Matthew Horowitz, owner and chef of Matt's Smokehouse, started cooking up barbecue out of his parents’ backyard for his friends and family. The scent of delicious barbecue meat being smoked in the North York suburb soon travelled down the streets and eventually had the neighbours tracking down the incredible aroma.
When the pandemic hit, he began selling his food around the neighbourhood––smoking up ribs, wings and brisket five days a week between March and June 2020. As time passed, his menu started to grow, along with demand, and he continued to fine-tune his offerings. The success was undeniable––the backyard pitmaster was selling out every drop and it finally clicked for him.
“[Cooking] is something that I’ve always loved, but I never had the actual guts to pursue it,” said Horowitz. “It got to a point where I thought if I don’t try it now, I never will.”
When the opportunity arose to sell his food on a larger scale, Horowitz pounced. In December 2020, he quit his corporate job working in finance in the cannabis industry and got to work in a small kitchen in the Junction Triangle.
Matt Horowitz prepares a barbecue platter in the Matt's Smokehouse kitchen in the Junction.
Matt’s Smokehouse is now a two-man show fronted by Horowitz along with his friend and business partner Sam “Sammy” Levy. The two have been friends since their time at Western University in London, Ontario. Levy is a former line cook at some of Toronto’s most recognizable institutions like Cactus Club and Piano Piano. The duo had previously worked together for a catering business during school and reconnected to bring the project to life.
The business launched in early January 2021 and operates out of a small prep kitchen in the corner of the TuckShop facility. Horowitz has two smokers behind the building, where he does his decadent ribs and mouth-watering wings. For his coveted brisket––a spectacle of traditional barbecue––he smokes those at home with a natural wood-fire smoker.
Matt Horowitz (left) and Sam Levy (right) pose out front of TuckShop in the Junction, where their operations take place.
On the menu are a series of platters, combos and home-made sides that are perfect for an indulgent feast on game day.
At the forefront of his offerings are the essential barbecue staples: wings and ribs. Both are smoked using pecan hickory and apple wood pellets.
Horowitz smokes the ribs for about five hours. Every so often, Levy or Horowitz will come around to spritz the ribs in an apple cider vinegar mixture that does less to the flavour, but more to the excellent tenderness and chew of the meat. Horowitz says his goal was to meet in the middle with the texture of his product.
“Some people like it straight fall-off-the-bone,” he said, but acknowledge the demographic who enjoy a more stable chew. The ribs Horowitz is whipping up are incredibly tender while still holding its integrity when biting in.
Sam Levy spritzes a batch of ribs being smoked with an apple cider vinegar mixture.
His brisket, one of the most popular meats to smoke, is prepared a little differently. Horowitz prefers to smoke his briskets at home in a pure wood offset smoker. After 10 hours in the smoker, the slab is then brought to their kitchen and is left to its lengthy resting time of two hours before being served.
They offer the brisket pulled in sandwich form, topped with caramelized onions, a creamy secret sauce and their sweet and spicy chipotle barbecue sauce. The sandwich, alongside a pulled-chicken sandwich, are the only items available for same-day orders at the moment.
The coveted pulled brisket sandwich with caramelized onions, secret sauce and barbecue sauce on a locally-baked bun.
Also on the menu are a few sides to compliment the savoury barbecue, such as a specialty cornbread, a fresh creamy coleslaw and house-made candied jalapeños.
Horowitz continues to improve his selection and is working towards offering an on-the-go, made-to-order service. For the time being, Matt's Smokehouse is only selling their succulent barbecue through pre-orders. It allows for an easier workflow for him and Levy, who are still adjusting to the larger influx of orders.
“We want to get to that point where we’re making a certain amount every day,” said Horowitz. “We’ll have a bunch of pre-orders and if somebody wants something last minute, we’ll have an extra rack, an extra pound, an extra brisket.”
A platter of delicious barbecue from Matt's Smokehouse in the Junction.
Fortunately, the business is already moving quickly to reach that goal. Starting in mid-February, Matt’s Smokehouse is planning to be on a slew of delivery apps. In preparation, they will be closed for the first half of the month.
Down the line, Horowitz says he is interested in opening his own space that would feature a dining area to enjoy the barbecue fresh out of the smoker. For now, their operations will comfortably remain for takeout.
Matt’s Smokehouse will be available to order online through different apps starting on February 11 and are still taking orders for this upcoming weekend through their website. The shop will be closed from January 31 to February 10.
