Tunnel Bar-B-Q – 1954

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• Well put Andrew!!, I also personally think TBQ is a fine looking place, why change it, and moderize it? Why ruin a great thing?

• Why change it and ruin a great thing? I dunno, as long as you're putting your money where your mouth is and they're providing what the market wants, keep it. But, you wrote you haven't been there in years because it was too pricey and and the header morale was if you don't use it, you lose it like the place was in some kind of trouble. If it is, then I don't think it has anything to do with downtown, as other establishments are having marked success. I know what the place is about. I've been there before and I wasn't impressed with the overall package. It's been there since 1954 and I think everyone in the city has been there and knows about it, knows what it's about, and pretty much have casted their vote with their paycheques on how they rate the place, what sort of value it offers for their money, and whether they'd return. So, it doesn't matter what anyone says about it at this point--it's just feedback on whether they should keep doing what they've been doing. If it's successful, don't change anything because it's reputation will keep past customers coming back like the OIshi Sushi Bar or the long lineups at the downtown Tim Horton's. If not, then the only way people are going to come back is if they believe it'll be different from their last experience and whatever that experience was.

• People *are* coming back though, David. Maybe those people aren't flocks of 19 year old Americans hoping to meet the girl of their dreams thru a drunken haze at a bar that in 5-10 years will lose its novelty, change ownership, and operate under a different flag until the cycle repeats itself again, but that isn't what a proper sit down restaurant is all about. And TBQ's woes are not so simply boiled down to your easy terms. There's a great deal more. First you have to consider that they've lost a huge chunk of the older crowd U.S. patrons who used to come to Canada especially for dinner at TBQ. The exchange rate and post 9/11 issues are to blame for that one. You'll quickly point to the bars drawing American crowds at night but I'll save you the trouble.... raise the drinking age to 21 and Ouellette will dry up so fast your head will spin. Secondly, TBQ doesn't serve dog food - their ribs aren't prepped then quickly heated back up again on a grill, and they are quality grade meat, not whatever the wholesaler has cheapest. Ditto for all the dishes. There's a huge difference between sit-down restaurant food and pub food. Don't get me wrong there's a time and place for pub food but it's a whole different ballgame. Thirdly, it's no secret that downtown as a whole has fallen on hard times. Housing has been torn down to make way for developments that never paid back. Districts like the Norwich block torn down and replaced by a broken dream that doesn't give jack back to downtown. Sprawl has drawn people out to the borders and away from the core, along with their income. Now we are losing Tureks, a fine downtown camera merchant, the latest victim of this malaise. Most of downtown is either existing businesses struggling or vacant (and yes there are some bar successes, but we need diversity too). Some downtown merchants bailed and re-located - like Veterans Plumbing - but I respect the ones who are sticking it out and supporting their downtown. Finally, I find it distasteful that the two people on this board who are the first to piss and moan whenever a fallen downtown institution is featured by Andrew, citing how terrible Windsor is for watching such-and-such die, yet here you are on the cheerleading squad over TBQ being on hard times when it least needs that kind of stupid talk.

• Very true John - and just to add to that, it's places like the TBQ that make a city. There are many things that add to the quality of life of downtowns, arts, entertainment, libraries and museums are all keys. Another key in my opinion is long term viability of downtown landmarks, places like ye old steak house (closed), the Top Hat (closed) and TBQ all add to the downtwon scene. Maybe their interior decor is dated, but the quality of the product that ends up on your table is what's important.

  The fact that there is a place that hold so many memories is still there bodes well. We need places that hold memories and were the scene of memorable family events. I'm sure there are countless Windsorites who can look at TBQ and say I remember when... I went there on a date with my wife before we were married... or ...We went for dinner with grandma and grandpa... or ...my parents took us to TBQ after (insert event here)...

  Places like the TBQ make a city unique, every city in Canada and the USA has a place that makes the same food as Peppers, shit there's a dozen places in Windsor alone that makes the identical fryer and grill food as Peppers does. Crapplebee's and Montana's and Moxie's are all the same too... there is nothing unique about any of them.

  People look at Peppers and say "I remember when that was Birks", no one says "remember that great meal we had at Peppers on our anniversay?"

  In some ways I wish our drinking age was 21. The biggest problem in my opinion facing downtown, is the need to change gears and stop trying to cater to foreign children who wish to use our downtown as their personal toilet. An emhapsis needs to be placed on attracting quality retail, and marketing the area to the people who live here. Despite what Larry Horowitz claims, the answer doesn't lie in another monolithic school building. But that's another post for another day.

• Stupid talk eh? OK, John, I'm curious. How many times have you patronized Tunnel BBQ in the past year. Tell me the truth now. 1, 5, 10?

• David all it would take is every reader of this website to go once a year and I'm certain that the extra business and support would go a long way.

• That's a fair question, David. It's like people who say "Save the CBC" but secretly listen to Doug FM instead, right? Same kinda thing. I get your point. ;)

  I'd say in the past year maybe six-eight times? We're about due, thanks for the reminder. Time to punch out a new hole in the belt again, thanks alot....

• Nice... I've been twice in the last year. As I said, though, it only takes one visit from even half of the daily visitors to the site a year, and everything would be great.

  It's rough out there right now, I know money is tight, and the economy is crap. The first thing to get cut are the nights out for dinner. I think it's going to be a very rough year for our small local businesses, the small independants will need our support now more than ever.

• Indeed, as stated above, places like TBQ make a city unique. When I was getting set to move here back in the early 90s--I had more than one person say to me "Go to TBQ"--we're talking people I knew back home...a legacy like that is worth preserving.

  And what the heck is this talk about the place being outdated--is it? I am in my early 30s...am I already that out-of-touch with the times? I wouldn't consider the place even remotely "outdated"--what makes it so? Is it too brown? Is it the dogs playing poker? Seriously--the place is clean--what do you want--plasma TVs? The Other Place on Dougall was a real gem--darkly lit and so outdated it was classic--I miss that place.

• another place that would give the TBQ a run is the SMOKE&SPICE southern BBQ on Ottawa street they have a $7 dollar lunch special is is really good authentic southern BBQ and they make their own sauce just like TBQ