Southern BBQ in Mississauga! Blue Sage

[burlgurl]

Came across this place at Eglinton and Tomken..they've been open a couple of years but just switched to a pure southern BBQ menu..the owner was a really nice guy and told me about his smoker. He uses three types of wood, apple cedar? maple and hickory and slow cooks everything..
he has everything, ribs, pulled chicken, pork, chevaps, salmon and was proud to say he's one of the few serving brisket.
Absolutely everything from sauces, rubs, sides made on site..
Ribs and chicken were amazing!

Well worth checking out! looks like he's only open mon-fri but said he'll start opening Saturdays..
he also said his website should be up any day..
www.bluesage.ca

[BBQ_meatlover]

HANDS DOWN best BBQ place in Mississauga.
The man knows BBQ. No overpowering sauces or spices, just meat and smoke. You can taste meat and smoke from the first bite to the last. For the ketchup lovers, (that would be the people that drown steaks and chickens in sauces, and yes, I like ketchup too) this place is not for you.
I will be recommending this for our corporate functions and office lunches, as a really excellent change from Pizza and Subs.
I was looking for something outside of the Sushi, Pizza, Subs and Chinese food, and I have found it.

From now on its BLUE SAGA SATURDAY, PULL PORK Tuesday. I’ll be the guy sporting the wide grin and meaty breath.

[chukcanuk]

Decor is wanting but who cares. This man knows BBQ . Great Pulled Pork, Brisket ,Ribs,and Jerk Pork too. A great host. We arrived late one friday and were treated like kings. I wish it were closer to Parkdale.

-----
Blue Sage Catering & Event Management
980 Eglinton Ave E, Mississauga, ON L4W1K3, CA

[MaryRay]

I'm so surprised to see this - I drive by this joint all the time and I always thought it was thai or asian...Thanks for this - i'm gonna check it out!!

[ninja5ca]

I went about a week ago with one of my friends.
I had the 3 meat sampler platter with 2 sides.
I chose the ribs,pulled pork and chicken.
The sides I picked were corn bread and baked beans.
The chicken was very dry and not much taste.
The ribs were a little dry,a little tough and not much smoke flavour and no sauce on them.
The pulled pork was a little dry,not much smoke flavour,no sauce and a little tough.
The corn bread was dry and didn't have much taste to it.
The beans were very good although I like the beans to be softer.
My friend had the beef bisquet with market vegetables and silver dollar fries.
He said it was ok,nothing to write home about.
The portions are a good size though.
The owner is a very nice guy,he talked to us for a few minutes.
It cost us $60 for the 2 of us including tax and tip.
Neither one of us feels we will go back.Wasn't anything special for either of us especially for the money spent.

ninja5ca

[Brain of J]

Tried this place the other day. Pulled pork was excellent. I also ordered the corn bread thinking that I was getting the $6.95 loaf of bread but i ended up with a mini loaf. It was okay. The owner is a super nice guy. He loves talking bbq.

[ebay3392]

I remember going once, had a cold brisket sandwich (his recommendation) meat was pedestrian, not very smoky, and remember being over 11 bucks with a pop...only time i went...I make my own and freeze BBQ now as most restaurants have not lived up to my liking.

[callitasicit]

I am willing to give this place another shot. It is very difficult to find good BBQ and this place seems to be well received by most chowhounds.

[jmarcroyal]

This place sounds very interesting but I have no idea what the prices are like. The photos on the website are very well done and high class looking, not something id expect from a bbq joint. Something tells me the food is crazy expensive, can anyone tell me the prices?

[duckdown]

It has already been criticized for the prices on other forums, it's the most expensive southern BBQ place in the GTA most likely, but I don't mind paying the prices because the portions are always large and there's nothing else like it in the rest of Peel (that I know of at least)

You're probably looking at around 12 bucks for the large pulled pork sammy with slaw topping and choice of sides. Full Rack of ribs with 2 or 3 sides probably comes in around 25.. large brisket sandwich and large side around 12-13

these are just rough estimates.. I'd be blowing several more dollars in my gas guzzling SUV to drive anywhere else, and I like the food here so for me it's worth it..

Paul & Sandy's is only something like 6 bucks before tax for the pulled pork sammy though (no sides) so I guess if compared to that it's a little steep

edit: Wait, how could I forget Sweet Smoke in Oakville. THEY are the most expensive, by FAR. $10 for the a-la carte sandwich

[Brain of J]

I've heard nothing but good things about this place, but I think the owner is doing a disservice to himself by not doing a little more to advertise the fact he's in the bbq business. I must have passed this place hundreds of times but I never knew it was a bbq joint until I found this post.

A bbq lover would never guess that this place does ribs and pulled pork just by driving or walking by it. It's great that Mississauga residents have such a gem, but I worry that something as simple as poor signage might kill the business.

[Kagemusha]

"poor signage might kill the business."

Ergo great signage would help the biz even if the food sucked? Let's see, how many places like that do we all know? Blue Sage will do well among its clientele who visit regularly, spread the word, and take in friends/family/disbelievers. "Location" is pricey in Mississauga for indie businesses of any stripe and Tomken+Eglinton isn't exactly known as a resto destination. We'll kill the business by not showing up--crappy signage notwithstanding.

[callitasicit]

Not to mention, not keeping it open on peak hours on the weekend e.g last Saturday even though the lights were on and the be back in ten minutes sign was in the window lol!

[Brain of J]

No, certainly no matter how good the signage is on a bad restaurant, the restaurant is sure to fail--eventually. I'm just saying that if you're cookin' up some mean bbq for a living, you might consider going with a sign that lets passersby know what you're making. Why spring for a sign at all if it's not going to promote your business?

[Kagemusha]

Help him pay for new sign by actually showing up and buying a meal sometime??? Can't say you can't find it now...

[Brain of J]

Done---going there today for lunch. Thanks to this board I now know that "Blue Sage Gourmet Eatery" is a bbq joint! :-)

[chinwhat]

First read about this place on rfd and figured it deserved a chow bump.

just an update on the place - they're tweaking the menu. on friday i had the beef ribs which are currently not listed. Finally a spot that has awesome beef ribs ever since Master Steaks stopped making it (yes, i realize how dingy that place is, but still, the ribs were awesome there).

the owner also has a new bbq sauce. i *think* he said it was Kansas City style - thick and sweet. Really good if you like your BBQ sauce on the sweet side.

Also, i didnt see it mentioned here, but they also have a hot sauce made in house, Razorback. I can handle a bit of heat, so it was okay for me, heat wise. but flavor wise it was really good. not sure if it actually matched the food though.

so all in all, i've had the beef ribs, beef brisket - both with nice smoke flavor, sweet potato fries, coleslaw, regular fries and corebread. All was awesome - except the cornbread which i thought was a bit too dry for my liking. i'll mos def be back.

-----
Blue Sage Catering & Event Management
980 Eglinton Ave E, Mississauga, ON L4W1K3, CA

Master Steaks
5895 Dixie Rd, Mississauga, ON L4W1E8, CA

[South Carolina Girl]

Every once in a while he has a mean potato salad too, so ask when you are there. Also, the corn on the cob in season is delicious as well. Last time I was there I veered from my usual PP sandwich with slaw and went for the brisket sandwich. It was very very good and a little lighter on the tummy than the pulled pork which can require a post meal nap to recover.

[duckdown]

I've tried that potato salad! He gave me a small sample and it wasn't nearly enough, the other people in my household ate most of it before I even got to try it. I tasted a hint of cumin or curry in it (slightly yellow dressing too, maybe this is why) and it has his homemade smoked bacon in it too. It was delicious, but I don't think he's ever had it on my other visits there.

I might just stop in tonight after work

[duckdown]

Was driving through the area today and had totally forgotten about this place.. I made a mad 3-lane crossover, pissing off about 30 people in my wake, but I got into the parking lot.

Very happy with the food I got.. i got the rib dinner which were side ribs or back ribs (I did side ribs today) and choice of 2 sides, i picked sweet potato fries (reccomended by the owner) and their creamy coleslaw.

was very happy with everything I had, totally different ribs from the time I tried them a year ago.. Good smokey flavor although no smoke ring (probably electric smoker).. they come DRY with a rub on it only, no sauce is served on the rib by default.

I will definitely be back. My buddy got the pulled pork sandwich with "silver dollar fries".. didn't care for the fries (frozen) but the pulled pork was nice too, especially when you add some sauce to it

cheers

[voodoomusic]

Went to this place last week and enjoyed it quite a bit, but was concerned that my friend and I were the only two people in the place during the entire noon to 1 p.m. lunch hour. Unfortunately it's kind of tucked away in the back of a mini-mall and the area isn't really known for restaurants either, so he's got some factors working against him. Hopefully he gets good word of mouth and starts to fill the place that way.

[damonster]

I've now been twice and have enjoyed both trips (actually for lunch on way to work). Pulled Pork Sandwich first time, then the Back Ribs. Really enjoyed both meals, found them to be smoky and not overly sauced. I will echo others' comments that the owner is friendly and seems to love his BBQ and his passion shows in the BBQ he produces.

[turntablejockey]

Gotta love that pulled pork sandwich!

[absurdistan]

How is the atmosphere? I'm looking for a place in Mississauga for a work Christmas party. Very casual would be fine, but it would have to be somewhat cozy and definitely not dingy... The food sounds amazing!

[duckdown]

I'm going this week, for sure.. Maybe even tonight

Reccomendations?

Ribs? Pulled pork? What are the best things you've tried so far

Thanks

[stephen]

Went for our second time last night. SO had the baby back, beans and cole slaw and he loved it. I had the pulled pork sandwich and sweet potato fries. All very very good...and the fries were the best I ever had. Sliced thin, but not shoe strings....hot, crisp and perfectly seasoned.

Highly recommended!

[bigbelly]

Due to the great reviews here, I went to Blue Sage the other night. The first thing I noticed was that the restaurant was more casual than what I was expecting. I was greeted by the owner, who was a really nice guy. You could definitely tell he was passionate about giving quality/authentic food. I ordered one of the platters as did another friend of mine (whose sides I sampled as well).

I had the pulled pork, ribs, and brisket. The pulled pork was the best of the three: flavourful and slightly smoky. I liked that it wasn't all sauced up, so you could taste the meat. If you wanted, you could add some more sauce, which was on the table. Speaking of the sauce, I found it to be too "vinegary" for my palate, and felt that there was something missing. The brisket was ok, but I was really disappointed with the ribs. There was barely any meat on them and it was very tough.

I enjoyed the sides more than the meats. The baked beans were great. You could tell they were homemade and I liked that it wasn't too sweet. The coleslaw was crisp but too "vinegary" for me. The sweet potato fries were really tasty, being both light and crunchy. However, the star of the sides was the corn bread. It was fantastic!

All in all, I have mixed feelings on Blue Sage. I really wanted to like the place, due to the affable owner and the dearth of BBQ places in Mississauga. I have the feeling that it was an off-night there, and I am willing to give it another chance.

[blue bike]

Actually, I did like the fact that the coleslaw is vinegary. That's the way I make it at home. I hate the sweet creamy stuff.

My disappointment was the corn bread, though. Very dry.

The pulled pork was very good, with enough smoky taste for my liking and I was looking forward to try the ribs. Hopefully, it was just an off-day for the ribs.

[duckdown]

I've been twice now...

The cornbread is *very* bad, it's like spongey cakey and doughy with no sweetness at all

Coleslaw is good, I enjoyed it, nothing to complain about there

Fries: frozen...

Pulled pork: excellent, probably second best I've had in the GTA, second only to sweet smoke which is still my favorite (although semi untradtional)

Brisket: tried a free piece of brisket he threw in with one of my meals.. It was pretty good, although too lean for my liking and not overly smokey

Ribs: I wanted so bad to like these... I really did... Sadly it wasn't until I brought them home I realised he forgot to put ANY sauce on them at all, and there was none in the bag. They were really dry and didn't have any flavoring it seemed like.. Not even really any smokeyness.. Disappointing for sure because I had really high hopes for the ribs

The guy who runs the operation is a really nice fellow and I want them to do well, but I think theres a few outstanding issues... The lack of saucing on the meats leaves them tasting bland, both varieties of fries are frozen which is a bummer considering frozen fries cost more than fresh ones... Buster Rhino's does the fresh cut fries with your ribs and they are excellent.. these are the major things I'd like to see changed... other than that though, there is definitely potential

[blue bike]

Now, to be fair, he did say the potatoes are frozen (Cavendish).

Another item that sounded interesting is cevapi.
Has anyone tried the sausages? They are made to order (off-site) based on his recipe.

PS The website is up.

[pinstripeprincess]

i am curious about the cevapi as well.... seems like the seriously odd item out of the bunch. i mean.. is he smoking them? that would be unusual....curious about the blend of meats as well. super surprised they're made off-site.

ebay3392, if you're ever in the runnymede/dundas area you should really try bosna cafe. the best cevaps i've had... though i can't recall the meat blend right now.

[ebay3392]

Hi, thanks for the tip...Cevaps are there for I think he is Serbian, or at least he looks Serbian...not Croatian as they call them Cevapcici and they are different than what is promoted.

[ebay3392]

I have the same sentiments...went there a few weeks ago and had what I always have when trying out a BBQ place...brisket...had a sandwich cold as per the owner's suggestion...I should have spoken up and had it hot as it was not bad but with BBQ sauce on it cold did not work...perhaps with a mayo-horseradish sauce with the meat cold would have done the trick...will try again for the pork, and maybe the cevapis as I love those things and Serb friends of mine make them infrequently as well as Carassauga where I usually get them as well is a looong way off.

[CKN]

I might be wrong on this, but I don't think southern style cornbread is supposed to be sweet.

[Wahooty]

You are absolutely correct, CKN. If it's sweet, that's Yankee cornbread. I haven't been to Blue Sage so I don't know if theirs is proper southern cornbread, but if it's trying to be, then it definitely should not be sweet.

[duckdown]

well i like mine to have some sweetness to it... if you're looking for sponge cake, then you're in luck

[Davwud]

It just sounds like it's bad cornbread. Southern style isn't sweet nor does it need to be sweet. I like both but I don't think I'd ever compare the southern style to sponge cake like I would the northern style to a crumb cake. If you wanted to compare it, maybe a pound cake would be a more fair similarity. Texture wise anyway.

DT

[Wahooty]

I agree, that IS what it sounds like, I just won't pass judgment on something I haven't personally eaten. :) The texture of cornbread should be...like cornbread. I really don't know of anything else with the same texture to compare it to - that distinctive texture is exactly why I didn't like it when I was a kid.

[South Carolina Girl]

A quick search of the web will reveal many sources claiming that "northern" and "southern" cornbreads differ by the degree of sweetness and the use of sugar or buttermilk. For many so-called border states, the tradition is lightly sweet, a seemingly logical blending of the two traditions. But southerns will tell you that there are many variations to a cornbread recipe mostly derived by family traditions, economic circumstances and/or the preferences of the cook. As there is no one way to make cornbread, the better approach may be to describe the level of sweetness you prefer than to tell someone that a recipe is (or is not) "southern." This multigeneration southern girl might take offense if you said my family's recipe wasn't southern, but of course I would tell you in the most gracious way. However you prefer yours, enjoy it and enjoy it often.

[BusterRhino]

I agree with South Carolina Girl, the regional differences in the south are just too varied to say when something is truly a Southern Style. When I teach BBQ classes I try to explain to people that when they hear it's Southern Style they are better off thinking of it in terms such as this "Southern Style isn't so much as a set in stone offering as much as it is a state of mind. It's how your food is cooked, with love and attention" You can be in two restaurants in the same town in the south and both will claim to have the regional variation of the same product and they will be both wildly different.

[burlgurl]

I haven't been back since my first visit, but plan to go back this week for lunch and try some new dishes!

[stephen]

Happen to live just a few minutes away and went for an early dinner this evening.

I would contend that this is truly a chowfind, with lots of scratch cooking and satisfying BBQ in the Southern US style. We had the brisket and jerked pork entrees with beans and coleslaw.

Nice smoke on the meat; but it could have been sliced a little thicker for my preferences. Good portions overall and attentive service. They really care; such a refreshing change of the dissonant lame service too frequent in the GTA.

Looking forward to going back for the pulled sandwiches and other sides. This sort of place needs our support; the chain spots drain my very life force anymore...

[ms.b]

I went to Blue Sage to eat and the food was great! Thanks Chow! I live close to this place and like others have passed it by on many occasions. BF and I were able to slip in there before they closed on a Thursday evening (believe they close at 9pm - but good to call to confirm). I thought I would share my experience!

The ribs were fall off the bone tender and not overly smoky in flabour which I liked. Pulled pork, was great and melted in my mouth. Unlike many places where I have had pulled pork, it was not dredged in sauce, which sometimes masks the true flavour of the meat. Meats were flavourful and tasty.

The sides were also top notch, The cornbead that had the right consistency. Definitely not dry or crumbly and you must try it with the maple butter. It was a nice mix of sweetness, but do not come across as too much like a dessert or cake-y. Sweet potato fries , baked beans and coleslaw were all good.!

If you are looking to try a couple of different things, I would highly recommend ordering on the platters (whether to eat on your own or share).

As a point of clarity regarding the wood chips, they do not use cedar wood, For those that have used wood for smoking, generally evergreen trees are not used for smoking because of a resin they emit. With this knowledge I posed the question as I believe that a previous post mentioned the use of cedar.

I will definitely be going back for the Prime Rib burger and the chilli. If you like real BBQ then this is def. the place for you to visit. I talked to the owner and it is someone that really has a passion for putting out quality stuff and is very knowledgeable. I had to stop my self from being forthright and asking if I could see the smoker!

[LovesToEat]

Sounds excellent...can anyone comment on the price range of the meals here?

Thanks!

[Davwud]

That's a good looking sandwich. I like that the meat isn't all sauced up. When I make PP at home, I don't sauce it at all. After pulling, some rub and reserved juice (de-fatted) are added back. Sauce and slaw are for condiments.
The bun looks right too. Possibly too big by southern standards but plain, plain, plain. Just as it should be.

DT

[burlgurl]

That's what I loved about my pulled chicken sandwich! (the minimal sauce) You tasted the chicken, not just the sauce

[uberathlete]

Awesome. Too bad their website is still largley down. But I'm gonna go visit soon.

[duckdown]

anyone know if they're open saturday?

[South Carolina Girl]

the website lists monday thru friday 11:30 til 8. I would suggest you call to see if he's open. the number, again from the website is 905.212.1441

[tjr]

I'm no expert re: southern BBQ. I tried this place since I was in the area. Had the pulled pork, with slaw. It tasted good, was tender and juicy, but I didn't get much noticeable smoke flavour from the meat. If heavy smoking is your thing, I doubt you'll be impressed. The slaw was really good.

I didn't order sides.

[Pigurd]

maybe the owner read your comment, i was there recently and i think the smoking might have been a little too strong for me. I'm also no expert, but the smoking on the pulled pork and the ribs smelled more like how a shirt would smell after being in a room of cigarette smokers... is it supposed to be like that? it was kinda acrid...

but i enjoyed the texture/taste of the pulled pork sandwhich, liked how there was minimal sauce on it. the ribs were underseasoned and a bit dry for me...

sweet potatoe fries were great, nice and crunchy, though a little salty. ..

the room looks a bit more bare than i expected, and the weird chefs wallpaper is kinda funny, but the food is wat is important...

im not sure if proper smoking is supposed to smell like that, but i might give the place another try as the owner seems like a genuinely nice guy and passionate about food.

[jayt90]

Good smoke is deeply flavored , not acrid or petrol, and stays with with you you for an hour as you lick your chops and remember what you just had. if there is minimal salt or fat, you won't get the effect.

[jayt90]

This appears to be a true Chowfind, from a place without hype or marketing savvy, or even good signage.
But probably operating on a shoestring budget, so we should try out his offerings as soon as possible.

[duckdown]

it has the potential to be a chow find

not gonna win over alot of people by not opening on weekends though

It's not that far away from me so I'll be stopping in soon

[burlgurl]

i've never been in before either, but have seen it leaving Peter's a bunch of times! The owner was telling me he used to work down south and is super passionate about replicating the exact experience here...asked about his smoker and he describe his process for cooking everything! even his baked beans which he soaks overnight, boils, then bakes with homemade bbq sauce (and which i just devoured after being stuffed after an amazing pulled pork sandwich)..

[duckdown]

SOunds excellent -- just curious -- how did you find out about the place?

Like you, I had always passed it while leaving Nick's or Peter's but had never heard anything about it or even really knew what it was

[burlgurl]

I pulled into the parking lot to make a u-turn and wanted to grab a drink..i thought it was a coffee shop or something

[ebay3392]

Wow..someone who makes baked beans from scratch....other than myself in the backyard have not had that other than sampling a competing team at Memphis in May...mostly all use canned beans and try to flavour it up...not the same to say the least.

[duckdown]

whaaaaaaaaaaat

i've passed by this place 10 million times, its right across from Nick's Famous Pita.. I never knew what the hell it was.. it has indeed been there for years

I've always said since day 1 that Mississauga needed a southern BBQ place so I really hope this sticks around... I'd go tonight but knowing my luck it would be closed after driving there

[ebay3392]

Uh oh....I have been able to control the waistline successfully because there has NOT been any local Q joints....is it near Peter's? Mon-Fri makes sense as he is probably aiming at the business lunch crowd.

[duckdown]

It's almost directly across the street from Peter's yep.. I think it's right beside a Money Mart in some little strip plaza on the corner

[ebay3392]

I know where that is....hope it sucks for my waistline sake but hope is good for every other reason!!!! U ever been to Peter's? Was there with the wife a month ago and nice to see with everyone cutting back on quantities and stuff, they still have the monster portions, esp the 'small' souvlaki which I could only ever eat half of.

[duckdown]

Yeah I go to Peter's, usually grab a take-out super pastrami sandwich or montreal smoked meat... i don't think i've ever dined in there... and yeah i am with you on the portions thing, everywhere is chincing out these days

i never tried their souvlaki (pork) but I've had the chicken version (they call it chicken brochette) and its great