Blue Sage Gourmet Eatery Inc

Good BBQ Meat!

Blue Sage has some good meat for sure. The brisket was sooooo tender, it literally just melts in your mouth. The ribs were just as good if not better. I tried the pulled pork, and I felt it was ok. The atmosphere isn't anything to behold. Also, when we went in, it was just the owner there to serve us and take care of the kitcken. Friendly guy! We'd definitely go back!

Not the best BBQ I've had but it was good and with what you got for what you paid it was a great value. However, the hot sauce was out of this world, great heat but lots of flavour and some sweetness as well. Came home with two bottles and they didn't last too long.

I've been looking for some real BBQ in Canada...

I've been looking for some real BBQ in Canada since I moved here from Tennessee four years ago, and I can tell you, the pickings are slim. When I first tasted the pulled pork at Blue Sage, I wanted to slap my Mama. I thought I would never utter such a blasphemy, but it's better than most of the stuff I can get back home. The sauce is awesome, not too sour, and not too sweet. I haven't tasted a better dry rub outside of Memphis. Something I've never seen in Canada, Blue Sage puts their excellent cole slaw on their pulled pork sandwich, God bless them. Any Southerner worth his salt knows that's the only way to eat it. All of the ingredients are fresh, and all of the food is homemade, smoked for hours in the kitchen at Blue Sage. If you want real Southern barbeque without the road trip, head to Blue Sage in Mississauga.

Southern girl finds southern BBQ in Canada...I...

Southern girl finds southern BBQ in Canada...I went for lunch last Friday and must say The Blue Sage BBQ is awesome. I tried the pulled pork sandwich with slaw and home made baked beans for a side. The BF had the sandwich without the slaw and sweet potato fries. The pork was delicious and not overly sauced so the flavors from cooking really had a chance to shine. The cool sweetness of the slaw complemented the pork very well. My second visit was only three days later. The BF insisted we go back so he could have the pork sandwich the proper way (with slaw this time). I tried the St. Louis ribs with fresh corn and slaw. The ribs were tender and flavorful; the corn sweet and juicy local (not that frozen stuff some other places serve). On my third visit (lol, less than one week from my first) I tried the catfish with slaw and cornbread. The catfish was very good. Battered with cornmeal and cajun seasonings, it was pan sauteed not deep fried which made it nice and light. The cornbread was just how I prefer it; lightly sweet and cake-like, not crumbly and dry. The owner is both personable and well-informed about southern style BBQ. He knows the difference between South Carolina (my kind) and North Carolina BBQ (what he offers) and could probably tell you about Alabama Q and slaw, Tennessee, and Arkansas too! He will gladly tell you about how he prepares the offerings on his menu (which also includes brisket, jerk pork and chicken, salmon, even alligator) as well as his inspirations for the menu. He says to be looking for a completed website soon. If you visit the site now, you'll see a great photo of the pulled pork sandwich and not much else. I was glad to see other diners there too...kids eating burgers, ladies on their lunch break, to-go diners, etc. This place is only open Monday to Friday 11:30 - 8:00 right now and it's a little hard to find even though it is right at the corner of Tomken and Eglinton...so look for the Bell World sign and drive around to the back of the building.

At Last, Tasty Mississauga "Q"

A roadside sign announcing a new barbecue menu caught my eye as I drove by this café located at the SE corner of Torbram and Eglington. As a keen fan of authentic barbecue I quickly turned in. At first glance I didn't think it was open as at noon I was the only customer then. But once inside there was no mistaking the faint aroma of slightly sweet and spicy smoke in the air. Things were looking up. The cheerful proprietor greeted me as he emerged from the kitchen. The large menu board on the rear wall featuring the usual array of deli sandwiches and salads on the wall didn't match the aroma. He explained that he was in the last stages of converting to a barbecue theme and enthusiastically described his offerings of slow-cooked smoked chicken, beef brisket, beef and pork ribs, and pulled pork, my particular favorite. Don't things start with the menu? Over his shoulder I could see a large Cook Shack smoker in the kitchen, an industry standard. He explained he was smoking with apple wood from an orchard that never used pesticides and had developed his own seasoning mixes and sauces. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and he asked me if I wanted it North Carolina style, on cole slaw. Ah-ha! Finally someone knowledgeable in the regional differences of barbecue in our fair city. Of course I did. My sandwich promptly arrived accompanied by a very substantial order of fried sweet potatoes and 3 generous sample slices of brisket and a portion of his Memphis-style Jack Daniel's sauce, a thick, moderately sweet tomato based mixture with a hint of bourbon. I opened the sandwich so I could taste the cole slaw first. It was freshly made, still crisp and thankfully very lightly dressed with a good balance of sweet and sour. The sandwich was filled with ample shredded pork made from selected upper shoulder cuts that was judged an excellent rendition of the southern standard in the style of western North Carolina. The brisket was also a superior product, lightly smoked with a thin bark, or crust, still moist and tender in spite of 10 to 12 hours in the smoker. Now here is someone proficient in the art and science of barbecue. The sweet potato fries (from frozen) were aggressively dusted with some of his own seasoning mix. The next time I'll ask for a lighter application so they don't overpower the delicate flavors of the vegetable. Blue Sage is fully LCBO licensed. For now the hours of operation are strictly for lunch, 11 to 3. I look forward to returning soon to try some other menu items. With this generally superior food quality for a lunch at less than $10 he should soon be much busier.