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7-2001 Thickson Road South, Whitby ON 1-905-436-6986 www.busterrhinos.com Map Approx $20 per person Local Food? mostly local ingredients Local Wine/Beer? n/a |
Lunch Mon & Tue: 10am to 4pm Wed to Fri: 10am to 8pm Closed on Sat/Sun |
We’re treated to a plethora of ribfests and bbq events throughout the summer every year. Thousands rush out event after event, stuffing their faces with sauce slathered, heart clogging bits and bites. We want pulled pork, ribs, chicken, we want everything, we’ll even take the filler salads on the plate. But summer eventually withers away like a hot fling and we’re left with the lingering desire for smoke and peppers. We spend the next 8 months trying to smoke ribs in the backyard, or we treat ourselves to disappointment, bill after bill. Because, we all know that in Toronto, we don’t have a good, consistent, tasty BBQ spot…
Mix highly favourable reviews with an army of positive press on the web, Buster Rhinos was an easy sell for me. On a good day, it takes you no more than an hour to drive from Dundas Square to the production facility slash restaurant in a dreary industrialized plaza in Whitby.
Don’t judge by the looks, the restaurant seats approximately 25, cafeteria style with the kind of décor that would make any Interior designer cringe. It’s simple, its not about the décor. If you ask Darryl Koster, the owner, he’d probably make a joke about how the facility is a vehicle for the meat, or something like that. Maybe that joke was about the breads.
In the production facility, the gargantuan smokers help create everything from pulled pork and brisket to double smoked lasagna, hushpuppies, chicken, wings and stuffed jalapenos, 7 days a week. Word spreads fast, products sell very quickly, customers are often turned away in disappointment. If you’re driving in from the city, call ahead. Sandwiches are $5.50, a full rack of ribs and 2 sides go for $16.99. Almost everything has discernible but smoothly subtle smokey flavours.
A hugely popular item that is requested at the shop, is bacon, cooked halfway in the smoker then coated with sugar and spices before heading back in for a second round of heat. It’s meat candy, crunchy and sweet.
The Smokin’ Jalapeno Bites is a fairly new product at Buster Rhinos, but arguably the one that always sells out the quickest. Darryl takes the opportunity whenever he can, to chat with all his clients at the restaurant. He’s mildly inquisitive and can’t talk enough about his love for BBQ. As he’s explaining the process behind the bites, the smokey flavours rise above the plates. They’re subtle and long, it’s not overpowering , no burnt smell. The warm cream cheese oozes into my mouth as I bite through tender bacon. The heat is substantial but it doesn’t steal the thunder. There’s an undeniable smokiness left over in your mouth after the cream cheese disappears, I loved it.
‘Moink balls’ are Italian meatballs wrapped in more bacon then doused with rub. After cooking in the smoker for an hour, they end up perfectly tender and juicy. The flavours are stronger, more pronounced.
Then, the onslaught. First succulent pulled pork served on a plain bun alongside some crunchy coleslaw. The coleslaw is not too saucy, perfect texture, but next to the pork it gets no love. The pork is juicy, more smoke, stringed meat disappears quickly into mouths. The ratio of bun to meat is just right.
Then the king, brisket. I’ve never had brisket so good. The right amount of fat and smoke, unctuous and buttery. Important to note that the brisket was cooked from vacuum packed 4oz bag that the company sells to distributors and customers. The same bag that Darryl showed off earlier to the crowd. Even the most popular brisket in the city will not compare to this.
Then, a double smoked lasagna with sausage, mozzarella and mushrooms. The smokiness in the cheese wins over with the crowd.
The ribs arrive finally along with hushpuppies. The ribs are dry-rubbed and in true authentic fashion, stick to the bone. The ribs don’t require any sauce, but if you do want some sauce, Darryl bottles a few that are definitely worth a try. The Original BBQ, Hot and Habanero hot with varying eat levels are great for dipping, but don’t drench the meat as it kills the flavour.
The quality of the meats (all purveyed locally within Ontario) and moderated smokiness on all the products were unmistakable, and habit forming. In a way, its good that Buster’s is out of the city, good for my waistline.
Darryl also runs BBQ Rib classes to educate the masses on everything from picking the right ribs, to spices and sauces, preparation and cooking in home smokers. For more details about events, see their events calendar.
It is highly recommended that you call before your visit to ensure availability of product as they sell out very quickly.
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