South Block BBQ

🍽️ Restaurant Review:

📍 Quick Facts

• Location: 2437 4 St SW, Calgary
• Phone Number: (403) 764-4227
• Website:  https://www.southblockbbq.com
• Cuisine Type: Rustic-chic brewpub serving North Carolina-style BBQ

It was a Friday night, and BBQ was on our minds. We had two different Calgary BBQ joints in mind, and we let GPS (closest location) do the choosing. We were heading to the community of Mission and South Block BBQ. 

We drove in from the Roxbury area, and after driving through the Roxbury park and the following residential area, I was sure Google was sending us astray. There was no way this was the bustling historic inner-city neighbourhood that’s known for its hip, vibrant lifestyle. We passed row after row of apartment blocks, and there it was, that iconic sign high up in the sky. 

After an easy park in the attached car park, we went inside. We were immediately impressed with the uptown industrial vibe, mixed with a cozy rustic feel. 

Directly overhead, an exposed flat black beast of a pipe commands the upper half of the room, a warm glow of string lights bridging the gap between raw concrete floors, rugged wooden beams and rustic charm. To the right, an industrial steel-and-wood railing opens with a bird’s-eye view down into the active brewhouse floor. Stainless steel vats and their piping rise into the open air of the main floor. It gives the entire entrance a distinct, warehouse-style energy. 

Next to catch our eye was the expansive open-space eating area, with a mix of bench-style communal seating and standard wooden tables.  You know right away this is a fun place to hang out. 

We were shown to a table, a four-top near the back that was just inside the beer garden. 

It was only then that we saw the Whiskey Wall: A massive, glowing, backlit bar display housing an impressive collection of over 200 whiskeys, ryes, and bourbons.   Just wow. I don’t even drink, and I was impressed. 

At first glance, the fold-out paper menu was huge. – Often a bad sign, as a large menu often means a restaurant cooks many dishes poorly instead of a few dishes well.

Upon closer inspection, 90 percent of the listings on that menu were…you guessed it, the whiskey, rye and bourbon. 

We were delighted to see they had a house-brewed non-alcoholic beer on tap – Short Rows Golden Ale (0.5% ABV) is a light-bodied, golden brew with crisp citrus tang and a malt aftertaste. Delightful. 

We ordered a selection of different foods and sat back to enjoy our beer. 

The food arrived quickly, and we were off to a very good start. No dried meat here; everything was rich, tender and juicy. Here’s a rundown of everything that hit our table. 

Cornbread and honey butter: little muffin-sized cornbreads with a jalapeño slice baked in. Probably the best cornbreads we’ve ever eaten, and the (whipped) honey butter elevated it even more. 

Brisket: tender and succulent, with a juicy and savoury flavour. Divine. 

Apricot pork belly: thick-cut cubes of pork belly, rendered down and smothered in a thick jam-like apricot reduction. Personally, I would have leaned more into the sweet side than the spicy here, but delicious all the same.  

Pulled pork: slow-smoked with their in-house brown BBQ sauce. Tasty.

Beef rib: absolutely massive, Fred Flintstone-sized beef rib with a crunchy and savoury bark on the outside and smoky, tender beef locked inside.  Beautiful. 

Baked beans: Deep, rich, smoky flavour, sweet and delicious.  

Smoked corn and beans: reminiscent of a 3-bean salad, but with smoked corn and more variety of beans. Needed a bit more punch. More acid?

Maple bourbon carrots: comforting and sweet, even if the bourbon took a backseat to the carrots themselves. 

Dill pickle potato salad: chunky potato and a creamy, mayo-based dressing with light dill notes. 

Salted caramel cheesecake: served in a paper cup, graham crumb, velvety cheesecake, salted caramel layer and whipped cream on top. Rich, buttery and delicious. 

Pecan pie: toasted, densely layered pecans over soft, jammy filling underneath. Easily the best we’ve ever tasted. Not too sweet. Satisfying finish to the meal. 

I can’t close this review/write-up without throwing a bouquet to Sirens Gate Band, who were playing live while we were eating. We only got to hear a couple of their songs, but we would have loved to stay (if we didn’t have a previous engagement elsewhere) and take in more.   

Overall, the food was great, but we felt South Block was on the expensive side, especially compared with other BBQ restaurants in Calgary serving similar menus.

📊 Scorecard

🍴 FOOD — 4 / 5

✨ EXPERIENCE — 4.2 / 5 Average of Service & Hospitality, Atmosphere & Vibe, and Value for Money.

• Service & Hospitality — 4 / 5
• Atmosphere & Vibe — 5/ 5
• Value for Money — 3.5 / 5

Notes for improvement: Our server disappeared completely for a period between our main course and dessert. We would have gladly ordered another beer but had to skip it afterwards due to time constraints (and the wait). Suggest tag-teaming another server to cover your tables if you take a break?