I gotta admit it. Sometimes when I epic fail while visiting a restaurant (like finding out it is closed once I get there), I lose interest. That was the case with Wilbur & Sabastian's out in PoCo last year. However, when I found out that Double D (not what you think and a fine resident of PoCo) was going to join JuJu and I for lunch, it was almost too convenient that I gave it another go. Interestingly enough, Double D didn't even know the place existed and wondered how I found it. Remember, I have a 6th sense - I see restaurants...
We started with an order of House-made Tortilla Chips which were fantastic. They were super crunchy, a bit thick and dusted with spice rub. For myself, I went for the full rack of Baby Backs with sweet onion bourbon BBQ sauce. There was an immediate smokiness which was just right where it didn't overwhelm. The sauce was indeed sweet with a slight tang. If the ribs weren't smoky and well-seasoned, the sauce would've been overwhelmingly sweet, but it was balanced in this case (probably the intention). Much like the beef bones (will discuss later), the meat wasn't exactly super tender, but it wasn't hard to eat either. I was a bit confused with the shoe string fries as they were just like any other fresh-cut fries. With that being said, they were good though, if not a bit greasy.
If that wasn't enough, I had the Three Little Pig's Chili consisting of lean ground pork, shredded bits of smoked pulled pork, and chunks of smoked farmer sausage with some white beans. Suffice to say, this was a meaty concoction which made it hearty. There was a good smokiness to it and only the slightest hint of spice with some sweetness. I liked the chunkiness of the tomatoes and only a modest amount of beans. Double D decided on the double (ironically) order of the 12 oz Double Smoked Farmer's Sausage. The portion was not for the faint of heart since there was a whole lot of sausage on the plate. I was able to sample some sausage (again, not what you think) and it was meaty and glazed with the bold & spicy BBQ sauce. The only thing that could've been better was the temperature of the meat as it wasn't that hot.
JuJu went for 3 Beef Bones and they were of a decent size. With a noticeable smokiness, these were sufficiently tender (with quite a bit of chew left) and fatty. Think prime rib bones but with smoke flavour. He originally asked for his sauce on the side, but they sauced his ribs anyways. Of note, they happily redid his order (an indication of good customer service). His side of Butternut Squash Soup was natural tasting and slightly sweet, but a touch thin. The wedge of cornbread was somewhat dense, but was okay being mostly sweet. Believe it or not, I finished both of my meals to the shock of the table (they should be used to it by now!). The food was decent considering that there is really no competition nearby. Loved the good people there the most though.
The Good:
- Really nice people
- Okay eats (good smoke flavour)
- Really one-of-kind in the neighbourhood
The Bad:
- For those who like wet BBQ, this isn't it
Wilbur & Sabastian's Smokehouse & Bistro
Posted by
Sherman Chan
on Friday, January 24, 2014
Labels:
BBQ,
Burgers,
Port Coquitlam
3 comments:
Wet BBQ?
@JMH Parboiled, then slapped with an inordinate amount of sauce... That's wet.
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