Dining Review: Sage & Barrel Brings Midwest Comfort to Queen Creek - PHOENIX magazine

Opened: January 2024

Owner Jordan Blevins brings the hearty comfort food of his native Midwest to this classy but casual restaurant, which touts more than 40 Arizona craft brews. Many dishes on the beer-friendly menu are also made with beer, including melty, addictive beer-battered Wisconsin cheese curds, sided with Sriracha aioli ($15). From Illinois come open-face sandwiches called horseshoes, one being the Brisket Supreme Shoe – slow-cooked brisket piled high on Texas toast with grilled onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, fries and beer cheese sauce ($20). Lead-heavy, yes, but a great combo. The bourbon Gouda burger ($17) could be awesome if it tasted more like the bourbon-agave drizzle and maple-bacon glaze that ooze off the smoked Gouda- and crispy onion-topped burger to form a puddle on my plate. Ultra-crisp house-made chips are terrific, though. Chops Diane (a homey riff on steak Diane involving grilled pork chops, creamy mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes, $22) has potential, but it’s oversalted. Meanwhile, sweet but tasty yakisoba noodle sauté — more like noodle soup topped with sautéed veggies — is a misnomer and a miss ($17). The word “yakisoba” denotes a stir-fry, not overcooked noodles swimming in sauce. Great ideas need better execution here.

Wild Card: The peanut butter and jelly burger, composed of house-made peanut butter, mixed berry-peppercorn jam (also house-made) and Brie on a pretzel bun.

7215 S. Power Rd., Queen Creek, 480-597-9096, sagebarrel.com