Buster Rhino’s Southern BBQ

Buster Rhino’s Southern BBQ
7-2001 Thickson Road South
Whitby, ON
905-436-6986

Store Hours
Mon – Tues 10am – 4pm, Wed – Fri 10am – 8pm
Sat – Sun
CLOSED

I love BBQ.  My dream is to take a tour of the U.S. south and eats all sorts of BBQ and southern food in general.  Living in NYC we had some BBQ options but not a ton.  I was partial to Dinosaur BBQ but there were a few other options like R.U.B. and Blue Smoke. The BBQ scene in Toronto has always lacked somewhat but recently some pretty good contenders have joined the field.

I’ve been hearing about Buster Rhino’s for months.  My girl Marie has raved about it as has my buddy over at Foodie 411 so this place has been on my “to try” list for a while now.  What was keeping me you ask, location.  I’m a downtowner and this place is in Whitby, meaning I would have to book a ZipCar or convince a friend to make the trip. Trust me, after this visit the location isn’t even an issue… I’m plotting ways to get back there STAT!

Buster Rhino’s is the brainchild of Darryl Koster who is super passionate about what he does and is very good about taking you through what he does and some of the finer points of BBQ.  I had the opportunity to attend one of his Southern BBQ Samplers and I was literally in heaven.  Check out Spotlight Toronto for the photographic evidence.

We started with “Pig Candy” aka Candied Bacon.  You read that right.  Smoked bacon that is covered in sugar and spices.  It’s addictive.  I probably could have eaten the whole tray but that is generally socially unacceptable.    The smokey flavour pairs very well with the sweetness of the coating.

Then it was onto what could potentially be my new fave party appetizer.  Think jalapeno bite but BBQ style.  We’re talking half a jalapeno pepper stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon (are you sensing a pig theme?) and fresh out of the smoker.  This was such a great combination of tastes and textures.  The jalapeno was slightly spicy with a tiny bit of crunch to it (more of a gentle bite, really).  The cream cheese neutralizes any heats and bring a great crispiness and the bacon on the outside just elevates the whole thing.  We were served about 3 halves but if this were a party I would be parked right next to tray and would likely have devoured them all.

Next we were on to MOINK balls.  What are MOINK balls you ask?  Italian meatballs, wrapped in bacon, seasoned with rub and smoked.  These were also a hit.  The meatballs were really tender and well flavoured on their own but the rub added a slight sweetness to them and the smokiness just made everything better.

Then we were onto what I was anticipating the most, pulled pork sliders. I love pulled pork and find it hard to refuse a pulled pork sandwich (although I’ve had some pretty poopy ones over the years).  As per tradition the pulled pork was served with some delicious (and simply dressed) coleslaw that add the perfect hint of texture to the tender pulled pork.

An interesting thing that I learned during this tasting was that brisket is a hard BBQ sell in our neck of the woods.  Who knew!  When I used to order BBQ I would often go for a combo platter that involved brisket.  Brisket might be more of a Texas thing knowing how big their cattle industry is.  So, basically a lot of Canadians are sleeping on brisket.  STOP! Bristket is great.  The brisket at Buster Rhino’s is DE-LICIOUS.  Seriously.  It is so tender, smokey and … I don’t know how to describe it but just good.  So good that I bought 1lb of it to take home with me.  I’ve already made plans with what to do with leftover brisket (um, brisket western omelets anyone?).

Then we were onto lasagna.  Yes, lasagna.  BRISKET lasagna.  Brisket lasagne cooked in a smoker.  Dangerous.  The cheese gets an incredible smokey flavour and the rest of the lasagna has a more gentle smokey flavour.  Really unique and really yummy.

Then we finished off with what everyone had been waiting for… ribs!  These were dry rub ribs and were perfectly cooked.  Ribs shouldn’t fall of the bone but should have a slight tug to them.  These ribs fit the bill.  I”ve never had ribs this smokey good before.  I’ve never really had a preference between dry ribs or wet ribs… these were dry and were great.  If you’re a wet rib fan there are plenty of really great sauces on the tables to try .  The ribs were served with hushpuppies essentially deep-fried cornbread bites.

Needless to say I’m glad I wore my “comfy” pants for this meal.  I was stuffed by the end and was fully content.  Darryl was on hand to answer any questions and took us through each course.  I would love to tell you my favourite but really I was happy with it all.  I’ve particularly been craving the jalapeno bites and the MOINKS if that means anything…

Perhaps one of the most awesome things about Buster Rhino’s is that the meat is prepared and then packaged.  When you visit you can buy the packets, throw them in the freezer and have Buster Rhino’s whenever you’d like.  Interestingly enough when you order a sandwich from BR it is made from the packages (the packages are dropped in hot water to heat).  what I ate was out of the packages and it was AMAZING, do not let the packages fool you.  The appetizers I mentioned above are not on the menu but are available for purchase to make at home.  If you want to get items to-go definitely call before you visit so that Darryl can put some food aside for you, they do sell out… and early!

Since my meal I’ve seriously been plotting ways to acquire more Buster Rhino’s.  As I type this I’m trying not to break into my freezer stash to make some brisket.  Seriously.

Here’s what others have to say…
National Post
Dine.TO
Spotlight Toronto