The food was incredible. We ordered the Family platter and it did not disappoint! If I had to pick my favourite, the fried chicken, no, the brisket, no, the ribs, no, the sausage, no, the smoked chicken…. Alright it was all my favourite. Joe, our server, I later found out was the owner. He was pleasant and gave us the history of the business. I would DEFINITELY suggest this restaurant to anyone! Thanks Joe

We had a great time enjoying the delicious this amazing BBQ restaurant. Perfectly located, across from the Performing Arts and close walk to The Meridian Centre. The bourbon list is spectacular, i enjoyed a couple Wild Turkey 100 and a fabulous brisket sandwich with waffle fries. My buddies shared a platter of Nashville chicken, sausage and brisket with a smoked potato salad and we were very happy with our food. Definitely coming back.

Best BBQ joint in the province, unreal food! Great portions, awesome atmosphere and delicious food. Definitely will be back to try more!

Our Bookclub had lunch here yesterday, party of 5. We came at 12:30 which was perfect, as it wasn’t crazy crowded. We were able to talk and enjoy our conversation, which can be a challenge these days. As we were a large group we ordered the family platter which came with a perfect amount for 6+ hearty eaters. Let’s just say we all went home with leftovers. Fall off the bone ribs, the juiciest and most tender and flavourful brisket I have ever experienced! Huge 1/2 chicken breast(S) so good! Sausages too. So many sides to choose from but I can speak to a wonderful slaw, Smokey Mac & cheese and crispy seasoned waffle fries. So much food my family will enjoy today for lunch. Oh and homemade pickles and deviled eggs accoutrements. The restaurant was spotless and there was patio seating if we wanted it. As it was a warm day we choose to sit indoors. The waitstaff were attentive and very professional, they are proud of their craft. We will most definitely we back! They even agreed to be in our photo. 5-Stars from The Happy Bookers⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Really big portions! I’d recommend sharing a two piece with someone, it’s too big for one person. Nice presentation and food and drink options. In a nice spot too. I loved the waffle fries!

We had high hopes for this place and I really do hate leaving bad reviews but we needed to provide feedback in hopes that this restaurant will try to improve. My fiancé and I both ordered the same thing, 2 piece platter with brisket, pulled pork and 2 sides. Presentation was okay. -As you can see in the photo attached, the brisket had a TON of fat on either side, making for a very small amount of edible meat. My fiancés piece of brisket was even worse and completely inedible. We smoke meat at home including brisket and I wouldn’t serve that piece to a dog. The server told us they apparently have people that specifically “request” fatty pieces. I believe that they have a serious misunderstanding of a “fatty” piece of brisket. Therefore I don’t really buy that. Nonetheless, he made it right and brought us new pieces of brisket - which were not as fatty but still not good…dry and rubbery and cut very thick. -Pulled pork was the best thing on the plate, a bit more flavourful and the sauce on the side was decent. My fiancé said he had a “chemical” taste from it though - we saw this mentioned in another review. -The sides were mediocre: corn bread was flavourless and hard on the outside, wasn’t buttered. “Baked beans” was not baked beans. It was basically Chili and had heat to it, so it took away from the entire flavour and concept of baked beans. Overall, we did not taste any smoke at all in any of the meats. Our server was friendly and personable, but the food was just really disappointing. They are definitely trying to please a wide crowd with their diverse menu options, but are missing the mark on the BBQ and smoke aspect. We won’t come back. Side note - they don’t have burnt ends on the menu. Any legit bbq place would have that on their menu even as a side.

We ordered through Skip the Dishes, so I can't speak to the atmosphere in the restaurant, but man oh man, the food was amazing! I've traveled down south dozens of times, I would say the cornbread and mac and cheese rivals anything I've had before. The fried chicken was also good, but I thought it came with buttermilk ranch (based on pictures I saw) so a little disappointed I didn't get any. Smoked chicken was also good, brisket was a small piece, but excellent flavor. Paid an upcharge for the ribs, but worth every penny. Four huge meaty ribs, that I couldn't finish in one sitting. The only negative, which might not be for others, was that the baked beans were spicy. Like, blow my socks off, spicy. Excited to try the cole slaw and potato salad next time.

Incredible BBQ. From food to service, only good things to say. Our server with the sick tattoo sleeve was so lovely and thoughtful. We’re BBQ fiends, and this was probably the best brisket, pulled pork, and fried chicken that we’ve had. I’m a huge fan of Matty Matheson’s Meat + 3, and I thought 1954 was comparable but after 2 more bites, honestly, I think 1954 is better than Matty’s. The BBQ is juicer and more tender than Matty’s- and Matty’s BBQ was really good to me so that’s saying something about 1954. We got the BYOP’s with cornbread, baked beans, coleslaw, and potato salad. The pickles and the pickled jalapeños were phenomenal. It’s gotta be a crime to serve pickles that good. Overall, quality BBQ and sides. Collectively an incredible meal. We’re from Toronto but we’ll definitely make the trip back just for the food and vibes. Yeah, I think I’m in love with a BBQ joint. You are losing at life if you don’t eat here at least once. Edited: *Added pictures

The smoked Prescott and the pulled pork was among the best restaurant dishes I've had. Generous proportions, cool cocktails, and the owner has a true love of whiskey.

1st time doing take out service & ordered the Devil Eggs & Tuna Ceviche. Ceviche was great (FYI add some Scotch Bonnet to even make it better) & the Devil Eggs are probably the best I've ever had. Even in take-out the staff was very friendly.

There aren't many great BBQ spots in town so it's a delight we've got 1954 downtown now. I highly recommend ordering the platter to try the different offerings, my favourite items were the Mac and cheese, the pulled pork and fried chicken. Generous serving size for only $26 making it a very reasonable price. Only criticism is they need to make their coleslaw more creamy, otherwise everything was great!

We had a great time here! The bartender/server was super friendly, attentive, and clearly cares about the customer experience. I would highly recommend the bomb onion dip and the fried chicken. The cocktails were good too!

Horrible, horrible food. Ordered from here months ago and it was lovely. Tonight was awful. Baked beans were literally 2 types of flavorless canned beans stirred together. No sauce. Not baked. Cole slaw was wilted shredded cabbage drizzled with vinegar. No flavor - just sour. The fried chicken is inedible. Super dry little pieces of chicken with huge amounts of dark crinkly dried out almost burnt batter. Now we only have the pulled pork to talk about. Chemical taste, no sauce. They forgot to send the two portions we ordered. Better that way. We ordered the Ceviche (which was passable) which came with tortilla chips which were great. We need to talk about the packaging - Kraft paper bags for the chicken and the tortilla chips. Soaked through with grease. Wrap the food in wax paper. 90% of this order is utterly inedible and went straight in the garbage. The person preparing this food desperately needs training.

1954 Bourbon & Smoke in St. Catherines is a place you need to dine at. Our four-some shared two platters of BBQ goodness. Corn bread. Buttermilk deep fried boneless chicken. Melt in your mouth ribs and pulled pork. Brisket. Smoked Mac n Cheese AND Smoked Potato Salad. Cole slaw and slices of heavenly pickles. Nevermind the selection of rare and vintage Bourbons.

We had tickets for a show across the street tonight-so delicious!!! If you like Mexican this is the place to go!! The nachos and tacos were so good… the waiter was awesome too! Will be back!!

I was overall not very impressed, but I acknowledge that I'm just not the target audience here. I also went in on Family Day, so I'm assuming they had a sleleton crew working to explain the long wait times. It took 15 minutes just to receive menus. The atmosphere was dark and loud, which did not make it easy to read black menus with white text or have a conversation at a reasonable volume. It also didn't really do the food pictures justice, because the presentation was great. The food was pretty good, but I was hoping for better at the price point. It also did not have bearly as much smoke flavour as expected. They had a lot of fancy cocktails and craft beers that I did not try because I don't drink much, but it seems like they are the main thing to go here for. They even have smoked cocktails, which add some theatrics to the experience. Overall I'd say that having a bit more light at the tables or a menu colour change would make a bit difference for a lot of people. I would also suggest listing some non-alcoholic options as I had to guess which soft drinks were available and that can be a lot of pressure for someone who doesn't do well in situations with a lot of alcohol and seemingly no other options... Most of my issues were the "not for me, but I see the appeal" type, though. I could see this being a perfect experience for someone with different preferences.

Had an excellent dinner there last night. The food was delicious, the bourbon selection was impressive, and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I will definitely be going back.

So the wife and I tried getting some takeout from 1954 Bourbon, and our experience was mixed. We ordered the B.Y.O.P BBQ platter with 3 meats, the brisket, the sausage and the Nashville chicken. For sides we grabbed the waffle cut fries and the baked beans As well as one order of the Mac Con Queso, and finished it up with 2 orders of Cornbread. First and foremost we both felt the cost was a little too high for the amount of food we received. Running about $75 in total, with only a small amount of food to show for it. As for the food, I'll start with what we liked. The Nashville chicken, done with a dry rub, was absolutely fantastic. If I were to order here again that is what I would get, along with the waffle fries. The cornbread is another item i would certainly order again, and the Mac Con Queso was also pretty delicious. However, the majority of the meal was quite the dissatisfaction. The one sausage we received was over smoked, to the point you could only taste smoke and no sausage. The Brisket was quite tasty, unfortunately of the very small portion we received of it, only about 10% was Meat. The rest was pure fat, so we did not really get more then 2 or 3 bites. Which was very disappointing, given that it did taste good. The baked beans while not bad, were not to my taste. They are a super spicy sweet baked bean, as opposed to a BBQ baked bean, my wife however did enjoy them in small amounts. All in all we were fairly disappointed with 1954. But I would be willing to try dining in and see if the experience would be a bit different. We'd probably only buy the fried chicken, and maybe try one of the cocktails. Attached is a photo of the brisket and sausage link, taken after I had eaten a good chunk of the sausage.

Lovely restaurant! Staff was friendly, drinks were well made, wide variety of options but most of all the BBQ was amazing. Prices are reasonable and portions are well worth it!

Delicious food and awesome server! This place needs way more attention, probably the best BBQ my family and I have ever had! We got the family BBQ Platter and it was perfect for our family of 5. Highly recommend

Delicious cocktails, the friendliest service and a perfect combination of elegance and mouth-watering comfort food! I’m making it my New Year’s resolution to try everything on 1954’s menu!

I love the mac and cheese!! The potatoe salad sauce is great as well!

Amazing food, great atmosphere and friendly and efficient service, can't recommend this place enough.

The food is excellent and the drinks are delightful! The restaurant has a warm and cozy feel. Once you've tasted any of their smoked meats, fried chicken, smoked potatoe salad❤, French fries are the Absolute Best! You will want to return to try everything on the menu❣❣

Fantastic new place, will be back for sure. All the food was delicious and wonderful cocktails as well. Macaroni and cheese was to die for as was whatever glaze/sauce/oil they use on their chicken. Can't recommend this place enough.

We've been eyeing this place for a while and we decided it was time to do it. We both ordered the Nashville chicken sandwich and were not disappointed. Excellent flavour, and just the right portioning made the cost just right. The establishment was fresh and clean and the service was on point. Thanks for the quick lunch and we'll definitely be back!!

I got the ribs, brisket and cornbread. Everything was great but next time I'll get just a plate of ribs and cornbread because they were so good. Unfortunately you have to pay extra to get ribs on your platter even though you only get 3. The drink menu looked good, but the prices were insane (most were $16 each) so we stuck with water. I'd rate it higher if there weren't so many things you had to pay extra for. Brisket was a bit bland. Tasted smokey but not seasoned.

My husband and I smoke meat regularly and are always leary when trying a restaurant that sells any BBQ and smokes meats. We were encouraged to try this place and boy are we glad we did. We were there later in the evening on a Saturday, and service was friendly and quick, but not so quick that you felt rushed. We chatted with the owner a bit and one of the cooks during our experience. I cant say weve been many places where that has happened and we do dine out a few times a month.As for the food, it was out of this world. Our daughters loved their smash burger and chicken taco. My husband and I each got the BYOP platters, and we shared and swapped between the 4 of us. We just couldn't put the food down lol. Needless to say we will be back!

Had dinner here the other night and wow...Was I impressed. The portions were great, and the food was so good. It's a nice little spot. The owner is incredibly personable and seems very passionate about the business. He came to our table and chatted with us for a while. The music choices were great too. The one thing I would like to see in a spot like this is beer on tap. Everything was in cans, which is fine, but when I think BBQ, I think a nice frosty glass, and a cold pint. I will absolutely be back.

Wife and I frequent Beechwood, and have passed this establishment many times! Have often thought of stopping in for a bourbon. Today was the day, Joe and his staff do not disappoint from the onset he was kind, attentive and his passion and love of what he does shine through! He knows his stuff when it comes to bourbon, the selection is fantastic, the food is incredible but it all pails in comparison to the hospitality provided. If you haven’t been before, I would HIGHLY recommend you stop in for a chat, high quality food and drinks. You won’t regret it, lifelong out of town customers made today. Thank you Joe!

Great food, good portions but our waiter/bartender was alone and because of that our food temperature suffered. Mac & Cheese was luke warm at best. My fries were cold and my sandwich was warm on one side and cold on the other (seemed like it sat halfway under a heat lamp). I was able to get my fries replaced but by the time our food had arrived we had already been there for an hour and 20mins and we didn't have time to ask for the food to be warmed up. Again I know this is because the waiter/bartender was alone and he never stopped moving but you can only do so much so he wasn't able to check on the tables. I would love to try this place on a less busy day (there was a show across the street we were going to). My wife had the "Smoke & Mirrors" drink and it was delicious, my son had the "Spruce Willis" (first time he has had a drink with bitters) and really enjoyed it. The Tuna Ceviche and the Bomb Onion Dip were amazing. We had the Porky's Revenge, Nashville Hot and the Brisket sandwich which were all delicious. My mother had the Cob salad which was huge and she couldn't even finish it. Even our food ended up in a takeout container.

The best fried chicken ever! Actually all the meat is to die for ! Looking forward to trying the whole menu !

7 of us went for dinner last night. First time dining here and it will definitely not be our last. Service was amazing and the cocktails out of this world and well priced compared to other local places. The table shared two platters and everything was delicious! Well done Bourbon and Smoke!