STACK

Craving comfort food, Steph and I decided to check out STACK for dinner:
Smmmoked Poutine
Having read so many good things about their poutine, we decided to share an order of "Smmmoked Poutine" topped with their signature beef brisket (you can also choose smoked meat or pulled pork) to start. Perfectly golden, crisp hand-cut fries, topped with rich gravy made with meat drippings, real cheese curds that are firm and just rubbery enough (as they should be), and full strips of tender, slow-cooked beef brisket. This might be controversial, but I personally thought it was better than the offerings at Smoke's Poutinerie. The gravy and meat are definitely more flavourful and more substantial here (to be fair, it helps that STACK is a smokehouse and good quality meat is their specialty) and, honestly, this is as close to a true Montreal poutine as I have found in this city. The portion is gigantic, though, so it is recommended to share with someone unless you have this has your main course.
Pulled Pork
Steph and I got the same dish as our main: the signature pulled pork. We were debating between the pulled pork and the beef brisket, but our server ultimately recommended the pulled pork (which is why we picked brisket for the poutine because we wanted to try both). It seems to be the more popular choice as it is often sold out on a busy night, but thankfully, they had it available for us. They use naturally raised Ontario pork, which is low-smoked in their pit, and tossed in your choice of BBQ sauce. I decided on the Chipotle Jack Daniel's, which has a good sweet-tangy kick and adds just enough heat. The pork, of which you get a very generous amount, is incredibly tender and juicy, and is properly marinated in the sauce so that every piece is evenly coated. There's nothing worse than dry, chewy, flavourless pulled pork. It's drizzled with a creamy buttermilk dill sauce that contrasts beautifully with the BBQ sauce, and topped with crispy fried onions to add a nice crunch. My only complaint is that the bun comes unheated and untoasted. This would've made the biggest difference; it's like the bun comes as an afterthought, only there to hold the meat together and serve no other purpose. So, here's a tip: ask them to warm up your bun before ordering. Otherwise, it was absolutely delicious.
Strawberry Stack Doughnuts
Nearly every review you'll read of this place will tell you to make room for dessert. STACK has doughnuts for dessert, and they're riding on the quality of these doughnuts so much that it's the only thing they offer on the dessert menu. They do have five different variations on these doughnuts, which is only in the toppings. The most recommended (both through reviews and by our server) is the strawberry. Every order includes sixteen little doughnuts which are vanilla glazed and topped with strawberry sauce, crumbled graham crackers, and a massive pile of whipped cream. This is pretty much as close as you're going to get to carnival food outside of summer. They are somewhere between Tiny Tom's doughnuts and funnel cake. Which is to say, they probably have a million calories and enough fat grams to give you a heart attack. So, yeah, they're pretty much the best thing, ever.
I like that, despite being a smokehouse and general BBQ restaurant, STACK doesn't follow that clichéd rustic Southern theme. They're simple, clean, and modern, with no extraneous tacky decor like moose heads (there's a time and a place for moose heads... but I don't care for those times or places). They have a large bar and flatscreen TVs lining the wall so it's perfect for grabbing a beer and watching the game, but they also have lots of cozy booths which are great for family dinners and casual dates. Our server was very nice and friendly, attentive but not overbearing, and always handy with good recommendations. All of our choices were based on his opinions, and I thought they were spot-on. Definitely a stand-out choice if you want good comfort food and BBQ classics. Or just mountains of delicious slow-cooked, house-smoked meat.


STACK 3265 Yonge Street Toronto, ON M4N 2L5 (647) 346-1416