Quiet, you: Cluck, Grunt and Low gets its plug, not its pork, pulled (Photo by Alexa Clark of CheapEatsToronto.com)
The meat lovers among us were surprised and saddened by today’s unexpected news: Cluck, Grunt and Low—the Annex’s go-to ribs palace—will be shuttering for good tonight. Morale at the barbecue pit has been low since Monday, when the staff was notified that the restaurant was closing; but they were not told by either owner Wesley Thuro or the general manager. “I think the owners no longer want to play,” says a frustrated and shocked server who declined to give a name. “Given the way the economy is, April was going quite good. In fact, we were making back the money that we didn’t make during the winter months, when business tends to be slower.”
The server says that Thuro had been hands-off during the ordeal (on Friday afternoon, Thuro was in Parry Sound on another business venture and unreachable) and that the manager had already been “cut loose.” For the past few days, only the staff has been on-site, trying to hold things together until tonight, “when we run out of food.” The restaurant has been for sale for a while, but despite the prime location and sunny patio, few buyers were attracted during the recession. Rumours, however, indicate that the joint may have changed hands recently and may reopen with a new name but similar menu.
The southern barbecue pit opened to much fanfare just two years ago. It received an honourable mention from James Chatto in our guide to the best new restaurants of 2008, was voted the best place for cheap eats by BlogTO readers last year and, at one time, had two of the city’s top chefs—Marc Thuet and Paul Boehmer (Scaramouche, Opus, Atlas)—as menu consultants. Boehmer left in the restaurant’s first year to be the executive chef of the Rosewater Supper Club, and Thuet left last year to open Bite Me.
Boehmer, who is planning to open his own spot on Ossington this summer, seemed as surprised as our unnamed source to hear the news, saying he had a great experience developing the restaurant’s menu and working with Thuro. We feel his pain but are getting over our shock in order to keep an eye on the story as it develops.
This is horrible news.
May 1, 2009 at 8:14 pm | by Mattmatt said it. this is terrible news for those of us who are sick of phils (overrated) ribs. i miss the kansas city sauce at cg&l already. why the hell cant any business survive in the annex without offing absurdly small prices and ridiculously bad quality items (see the shut down of that sushi joint)??
May 4, 2009 at 9:52 am | by TDOTFoodieWow… I do hope it reopens with a similar menu… I’m addicted!
May 4, 2009 at 10:46 am | by SufferingBBQWithdrawlSign on the window today (May 4) says something to the effect of “closed due to the untimely death of one of our founders.” That sign definitely doesn’t give the impression of permanent closure … who knows what’s really going on.
May 4, 2009 at 2:26 pm | by KipThis restaurant failed simply because the food wasn’t good. Even to Torontonian BBQ standards, the food here was pedestrian.
May 4, 2009 at 4:47 pm | by chenyipI agree with commenter “chenyip” that the food wasn’t good — not consistent actually — I do remember having one great meal there, and then 3 subsequently lousy or mediocre meals in a row, and each for different reasons. Three strikes was enough to make me never want to return to give them another chance.
But that’s not necessarily why the restaurant failed. Toronto seems to support mediocrity at restaurants… hey, Phil’s BBQ is still operating!
Let’s hope, that with a choice space like this, the new owners of the CG&L spot will turn it into an eatery of high standards, consistency, yummy food and great service (or is that too much to ask for?)
May 5, 2009 at 6:42 am | by YenemsgeltThis restaurant sounded promising, yet didn’t deliver. There are so many BBQ enthusiasts in the city – yet we never get anything resembling the real thing. The Stockyards is a new joint on St. Clair…let’s up they pick up the reigns…
May 6, 2009 at 9:03 am | by MissTFood was awesome, especially the Memphis Dry Rub. It was a nice change from the typical over-priced T-Dot food which is stacked higher than wide
May 6, 2009 at 3:13 pm | by IcedJIf you’re good then you last. I’ve been going to Phil’s Original BBQ for years and, guess what, it’s still around.
May 7, 2009 at 9:16 am | by LawrieWhat got me was the sign for the staff, basically saying, if you want to get paid, send your SIN, name, address, hours, etc to *address*. Very wierd. Wouldn’t they have that information already? Gives the impression that the managers cut bait and dissapeared… I really hope that’s not the case!
Hope the staff are taken care of. Good luck, guys.
May 9, 2009 at 6:52 pm | by cjThis place was great, as someone who had lived for some time in Texas and the Southern US, it was an essential Toronto restaurant. Hopefully they reopen. In the meantime, get a pulled pork sandwich at Lou Dawgs on King.
May 9, 2009 at 9:47 pm | by AndrewTried to go for Mother’s Day dinner yesterday. Very disappointed to see the signs. I heard the cornbread was amazing! I hope they re-open soon. Any other good suggestions (other than Phil’s)?
May 11, 2009 at 10:18 am | by AnneI’ve heard great things about Highway 61: http://www.highway61.ca/
Haven’t had a chance to try it yet myself, but I know several repeat diners.
May 13, 2009 at 11:31 am | by JuliePhils is the closest we’ve got to a real down and dirty BBQ joint here in the GTA. Sad to see any business close and people out of work. The replacment for CG&L, Highway 61, is pretty much the same and the sides are not quite as good in my opinion. Both CG&L and Highway 61 still feel like canned versions of BBQ as if a Caseys or big chain was making their attempt at it. I don’t see Highway 61 lasting either. Staff are great but the food and atmosphere are still missing something. No one is going to make it in the BBQ world here until you see those real meat smokers and the tried and true BBQing environments like they have in the southern US at BBQ diners.
May 13, 2009 at 4:46 pm | by CathyI am one of the former staff members of CGL, and as per the notice on the window asking for our information, you would be right to assume the people in charge jumped ship. No one has been paid as of yet. The previous location which was opened then closed on bayview closed shop by changing locks and not informing employees. Some employees waited over six months only to recieve partial payment. Needless to say The owner of Cluck was a shady bastard.
May 13, 2009 at 5:43 pm | by Belial666