DAN MOWAT-ROSE & LUKE JOHNSTON
<Contributors>
Round 2. We’re back with another food pick for you, Osgoode.
Venue: Leslieville Pumps – 929 Queen Street East Cuisine: Smokehouse BBQ/Corner Store
Food: Luke: Hickory Smoked Chicken Thigh Sandwich $7.75 & Bacon Infused Corn Fritters $4; Dan: Southern Style Beef Brisket Sandwich $7.75 & Coleslaw $3; Shared: Cornbread $3 (but given for free)
LLBO Licensed? No – Unfortunately. But it is a functioning gas station after all, and this is Ontario, the nanny-state, overbearing controller of booze in all ways.
Gas: 124.9/L of Unleaded (open 24/7 365)
The Pick:
Luke: I have decided on Leslieville Pumps for this week’s adventure! It is a unique Southern BBQ gas station at Queen and Carlaw.
Dan: I started us off last week with a place on neutral territory. Everyone knows that I’m a west end guy and you’re a Danforth homer. How dare you drag me a million blocks east of Yonge into the sticks.
Luke: Relax, Dan! Leslieville is like the Junction of the East. Due to the isolated, food-focused, and quaintly dive-y conditions that this neighbourhood prides itself on, I naturally assumed that you’d be comfortable here.
Dan: Hey! The west-end prides itself on having only the hippest of hangouts, serving the most local of beer and the most current variety of taco.
Luke: You’ll find this ‘hood equally friendly to bicycles and ironic detachment, I assure you. As for the place itself, when I discovered the Pumps, which combines cheap gas and great BBQ, it became a regular launching point for all of my road trips.
At the Restaurant:
Luke: I really appreciate the vibe here: a parking lot with no designated spaces, hang-over specials on the black board (chicken and waffles with house-made bourbon maple syrup) and friendly, sarcastic staff ready to assist.
Dan: The ‘Pumps’ has a classic auto-garage vibe, with bags of chips, jerky, corn nuts, and other road snacks available for purchase. The clientele even fits the bill with some old man wandering around in a name-embroidered plaid shirt, and a comb in his back pocket. Strangely, there was no evidence to suggest that his hair is combed with any regularity.
Luke: I appreciate a place that does a few things well. With a handful of apps and a few BBQ sandwiches, this place definitely fits the bill.
Dan: Free cornbread baby! Love that. Very classy move of this place to give out a free appetizer for the food running a bit late. I’m also a huge coleslaw fan and this stuff is amazing. Pickled onions and dijon, light sauce, major flavour, and just enough ‘health’ factor to balance out a BBQ focused meal.
Luke: Agreed. The free cornbread was a nice touch. It was moist in the centre and crunchy in the crust. Since I was last here they also decided to add bacon to the fritters — a truly inspired choice. They might be the best I’ve ever had: not too doughy, perfectly fried and with just the right amount of spice. The fresh herb sauce was also the perfect complement.
Dan: I’m glad we decided to go ‘share-sies’ on the two sandwiches, because your hickory chicken out-classed my brisket by a mile. Don’t get me wrong, the brisket was good, the beef had great flavour, but the chicken was unreal. I also felt like the brisket was cut too thick and I would have liked more sauce on the sandwich. When I order brisket, I want to NEED wet naps, damn it.
Luke: I defend the brisket to some degree. The thick cut gave it a homestyle feel and I thought the beef was so flavourful that it didn’t need extra sauce. For me the bun was more of a concern. I know true south BBQ demands a crusty bun, but I actually prefer a softer meat holder (should I rephrase that?). The chicken thigh sandwich was superior, though, you’re right. I loved the sweet/heat balance in the sauce and tender thigh meat.
Dan: Trying… so.. hard.. not to make fun of.. you.
Amenities & Service:
Dan: Can I just mention that you never told me we’d actually be dining inside a convenience store. This is key info. The bathroom looked like someone had poured gravy all over the radiator. What if I had decided to bring my girlfriend this week instead of last time? Your negligence could have put me in the dog-house for days. So selfish..
Luke: Fair enough! In fact, readers may be surprised that the bathroom didn’t inflame my germophobia. But it is clean — for a gas-station. There was soap and a Osgoode-style power hand-dryer. Overall, the restaurant is well-maintained and surprisingly roomy for what is essentially an urban truck stop. Where else can you sit down for a delicious sandwich and share a two litre of Tahiti Treat?
Dan: True! Also, best moment of this lunch – which is saying something because those corn fritters were unreal – was the kindly cashier telling me to “insert it gently” (in reference to my debit card), and that “it’s always kind of fun to say that to people.” I almost died. This place became a certified gold pick as soon as my ears were graced with that gem. Considering the level of service I expected walking into a gas station, this place went above and beyond.
Luke: Overall, I maintain that the Pumps is a gem. The prices are great and the food is exceptional. It’s certainly not a place to take your parents after you’re called to the Bar, but it’s worth a trip to the neighbourhood. I’d also recommend it for people at the start of a road trip who want great sandwiches and Toronto’s cheapest gas (they claim) before they go.
Score:
Dan:
- Food: 3/5
- Service 4/5
- Atmosphere 3/5
Luke:
- Food: 4/5
- Service 4/5
- Atmosphere 4/5
Overall:
3.5 sossbosses out of 5, not bad for a gas station!
#fillerupwithsoss
