Can you go to a craft brewery taproom just for the food? You can if you’re trying to spend less than $10. And you can if said taproom is serving some of the best smoked meat in the city.

Of course, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to sample some fine brews. But my primary motivation for visiting Tool Shed Brewing, in an industrial section of northeast Calgary, was to check out the house-smoked barbecue.

It turns out co-owner Graham Sherman is a world-class competition BBQer from many forays to the shrine of Memphis. And he’s brought that experience to the Tool Shed taproom and an outside food truck operating under the name Notorious P.I.G.

In honour of my cheap-eats series, I ordered a pulled-pork sandwich ($10), a lovely, three-napkin mess of slow-cooked meat, coleslaw and stinging Memphis red barbecue sauce. Other full-flavour menu items include BBQ pork tostados ($10), smoked pork belly banh mi sandwiches ($11) and side ribs ($12, hickory smoked for six hours). They await future visits.

Fortunately, I was able to sample a flight of four fine beers, including a Belgian IPA and a kveik ale.

To celebrate the lifting of restaurant restrictions in Alberta, I’m accelerating my under-$15 Calgary lunch series to twice a week. Besides, I’ve got a lot of great places to cover. And you can help me by suggesting your own cheap-eats discoveries through the “reply” button on the upper left.

Tool Shed Brewing
801 30 Street NE
Tuesday to Saturday 11 am-9 pm, Sunday noon-5 pm
403-775-1749