Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey

A great spot for late night BBQ and drinks! This is a go-to for me especially after 10pm for a steep discount on a certain selection of meats! You can get pulled pork, brisket and more after 10pm for 50% off if I remember correctly. This makes them really affordable and they're already worth full price. Soft, fall-apart brisket and delicious pulled pork. Tasty sausages and some amazing ribs and beef bones. There is a huge selection of drinks and also live music at certain times. Great ambiance and seating. Decent service and street parking will be required. Highly recommend for some delicious cuts of meat!

Unreal!!! Some of the best food I've eaten in along time. The green beans where fabulous and we substituted the butter for oil. The best turkey I think I ever ate. Very tasty table bbq sauces. Our server Aleaha was absolutely dynamite!!! She paid absolute attention to my wife's allergies. She was so helpful with us in the first timers at the location. Unreal food, service and drinks! Holy hell! If you are a whiskey fan.... you'll be in heaven. We will be back.

We came here for my fiancé’s birthday dinner, and we were absolutely blown away! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the staff was friendly and attentive — they made us feel right at home. We started with the queso and chips, which were out of this world! The queso had just the right amount of spice mixed with a subtle smoky flavor that kept us going back for more. It was creamy, flavorful, and perfectly paired with the crisp, salty chips. If you come here, you have to try it — it’s a must! For our main dishes, everything exceeded our expectations and then some. The flavors were rich and authentic, and the portions were generous without being overwhelming. It was the closest thing we’ve found to true Texas BBQ outside of Texas — tender, smoky, and full of depth. You can tell they put real care and love into their food. The overall experience was fantastic from start to finish. If you’re craving great barbecue and a relaxed, welcoming vibe, this place should definitely be on your list. We can’t wait to come back! The only thing of note was the lighting upstairs was awfully dark

Absolutely phenomenal experience! From the moment we walked in, the vibe was warm, lively, and perfect for a casual night out or a special celebration. The BBQ is next-level — the brisket, ribs, and smoked meats are rich, tender, and full of real flavour, smoked to perfection with that authentic Southern style everyone raves about. The house-made sauces and generously sized sides only elevate the meal.  The whiskey selection is one of the best in Calgary — expertly curated and paired with creative cocktails that are as enjoyable as the food. The service was friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming, making our evening feel special from start to finish.  Whether you’re here for happy hour deals, live music, a cosy dinner, or late-night eats, this place delivers on all fronts. Highly recommend — a must-visit for BBQ and whiskey lovers! 🍖🥃

More of a party atmosphere than we were expecting, with fairly loud music and we sat at a picnic table. Food was great, Tipsy Texan sandwich and brisket, bacon wrapped corn came as 3 thirds of a cob. Cocktails were some of the best we've ever had. Cucumber something was refreshing and Maggie's Song didn't seem like it could work from the ingredient list but totally pulled it off. Spicy and delicious. Awesome night at this place.

This was my first visit to Hayden Block Smoke & Whisky in Calgary, and I was not disappointed at all. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, it's best to go elsewhere, because this place smells like a genuine smokehouse, and it sure is, 100%. I ordered the brisket with the bacon wrapped smoked corn on the cob, and a cocktail on the side. And, my better half ordered the smoked wings, salt & pepper, and then a second serving of BBQ wings. I highly recommend giving them a try. Thank you staff for the wonderful experience. I will be back.

The "burnt ends" was a symphony of flavors, perfect with corn bread. The beef ribs are perfectly cooked and so tender and flavored. Last but not least, our waiteress was attentive and knowledgeable, enhancing our dining experience. She recommended several dishes are all so good and we leave without any leftovers. The dishes were beautifully presented and delicious!

The burn ends have been consistently fantastic and the brisket is great although quite a bit fatty however, the ribs are exceptionally disappointing as each of the small to medium ribs cost $6 and pale in comparison to the good quality of the burnt ends and any other ribs I've had before. $58 total for this plate, I would still recommend this location, but on a few items you will have inconsistent quality

The food was great! We had a 1lb of brisket and pork ribs & got a beef rib for two people. We got a couple of corn bread and deep fried pickles as well. They had an espresso BBQ sauce that was pretty good but my favorite was the spicy vinegar BBQ sauce! Service was great, we went on a Sunday night before Labor Day. I thought it was going to be very busy but we were seated pretty quick despite how packed the place was. Our server, Morgan, did a great job with making sure our beverages were filled and gave some good recommendations for whiskey! Overall, it's a nice hang out spot especially if you're trying to go for a hang out/vibe night. I was in town because I was visiting some friends in Calgary and it was a good time!

I'm pretty sure Fred Flintstone would recommend the beef rib. It had a great bark. It was tender and perfectly cooked. It was almost big enough to tip over Fred's car. It's a 2-person serving. The fried pickles were a strong starter. A word of warning. The iced tea is sweet tea. If that's not your speed opt for something with a little less sugar.

Food was amazing, service was great, it was a bit slow atmosphere but that worked out really nicely cuz it was my date night . Recommend to anyone looking for great food!

After a few hours of disappointment with our Airbnb, we deserved a meal that would make us forget about that disaster. Hello Hayden. No reservations necessary. We walked-in around 7ish on a Wednesday and there were plenty of seats available. Brisket - super tender, and not salty at all Potato Salad - pretty standard but still good Mac and cheese - had an unexpected kick but still good Cornbread - perfectly baked, not dry at all Watermelon salad - its...different. The feta crumble kind of threw us off. For me personally, id pass Broccoli salad - Dee-freakin-licious Overall, our server Jenna deserves 5 stars; she was helpful and patient with us. Good food and cool ambience as well.

Visited Calgary for the first time and found Hayden Block using yelp reviews. We had excellent service (thanks Morgan) and excellent food.

Awesome food and service. Had a pulled chicken sandwich with a beet salad, and both were absolutely delicious. Our waitress was very quick and friendly, and outdoor seating was a cherry on top. Great place!

My friend and I came in for lunch and ordered food and drinks. As expected, our server asked for our IDs at the time of ordering, and we complied without hesitation. Everything was fine until about 30 minutes into our visit when a staff member named Rob approached us. Rob claimed we "looked underage" and insisted on checking our IDs again, despite us already being properly verified by the waitress. Although we complied and provided the requested identification again, Rob inspected our IDs as if they were fake and spoke to us in a very condescending and accusatory tone. He additionally asked for a secondary piece of ID from both of us, as if in disbelief about the authenticity of our drivers licences. The interaction felt unnecessary, hostile, and frankly, like a power trip rather than a standard ID check. There was no compassion, understanding, or professionalism. For reference, we are 25 and 26 years old -- well above the legal drinking age. After the encounter, we learned from our waitress that Rob confronted her earlier to confirm whether she had already verified our IDs properly. Despite this confirmation, he still felt the need to approach us, question us, and demand multiple additional pieces of ID -- indicating a clear mistrust of paying customers. Not to mention, we only ordered a single cocktail each. I fully understand and respect the importance of verifying IDs, and appreciate the responsibility staff have to ensure compliance with liquor laws. However, the way this situation was handled was extremely uncomfortable and inappropriate compared to other experiences I've had elsewhere. It stemmed from Rob's tone, choice of words, and facial expressions. Rather than a simple, professional verification, it felt like we were being interrogated and humiliated in the middle of our meal. Adding to the disappointment is the fact that we are returning customers who have visited Hayden Block almost monthly, always enjoying our time -- until today. This encounter completely ruined the atmosphere of what should have been a casual lunch, and made us feel ashamed and unwelcome. I will also be emailing management directly about this encounter

Food is awesome. Consistently good Great service. Fun atmosphere Lost an expensive bracelet and it was never turned in. Went back every day to follow up. Sad ! Gift.

Holy cow this place was so good-- the meat. Wow. I had the pork belly bites and split the beef rib. Probably one of the better beef ribs I've had. The pork belly was also awesome (tasted better fresh than reheated). Also had the corn-- which was a large portion we should have splitted it, but it was a little too heavy for me. My other 3 friends loved it. The cornbread and butter was good. I had also tried my friends burnt ends and frito pie. Both really good. I could have definitely stolen a few extra bites of the frito pie. Was very good. For dessert we had the special-- was a banana cake with candied pecans. We were so full and also so happy we last minute decided to get this. Definitely worth it!!

Their drink selection is great! The service was really good :) The meats were just very dry. But the sides were delicious. Highly recommend the cornbread and honey butter!

Great selection of whiskies. And very nice smoked meats. Manager has a lot of knowledge about whiskey and helped us pick what we wanted to try.

Thinking about my visit and I'm already salivating. I knew a visit to Calgary would mean that BBQ would be on the menu and Hayden Block Smoke did not disappoint. For the two of us we ordered: a 1/2lb of beef brisket, broccoli slaw salad, corn bread with honey butter and the smokestack corn. I paired my food with a Wildrose brewing velvet fog wheat ale. I gotta say, this was a meal for the ages. The brisket was charged nicely and juicy. I was having a party with the sides, the smokestack corn and broccoli salad were both standouts. After trying everything and having two servings, we were both quite full. Did we over-order? That's a big possibility. Everything was great (including the service and friendly staff) and I can see why Hayden get's great reviews.

I really liked every cocktail I tried here. Food was quite good. Queso is identical to cafe Rio in the states. I would def go here for happy hour or late night drinks

Let's start with the trendy charming ambience: the large quasi-communal table and the understated decor give the place a welcoming atmosphere equidistant from sophisticated and down to earth. While unfortunately we did not taste their great selection of whiskeys and their delicious sounding cocktails (driving responsibilities and all that), one of us got a flight of their craft beers that were a surprisingly increasing success, with each more interesting than the other. Awesome. Service was grand, if a little hurried. We had to resort to flag down, something that always feels a little rude but was inevitable (for example, to get plates...) and the nice waitresses were usually gone before you could put in a word , often resulting in the need to repeated hurried interactions rather than a 10-second longer but resolutely efficient one. The food, however, was a tad disappointing: the meats were fatty to the excess, and yet not particularly flavorful. And while the bbq sauces were excellent (and included a quite original espresso-based one) the overall experience was quite low in our bbq totemic pole. Sides were much more satisfying (very good cornbread and amazing Mac and cheese) but I will sadly most likely not go back for dinner (maybe for drinks).

Hayden Block is our weekly causal date night to go place as it has a great selection of whisky and beer. This week, we visited out usual. Wednesday is half price wing night. I usually order a few drinks tbougout our visit with the special. Tonight, after I placed our wing order and a drink, our server insisted that we had to order another drink to go with the special. I was unpleasantly surprised because I usually order another drink half way down my meal. I ended up order a side dish

This feels like we are in the Texas of Canada which is the best thing ever for BBQ. The brisket is out of this world and melts like butter in your mouth. The pulled pork was slightly dry, but we liked how it was unsauced so you can sauce it yourself to the right level and taste. The sauces were all good, espresso one was the best. The dishes are bigger than you think. 2 people i would recommend 2 meats and 2 side dishes

It's my first time visting Calgary. Some of my friends recommended this place so I wanted to try it. Simply and long story short , this place is epic!! Friendly staff , enough patio spaces for everyone ( they got one in the front and another one in the back) and most importantly the food was heavenly delicious!! we started with some smoked chicken wings and they were absolutely appetizing which made us oder their famous item "THE beef birsket". Cant really describe either the joy of such mouthwatering piecs of meat or the disappointement when it was over. Good news they have it half price after 10pm. Definitely going back !!!

One of my best friends suggested having lunch here and she was right, this place was perfect for our perfect get-together. We asked to be seated on the back patio, I know people love the patio that faces Kensiston Ave but we really wanted to chat and catch up, and being by the street was not for us this time. The tables are wide enough to seat comfortable, the day was warm enough for us. We ordered Brisket and Pork Spare Ribs to share with sides of Baked Beans, Potato Salad, and Bacon-Wrapped Corn on the Cob. The brisket and the ribs were a delight super tasty. The potato salad was really good, the corn was perfectly cooked wrapped with a yummy and crispy bacon, the beans were not my favorite, they wear to think and sweet for my taste. The server was really friendly, she checked on us quite often and made us feel cared for. The washrooms are in the basement but the stairs are quite interesting, I would say that if you are wearing high heels be cautious. Tip! The restaurant has its own free parking! It is located in the back alley, not too easy to find if it is your first time or if you are in a hurry but drive around, count the buildings, and park! Just register your license plate at the front and you are set! I can't wait for the summer to be back and my next trip to Calgary to enjoy this very tasty menu.

Stopped by for a snack and a drink while exploring the area. We ordered the burnt ends ($15) and a local beer. The burnt ends was good for a light shareable snack and went well with the beer. For burnt ends, I was expected even more flavor and char from them, but they were okay. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try a full meal, so will visit again and grab one of the interesting whiskey cocktails at the same time!

Best wings I've ever had! Salt and pepper perfectly smoked not greasy or deep fried and they were a good size too. Homemade bbq sauce is excellent. Had a Grizzly paw blonde ale on tap. Service was quick and friendly!

I was told by manager to leave and never come back without an explaination. been going there since Jan of this year sharing the experiences with my friends.

Omg ....... Amazing as always ..... my kids had the tipsy Texan and brisket and my amazing bf and I ate chicken and pulled pork and dessert was cheesecake and pecan pie ....... Sooooooo decadent and delish !!!!!!! Brisket sandwich was definitely the best

Good food, service, and ambiance! There is ample seating at the bar and throughout the restaurant to accommodate any group size. We went in a group of 5 around 7:30pm and we seated immediately. The place was lively with a mix of those eating a meal and those just drinking. We ordered the chips and queso as a starter and then each ordered our own meat dish with a side of Mac and cheese & fried pickles to share. The chips and queso were phenomenal, as was everything else that we ordered. We also really enjoyed our cocktails. I opted for the "son of a peach" and it was as good as it looked. If I'm ever back in Calgary I will be returning!

Awesome place to go for half-price BBQ after 10pm. The Pork Ribs were fall off the bone and amazingly delicious. The double smoked wings were average at best. Must try the Jalapeño cornbread as well.

Now that summer is here, I couldn't think of a better way to enjoy the season than some nice BBQ. After searching online, I decided to give this place a try. Here's what we ordered: 1. Hot links: very nicely seasoned with some heat to it. I would definitely order again. 2. Brisket: very tender and melted in your mouth. 3. Pork spare ribs: so so, I felt some parts were too dry. 4. Cornbread: DELICIOUS! It had just the right amount of sweetness and heat (small piece of jalapeño on top) MAKE SURE you try all of the different BBQ sauces! I particularly enjoyed the Espresso.

Hayden Block is located in Kensington. It is one of the most popular restaurants in the hood. You can hear the noise of their patrons from outside. I was excited to try this place. I made sure I came here after 10 pm to take advantage of their half price meat special deal. Basically all their meat are 1/2 price after 10pm with the exception of the beef short ribs. That is fine with me. In order to take advantage of their deal, you do require to order a drink. It doesn't have to be an alcoholic drink. I got the ice tea, 1/2 lb brisket and 1/4 pull pork. I just realized that was too much meat. The entire bill came to about $15 and I had left over to bring back home. Their brisket was super tender and juicy. It had the right amount of fat. The pull pork was not bad. There are three different BBQ sauces to go with the meat. The sauces can be found at the table: Espresso, House Barbecue and Spicy Vinegar. My favorite is the House Barbecue. They have a huge selection of Whisky. Great place to have friends gathering. I noticed everyone at the restaurant came with a friend or a bunch of friends. Except me. Wow sounds kind of sad.. eh. Well, I am sure coming back for sure but next time, I am dragging someone with me. This is a Texas Style BBQ. Super authentic. Note that they have a sister restaurant on 17th Ave called Comery. The BBQ is just as good. They do have difference sauces but overall, pretty much the same. Hayden and Comery is definitely my favorite BBQ place so far in town. I highly recommend trying this place!

If you're a whiskey drinker, Hayden is the place for you! They had a full page dedicated to whiskeys. It was our first meal when we landed in Calgary for our girls' trip. We got to the restaurant at a pretty random time (4ish?) on a Saturday and we were surprised by the number of people eating there. Quickly skimmed through the menu and ordered the following: Son of a Peach (yummy and refreshing cocktail), 1/4 lb brisket, 1/4 lb pork spare ribs, 1 beef short rib (so good, must get), wings, bacon mac and cheese, corn bread, and green beans. I typically do not like BBQ but all of the meats here were pretty dang good. The highly recommended, although pricey, beef short rib was fall-off-the-bone delicious. I really liked the wings and mac and cheese as well. Mac and cheese had a nice kick to it due to the seasoning and jalapenos. Last but not least, definitely try their sauces! My personal favorite was Espresso :)

Maybe I have high standard because I lived in Texas for 4 years and southern part of the u.s. for 8 years. But, pork ribs were very dry and was hard to chew. Also, it was very pricey.

Came here to meet with a friend over lunch time as we wanted to have some bbq food. We ordered 1/2 pound of brisket and 1/2 pound of pulled pork with a side of coleslaw to share. It was very good and we were satisfied. They have a half price meat special after 10 pm but for me it's too late for meat. There is a patio that during summer allows more seating space and the opportunity to look at what is going on outside while enjoying the food and drinks. Since this is located in Kensington, parking can be difficult to find.

We had the pork belly, brisket, fried pickles and coleslaw. All of it was amazing! Service was great.

This is a very lively and vibrant restaurant in Kensington with an incredible variety of beers, whiskey and meat! We ordered a bit of everything and my favourite were definitely the burnt ends, although the pulled pork tacos, chicken wings and ribs were also very good. The list of whiskey and beers is impressive and the server was able to help us choose. The Coffee and a smoke and Son of a oeach cocktails were both very good with complex flavours that paired very well with the food. My only complaint is that the temperature of the food seemed off to me. Instead of the meat bring served hot, it was only lukewarm at best. The salads were very cold.

Came in today for the live music session and boy was it bumping! We had a great time and were well taken care of by Taylor who is a gem! Music, cocktails and smoked meat, what more could you ask for on a Sunday afternoon!

Great seeing size, but a little inconsistent. Best to go when it's busy and you know the cuts are fresh.

everytime someone asks me where they should eat in Calgary, I tell them here. The food is always impeccable and the service is amazing. Such a large variety of whiskey and such a lovely vibe from the whole place! Can't wait to go back

GREAT SERVICE ESPECIALLY JACKIE! Yum cocktails Great food Good location Parking in back Second floor featuring live music on weekends!

Texas style BBQ! Meat lovers rejoice! As you step in the restaurant, you feel like you have been whisked away from the city to a southern style BBQ spot. By the bar, there is skull of a long horn cow surrounded by their vast whiskey selection. The hostess and servers were very friendly and have us a closer table with minimal wait as my dad has some difficulty walking. Once seated, you are presented with a simple brochure menu - choices are simple - what type of meat do you want and how much by half pound? For our group, we decided to do a sample of pulled pork, pork ribs, brisket and hot links (giant sausage) with green beans, potato salad and bacon wrapped corn. We didn't have to wait very long until our server brought out a huge platter of meat! So much meat goodness! For us, the best was the brisket - soft and tender and the hot link which had a nice smokey flavour. There is also 3 sauces: house, espresso and spicy vinegar - my fav is the house sauce - sweet with a hint of pepper. Loved the atmosphere as well as our server recommended a great beer. For meat and bbq lovers, you definitely have to try it! Need to come back to sample the beef ribs and chicken!

came here with a group of lesbians. food was good. service was great. atmosphere was fun!! good music, rock & roll!!! highly recommend the deep fried pickles. they were a hit with the lesbians.

Bittersweet experience with this place. I'll start with the good. The whisky selection is incredible. Great Bourbon selection, my preferred Whisky, and the prices for some of the harder to find pours were very reasonable. I got to try quite a few in my flight that I had never tried. Great selection. Being from Texas, I was skeptical about the Brisket and Sausage...the Brisket was excellent...a very pleasant surprise. The sausage...not so much. Very dry and not a lot of flavor. Maybe I'm used to a different level of service in the States, but the staff wasn't really all that pleasant (that's my PC response). The girls behind the bar were absolute trolls and not the type I would want working for me if I were the owner of this place...a definite turnoff. Giving this place a 4 because of the whisky selection alone...but the Brisket is definitely worth a try as well...just avoid the bar

Really enjoy the brisket, also a nice selection of whisky's. Service is good and consistent.

The restaurant is really big and we had an easy time with parking nearby. We had just left Banff and were stopping for late dinner before heading to the airport. It was a Sunday around 10pm, so our options were limited and I was pleasantly surprised to find this place stays open until 1am on Sundays! This was probably the cheapest meal we had the whole trip, excluding fast food restaurants. We got a pulled pork sandwich and the pork ribs. Both were really good. Pulled pork can be hit or miss, but I did not regret ordering it. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood for a drink, because the drink menu was pretty impressive. We also had the broccoli salad, which was good and can easily be shared with at least 4 people. I really liked the giant glass bottles of barbecue sauce on each table. The house bbq was my favorite, but I liked them all.

This is got to be one of newest favorite restaurant! Not from Calgary but a friend recommended it. Loved their whiskey cocktails very interesting ingredients and methods. I tried a number of them and they were all very blurry good (especially at happy hour prices). Food wise, well I love my bbq and this place delivered the goods in quality of meat and all the interesting and familiar side dishes. The decor inside was quite nice also and loved the music selections during the evening. Staff were attentive and friendly. Looking forward going back next time I'm in town.

Excellent BBQ, wonderful Brisket, perfect burnt ends, great selection of Whiskeys! Great service!

Amazingly tasty! We had the brisket breakfast tacos and pulled pork eggs benny (Benedict), which were incredibly flavorful, cooked just right, and taste of the amazing BBQ here. We ate on the patio and had a beautiful time as well!!

A great place for casual dining. The staff is fabulous and the bbq is delicious. If you enjoy whisky this is a place to go. Normally I would take off a star for the seating as I am not a fan of benches or communal tables but as this us a casual bbq spot AND there are some individual tables set to the side. The back patio is more of a add on room without a ceiling. That said the windows in the main dinning room open to achieve a patio feel.

For our corporate lunch we ordered from Hayden Block for delivery and they were amazing! The service was awesome. I dealt with Ben and he was very responsive, accommodating and ensure we had everything we needed. Everyone loved the food and it was all delicious. Top favourites were the brisket, turkey and pork belly. Thank you Hayden Block for everything! Will definitely be going back.

Wow I wish we had a smokehouse like this back home. Their brisket is out of this world. Just the right amount of fat that retains all the flavours. I found it a bit dry on its own but hey, they have delicious BBQ sauce (espresso was my fave). On the side I had an excellent broccoli salad with crunchy bits of bacon (Also comes with raisins... usually I'm not a fan of raisins in my salads but they worked out well in this one) I tried their new lavender cocktail (YUM) but they also have an impressive selection of whisky.

First time coming here ordered 1/2lb of the beef brisket, tray of (chicken)tacos and macaroni salad as a side. The beef brisket was a little dry and not very flavourful to other beef briskets I've had. The sauces they sent with it were pretty decent. I was surprised when they didn't have any horse radish. The chicken tacos... well they were dry, perhaps lacking in sauce and mostly piled with cabbage. The macaroni salad was actually very good, maybe if they added a hard cheese in with it would make it even better but just my opinion. The drinks were good, but pricey but I guess $13 drinks are the new norm anywhere you go nowadays. The service was 3/5 nothing great nothing terrible. Good atmosphere. Give them a shot and see what you think, I'd go back.

I'm never disappointed with the brisket from here always a safe bet. Chicken and turkey can be dry at times. But other than that this place is always a go to for proper late night eats in Calgary. Pulled pork and ribs are fine but get. The. Brisket. And order a little bit more for breakfast or lunch the following day. Sometimes we get the odd sour tired server but alls good. Still loves you Hayden block mwa!

I asked hubby where he wants to go for Father's Day and he said smokehouse, so after speaking with some friends they suggested Hayden Block. I didn't like the fact that they don't take reservations (lining up with two young kids isn't that fun) but thought if I could go early enough to beat the dinner rush I should be ok. We arrived around 6pm on Father's Day and was lucky enough to get a table. Service was pretty quick and friendly for the most part, though I felt some of the servers looked at us awkwardly as we had our kids with us, yet they are family friendly up to a certain time... so I don't know what's the deal with that. We ordered our drinks and food and didn't have to wait very long for them to arrive. I will say I was pretty impressed with the food - brisket, hot link, deep fried pork belly and that giant short rib bone - really flavorful and tender! The salads were good as well - I found the mac and cheese a tad too cheesy and gooey for my taste. What I liked the most was the corn bread - the honey butter was a perfect condiment to it! Definitely great meats here - will be back!