Cluck Grunt and Low - closed!?

[Moonsammy]

I'm really not trying to spread rumours, but when I walked past the restaurant today (Bloor location) there was newspaper covering all of the windows. Anyone know what the cluck?

[mrbozo]

Walked by today and a surly-looking baldhead employee was setting up the patio.

[Westwardho]

I was told by a friend that they went by and it was jammed this past Friday night. But they did say that there was no obious reno of any kind. It's alive apparently.

[torestohound]

Is that supposed to be relevant to eating there? Sheesh! I've been a few times. Good to great. And I've also been to other BBQ places here and in the US and it's as good or better. And the service has been great. The only problem I have with the place is that I just can't eat that stuff more than a dozen times a year. Probably best for me...

[goodcookiedrift]

I don't mean to be scathing or anything, but what BBQ joints have you visited? I've tried a number of BBQ shacks from New York City to Charleston to Mobil to Memphis (starting to sound like a Johnny Cash song) and the most sub-par cue shack in my travels is still better than CGL. I don't mean to hate on CGL, but they are mediocre at best. Why? Simply because they don't do it right. They don't smoke on premise (although maybe the new renos called for an on-site smoker), they often overcook the meat and mainly, i find their flavoring just kind of "meh" (probably has a lot to do with type of wood they are using, length of smoking, type of rub, etc.)

Who knows though, maybe this new reno has breathed some life into the quality of food.

ps: i really liked the decor the first time around...hope they didn't change that.

[torestohound]

More than enough to get what it's about. I am comparing CGL to larger operations as opposed to small shacks. And the numerous times I've been there, it's been very good. (With few exceptions.) I admit though, that I don't get as excited about BBQ (either way) as some people do here. Do you have any local places you like. I've been to most of them a few times and they weren't any better.

On the topic of smoker location, all the BBQ places I've been to smoke their stuff for hours and store it. It is impractical to time the stuff to be ready in nearly exactly predictible quantities for service. As well, different meats are smoked at different temperatures. So it must be stored and reheated. That being the case, what difference does it make if it's smoked somewhere else?

[estufarian]

We were at Bloor & Spadina earlier this week and I suggested we give CGL another chance.
Amusegirl flatly refused. Her comment - you've already given it two chances - what if anything makes you think it deserves another?
And honestly she was right. Both times pretty awful. I just crave some decent BBQ - it's the hope of finding something that keeps me going.
Dried out meat; inedible sides (the dirty rice is probably the worst food item I've tried in the past year); disinterested service. Avoid!

[torestohound]

She has a point. I know that feeling. There was a place called Avalon. My foodie friends highly recommended it. I went twice. It was worse than bad. Then I was invited to dinner there with some of the people who recommended it, including a couple of TO chefs. It was just as bad. (They agreed.) But that just happens sometimes. I believe them when they say it was consistently great. I think Chiado has consistently excellent service. But I know two people who went a couple times on my recommendation and it wasn't. (Very rare but case in point.)

As I said, the place is always busy and my CGL experiences have been been very good. (I didn't like the rice either but I don't think it's been on the menu since last year.) I read one of your experiences and, unlike a few posters who look like they have ulterior motives for hating the place (few other posts, always piling on the hate wagon etc.) your review was well detailed and balanced. I would tell you to go back but, Murphy's law etc., they'll probably dump a drink on you or something! Sometimes it's tough being a client.

I'll post something in detail next time I go.

[estufarian]

That would be really helpful. I really do crave a good BBQ in Toronto. And had such high hopes that I suspect I would have been disappointed regardless of how good/bad it was.

[Gary]

My wife walked by yesterday and they were open, doing a fairly brisk lunch business. The website is down, though: have they opened their second location on Bayview yet?

For the record I waited many months before trying Cluck, mostly because of the negative comments on here, and I was pleasantly surprised. My ribs were nicely cooked and tasty, and I had no problems with the four sides I tried. Service was a bit sluggish but friendly. Nothing super rave-worthy but the place was hardly deserving of the venomous criticism I've read on here.

[torontofoodiegirl]

Bayview location has been open for a while now. I've eaten there twice - quite enjoyed the first visit (though, as you noted, it's not rave-worthy) but it wasn't as good the second time.

[tromeo]

Just from my observations with restaurants in the past.
"Closed for renovations" usually means closed for good.Especially with new places.

[solabusca]

I continuously expect to find that it's closed - not due to any fault in the business itself, but due, in part, to the fact that the location has been home to a few fabulously failed restaurant/cafes.

Truth be told, I'm surprised it's been open for as long as it has.

Ah well... much luck to them.

.j.

[deelicious]

sorry have to disagree. their failure would be 100% due to their lousy business. And I dont wish them luck for serving cold ribs, undercooked beans, dried out crappy cornbread and lousy cole slaw.

[Googs]

Perhaps they can renovate a smoker with adequate ventilation in the joint.

[dragonflygrl]

Apparently just renovations. They should be open by the end of the week. Wouldn't be a huge loss if they did close though,(imho),