📍 Best Food in Scarborough

⭐ RECOMMENDED

Northern Smokes

371 Old Kingston Rd., Unit 12, in a plain strip mall near UTSC. Imran Ali opened it in 2019 doing Southern-style barbecue on a custom reverse-flow stick burner — split hardwood only, no gas or charcoal, and some cuts ride the smoker up to 14 hours. All the meat is hand-slaughtered halal, which is the part that makes this place unusual: proper low-and-slow brisket you can actually eat. Order the multi-meat plate, a sandwich, or straight by the pound. The guide singles out the Montreal-style brisket and the sweet-marinated Korean short ribs, and notes the maple-smoked beans as the giveaway that you’re in Ontario and not Texas. Priced at $$.

🍽️ BIB GOURMAND

SumiLicious Smoked Meat & Deli

5631 Steeles Ave. E., Unit 5, in Milliken Crossing on the Scarborough–Markham line. Sumith Fernando spent close to two decades behind the counter at Schwartz’s in Montreal before opening his own place in 2018, and his brisket is cured in a secret spice blend for days, smoked, then steamed — piled onto soft rye with yellow mustard. It was the first Scarborough restaurant ever recognized by the guide, taking a Bib Gourmand in 2022 and holding it every year since. Get the smoked meat poutine too. Priced at $.

Note: the smoked meat, chicken and steak are halal, but not everything on the menu is — ask at the counter. The guide files it under Toronto rather than Scarborough, even though it’s a Steeles Avenue plaza.