It’s time for BBQ feasting because summertime is the right time to cook and eat outdoors. Here are the top BBQ events happening in Vancouver this month, so that when you catch the scent of meat in the air, you’ll know what’s cooking. From home grilling to slow smoking, these are the most mouth-watering BBQ events happening in Vancouver this month.
Wildight Kitchen + Bar
This season, Wildlight Kitchen + Bar launched a brand new Summer BBQ Series. Three distinct long table dinners each highlight a different renowned BBQ cuisine. Chef Warren and his team get to be inspired and play with a unique menu, plus cook in front of guests in Wildlight’s open air atrium. The breezy atrium overlooks UBC’s Lelǝm Village plaza which includes a water feature. Due to overwhelming popularity, all three nights are fully sold out. The first night featured Brazilian BBQ with bison picanha, and the second put Korean BBQ in the spotlight with galbi short rib. The last night is coming up on August 11th. The team will be cooking some low and slow classic Southern BBQ, including smoked brisket, grilled Kielbasa sausage, bacon bourbon baked beans, coleslaw, and jalapeno hush puppies.
Basta BBQ
Offering a new-school approach to BBQ while drawing inspiration from Central Texas, Basta BBQ is a pop up at The Farmer’s Apprentice. Pitmaster Alden Ong is also Head Chef at the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant Basta calls home. Serving lunch family-style, Ong and his team take culinary inspiration from grilling cultures around the globe. The next chance you’ll have to sample Basta’s BBQ is on August 24th and 25th. Tickets are available on OpenTable for $66. This time, the menu will explore the flavours of Indonesia and Bali with an enticing selection of BBQ beef cheek rendang, smoked crispy pork belly, and smoked lamb sate burnt ends. There will also be a selection of sides including sambals, cornbread, and turmeric rice.
Luigi & Sons Kits
Luigi & Sons makes buying for your BBQ easy with their grilling and picnic kits. Pick one up and take it to any backyard grilling party or cabin cook off. The kits come with everything you need for a BBQ feast; you just need to cook it. Luigi & Sons is one of the best spots in Vancouver to buy meat. It is the butcher shop connected to award winning Elisa Steak so you know the quality is top notch. They have a few kits catering to different occasions or sizes of parties. The Family BBQ Kit comes with ample beef options. There are two 10oz Omaha Striploins as well as two 8oz Double R Ranch Tenderloins. The kit also comes with two salads of your choice as well as wild and foraged mushrooms. For more casual family gatherings, Luigi & Sons also has their Family Grilling Kit which comes with four ready-made Elisa burgers as well as two pounds of Italian Sausage, and two salads of your choice.
Bastid’s BBQ
Another annual August event is Bastid’s BBQ. This event features Skratch Bastid, one of Canada’s popular DJs and nearly a dozen other special musical guests including Potatohead People, and Nick Bike. This celebration of summer is coming up on August 11, from 3 pm to 1 am at Birdhouse on West 4th Ave. But there’s also BBQ. The food for will be care of a collaboration between Tacofino and Pizza Coming Soon. So, it will be some kind of delicious fusion of West Coast inspired Mexican meets Japanese street food. The specific menu details have yet to be announced, but tickets are on sale now and availability is limited.
Light Up Chinatown
For more exciting eats, check out the 4th annual Light Up Chinatown Festival, presented by RBC. This free two-day celebration will take place on Saturday, August 24th from 11 am to 9 pm, and Sunday, August 25th from 11 am to 6 pm in the 500 block of Columbia Street. The outdoor festival will feature live performances, family activities, and lanterns, as well as plenty to eat. Light Up Chinatown has some of the most hotly anticipated, limited-time food collaborations, like the Beaucoup Bakery collab with Chinatown BBQ: the Peking duck Croissant. Besides the collaborations, Light Up Chinatown will also have street hawker treats by ten of Vancouver’s best chefs. In terms of BBQ specifically, Chef Mark Singson of Mabuhay YVR will be grilling up Pork Kinilaw. Chef Roger Ma of Boulevard Kitchen has a succulent sounding hoisin-glazed Rib Sandwich. Pre-ordering is open now.
