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Memphis Fire Barbeque Company - Stoneycreek

The Memphis Fire BBQ Company is a relatively new restaurant in the Stoneycreek area. We went last night after receiving a recommendation and really enjoyed it. Had pulled pork sandwiches, brisket and smoked chicken wings. Everything was tasty, service prompt and friendly and the prizes very reasonable. 1 appetizer, 2 meals and 3 beers was less than $50. Will be going back soon.

Memphis Fire Barbeque Company
1091 Hwy 8, Hamilton, ON L8E 5H8, CA

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  1. Thanks for the review, just a quick note to let you know that at least one person has added it to their "to check out" list :)

    1. So 3+ Months later I finally made it out. WOW! I am surprised there isn't more talk about this place. After parking and seeing the big smoker out back, the big pile of wood, and smelling the awesome smokiness I couldn't wait to eat. The place was busy even on a Wednesday night.

      My friend pre-ordered an order of fried chicken with our reservation (i.e. to hold one) as it is a popular dish. It was done differently than I had ever had before. All breast meat. Very tasty. We shared an order of that along with an order or the Brisket Plate. The Brisket was awesome. For me it was up there with Buster Rhinos. It was cut thicker though but so flavourful. They had a great "mustard" type sauce for it on the side too.

      For sides both came with an apple slaw, fried chicken came with a biscuit and we got a side salad and mac and cheese. The Mac and Cheese was one of the better ones I have had.

      So, overall I highly recommend it. Price wise, both main dishes with included sides were $15.99 each. The friend chicken could have been enough for a meal in itself shared amongst two people. Oh, and my friend sent me home with a slice of Pecan pie which was also pretty tasty.

      There are some "pick your own" fruit places around that area (saw signs for cherry picking) and some farmers stalls too. I highly recommend stopping by at some point. You could even pull off the highly on the way to Niagara and the food you have there would be 10x better (or 100x) than most things in Niagara Falls.

      It seems to have a big local following so you might want to make reservations. Thanks Julie for the initial heads up on this spot!

      Buster Rhino's
      2001 Thickson Rd S, Whitby, ON L1N, CA

      12 Replies
      1. re: ylsf

        Big smoker out back? You mean they are using a stick burner and not gas? Now I am curious as being a backyard stick burner myself I am not a huge fan of the SP or OHP type of gas units as there is something lost there compared to the real deal. Let me know, I travel down that way often and never heard of the place.

        1. re: ebay3392

          I am not BBQ expert but I saw stack of quarter cut logs out back along with a large smoker. It might very well be gas and I misread it but I only looked at it from an angle while walking to the restaurant and I guess I just "assumed" based on what I saw. I didn't look for gas lines feeding it or anything. hmmm.. maybe you can give them a call to verify but regardless, I really enjoyed my meal so I would recommend a stop over next time you are in the area.


          I think I forgot to mention. Fried chicken is available Monday to Wednesdsay from 5pm , and Ribs are available Thursday to Sunday from 5pm.

          1. re: ylsf

            In response to the number of comments re: is it gas or a tradtional smoker. It is a tradtional smoker. My family has eaten at this restaurant many times and it is awesome. The owners are really passionate about food and making fresh homemade (not processed) food for everyone to enjoy. If you have not tried the sneaky cheese yet you have not lived!!!

          2. re: ebay3392

            Were they using the big smoker out back or is it there to use for "Fests" or catering. You can't cook something outside and bring it inside for serving in Ontario.


            1. re: Davwud

              I am really not sure what I saw anymore then. It looked to me like a big stainless steal smoker outside (and not a mobile unit) but like I said I didn't take a close look at it and just saw it in passing. I am realizing now that even if it was a big stainless steel smoker it would likely be natural gas fired. Next time I go back I will take a closer look but if anyone decides to try it in the meantime please post your observations (or just ask the staff what type of smoker they use :) )..

              1. re: ylsf

                We use an Ole Hickory Pits Model SSE that we brought out of the States. We've experimented with Apple and Cherry woods, but have decided that shaggy bark Hickory is our favourite.

                1. re: chefstevepopp

                  Good choice althought apple is my favourite.


              2. re: Davwud

                Doesn't Phil's (even though it's terrible) smoke out back and then bring it inside?

                1. re: tjr

                  Nope. Well, I doubt it. The first time I was there (6 - 7 years ago) he showed me a smoker in his kitchen. It's electric. I haven't been in at least 5 years.


                  1. re: tjr

                    maybe he showed that just for the Restaurant Makeover show.

                  2. re: Davwud

                    Actually you can cook something outside and bring it inside, as long as your appliance is certified and the preparation area meets with local health regulations, just like our smoker does.

              3. I've meant to get down to this place for months now -- it's not that far from me in St. Catharines -- but never did... Spurred on by your post, I was finally able to check it out this afternoon, and was glad I did.

                Brisket was the star -- smoky, fatty, beefy. Something about smoked brisket fat is just exponentially more delicious than any other beef fat there is, somehow. Sauce was good.
                Pork was also good, if a tiny bit underseasoned, but texture- and tenderness-wise, excellent. I was expecting a vinegar/mustard-based sauce as the "Carolina sauce", but their thinner vinegar sauce was fine too. Overall, preferred the brisket.
                Side of pit beans was right up my alley -- quite sweet, but I like 'em that way.
                Coconut cream pie was quite good with an excellent crust -- not housemade, but it was good, so who cares, really?
                Was sad that we were there in early afternoon before the ribs were available. Next time...

                I'll gladly go back at the next opportunity, and having recently eaten at Rolly Rockets in Hamilton, I can safely say that Memphis Fire blows them out of the water. Tasty stuff.

                6 Replies
                1. re: Whats_For_Dinner

                  Since you're out that way, how does it compare to Camp 31 in Paris and/or Kentucky Greg's in Buffalo?

                  1. re: TexSquared

                    Sad to say I haven't been to either! My list-of-BBQ-places-to-try is longer than my arm and I rarely have opportunities to shorten it.

                    1. re: Whats_For_Dinner

                      Well, luckily for me I was able to get to Camp 31 the other day, so I feel like I can do a little comparing.
                      Pulled pork I enjoyed more at Camp 31, though Memphis Fire's was also very good.
                      Brisket was much better at Memphis Fire -- the brisket I got at Camp 31 was sliced oddly... as in, the pieces of brisket were several inches "wide", as if they'd been sliced on an extreme bias or something. There wasn't a whole lot of fat on it, either. To be fair, though, I went to Camp 31 for pork and pork alone, and for that they won out.
                      I didn't have the ribs at Memphis Fire, so can't compare there.

                      Camp 31 offers a variety of sauces, but I found it better to just stick with the standard -- though the jerk sauce was good with the sweet potato fries, I'll admit.

                      1. re: Whats_For_Dinner

                        I am heading to Camp 31 on the weekend too so I will try to compare the two from what I recall of Memphis and the fresh in memory Camp 31.

                        Re: Memphis, if you are going I suggest a reservation as it was pretty busy even mid week when I went!

                  2. re: Whats_For_Dinner

                    I live within a ten minute drive of this place and will be trying it tonight! I can't wait! I'll report back on here tomorrow.

                    1. re: cupidom

                      I think I'll check it out this weekend, too!

                  3. I was back this weekend for takeout. Got a full rack of ribs and mac/cheese + coleslaw. Total with tax was $27 ish. Seemed larger than a "full rack" served at some other places.

                    Anyway, I had about a 30 minute drive to get home (was passing by the area and didn't feel like eating there) so this may have effected the final product. I found the ribs to be a little dry but the flavour was amazing. Great sauce and a lot of smoke flavour. My car actually smelled like smoke on the way home and my hands smelled like smoke after eating them. They didn't drench the ribs in sauce either.
                    It is unfortunate that they were a bit dry but I would give them a chance again based on the flavour.

                    Oh and if not mentioned before they only do Ribs Thursday to Sunday and if you are coming from far away I recommend to reserve some.

                    Did anyone else go that was talking about going? Wondering if the drier ribs was a one off or not. I hope so.

                    5 Replies
                    1. re: ylsf

                      We didn't make it out this past weekend, but they're still on our radar and we'll report back. We also bought the WagJag for Hillbilly Heaven, so look for review of it soon.

                      1. re: bogie

                        Which Hillbilly is that? If Burlington it closed down a while ago so you should contact wagjag for refund

                        1. re: ylsf

                          Nope, Hamilton location, which is up on the mountain. The WagJag was for sale just last week.

                          1. re: bogie

                            I am 100% trying Memphis Fire this weekend! I'll post back here on Monday.

                            1. re: cupidom

                              I finally tried this place last night and I was quite happy with my order. They were out of ribs unfortunately… but I saw an order and they looked great.

                              My friend and I each ordered a plate to share. I got the beef brisket entree with a double order of fries and my friend got the pulled pork entrée with fries and a Caesar. The brisket was very flavourful and came with a spicy mustard dip. The fries were awesome. The pulled pork was extremely tender and smoky. My friend said the Caesar was good, but was too full to get through even a quarter of it. We loved everything. The service was great too. The total bill with 1 beer, 2 cokes, the meals, taxes and tip was $55. I’ll definitely be returning very soon.

                    2. I was there last week to celebrate a special occasion with some family members. It is the first time the family joined (my 3rd time being there, one for dine in, one for take out).

                      Everyone, including the younger ones that came, enjoyed the meal. This time we had ribs (pre-booked 3 racks and it was a good thing we did, it was busy as normal), smoked chicken sandwich (would be great if they added smoked chicken to the menu.. they didn't have any smoked chicken wings available/left), beef brisket, Italian Beef sandwich, kids = thin hot dog (a hot dog sliced in half with a full size bun) and a mini burger. We also had a ton of sides including mac/cheese, daily veggie (corn on cob), beans, and fries.

                      For kids, it doesn't seem like there is much of a savings to justify getting the "kids" version vs. the adult version of the hotdog. Unless I am missing something (I don't think it came with anything extra).

                      I would like to be more specific but everything was really enjoyed so hard to narrow down recommendations. Service was great too dealing with a larger group with kids. Good attention but not a "nagging" kind of attention.

                      Oh, and there was a few desserts ordered too. Apple Pie, Peanut Butter Cream pie and raspberry pie. I found that the apple pie had a bit too much cinnamon my liking, the peanut butter cream pie was good but I probably wouldn't order it again (too heavy especially after a meal like that!), raspberry pie was really good.