Queen & Brock : Electric Mud BBQ

I'd been dying to eat at Electric Mud BBQ since they opened in March, but stories of three-hour waits and a strict no reservations policy had me waiting weeks for the hype to die down before I even tried to get my name on their ever-popular wait list. So what made this tiny Parkdale restaurant an instant hit? It's the second culinary venture of nearby Grand Electric owners Ian McGrenaghan and Colin Tooke. These two have already mastered the art of creating a hipster hot spot, and it looks like, in this case, success begets success. To be perfectly honest, it was my love of Grand Electric that made me so eager to see what else these guys could cook up.

hushpuppies

fried chicken with honey and coleslaw

pork belly with toast and honey mustard

hot links with pimento cheese spread

look at the mess we made!

We arrived around 6:30pm on a Friday night, thinking that we would put our names down early and expecting a long wait. I don't know if we got lucky or if business picks up more later on in the evening, but we only had to wait half an hour. They take your name and phone number down on the waitlist so you're free to go around the corner for a pre-dinner cocktail without fear of losing your place in line. They call when you're table is ready, but don't go too far because as soon as they make that call they can only hold the table for 5-10 minutes. Good news for locals is that walk-in guests can pick up takeout to avoid the wait. 

Time for the verdict. Is Electric Mud BBQ worth the hype and the wait? The food is delicious, simple, reasonably priced, and falls neatly into the current food trend of dishing up homestyle classics. The atmosphere and decor fit the American BBQ aesthetic, and if you're looking for trendy comfort food, this definitely fits the bill. McGrenaghan and Tooke know how to build buzz. With seating for less than thirty people, wait times are bound to skyrocket no matter what, creating the immediate illusion of an elite instant hit. It's easy to create a demand for tables that greatly exceeds the supply when you've only got room for thirty people, and about a third of those seats are at the bar. Don't get me wrong, Electric Mud is worth the trip, but the success and popularity of this new spot may be slightly overestimated by inflated wait times. I'd be curious to see how an extra twenty tables would shift the volume of traffic outside their doors. 

Regardless of trends, marketing tricks, and rave reviews, good food will keep me coming back to see what this team has to offer. That being said, I'll never wait longer than 45 minutes for a table, no matter how big the buzz. 

Electric Mud BBQ

5 Brock Ave.

416-516-8286

Open Wednesday - Sunday from 5pm-2am

Cash Only

No Reservations