The Carbon Bar - Toronto, Canada

TheCarbon Bar is located in a somewhat quiet location on Queen Street, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.  Traffic is not a problem unlike many places in downtown Toronto.

The restaurant sits in a cozy space with a separate bar area that is quite lively on the weekends, and most nights I would imagine.

The restaurant space is also on the smaller side.  One thing I did appreciate is that tables weren’t stacked on top of one another, which is usually the case with smaller spaces and busier restaurants.

Shishito Peppers

The Shishito Peppers ($7) come with a pit-fired eggplant dip.  The peppers are very acidic as they are liberally sprinkled with what tasted like lemon pepper.  The eggplant dip got lost in the sour notes from the peppers.

Beef Brisket Burnt Ends

The Beef Brisket Burnt Ends ($12) comes with pickled cucumbers, coleslaw, chili and lettuce leafs to make wraps.  The brisket is super tender with just a hint of sweetness.  The cucumbers and coleslaw are very sour due to the acid from vinegar.  The chili, although present, is barely noticeable.  The burnt ends don’t need any accoutrements in my opinion.

TCB Caesar

The TCB Caesar ($11) is a slight variation of the classic Caesar salad.  The addition of kale adds some heartiness to the romaine leaves.  The veal tongue is very tender and is barely noticeable for those who might be a bit squeamish.  Once again, this dish is on the sour side due to the liberal amount of lemon juice.

BBQ Pork Croquettes

The BBQ Pork Croquettes ($9) are nicely crisp on the outside, and meaty on the inside.  The horseradish crema was not spicy.

Wild Halibut

The Wild Halibut ($26) comes with a leek and asparagus clam chowder, as well as potato spuma.  The halibut had a nice crust, but was slightly overcooked.  The portion of halibut was a little small for the price point.  The potato spuma was sort of lost in the dish due the foamy quality, and the bolder tastes of the other components of the dish.

TCB Burger

The TCB Burger ($19) is made with pork cheek which is rather subtle in flavor.  The Havarti cheese is both creamy and adds a bit of bite.  A recurring theme of the food here is the overpowering acidity of dishes, and it once again is present here with the pickles.

Hot Mess

The “signature” Hot Mess ($11) is a half sweet potato topped with cheese curds, chopped brisket, crema and pickled jalapenos.  There is so much going on with this dish that everything gets lost.  Depending on the bite you may detect some of each ingredient, but it doesn’t seem coherent in my opinion.  The price point is also rather high for what it is.

Banana Toffee Cream Pie

The Banana Toffee Cream Pie for 2 ($16) is basically a miniature version of a banana cream pie with a layer of caramel.  Although the crust is very good and buttery, there is nothing special that separates this from any other banana cream pie.  Although it is a good dessert, there is nothing to justify the price.

I wanted to try the Pit Master Platter and the Crispy Chicken Skin, unfortunately they were out of both.

I would definitely come back to The Carbon Bar to explore more of the menu with the forewarned knowledge that the food is heavily acidic.