BUSTER RHINO's Toronto 2015 - Lost Review

This #TBT is a #LOSTREVIEW and is so late, Buster Rhino's in Toronto is NOW CLOSED

This very late review is from this exact day, June 25th 2015 (5 years later!!) and I was hanging out with my buddy Ryan, and ... someone else. But I don't know who because I didn't take their picture.

June is Pride month celebrating and creating awareness of LGBTQ2S+ and back in 2015 I was living in Toronto where Pride is a huge deal. I don't know the events surrounding us going out, but we ended up at Buster Rhino's Toronto location, where they were celebrating Pride, and beer!

I had been following Buster Rhino's on Twitter (@busterrhinos) for a while but with their locations in Oshawa & Whitby, I never really got a chance to go. So when they opened up in Toronto, I was very excited. I actually had sampled Buster Rhino's food when owner Darryl Koster had put out a call for volunteers to help serve food at a charity event. It was a great experience and the food I got to try was excellent.

So of course I was interested in wings, but how can you not get ribs, or pulled pork, or other BBQ items. Well, I had had the pulled pork before, so I liked the Ribs (1/2 Rack) + 1lb Wings with side.

Ryan is to Nachos what I am to wings, so whenever we go out, he gets the nachos. Unfortunately 5 years later I don't remember and didn't take notes to remember what we thought!

This was the other person who came out with us for dinner. Who was it?!?! Ryan if you are reading this, who was with us for lunch?!?!?

They got ribs clearly with a side of what looks like Macaroni salad, but I suppose could be Mac & Cheese.

 Here is my little feast: Ribs, wings, and Jalapeno Bottle caps. I don't have official notes but I'm pretty sure this was good. How could it not be?

I vaguely remember our waitress, Judy (I know this from the receipt) and she was friendly and very cool. When asking about the sauces, she brought me a little sampler of each sauce, which is just the coolest. The only thing I don't know about it that sauce on the far left. The cup seems to have M:U on it. O r is that N:W? 3:C?  I don't know what that stands for but of the 4 sauces listed on the menu, Championship Original is the only not represented.

I love a good jalapeno bottle cap, and they are not common round these parts. If you've never had them, they are jalapeno slices that are battered and fried. They're crispy, spicy but also kind of tangy. I'm partial to them with a ranch dip but these had the BBQ sauces for dipping.

Next up were the smoked Ribs. Looking back on this I was surprised to see that they served them upside down, and also that they were prepared with the membrane on the back, which in competition is a big no-no, but restauranting is a different world.

Check out the smoke ring on those ribs. There's going to be a bit of chew, but also some very tasty ribs.

Then you get to the wings. Smoked BBQ wings are something very special. You can see how special they are!

The wings were a good size and were pretty meaty.

 I don't remember the specifics on the flavour of these wings, but the texture/flavour combo going on was good.

Here's what I know, I had a great meal with some great people. I haven't seen Ryan in a couple of years since I moved away, but I look forward to they day he and I can get nachos and wings again!
Sadly, Buster Rhino's Toronto location closed down after this, but the original store in Whitby is still operating.

Oh on a side note, they were having a deal where if you posted a selfie tagging the restaurant and Mill Street Brewery for pride, you got a free 6 pack bottles of Mill Street. I love supporting a) LGBTQ2S+/Pride, local restaurants, and free things, so I did. And here is my 4th ever Instagram post before I knew what I was doing.

eating in a restaurant, with people, and a hair cut?!?!? It was a different time!

Buster Rhinos
288 College Street, Toronto ON (NOW CLOSED)
busterrhinos.com