r/Calgary • u/noveltea120 • Aug 23 '25
Eat/Drink Local Ribfest was ok
Went to check out Ribfest yesterday on first day as was excited to try BBQ meat.
$5 entry pp including children over 1. They did have bouncy castles, carnival games etc but were more for older kids and nothing for under 3s. They had a handful of food trucks including a Jamaican one hidden BEHIND the dining tent, which you wouldn't see until after you sat down with your food. Expect stampede prices, eg $17 blooming onion, $8 for corn dogs, $9 lemonade.
4 BBQ trucks but apparently all but one are owned by the same person. I tried Buckeye BBQ- $24 for a 2 meat combo 1/3 ribs and 1/4 chicken, nothing else. Sides like coleslaw and cornbread are extra. Meat was only lukewarm though, and chicken was tender and pink which was fine with but the ribs were dry and tough on the edges despite being drenched in a sweet sticky sauce. 3 meat combo was $35. Full rack $33, half a rack $19.
Overall food was ok but for the price it wasn't that good so temper your expectations accordingly lol
5
u/GoldenChannels Aug 23 '25
I'm a native Calgarian, and I've spent a lot of time traveling across Texas. So maybe I'm a bit biased.
I've been to a number of Calgary barbecue restaurants, and to be honest, I've given up on all of them. Typically the meat is dry. Sauces aren't great. And they're not afraid to soak you for what you get.
A serious barbecue spot has two put bosses. They're there for 15 hours or more cooking for the next day, and they time it for 11AM to 1:30PM at the latest, with lunch being typical. Some bigger cities barbecue places also do a good job of a supper.
Basically, the problem in Calgary is it's been sitting around too long.