Top 5 BBQ Restaurants in Ottawa
Aside from being relatively inexpensive, barbecuing gives people the chance to get together in a less formal atmosphere.
While some do it at home, others seek the comfort of enjoying grilled dishes in restaurants.
So if you’re looking for the top BBQ restaurants in Ottawa, this listicle is for you. But before we move on to the list, let’s first discuss how much dining in one would cost.
How much will dining in a BBQ restaurant in Ottawa cost?
The cost of BBQ dishes in restaurants is often dependent on where you are dining and the portion sizes.
While the prices of most set meals include the side dishes, others might require you to shell out a little more for the extras.
To give you a better idea of how much a BBQ meal at a restaurant would cost, below is a table showing the most common types of BBQ dishes.
Please take note that these average costs do not include additional sides.
1. Fatboys Southern Smokehouse
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Price per Meal | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Variety of Selections | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Dining Experience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| General Feedback | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
Inspired by people who live in a region called “The Barbecue Belt,” Fatboys Southern Smokehouse opened its doors for the first time in December of 2011. Today, it proudly serves Ottawa and its surrounding areas with slow-cooked BBQ.
Some of the most popular dishes on its menu include tasty ribs, barbecue chicken, and beef briskets at rates you will love. The Kentucky Derby Platter that is offered with generous portions is a must-try.
If you’re with your kids, they’ll love the renowned mac n’ cheese. If you’re dining in as a large group, there are BBQ packages, which are great options for feeding hungry bellies in no time.
Apart from having commendable cooking staff, we also like the biker ambiance that is matched with live music that customers can enjoy. Enhancing the dine-in experience, especially for whiskey lovers, is its Bourbon Society.
If you’re thinking of having to serve your favorite dishes from them for a special occasion, Fatboys Southern Smokehouse also has a catering service. It does, however, require a 72-hour notice, which is not great for unexpected events.
But above all, we appreciate the hospitality of its great staff. The owner will even personally meet the guests and offer suggestions that would best suit their specific needs.
Open for take-outs, Fatboys Southern Smokehouse can let you enjoy all of its great items in the comfort of your home. But, should a special occasion fall on either a Monday or a Tuesday, you’ll find yourself somewhere else as it is closed on those days.
Pros
- A variety of meal options
- Specializes in slow-cooked BBQ
- Great ambiance with live music
- Extras and platters are available
- Bourbon Society
- Catering service
Cons
- 72-hour notice for catering needs
- Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Customer Reviews
We will be back
“We were wondering about bringing our kids to this restaurant at first due to its biker bar styled appearance …but we are glad we did! The staff there made the kids feel special and gave us some great recommendations for dinner. I usually come to smokehouses for the brisket but the chicken was the real home run here! Their house BBQ sauce made it that much better. We will be back!” — Jer Green, Google Reviews
A genuine southern BBQ experience
“A genuine southern bbq experience right here in downtown Ottawa. BBQ ribs, pulled pork, bbq chicken, fried chicken and an avalanche of tasty southern sides. We were greeted by owner Shawn at the door and were treated to first class service by our lovely waitress Sissi. The meal was truly spectacular and bursting with flavor. The smoke bacon mac and cheese side is to die for. If you’re in the market area, this is a must dine. And don’t forget to get Shawn to show you their hidden little secret. Five Stars all the way baby!.” — m0nk3ynutZ, Google Reviews
2. Big Bone BBQ & Wicked Wings
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Price per Meal | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Variety of Selections | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Dining Experience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| General Feedback | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
For over 25 years, Big Bone BBQ & Wicked Wings has been offering some of the best Southern-style BBQs in the area. Crowned BBQ champion in over 50 BBQ competitions across Ontario, it remains one of our best choices.
Some of the favorite items from its menu include smoked-to-perfection ribs and deliciously tender wicked wings. There’s pulled pork and caesar salad, too, that you can add to your plate.
You might want to try its Monday Mania, which lets you enjoy $34-BBQ ribs with 1 lb of wings and an option for large fries or salad. There’s also a set of 1 lb pulled pork, wings, and some small fries or salad and buns on the side — all for only $30 — on Tuesdays.
We like that Big Bone BBQ & Wicked Wings serves large portions and party packs at affordable prices. That means getting satisfied and stuffed without having to break the bank.
If you want to enjoy its food at home, you can take some of them out or have them delivered right to your doorstep.
It’s also great to know that it has been offering catering services for more than 25 years now. The only issue is that it can only accommodate groups of 50-100 people and that the service comes with a minimum price of $1,500.
Nevertheless, with a cozy, clean place and professional, friendly staff, Big Bone BBQ & Wicked Wings is a great BBQ restaurant to consider.
Pros
- Specializes in Southern-style BBQ
- Offers various meals
- Won relevant competitions
- Large servings
- Different dining options
- Open daily
Cons
- Catering service with minimum price requirement
- Issues with pick-up orders
Customer Reviews
7 out of 5 stars
“7 out of 5 stars!!! Came across this gem while searching for something else online. So very glad I did 🤩 Two words: Smoked Wings. They’re super tender and delicious. Ribs are smoked to perfection… even the fries are epic. I meant to take pictures of my plate but I couldn’t wait long enough to fill my face. Don’t miss out on this one!” — Jenn Syri, Google Reviews
A huge hit
“We recently had Big Bone cater our wedding and they were a HUGE hit! Nearly every guest that we had came up to us to tell us how much they enjoyed the meal. Manny was very easy to communicate with both leading up to the wedding and on the day of, and his team were extremely professional and polite. They were also easily able to accommodate some of our guests who had severe allergies. And another bonus was that they didn’t charge us an arm and a leg for the meal like a lot of other caterers were trying to. The pricing was fair and well within our budget and allowed us not to break the bank. I would HIGHLY recommend going with Big Bone if you have an event that needs catering!” — Sabina Solymar, Google Review
3. Meatings Barbecue
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Price per Meal | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
| Variety of Selections | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Dining Experience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| General Feedback | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
Born out of a simple tradition, Meatings opened its first door in January of 2017. What once started as an annual family gathering has now become one of the best options for BBQ cravings.
Its menu includes exceptional beef brisket, some pulled pork, and tacos with available gluten-free and vegan options. There’s also vegetarian macaroni salad and mac n’ cheese.
So if you have some similar dietary requirements, this restaurant might just be where you should be.
There are ready-to-go meals in the form of deconstructed meal kits and frozen casseroles as well. The best part is that you can order them conveniently online from 2 locations in Ottawa.
We like that most of its meals are offered at reasonable prices. The prices of some meals, however, are relatively higher considering their portion sizes.
There are catering services, too, which boast a fully equipped staff that can prepare a variety of dishes on-site.
Due to hard work and dedication, this restaurant has won awards like the People’s Choice Caterer in 2018, on top of its platinum award from The Wedding Awards.
Although there might have been some issues with food taste and pick-up orders, we still think that Meatings Barbecue deserves to be a part of our list.
With a very personable and welcoming service, it’s worth a visit.
Pros
- A wide array of selections
- Menu meets some dietary requirements
- Relevant awards in catering service
- Ready-to-go meals
- Has 2 locations
Cons
- Issues with food taste and pick-up orders
- Some meals are relatively pricier
Customer Reviews
The food was fantastic
“First time trying Meatings and thought the food was fantastic. Nicely tender smoked meats. Pulled pork was juicy still and the brisket was nicely seasoned and mid fatty without being salty. Nice deck out front to sit and eat. Went on a weeknight and it wasn’t busy so plenty of space to relax. Good canned beer selection as well!” — Michael Law, Google Reviews
Would give them 10 stars if we could
“We have been enjoying Meatings BBQ for a couple of years now, and when it came time to plan our backyard wedding there was no doubt that we would have Meatings cater it and that our guests would be treated to an amazing meal. Matt and his staff are friendly and courteous, and go out of their way to provide top notch service. Lydia, their wedding coordinator, was patient and kind, especially while we made frequent changes due to the pandemic, and she always made time to answer any questions we had. The food was delicious and our guests have not stopped talking about it – we would give them 10 stars if we could! Thank you so much for being a part of our wedding and going above and beyond for us. We will continue to highly recommend Meatings.” — Natalie DS, Google Reviews
4. Fitz’s Classic Grill BBQ Smoke House
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Price per Meal | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Variety of Selections | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Dining Experience | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| General Feedback | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
First established for its catering services in 1994, Fitz’s Classic Grill BBQ Smoke House has evolved after many years into what it is today. It offers various menus — from breakfast to a specially curated one for kids.
Some of the specialties include ribs, smoked sausages, BBQ chicken, brisket, and pulled pork. While its brisket is popular amongst older customers, its mac n’ cheese is a must-try for its younger patrons.
We like that its menus serve as a starting point for customized meals. That means that its cooking staff can help you create or recreate a menu that would better suit your needs or preferences.
This, however, could be one of the reasons its staff sometimes experiences issues with incorrect orders that often lead to delays and hungrier customers.
Setting that aside, we like that it caters to take-out orders. For additional convenience, customers can also choose to place their orders via Uber Eats.
Another commendable thing about Fitz’s Classic Grill BBQ Smoke House is its catering service, which is flexible and can accommodate customized needs. However, to help prevent delays, you must contact its staff in advance.
In general, we believe that this restaurant is great. With great food and phenomenal staff that makes you feel at home, a visit to Fitz’s Classic Grill BBQ Smoke House will be worth it.
Pros
- Offers various menus
- Customized meals
- Allows take-out orders
- Catering service available
- Phenomenal staff
Cons
- Confusion with some orders
- Inconsistencies with food quality
Customer Reviews
Super yummy
“They have the best brisket so be sure to try one of the many options on the menu that feature this. Service is good, menu is diverse and super yummy. Our family loves Fitz’s for breakfast (the breafast poutine is delicious!) lunch or supper.” — Sandra Corbeil, Google Reviews
An outstanding experience
“Shared the big smoke with a couple friends and it was FANTASTIC. the brisket melted in your mouth. The ribs were fantastically smoked with amazing bbq sauces. The jerk chicken had great spice and was so juicy. Pulled pork was over the top and tasted nice and juicy as well. The sides were all amazing in their own right. Our server, Alesandro, was fantastic as well and really was the ‘icing on the cake’ for my first Fitz’ experience. He made sure to establish a bond with us, and made sure we felt at home in this restaurant. What an outstanding experience and I am still taken aback by the taste of all the amazing bbq food. The next time I walk in, I know I’m gonna be grinning ear to ear like a child in a candy store.” — Chris Kiernan, Google Reviews
5. Lexington Smokehouse & Bar
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Price per Meal | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Variety of Selections | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Dining Experience | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
| General Feedback | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
To help satisfy your BBQ cravings, Lexington Smokehouse & Bar is there to provide you with your needs. Among the choices it offers include ribs, shrimps, smoked briskets, and the signature Fork + Knife Chicken.
The best thing on the menu, the Fork + Knife Chicken boasts a medley of flavors you will love. Matched with great Brussel sprouts, it is frequently ordered by people for a good reason.
Its fried chicken and caesar salad are also must-tries. If you’re dining in as a group, the BBQ platters that let you enjoy 2 types of meats along with 2 side dishes might just work for everyone.
There are selections that are ideal for vegetarians and individuals who require gluten-free dishes. The best part is that these great-tasting meals come in good portions and at prices that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Complementing its menu is a vast array of cocktails, beer, and wine to make every meal more relishing.
To serve customers better, it currently has 2 locations that provide great service and ambiance for dining. It’s also nice that it accepts reservations and has teamed up with OpenTable for instant confirmation of online reservations.
The only downside is that its dining facilities are rather limited and might have problems with accommodating more guests, especially on busier days. The inconsistency observed with food quality can also be problematic at times.
Nevertheless, we still believe that Lexington Smokehouse & Bar is a nice BBQ restaurant and a great addition to the neighborhood.
Pros
- Various meal options
- Great options for chicken and salads
- Offer BBQ platters
- Gluten-free and vegetarian meals
- An array of alcoholic drinks
- Has 2 locations
Cons
- Some problems with food quality
- Limited dine-in space
Customer Reviews
A great visit
“Was super excited to find a more upscale BBQ house in Ottawa! I had the Carolina pulled pork sandwich, which was super juicy and flavourful! Vibe inside was super cozy and rustic. The staff were also top notch, and great to have a conversation with. Thanks for a great visit!” — Julie Daet, Google Reviews
I love the food
“I’ve been here a handful of times and I LOVE the food! The fork and knife chicken and brussel sprouts are delicious. Their brunch is very good as well. But what makes this place a 5/5 is their service – all of the staff are so friendly and welcoming!” — Dorsa Mavedatnia, Google Reviews
FAQs about BBQ Restaurants
We hope that our list has helped you find the most satisfying BBQ in town!
Up for a different restaurant experience? This listicle on some unique bars and restaurants in Ottawa might interest you!