Introducing: Triple A Bar, a new Texas-style barbecue joint and saloon on Adelaide
Laide, the erotically themed Adelaide and Jarvis cocktail lounge, has gotten a big revamp. The stripper pole and nude relief castings in the entryway are gone, as is the name, a pun on the address and the hoped-for outcome of a night out there. In its place: Triple A Bar, a laid back, neo-rustic joint that offers down-home Texas barbecue and a wide variety of beers, tequilas and bourbons. After the birth of her first child, co-owner Racquel Youtzy returned to work eager to try something new. Inspired by the food and music of Austin, Texas, Youtzy and her partner Tiz Pivetta decided to create a neighbourhood bar that brought some of that feel to the increasingly condo-dominated area.
In keeping with its theme, Triple A Bar’s décor is pure saloon. The walls are lined with distressed steel, scraps of palette wood and antique store oddities. Edison bulbs hanging from the bar’s exposed beams cast an appropriately dim and warm glow over the leather booths and rustic stools. On the stereo is a soundtrack of blues, country and rockabilly, with some classic rock thrown in.
The five-item menu at Triple A features Texan smokehouse favourites. The smoked brisket ($15), which Youtzy describes as the “best in the city,” is supplied by Carnicero’s in St. Lawrence Market, and is smoked off-site using oak. It’s served in thick slices with that quintessential Texan carb, white Wonder Bread. The Texas Chili ($14) recipe comes from a “proper Texan” friend of Youtzy’s mom. There are no beans, tomatoes or peppers in this chili, just pieces of chuck simmered in rich chili-spiked sauce; the dish is served with a dollop of sour cream, a lime wedge and a side of tortilla chips. The menu also features chicken ’n’ waffles ($14), dry rub ribs ($15) and a pulled pork sandwich ($12). Sides ($3) include creamed corn, potato salad and coleslaw. There are no plans to expand the compact menu, but specials, like the smoked brisket poutine, are available on a rotating basis. Mill Street, Stella Artois and Creemore are all available on tap, but the emphasis here is on the many tequilas and bourbons that line the bar (dangerously, shots of Jose Cuervo are $3, every day).
Triple A Bar, 138 Adelaide St. E., 416-850-2726, tripleabar.ca, @TripleAToronto
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