Rib Joints in Vancouver

[Vancouver Lee]

Not the fanciest looking place, tucked just over the bridge from the airport into North Richmond, but I heard a rumour that the ribs were excellent.

Is it worth a trip to Richmond to try them out?

[DarkDante]

I thought that place was closed. Last time I drove past it, I saw a for sale sign on that property.

[Daddy-A]

Not the fanciest looking place, tucked just over the bridge from the airport into North Richmond, but I heard a rumour that the ribs were excellent.

Is it worth a trip to Richmond to try them out?

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I can't believe that place is still there! I think I was 14 or 15 the last time I was there. Took a date there ... this was of course before I figured out that wearing a bib and wiping sauce of your face with Han-D-Wipes was not the best way to "impress the ladies".

Would a 25 year old review help you?

A.

[Vancouver Lee]

I thought that place was closed.  Last time I drove past it, I saw a for sale sign on that property.

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According to the message on their answering machine, they had a kitchen fire in March and have been closed for renovations. The message promised that they will re-open "very soon".

Arne, I was hoping for something slightly more current.

[mtigges]

I was there about 4 years ago. Not the greatest in my opinion. Better than tony romas, but not by much. Of course not even in the same ball park as Memphis Blues, but it's a completely different style, so it's not a fair comparison. If you're not in Richmond, I don't think it's worth a special trip.

[~cayenne~]

I thought that place was closed.  Last time I drove past it, I saw a for sale sign on that property.

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According to the message on their answering machine, they had a kitchen fire in March and have been closed for renovations. The message promised that they will re-open "very soon".

Arne, I was hoping for something slightly more current.

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I've seen postings in the classifieds looking for kitchen and floor staff, indicating as well a reopening soon. I'd bet it will open by December, definitely they'd want to capitalize on the holiday season spenders. Probably been about four years or so since I ate there, a few times. It was simply okay, but I wasn't into all the heavy weight accompaniments. The decor and general ambience definitely needed updating, as well as the menu (then anyway), so will be interesting to see what they have come up with. I always wondered how it could possibly stay there and be a viable operation after all the road work changes, but I guess the new River Rock resort operation has them hoping for lucrative trickle over their way spending. The Boathouse is just up the road too though, and I guess they are doing okay

Anyhow, hopefully someone will report their experience after the reopening.

[Ling]

Lots of my friends have eaten there in the last few years...I've never heard anything stellar, or even good. Usually the comments are that their ribs (and other dishes) were just OK (or, uhm...less than OK).

Edited November 9, 2005 by Ling (log)

[fud]

I ate there 2 years back. Nothing special. I think Tony Roma's is better (if you want to pick a name of a rib place out of a hat)

Corn bread was SO dry....I required water to prevent it getting lodged in my throat.

[quattroporte]

We went there about a year ago and really enjoyed the experience. Now it's not "authentic" BBQ, like Memphis Blues, but some pretty darn good ribs, IMHO. I like the little extras they throw in, like the corn bread, served warm and fresh (at least when we were there), and these little teensy two-bite ice cream cones at the end of the meal. Portions are pretty large, sides are decent (coleslaw and beans). The ribs were meaty, very tender, nicely grilled with a pretty good, not-too-smoky sauce. If the sauce is too smoky, the taste of the pork gets drowned-out.

I actually prefer Dem Bones to Tony Roma's. Hope they open up soon.....I gots me a cravin'!

[chocomoo]

^ I like Dem Bones better than Tony Roma's too - basically the difference in the ribs is that Dem Bones' have a nice chew to them, while Tony Roma's is the fall-off-the-bone kind. I also like that Dem Bones' ribs aren't overly sauced. Just depends on what you like. Slightly off-topic here, but the Tony Roma's in Hong Kong is more expensive than the one here.

[LordBalthazar]

Like others who have responded, I think the best place for ribs in town is Memphis Blues (they have two locations - one on Broadway and one on Commercial). Check them out, especially if they're serving the Beef Rib special - one huge Fred Flintstone-worthy hunk o' fall-off-the-bone meat with the fixin's. My wife and I used to eat at Tony Roma's in Montreal (although, for her, nothing beats Montreal's Bar-B Barn), but both times we went to the one in Vancouver, we ended up feeling ill for the rest of the night. We did try Dem Bones once about a year ago. The ribs were unremarkable and our overall dining experience was somewhat marred by the scent of the antiseptic cleaner they had presumably just used to wipe down the tables and/or floors.

[Vancouver Lee]

Like others who have responded, I think the best place for ribs in town is Memphis Blues (they have two locations - one on Broadway and one on Commercial).  Check them out, especially if they're serving the Beef Rib special - one huge Fred Flintstone-worthy hunk o' fall-off-the-bone meat with the fixin's.  My wife and I used to eat at Tony Roma's in Montreal (although, for her, nothing beats Montreal's Bar-B Barn), but both times we went to the one in Vancouver, we ended up feeling ill for the rest of the night.  We did try Dem Bones once about a year ago.  The ribs were unremarkable and our overall dining experience was somewhat marred by the scent of the antiseptic cleaner they had presumably just used to wipe down the tables and/or floors.

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Mmmmm, ribs with a side of Javex......yummy.

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I agree that the ribs at Memphis Blues are excellent, but I've never tried Tony Roma's - it's always struck me as a place for tourists and I generally try to avoid places like that.

[OT] Bar-B- Barn in Montreal, eh? When you brought up Montreal, I immediately thought of the Bifteque! God, what a place that is! [/OT]

[D90]

Since I am a Richmond boy I used to also go there from time to time especially after a good night at the casino, or for birthdays.

The food was okay no real complaints, the 40oz rib platter always did the job when I was in the mood for rims. I sometimes would have to send back my steak to get it just right but it isnt a big deal.

As for service it was hit or miss all depends who was serving you. But I do agree the place does need an updated look or to clean it up and give it a nice western feel, since it mainly caters to families.

Personally, I would rather go to the Keg downtown, not the keg ceaser if I wanted a steak & and of course garlic mashed potatoes.

Edited November 9, 2005 by D90 (log)

[mtigges]

Disclaimer, Sorry Daddy-A.

I have to ask, when MB opened on Broadway, it was an epiphany. I LOVED it. It seems to me, it's no longer as good. e.g. there was no way I could have disintigrated a bone with no effort, I had to pull the meat from the bone. Great chew, and incredibly smokey taste. But, now it seems that the meat is much loser on the bones, the bones are easily chewed through, and less flavour. Something has changed, and I'm not a BBQ expert.

Moreover, I didn't like DIX. Too sauced, too salty. I've found that as MB has degraded a bit, DIX has improved a lot. Does anyone join me in this sentiment, or is it blasphemous? Plus I enjoy Tony's beer much more.

Mark.

[Daddy-A]

Disclaimer, Sorry Daddy-A.

Sorry?

With apologies to Vancouver Lee ... since this thread is moving in this direction anyway, I've renamed it to include all rib houses.

Get out yer bibs!

A.

[canucklehead]

Disclaimer, Sorry Daddy-A.

I have to ask, when MB opened on Broadway, it was an epiphany.  I LOVED it.  It seems to me, it's no longer as good.  e.g. there was no way I could have disintigrated a bone with no effort, I had to pull the meat from the bone. Great chew, and incredibly smokey taste. But, now it seems that the meat is much loser on the bones, the bones are easily chewed through, and less flavour.  Something has changed, and I'm not a BBQ expert.

Moreover, I didn't like DIX.  Too sauced, too salty.  I've found that as MB has degraded a bit, DIX has improved a lot.  Does anyone join me in this sentiment, or is it blasphemous?  Plus I enjoy Tony's beer much more.

Mark.

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I agree that something has happened to MB - things used to taste more lively. Now there is chemical undercurrent to everything that tastes of butane. Also all the meats are beginning to be indistinguishable from eachother - with a general move towards a soft and mushy mouthfeel (vs. succulent and savory).

I have not been to DIX - but I will admit to going to Tony Roma's for their all you can eat beef ribs on Tuesdays... the idea of which is always better then the reality of the experience (much like a PPV dirty movie).

Except the goodies made in people's homes, I have resigned myself to so-so BBQ and Pizza in Vancouver for now. I hope I am proven wrong someday soon.

[mtigges]

I will admit to going to Tony Roma's for their all you can eat beef ribs on Tuesdays...  the idea of which is always better then the reality of the experience (much like a PPV dirty movie).

I wish I was still ignorant of this. Oh well.

[fud]

You guys try the "Dino" Ribs at this pub on Commercial south of broadway? It's on the west side of the street I think and I'm drawing complete blank on the name but I recall the ribs were wonderful!

[BCinBC]

I have not been to DIX - but I will admit to going to Tony Roma's for their all you can eat beef ribs on Tuesdays...  the idea of which is always better then the reality of the experience (much like a PPV dirty movie).

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Maybe you need a bigger satellite dish?? Or TiVo...

Anywho, I have eated at Dem Bones, once a couple years ago; I agree totally with the decor, but otherwise I enjoyed the experience. It was a group of like 20 for a birthday, I had pork ribs St Louis style, it was good. I would not make a special trip there from City Hall, though; I would probably try Diner's first (can't remember if you have had them or not VanLee).

I have been meaning to try the ribs at MB, but have not been since early summer and lately the posts have indicated that things have cooled off. Still the ribs remain on the list of To-Do's.

To put things in context, in general I prefer pork ribs to beef, not over-sauced, tender but still having to clean the bone by tooth, and cornbread as an accompaniment. And beer of course.

[FannyBay]

I can't recall if it was a Dem Bones or a Tony Roma's the last time I ate at the rib place on Pacific. I do recall though that they used "liquid smoke" to flavour the meat and as I prefer to avoid chemical compounds when dining, I haven't been back. The Ribs at MB were a bit tasteless and too "fall off the bone" when I last tried them as well, nothing you could get a good chew on. I loved the ribs at Ouisi Bistro but be warned they are very spicy!

For spareribs that aren't like the ones you are talking about here, the spareribs in black bean sauce at Dim Sum are yum, just little guys. I had them at Sun Sui Wah recently. For dry ribs the ones at Earls are pretty good, salty but they are supposed to be.

[PaoPao]

Have to say one of the most tasty ribs I've had was at Ouisi Bistro on Granville. Great place to take your honey bunny and help make sure to all that spicy BBQ sauce doesn't go to waste.

[Hue]

Ate at Dem Bonese about 2 years ago, and the ribs were forgettable, but what I do remember was finding a piece of blue plastic in our "fried potato stack"(in quotation because I don't remember what's it's actually called). Also remember how everyone was wearing bibs ...[

[mtigges]

I can't recall if it was a Dem Bones or a Tony Roma's the last time I ate at the rib place on Pacific.

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That would be Tony Roma's. I ride by it every day. And now thanks to canucklehead I will wonder every Tuesday if I should lock up my bike for a couple hours.

[ktbear]

Disclaimer, Sorry Daddy-A.

I have to ask, when MB opened on Broadway, it was an epiphany.  I LOVED it.  It seems to me, it's no longer as good.  e.g. there was no way I could have disintigrated a bone with no effort, I had to pull the meat from the bone. Great chew, and incredibly smokey taste. But, now it seems that the meat is much loser on the bones, the bones are easily chewed through, and less flavour.  Something has changed, and I'm not a BBQ expert.

Moreover, I didn't like DIX.  Too sauced, too salty.  I've found that as MB has degraded a bit, DIX has improved a lot.  Does anyone join me in this sentiment, or is it blasphemous?  Plus I enjoy Tony's beer much more.

Mark.

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I have worked across the street from dix for almost 3 years and to say that they have improved a lot is an understatement. I used to think that there menu never reflected the fact that they had the biggest smoker i've ever seen. now when you walk into dix all you can smell is beef and pork ribs slowly smoking. to have a rack of ribs during a PPV game is a little bit of heaven. I haven't been to MB in while so I'm not going to comment but i love tony's beer more.

[fud]

Ate at Dem Bonese about 2 years ago, and the ribs were forgettable, but what I do remember was finding a piece of blue plastic in our "fried potato stack"(in  quotation because I don't remember what's it's actually called). Also remember how everyone was wearing bibs ...

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Not that I am a big fan of the place (Dem Bones - as you can see from my previous post) but I guess every restaurant seems to have that once in a blue moon mishap which although unforgettable, sometimes needs to be at least forgivable as long as the blue moon doesn't come out all the time. I recall we had glass (!!) in our water at C. Not sure how but I think it got mixed into the ice they had in the back.

Sorry that was off topic what I did want to ask was whether people had noticed a difference in quality between Memphis on broadway and Memphis on commercial. I DID recall that memphis on commercial had bigger portions, jucier meat and moist chicken.

I havn't been to memphis is what must be 5 to 6 months now...