Restaurant Review: Tunnel Barbecue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Whether you are from southeastern Michigan, southern Ontario, or just passing through, the Tunnel Barbecue in Windsor, just across the river from Detroit, is a great place to go for a hearty barbecue dinner.

Located just across the street from Canadian customs, Tunnel Barbecue, which has a loyal following on both sides of the border, has been serving up delicious Canadian barbecue for over 60 years. Headed by family patriarch, Thom Racovitis, Tunnel Barbecue has become a restaurant destination for both residents in Windsor and in the greater Detroit area.

There were rumblings a few years ago that the restaurant would shutter its doors, but thankfully those rumors were proved wrong.

The restaurant is fairly Spartan in décor, but looks homey with a serious flashback to the 1970s. The wait staff has always been quick and serves their customers with friendly smiles.

Despite its laid back, casual ambiance, Tunnel Barbecue sports a huge menu. With so many tempting options, it may be a daunting task for the uninitiated to make a final choice. There is a complete array of appetizers, including calamari, egg rolls and chicken wings; soups and salads, including Caesar, Greek, tabbouli, fatoush and antipasto; steaks, seafood, pasta and a decent veal cutlet. Before dinner, you will find a breadbasket filled with home made crackers, just shy of being actual flatbread.

Still, they're known for barbecue here, and you can't go wrong ordering it. If you're looking for fancy barbecue or something reminiscent of famous bone joints in Memphis, look somewhere else. This is Canadian barbecue. Ribs and chicken are cooked in the rotisserie rather plainly with just a dusting of spice, but are tender when brought to the table. (Rotisserie racks face the street, and you can watch the operation from large windows before entering the restaurant.) Once at the table, you can add the "barbecue" sauce, which is at the ready tableside. There's a slightly sweet sauce, a mild sauce and a hot sauce. Choose your favorite, or mix them up. In addition, there is a rib sauce that is completely different from the signature sauces.

Dinners come accompanied by a light and crunchy cole slaw, and the fries are amazing, lightly dusted with spices and crispy.

Before loading up on dinner, take a gander at the paper placemat, where the Tunnel Barbecue's wide assortment of freshly prepared desserts is prominently pictured. You may want to adjust your order accordingly. Desserts include a Black Forest cake, banana cream pie, carrot cake, different cheesecake varieties, strawberries Romanoff, lemon chiffon, French apple pie, chocolate éclair, key lime pie, Swiss chocolate cake... the list goes on and on (and on).

For the little ones, Tunnel Barbecue offers a kids' menu. Tunnel Barbecue is also open for breakfast, with a menu just as impressive as the dinner menu. There's a full bar as well. Sauces and spices are available for sale and can be shipped worldwide. There is a take away area for those who would rather get their barbecue on the go. Tunnel Barbecue can be catered as well.

Dinner prices are quite reasonable, and were more so before the decline of the US dollar. At this time, the restaurant is taking the US dollar on an even exchange. If coming from the US, don't forget to bring plenty of ID, including passport. There is a mandatory stop for customs at both sides.

Even with the border crossing, it's worth the trip across the river for this barbecue.

Tunnel Barbecue
58 Park Street
Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9A 2W1
519.258.3663
www.tunnelbarbq.com