Lancaster Smokehouse
Lancaster Smokehouse is a Kitchener, Ontario restaurant specializing in Southern-style barbecue and hickory-smoked meats.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Lancaster Smokehouse, commonly known as The Lanc, is a Southern-style barbecue restaurant in Kitchener, Ontario. It operates from 574 Lancaster Street West in a historic building that began as a railroad hotel in the 1840s. The site has had several identities over its long history, including a hotel, tavern, meeting venue, jazz lounge, and Dixieland music bar. Its current restaurant identity emerged after Hog Tails, a Waterloo-based Southern barbecue business founded by Chris and Cathy Corrigan in 2009, acquired the property in 2011. The acquisition was driven partly by demand at the original Hog Tails restaurant, which had limited seating and lengthy waits. The Corrigans converted the former tavern into a substantially larger barbecue restaurant, renovating the kitchen and dining areas and creating seating capacity for approximately 600 people. The business was renamed Lancaster Smokehouse, linking the restaurant to its Lancaster Street setting while extending the Hog Tails barbecue concept to a larger venue. Lancaster Smokehouse is centered on meat-forward Southern barbecue. Its menu has included Texas-style short ribs, beef brisket, Nashville hot chicken, po' boys, and pigtails, alongside other smoked and grilled dishes. The restaurant uses aged hickory and smokes large cuts of meat overnight, emphasizing long cooking times, substantial portions, and a traditional barbecue profile. Beverage service includes local beer, wine, bourbon, Southern-themed cocktails, and soft drinks. Desserts are supplied by Crumb Bakehouse, described in reference coverage as a sister company. The restaurant also functions as an entertainment venue. The Corrigans initially intended to continue the building's weekly Dixieland jazz programming, although those shows were later moved elsewhere. By the mid-2010s, the Smokehouse was hosting weekly blues performances. The restaurant received broader exposure when it appeared on the Food Network series You Gotta Eat Here! The episode was recorded in 2013 and broadcast in 2014. In the early 2020s, the business expanded its outdoor accommodation with a concrete patio. Lancaster Smokehouse became an influential local operator in the development of Waterloo Region's Southern-food scene. Contemporary reporting credited Hog Tails and the Smokehouse with helping initiate a regional trend toward Southern restaurants. Reviews have generally highlighted the food, atmosphere, generous portions, and distinctive setting, while also noting that service could be slow during busy periods. The restaurant remains a locally oriented destination combining barbecue, hospitality, alcohol service, and live music.
History
The building occupied by Lancaster Smokehouse has a history considerably older than the restaurant itself. Constructed in the 1840s as a railroad hotel, the Lancaster House was reportedly the first hotel built in Bridgeport, Ontario. Its early operation was associated with hotelkeeper Gottlieb Bitzer, whose licence established the premises as a formal hospitality business. In 1896, John Grasser acquired the building from Habfried Hunderhager. By the 1930s, the property had evolved beyond its original hotel role. It included a meeting space and an 85-person dining room under the ownership of Herman Wagner. From 1956 to 1976, David Kirby operated the tavern and established the Ocean Queen lounge, a nautical-themed jazz venue. The site therefore developed a longstanding connection to food, drink, music, and social gatherings before becoming a barbecue restaurant. The building suffered four fires between 1992 and 1994. The first, in February 1992, was attributed to a cigarette. A second fire in May of that year was thought to have been caused by light bulbs and destroyed the top floor. The third and fourth fires, occurring in February 1993 and July 1994, were reported as arson. The property was heavily renovated during this period. Despite the damage and reconstruction, the tavern continued operating as a bar and Dixieland jazz venue. The modern restaurant began with Hog Tails, a Southern barbecue business founded in Waterloo by Chris and Cathy Corrigan in 2009. Hog Tails developed sufficient demand to create seating shortages and long waits at its original location. In 2011, the Corrigans purchased the former tavern property from Mike Kelly as a second location. They renovated the kitchen and dining areas and reopened the site under the Lancaster Smokehouse name. The new venue could accommodate approximately 600 diners, making it substantially larger than the original Waterloo restaurant. The Smokehouse retained some of the building's entertainment heritage. The Corrigans initially said that weekly Dixieland jazz performances would continue, though the shows were subsequently moved to another venue. Later coverage identified weekly blues performances at Lancaster Smokehouse. The restaurant's food also received wider exposure through the Food Network program You Gotta Eat Here!, whose segment was filmed in 2013 and broadcast in 2014. Lancaster Smokehouse's culinary identity is based on Southern-style barbecue prepared in large quantities and cooked over extended periods. The restaurant uses aged hickory to smoke meat, with large cuts prepared overnight. Representative menu items include beef brisket, Texas short ribs, Nashville hot chicken, po' boys, and pigtails. The pigtail offering has been presented as a nod to the ingredient's historical place in Waterloo County food culture. The menu is complemented by local beer, wines, bourbon, Southern-themed cocktails, soft drinks, and desserts from Crumb Bakehouse. The restaurant became part of a broader change in Waterloo Region dining. Local reporting in the early 2010s described Hog Tails and Lancaster Smokehouse as helping start a Southern-food restaurant trend in the region. Reviews praised the food and atmosphere, while some criticism focused on slow service and uneven performance among individual dishes. In the early 2020s, Lancaster Smokehouse expanded its outdoor seating with a concrete patio. Its current identity remains that of a destination barbecue restaurant housed in a historically layered hospitality property.
- 2020
Outdoor patio is added
[1]The restaurant expands its outdoor seating with a concrete patio during the early 2020s.
- 2014
Food Network appearance airs
[1]The You Gotta Eat Here! segment featuring Lancaster Smokehouse is broadcast.
- 2013
Television segment is recorded
[1]The restaurant is filmed for an episode of You Gotta Eat Here!
- 2011
Lancaster Smokehouse is established
[1]Hog Tails acquires the former tavern and converts it into Lancaster Smokehouse, its second location.
- 2009
Hog Tails is founded
[1]Chris and Cathy Corrigan open the original Hog Tails Southern barbecue restaurant in Waterloo.
- 1994
Fourth fire and major renovation period
[1]A July fire, also reported as arson, marks the end of a sequence of four fires and a period of substantial renovation.
- 1993
Third fire is reported as arson
[1]A February fire contributes to the extensive rebuilding and renovation of the property.
- 1992
First two fires damage the building
[1]Two fires occur in February and May, with the second destroying the tavern's top floor.
- 1956
Ocean Queen lounge opens
[1]Tavern operator David Kirby establishes the Ocean Queen, a nautical-themed jazz lounge.
- 1896
Property changes ownership
[1]John Grasser purchases the building from Habfried Hunderhager.
Products and positioning
A large-format, locally rooted barbecue restaurant offering Southern-style smoked meats, generous portions, drinks, and live entertainment in a renovated historic tavern and former railroad hotel.
Barbecue · 2011
Hickory-smoked barbecue
The restaurant's core offering consists of large cuts of meat smoked overnight with aged hickory. The method emphasizes long cooking times, pronounced smoke character, and generous portions served in a Southern barbecue format.
Smoked meat · 2011
Beef brisket
Beef brisket is one of Lancaster Smokehouse's representative barbecue offerings. It is prepared as a large smoked cut and served as part of the restaurant's meat-focused menu and barbecue plates.
Smoked meat · 2011
Texas short ribs
Texas-style short ribs reflect the restaurant's Southern and regional barbecue positioning. The dish is prepared within the Smokehouse's large-cut, slow-smoking approach and is presented as a substantial entrée.
Southern cuisine · 2011
Nashville hot chicken
Nashville hot chicken extends the menu beyond traditional smoked beef and pork, bringing a spicy Southern chicken preparation into the restaurant's barbecue-focused offering.
Regional specialty · 2011
Pigtails
Pigtails are included as a distinctive regional item. The restaurant presents them as recognition of the ingredient's historical role in the food culture of Waterloo County.
Sandwiches · 2011
Po' boys
Po' boys provide a sandwich-based expression of the restaurant's Southern menu, complementing the smoked-meat platters and larger barbecue entrées.
Beverages · 2011
Beverage program
The restaurant serves local beers, wines, bourbon, Southern-themed cocktails, and soft drinks. The beverage selection supports its barbecue and Southern dining identity.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014You Gotta Eat Here! television feature
Canada
Lancaster Smokehouse appeared on the Food Network series You Gotta Eat Here! The segment was recorded in 2013 and broadcast in 2014, giving the local restaurant national television exposure.
Outcome. The appearance increased the restaurant's visibility beyond the Waterloo Region, although no quantified commercial impact is documented.
Brand decisions
2020
Expand outdoor seatingOtherBackground
The restaurant operated from a large historic property and later expanded its customer accommodation outdoors.
Action taken
Lancaster Smokehouse added a concrete outdoor patio in the early 2020s.
Aftermath
The patio increased the restaurant's outdoor seating capacity; no further quantified effects are documented.
2011
Acquire the former Lancaster tavernM&ABackground
The original Hog Tails restaurant in Waterloo had limited seating and long customer waits, creating a rationale for a second, larger venue.
Action taken
Chris and Cathy Corrigan purchased the former tavern at 574 Lancaster Street West and converted it into Lancaster Smokehouse.
Aftermath
The new restaurant expanded the Hog Tails barbecue concept and became a major Southern-food venue in Waterloo Region.
2011
Rebrand the second location as Lancaster SmokehouseStrategyBackground
The acquired property had operated as a historic tavern and music venue, while the owners wanted to establish a larger Southern barbecue restaurant.
Action taken
The Corrigans renovated the kitchen and dining room and introduced the Lancaster Smokehouse name.
Aftermath
The venue became associated with hickory-smoked meats, large portions, live music, and the growth of Southern dining in the region.
Sources1 sources
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