me and friends were pretty satisfied. We ordered 3 meat combos with sweet potato mash/coleslaw, nacho and pull pork poutine. The bread came with the combo was very dry, sweet potato mash was unique, I highly recommend it. None of us liked nachos, dry and bland, sneaky dee's has way better nachos!! The pull pork poutine was our favorite, but still not comparable to poutines in Montreal. It's definitely not a place I'd crave for.
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Review from James K.
Toronto, ON
2/3/2012
Well....ummmmm....the service was good.....pause....can anyone here tumbleweeds blowing by?.....
Had the Beef Brisket Sandwich in the hopes of getting my authentic bbq on...but alas this sandwich was not even passable...It tasted like one of those rib sandwiches you get out of the fridge at a Gas station...not even that good actually...If the Brisket was any indication of the other bbq, then they should try taking a few lessons from The Black Camel... -
Review from Reynold P.
Toronto, ON
10/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love Lou Dawgs.
After a long night out, my friend and I wanted to indulge in BBQ bliss. After consulting http://Yelp.ca (shout-outs) and another Yelp member, we settled for something that was relatively close to my home and shoe stores for some shopping after.
A few blocks away from King and Spadina was a small entrance to what is now considered my favourite BBQ joint. Lou Dawgs is tucked away a bit, the sign is large enough to notice but you have to crawl down a few stairs to get in.
The place was nice, what you should expect from a BBQ place. Wooden and Western. Double W's. Although quite empty when we arrived right at opening hours on a Saturday, I was surprised to see anyone inside with us.
The Brunch items sounded so sweet, especially their Breakfast Loutine (poutine with homemade gravy with pulled pork and poached eggs on top). However, a few questions later and several answers past the waitress lured me into my greatest BBQ platter to date. Choice of 2 sides (coleslaw, fries, black bean and corn salad) and 2 meats (pulled pork and beef brisket), it was a dream come true. My buddy had the ribs.
Verdict: The BBQ is done so well here. Smokey and tender with extra super-delicious BBQ and hot sauces on the side. Ribs with a pink smoke ring is such a beautiful thing to see in Toronto. They were also not over sauced. They had nothing to hide.
Pulled pork was my favouite out of all the BBQ animals we had. Brisket the least. The sides were decent. Fries were extra good, but I think it was one of those "in the moment," kind of things.
While waiting 20 minute for the ribs to come out (wait time was warned but we agreed), I tweeted Lou Dawgs. A few minutes later, I got a tweet back which I showed the server in exchange for Caesars for the table.
Pretty sweet.Listed in: The Best Of Toronto...
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Review from Kat T.
11/22/2011
Solid food options for a relatively quick bite, or a pitcher of beer and heaps of meat products. Being a vegetarian, I was pleasantly surprised to see a menu dedicated to the non-meat eaters. Salads, without meat were really appreciated. The variety of barbeque sauces were amazing. I really liked the darker, smokier version of sauce. I put it on my salad and doused the stolen french fries with it. Taste the vareity of sauces and see which one you prefer.
The cheddar jalapeno muffins were not nearly as good as I had hoped, but the fries- both sweet potato, and regular, were superb. -
Review from Jason B.
8/24/2011
I went to Lou Dawg's for my birthday two years in a row. This is a great little hidden gem on the west end of King Street.
We were first attracted to the cool blues rock sounds emanating from within. Upon descending into their wooden tavern, what caught my attention next was the pump action bbq sauce, just out and available for consumption. I hadn't even ordered any food yet but I had to have a sample... it was the best bbq sauce I'd tried. I've since been to Memphis where all the restaurants claim to have award-winning ribs and bbq sauce, and well, this is definitely comparable!
The kitchen serves an array of southern bbq until 4am... which includes their famous Lou-tine... a poutine topped with brisket or pulled pork. Yahoo-yummy!
Their selection of musical artists is discerning and perfect. I've only heard the greatest local acoustic and blues talent at this venue. They have regular performers who are among the most talented musicians I've been fortunate enough to see.
The ambiance is beautifully lit and decorated and the staff were genuinely courteous. The owner even gave me a free shot on my birthday! A must try is their house draft beer.Listed in: Trendy, Funky, Groovy Music…
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Review from Emily K.
Toronto, ON
7/13/2011
Love this place!
From the moment you walk in this place has you hooked! (That is if you like the smell of BBQ).
This place is very reasonably priced. They do a very good pulled pork and beef brisket. I've had both and I can't decide which I like better. That's what keeps me going back.
When you eat here you have to make sure you try their bean salad. I have never tasted such a good bean salad, and their sweet potato fries with their mayo is delicious!
If you're in the area and are looking for a reasonably priced quick eat this place is definitely worth a try!Listed in: Cheap Eats, Toronto has great food
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Review from Jay M.
Toronto, ON
10/3/2011
went last night for some dinner and left pretty happy and definitely full.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, and being a Sunday apparently the place had already been eaten out of the white buns so it was whole wheat or nothing. Im willing to look past this for the sake of the review. The pulled pork itself was really good quality, clean cuts and not fatty. The catch is that its not as smothered in sauce as I normally like, however they had bbq sauce on the table to top it off as needed which saved the sandwich. Once more sauce was applied, the sandwich was a solid 7/10, and probably in my Top 5 pulled pork sandwiches in the city.
The lack of bun variety took it down to a 6 though, and had they not had extra sauce to be put on it, it would be a 5 our of 10.
for a side dish, I had the sweet potato fries which were pretty perfect - just thick enough, but not too thick that result in soggy fries. The bbq mayo dipping sauce was quite awesome too.
other things at the table included Chicken and Cheese Chilli which I sampled and was impressed with. another had the Sampler Sliders which was a pull chicken, pulled pork, and beef brisket sampler along with some coleslaw and potato salad. stole a bite of the brisket and the coleslaw, both were quite good as well.
overall, tasty food that is good for the price and nothing was a let down at the table of 5 people, so I'm going to give this place a solid 4 on the Yelp scale. -
Review from Jess W.
Toronto, ON
8/23/2011 5 photos
Walking down King Street, my friends and I were debating between grabbing a burger at Big Smoke or Lou Dawgs. When we saw the "$5 wings after 5pm" sign, we were sold. Must be a Monday evening special to pull in customers since the place was completely dead.
My two friends both went with the pulled pork sandwich ($6.95) and I decided to go with the 3 Meat Slider Sampler ($9.95) which came with a slider of pulled pork, brisket and chicken. I really like variety! Unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of the chicken or brisket. They were a little too dry for my liking. The pulled pork on the other hand was quite nice. Saucy and tender.
Since the wings were only $5 for a pound and a half we ordered this to share. I thought for sure we'd have to order drinks in order to get this special. Surprisingly, there was no catch! We got the dry rub and they were decent although I don't think the seasoning was mixed very well. Some bites were better and more flavourful than others. But for $5, I'd say this is pretty darn good value!
Something that caught my eye on their menu was the deep fried pickles ($5.95). I love pickles in any form... I'm one of those people who keeps a jar of pickles in the fridge at all times for snacking. These deep fried morsels were delicious! But at 6 bucks, I'd say the price was a little steep. I could buy two whole jars of pickles with that money...
It's always a bad idea ordering food when you're starving. I just wanted everything, so I also ordered a Loutine (aka pulled pork poutine). I was surprised by how generous they were with the pulled pork and cheese. But at this point in the meal, I could only stomach a few bites. Even my friend..aka our garbage disposal couldn't put much of a dent in it. Not a reflection of the poutine though, which was decent.
Overall - an A-ok experience. Sure, nothing blew me away, but the food in general was pretty decent. Worth a visit if you're in the area but certainly wouldn't go out of my way to come here. -
Review from Chris C.
Toronto, ON
2/10/2012
Ya service was good.. But the food was gross , we had pulled pork and beef brisket .. Tasted like it was made last week , sauce was too sweet .. And the gravy on the poutine was also nasty. Someone should call Gordon Ramsey ..
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Review from Vivien L.
10/5/2011
My bf really wanted pulled pork so came to Lou Dawg's to get our fix. We got there and heard it was wings night also so we got 1lb of wings for $5. With our pull pork sandwich we got a side of potato salad (which the waitress forgot about) and a coke.
Overall the only tasty thing we ate was the pulled pork sandwich. The wings and potato salad weren't that great. Service was OK up until the point where we wanted to get our bill. And to make the experience worse there were fruit flies flying around everywhere interfering with my eating haha.
I wouldn't willingly want to come back.. even thought the pulled pork sandwiches were good, I personally really hate flies annoying me when I eat. -
Review from Kelly O.
Okay, went here last night to satisfy my craving for meaty smoked deliciousness, and I've gotta say, they've really upped their game.
The smoked shaved turkey wrap with smoky bacon, cheese, tomato, greens and house sauce still kicks ASS. No really. Serious ass. Nothing new there though - it was always great.
Finally tried their pulled pork poutine and was delighted. TONS of meat, and the gravy had an amazing flavour. Its probably the best pulled pork poutine in the nieghbourhood. The large is HUGE, so beware.
The pulled pork sandwich has also improved since the last time I tried it. I was impressed! They now do table service, whereas previously you ordered it at the cash and it was brought out to you. I dig it.
So if you didn't love this place before, give it another shot - I pretty much promise you won't be disappointed.Listed in: ROTDs! Holla!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/23/2010
I've been here a few times now, including at the Elite event, but I wanted to get a well-rounded… Read more »
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Review from Sarah Y.
Vancouver, BC
2/20/2011
Just got home from my first meaty meal in a looong time and at long last, I was able to use my Groupon here (or was it Fab Find? I can't remember, but I think I spent $15 or $20 to get $40) AND it was Sunday brunch time!
I've been waiting to get my BBQ on at Lou Dawg's since this past summer, but the mood to eat lunch food never really hit me. Not until I found out Lou Dawg's did Brunch!
So with $40 to blow here's what I got:
*2 extra spicy caesars ($5 each)
* 3 meats with 2 sides ($15.95) - pulled pork, beef (brisket?), chicken and sweet potato fries and coleslaw)
* Lou's Breakfast ($9.95) - poached eggs, home fries, amazing BBQ beans, jalapeno cheddar corn muffin
* An extra side of BBQ beans to go with my doggie bagged meat
It was nice an peaceful inside, the majority of tables (it's not that big of a place) were full but nobody was too loud (and hey, it's Hangover Sunday, non?) AND some guy named Matthew Stafford and his band of him and a Juno award-winning guitarist plays there every Sunday from 12-3PM. The dude rocks it out belting bluesy tunes and breaks out into harmonica solos while playing the drums with his other hand!
It felt like a mix of down South and Canada (there was curling on the telly, go figure!). If they had more tables and big screen TVs this would be my hangout spot for sports games for sure.
As for the food - while I rarely indulge in because of the gastro-intestinal repercussions, the BEANS were amazing - BBQ-y with bits of meat and potato. I had to order an extra side of them to take home with my left over BBQ'd pulled pork, beef and chicken. The potato fries that came with the breakfast were a little skimpy but maybe because they were spread out. The jalapeno cheddar corn muffins were delish - sweet on the outside but savoury on the inside and the sweet potato fries were sweet and thick. The caesars were alright, could've used a bit more ice and spice.
Anyhoo - you know those social commerce sites...I always buy into them, use the voucher at a place I've never been to and vow to NEVER return (or just to spend my money elsewhere next time)... but not Lou Dawgs - no...this place, I will definitely be returning to time and time again.
And while my butt and thighs will disagree, I truly regret not ordering the Loutine (their take on a poutine with pulled pork). -
Review from Jason A.
Etobicoke, ON
7/16/2011
Checked out Lou Dawgs for dinner and drinks on a Friday night.
Service was a little slow due to two different Lou Dawgs softballs teams flooding into the bar, but the food was well worth the wait!
Being my first time eating there I had the Slider Sampler 3-some platter and it was delicious. Great pulled pork, amazing pulled chicken, fantastic brisket! The coleslaw was good, though the potato salad left a little to be desired having too much vinegar in it for my taste.
Grabbed a couple pitchers of "Lou Dawgs" ale, which is also pretty decent for an in house brew.
Decent prices, great food... I'll definitely be going back! -
Review from Adriano A.
Toronto, ON
3/28/2011 1 photo
I feel bad hating on Lou Dawg's, but I'll likely never go back. The staff is excellent. The were really friendly and always checking in, but the food wasn't good.
I got the Loutine, which is a poutine with a healthy serving of pulled pork on top. It looked great, but once I got into it and my hunger subsided, I was pretty upset with what was left over.
The gravy tasted like KFC gravy, which is fine when I'm getting some soggy fries and gravy from the Colonel, but not when I'm promised something so tasty. The pork didn't have much flavor either.
I really wanted to like it, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I won't be back. -
Review from Christopher T.
12/10/2010
Huge portions and great prices. I ordered the triple combo of pulled pork, brisket, and pulled chicken. The brisket wasn't so great, kind of fatty and on the bland side, but the pulled chicken and pulled pork easily made up for any shortcomings, really terrific. t came with a couple wedges of nice bread to sort of create bite sized sandwiches as I made my way through the offerings.
Service for our large group was quick and efficient. Quick in and out and really quite pleasant as a dining experience. It is in a basement but they have decorated the space beautifully, well done. -
Review from Bijan V.
I'm rating Lou Dawgs not just as a pure southern style BBQ joint but as what it really is. Another cool, upperscale "fast food" joint / bar (open till 4 am!) that makes for a great place to watch the Leafs or other sports.
The food here is fairly decent - the sandwiches are great, the rest is mediocre. I've had the pulled pork and brisket sandwiches here and they're really tender with a nice sauce. With $7-9 / sandwhich it's not a bad price to pay and you can get some slaw on the which for another 99 cents. The sides add a bit more to the price but they come in healthy servings (the sweet potato fries and the dipping sauce are really good!).
On top of this I just tried the ribs (of which I believe they were beef) and they weren't all that great. First off they left the lining on the ribs which is personally a big no-no for me (I know others don't care) and they were still a bit dry. The sauce was pretty mediocre and the ribs weren't terribly meaty and didn't really fall of the bone.
The atmosphere of the place is pretty interesting and they have a projector and multiple TVs set up to show the game if you want to have a beer and watch with the guys.
As long as you stick to the sandwhiches and don't think this place is the holy grail for souther BBQ food, Lou Dawgs is actually a pretty good place to grab a quick bite! -
Review from Lola L.
Updated - 5/23/2011
Went to Lou's again today and once again found it to be dissatisfying. I've come to the conclusion that this place really does southern-style food a disservice.
I ordered the breakfast burrito this time in an effort to combat a hangover. And it was just an over-sized tube of dry black beans, egg, lettuce, barely-melted Gorgonzola, and corn. According to the menu, it is meant to contain "BBQ mayo," but I could detect none. It really would've helped bind the ingredients together, but instead everything just kept falling apart in my hands. The salsa that came on the side was basically just diced tomatoes and peppers--not spicy and not liquid, so you couldn't dip the burrito into it, either. The fries were fine, nothing to report, and there was again a tiny bowl of melon chunks on the side. Yawn.
Incredibly lackluster and disappointing and I won't be coming back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/3/2011
Tried this place out today because we had a coupon ($10 for $20 worth of food) for brunch and it's… Read more »
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Review from Sunit M.
Toronto, ON
7/6/2011
I just started working in the neighbourhood and wanted to check this place out.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and a side salad. Food was tasty, but not overly exciting. I liked the atmosphere. It was a light sports night, so not that busy, but I know I would like it more during the playoffs, etc.
I will probably be back because the prices, especially on the drinks, were reasonable and they have a lot of specials going on. I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 because the wait staff took at least 10 minutes to get us menus and acknowledge we were even there. There were only 2 other tables to wait on in the entire place at the time. I will say that the food came out fast.
I will have to go back and try the Loutine the next time! -
Review from John Y.
Toronto, ON
12/25/2010 1 Check-in Here
Very casual atmosphere with classic rock rock/pop music playing in the background. Good choice of beers
Ordered the large Loutine (fries, gravy, cheese curds & pulled pork). Portion was huge, enough to feed 4 people, soft moist pulled pork on top of all this with tangy BBQ sauce, best pulled pork I've had, yummy.
Waitress was friendly and took the time to explain the dishes. Went with the brisket sandwich, I felt the brisket had a little too much fat/cartilage in it although it was tasty. Some people may mistake the cartilage for fat but cartilage is more of a chewy/rubbery texture when eaten.
Would recommend to satisfy your BBQ, smoked meat cravings. Go in not trying to compare it to other authentic BBQ places you have visited in the past and you will enjoy the food. Go Canada!!! -
Review from Lanna J.
Toronto, ON
3/6/2011
Went here for brunch on a relatively quiet hour for their business (Saturday around 1pm); service was nice as quick. The atmosphere was well put together, with a nice rock-country theme to this basement restaurant.
Off the brunch menu, tried both the pulled-pork & hollandaise sauce meal (forget the name) and the smoked apple waffles. Presentation was damn impressive, but unfortunately the food fell a little short of that. The pulled pork lacked flavor (although, the added condiment of barbecue sauce saved the meal) and the hollandaise sauce was equally bland (no punch of sour).
I enjoyed the smoked apple waffles quite a bit more--the apples definitely had a smoked whiskey after taste, but were a little too mushy for my personal taste.
While a fun-themed place, ultimately the quality of the meal did not match the aesthetics of the restaurant. -
Review from tokill a.
Etobicoke, ON
11/24/2010
Good...but, not great.
The Service is prompt, friendly but beyond that it's a bit disappointing. I lived in the Mid-West (Kansas City) and travelled extensively in the South. Simply put: this is no where near the sublime artery bursting BBQ I've had in those Locales. It's more like a cookbook/recipe interpretation on what would quantify as Southern BBQ. As with all takes on locale-specific cuisine, there's an interpretation aspect to it. Unfortunately, something has been lost in the translation with Lou Dawg's.
...As a few other reviewers have stated: I *want* to like this place, but probably won't try it again. -
Review from sarah l.
Updated - 2/28/2010 2 Check-ins Here
After a fun mid afternoon meeting with a very hungover @mattyspence at the utterly horrific Brant House, Kat F and I needed to chill with some regular people - and that's kind of hard to come by these days on King West. I was desperately craving chicken wings and after talking with Darryl at the elite event at Lou Dawgs about his in house smokers I had been itching to try their offering.
The best:
Lou Dawgs was empty at 4pm on a Thursday, and the girl working the counter was super friendly and cool. The 3 of us were literally the only people there and it was a great time.
The good:
- They have a real HD decoder box on their TV. Seriously. We watched women's Olympic hockey and it looked amazing. I'm pretty sure since we were the only people there we could have watched whatever we wanted.
- The coleslaw is great. It had red onions, raisins and maybe even currants in it. It was great coleslaw.
- The fries are very good. You need to ask for the BBQ mayo to dip them in. 5 star french fries.
The not bad, but not great:
- The wings were different - they are whole chicken wings with drumstick and 'other piece' attached. Very unique and I'm undecided on what I think about this style of chicken breakdown.
- I didn't like the BBQ sauce on the chicken wings. This is a personal preference issue and as you may or may not know, I like my wings a specific way (crispy, saucy and with a traditional New York butter vinegar sauce). I don't like BBQ sauce wings, but these were still pretty good considering the fundamental flaw of this not being a wing sauce.
- No veggies and bleu cheese, but the coleslaw was an almost-acceptable substitute.
Overall, I really like this place and I will be back, but not very often. I generally don't like this area of town and if it was located on the east side (note to people with VC $$ - they have franchise opportunities!) I would be by here more often.Listed in: Chicken Wings... for better or…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/17/2009
Like John, I also WANT to like this place.
Some background about me: I *love* BBQ. I go to ribfest… Read more »
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Review from Lupillo R.
Toronto, ON
9/13/2010
I love Lou Dawg's. It's a great place to get a very casual meal in the King West neighbourhood. I like the fact that they smoke their meat in house and make their own BBQ sauce. The sandwiches are great although I usually add way more BBQ sauce and some hot sauce. I tried a Lou-tine the other day and while I was intrigued at the thought of poutine with pulled pork or chicken on top, I was disgusted with myself for eating such an unhealthy meal. It was good and they used proper cheese curds but I don't think I would order it again. The wings and ribs are good but the real star of the menu are the sandwiches. That's what keeps me coming back.
They used to have BBQ sauce dispensers on a side table which they have now removed, I was told because they were attracting fruit flies, but you can ask them for all the extra sauce you like. The only thing that I ordered that I didn't care for was a brownie for dessert. It was very ordinary and not very chocolatey. It tasted like it came out of a package however I was told they're made in house.
I would not recommend coming here on a first date, as the food can sometimes get messy, but it's an excellent place to eat with friends. On a final note, I've caught a couple of excellent live music performances there. A guy with a guitar playing covers, not usually my thing, but he was really good. -
Review from Jay W.
Markham, ON
11/12/2010
I love going to restaurants that specialize in making just one thing because generally speaking that means that one thing is amazing!
Lou Dawg's specializes in making pulled pork, not the stringy shredded mess of boiled pork and sauce you find in other wannabe joints. I've spent a lot of time down in the south, so I've had a lot of good pulled pork before. Lou Dawg's makes a valiant attempt and is decent for a joint up in TO.
But you need to know how to order your pulled pork. If you just order the pulled pork and let them sauce it up for you, it'll either be too much sauce (soggy), or too little sauce (too porky). What you want to do is order the pork with a moderate amount of sauce and then go to the squeeze pump and adjust to suit your own taste.
If they just smoked their pork shoulder a little bit longer to get that deep flavorful smoke ring, this could easily be a 4 star review. -
Review from Farheen K.
Toronto, ON
4/20/2010
Lou Dawgs was perfect for what I wanted last night: a hearty stay-in take-out meal. All under $20.
On a monday night, the place was filled to the brim with drunk Jack Astors servers. Apparently, they chose Lou Dawgs for their staff party so imagine my surprise when I walk in looking like a lumberjack in my oversized flannel pyjamas to a myriad of double D's staring me in the face. I gingerly place my order at the rammed bar with a very pleasant bartender/server and step aside preparing myself to wait half a century while he tends to the boobs. Wrong! My order arrives piping hot ready to go in 5 minutes flat AND I get a "Thank you so much for your patience" along with it. Must be my lucky day!
On to the food. The pulled chicken was dry and needed some serious oomph. I had to douse it in hot sauce a few times. There was no slow cooked smoker loving going on with this sandwich. The beef brisket was 20% wetter due to the fatty brisket but both sandwiches were sugar sweet and needed spice. I think the trick is to ask for extra sauce on the side. The yukon gold fries were perfectly salted and plenty for a $3 small.
A little tweaking aside, this is a great option in the area since Gandhi closes at 10 and there are hardly any takeout places within those few blocks. -
Review from julie g.
Toronto, ON
8/7/2009
Being a huge lover of the now defunct Dipalmo's, I had visions of exquisite BBQ meat and succulent secret sauce in my head while approaching Lou Dawg's. I thought, this is what Toronto has been waiting for... I was wrong.
After peeling back the lids, I discovered some pretty nasty looking food. Going against my gut, I decided to at least try everything I ordered - since it wasn't a cheap meal at over $14. The BBQ chicken tasted like chemicals (plastic), the creamy slaw was full of dried cranberries and the baked BBQ beans looked like chili with fat chunks floating in it. The only thing I have to be thankful for is that the portions were small. Trust me, it's a good thing. -
Review from Ariel G.
2/4/2010
Recently went there with 2 companions. We have all been 'schooled' in the Deep South, and this was a true disappointment.
The meat is too sweet. I don't know how else to put this but they seem to be using a lot of BBQ sauce. I don't know if they are using the renderings from the BBQ process, as they should.
The premises are generally OK, and the service prompt and pleasant.
Value is alright, and what needs to be done here to is to get a decent real recipe and stick to it.
This is not rocket science as myriads of BBQ shacks pull this off (no pun intended) on a daily basis. It would also be nice to feature a North Carolina BBQ style, nice and vinegary as an additional incentive.
The sweet potato fries are good. I will probably not return. -
Review from Teena D.
8/2/2010 4 photos
My husband and I had lunch there last Saturday.
We'd stopped in the week before for drinks and liked it so wanted to get back to check out the food.
We shared the smoked beef brisket sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich and fries.
They were both moist and tasty. And the bun was really soft.
When I'm in the mood for a pulled sandwich, I'll be back. -
Review from Andrea L.
York, ON
10/28/2009
Lou Dawgs seems like a place that can't decide what it wants to be...a bar? a takeout place? a bank? We went to see a friend's band play. Which in and of itself seemed strange for a takeoutish joint. However, it totally worked and they were great! We shared a beef brisket sandwich. The meat was tender and flavourful, but a bit on the fatty side. The sauces were yummy.
The weirdest part was the seemingly never ending stream of people coming in to use the ATM...it seemed like it was some sort of special ATM given the number of people using it! -
Review from jonathan f.
Brampton, ON
8/7/2009
Lou Dawg's is great choice for southern sandwhiches. People, remember that this is King Street and not the Southern United States we're talking about. . The pulled pork is a little dry but one can always add some extra BBQ sauce. The sweet potato fries are awesome.
This place is very clean and it's open until 4:00 am. -
Review from Tammy Y.
9/19/2009
For what you pay for, this place is good. I'm no pulled pork connoisseur, but for $7 bucks you can get a stacked sandwich that will leave you reeling at the end. The pork is tender and juicy, though the braised beef sandwich at about $9 is arguably worth the extra toonie. The size "small" sweet potato fries on the side are good enough for 2 people to share. Really - it's huge. Even better (now I'm not sure if this is a regular thing), but that day they had "$5 for a pound of wings after 6pm". Of course, we waited it out and tried them. I love me some rubbed wings, and that was what we got. Also major thumbs up. Wouldn't mind if it came with some celery or carrot sticks on the side though - a whole lot of meaty brown-coloured foods in one sitting.
We swung by this place on a Wednesday late afternoon and the place was empty, but was slowly filling up by the time we left for a live comedy show set to go on there later. They also have a live music schedule, and the environment seems like a nice place to kick back and enjoy some cheap fries and beers on a weekday night. Service is friendly enough, and the place is clean and "new-looking", unlike your more traditional pubs and bars. There were quite a few visitors doing the takeout option, though I'd say if you're in the area, it's worth kicking back and enjoying the casual space. -
Review from John B.
Toronto, ON
6/5/2009
I dunno, my co-workers seem to like this place, and I know I want to, but my pulled-pork sandwich was lacking any distinction. I wanted tanginess, but instead felt like I was consuming a fairly bland sloppy joe-style sandwich. My "Yukon Gold" fries did not fare any better. They tasted sort of undercooked and mealy. Though they felt like substantial pieces of potato, they tasted more like frozen.
That said, my boss claims that Lou Dawg's potato salad is to die for, and the place seems to be something of a Friday ritual with my colleagues. It's also a fairly nice space and the staff seemed nice as well, so maybe I'll try it again.
I'm just hoping I don't get more of the same. -
Review from Danielle E.
Toronto, ON
3/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
As a venue goes this smokey joint was a little oddly shaped, crowding everyone into about 1/4 of the available space as this was where the tables were located.
Let's talk a little on the tables, or rather the long wooden bar that was meant to house drinks. I would say that the bar was not really drunk friendly, but it was drunk and sober alike that knocked drink after drink to the floor smashing glasses and causing injuries. I'm still sporting a cut from an errant piece of glass. the problem lies in the less than flat nature of the board. Clumsy as I am, I couldn't be trusted to rest my drink all night. Lest it be wasted.
Beyond the obviously defective table the waiters and waitresses were fantastic, always ready with a new platter of food and a pleasant smile. In fact they even broke the rules a little, pouring me free drink well after the 9 pm cut off point.
As a non-meat eater I often have a hard time finding munchies at the Yelp events, I was pleasantly surprised with the cold bean salad, pretty standard vege fare, plates and plates of french fries, and a mini fish slider. So though I couldn't taste the restaurants main dish, I was happy with the alternatives.
Bottom line...I would visit this porkery again to see if their stellar service holds true on another night. -
Review from Julianna B.
Toronto, ON
7/6/2011
I had an amazing experience here at the Yelp party a couple of years ago, so I looked forward to returning. I dropped by with a friend, excited to have the pulled pork and succulent fries again. My friend's pulled pork was a bit bland, but but my three sliders (pulled pork, pulled chicken, and brisket) were also tepid and dry. The fries were hard, as if they'd been sitting in back for a while. We did turn up early for dinner, but that's not really an excuse. Pity! We live around the block from Stockyards, so we really have no reason to come back here ever again.
-
Review from TOFoodReviews n.
Toronto, ON
1/17/2011
Food, like fashion, has a lot to do with trends. Every couple of years some new ingredient or dish seems to capture the attention of cooks everywhere. Someone does it well, and then soon niche restaurants seem to be popping up everywhere.
A number of years ago, it was the burrito, soon the poutine became chic.
Lately it seems like everyone needs to prove they have the best Southern-style barbeque.
On a recent Saturday night, I had the opportunity to eat at Lou Dawg's; Southern Sandwiches at King and Portland in the Entertainment District. Nestled in the basement, Lou Dawg's seems to be punching above its weight. It has a fairly small front of house, and on this night, a third of that front of house seemed to be taken up by an impromptu stage while the sound and light guys were setting up. And once they did, it was loud! Not only that, it wasn't even music. The sound system was blaring an audio feed from the football game projected on the large screen on the opposite wall. Despite that, the place was buzzing. Pretty much all the tables were full and the young-ish crowd that was there seemed to be happy enough, with tables full of plates and pints.
With our large order placed at the bar, we watched a group clear out and quickly snagged the table. No sooner did he drop off our pints did our food arrive. It was super quick, and it couldn't have been more than five minutes. My guests and I ordered the gamut of the menu: pulled chicken, beef brisket, and pulled pork sandwiches with potato salad, coleslaw and a 'Loutine' (poutine with pulled pork). Everything looked great...
The pulled pork had a pleasant smoky flavour and was quite juicy and moist, but after a couple of bites it seemed to be very one note; there wasn't that nice tang you get with true southern barbeque. The pulled chicken was very dry. This is a dish most people have difficulty doing well, and I don't think Lou Dawg's is any different. It seemed like it had been sitting around for awhile... waiting for someone to order it... The beef brisket was popping with flavour. It was succulent, with just the right amount of fattiness. If you're there, I highly recommend it.
Side dishes is where Lou Dawg's really shines. Their coleslaw is creamy, sweet and crisp, with dried cranberries and raisins. And the potato salad? Truly made with love. It burst with flavours of dill and mustard seed, and the potatoes were cooked to the perfect texture.
The small poutine was quite a large portion. The fries were as they should be: crisp and fresh tasting with a hefty salting. If the cheese was curds, you couldn't tell. They had lost all of their consistency from over heating. The chicken gravy was way too salty and overpowered the mild flavour on the pulled pork.
Overall, Lou Dawg's didn't live up to the hype. I've had better Southern barbeque at places that don't specialize in it, and way better at places that do. Coupled with that, the restaurant seemed a little unsure of itself. Is it trying to be a restaurant? a sports bar? or a neighbourhood performance space? or just a hangout for friends of the staff? This indecision usually sounds the death knell of any place. So while the sides and brisket made it a place worth returning to, there wasn't much keeping me from going somewhere else. -
Review from Isabel R.
Toronto, ON
3/14/2010
Not too impressed with the fair here. Overpriced and mediocre food.
I got a pulled pork sandwich. The pork itself was ok...just kind of underwhelming. Though other commenters mentioned too much sauce, mine had hardly any. Actually..the meat was pretty dry and not very flavourful. The bread was the most offensive part of the sandwich, though. Nothing kills a sandwich like low quality buns.
And the price...while the sandwich is only $7, it comes with no sides. Each side is an additional $3. While my coleslaw was good, i don't think it was worth the price tag. Maybe I'm cheap, but I think a sandwich should come with a side
Overall underwhelming.
