Restaurant Review: Eldorado Barbecue Lounge

It’s the last weekend of stampede in the city and if you're not planning on heading down to the grounds but still craving for barbecue, then I would suggest checking out Eldorado Barbecue Lounge. They’ve got a great selection of everything smoked plus some great choices for those looking for something a little different.

Atmosphere: The interior is reminiscent of a tavern and definitely a great setting for some good ol’ home style barbecuing!

Price Range: Mid $10s - $20+

Food and Drinks: To start, the Ahi Tuna Cornettos did not disappoint. The presentation was spectacular with the tuna served in a crispy cone rimmed with sesame seeds, filled with avocado foam and topped with a lemon jalapeno jam. I really liked the crunch and texture contrast between the cone itself and the tuna. The creamy avocado was a nice addition.

The Maple Cayenne Bacon sounded quite intriguing. They tasted like candied bacon pieces with a hint of lingering spice. There were three thick cuts per order and they were served with a lightly dressed spring salad to compliment the full flavors of the bacon.

For our main, it definitely had to be something smoked and so the Barbecue Combo Platter was our choice, perfect for sharing. My first bite was of the 12 Hour Smoked Brisket and it literally just melted in my mouth, super tender with lots of smokey goodness. I’m glad they also serve this as an entrée dish on its own because I would definitely order it again. I enjoyed the spices used on the Baby Back Pork Ribs and found them to be quite tender, all in all a good rack of ribs. And finally there were also some smoked Andouille Sausages, which were flavourful and a nice addition to the platter.

If that wasn’t enough, the platter also comes with sides of fries and coleslaw! To add some veggies to the mix we also ordered the Maple Bourbon Carrots. I liked that they weren’t overcooked and still retained a nice crunch. It was a nice accompaniment to the meal.

To mix it up a bit we also had some Sablefish. The dish sounded amazing and everybody wanted to try it. It came with mussels, potatoes, braised leeks all served in a creamy white wine sauce. The fish itself was flaky and unctuous, full of flavour and just a great bite. Everybody at the table really enjoyed it and we were glad we decided to order it last minute.

Aside from wine that evening I did try the Pimm’s Cup made with pimm’s, lemonade, ginger ale, lemon, cucumber and strawberries. I enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t overly too sweet which I find is usually the case with cocktails. The pimm’s cup was quite refreshing due to the addition of cucumbers making it a great summer patio cocktail!

My Picks: 12 Hour Smoked Brisket, Sablefish

Overall: It has been a while since I’ve found good barbecue in Calgary and I’m extremely glad we decided to drop by Eldorado. I still remember the taste of the brisket and just thinking about it makes me want to visit Eldorado again. This would be a great place to get your barbecue fix even after the stampede’s over.

Eldorado Barbecue Lounge
680 8 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
(587) 349-2822
Website: eldoradoyyc.com