News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By LeRae Haynes

A unique dining experience is coming to the Cariboo next week when the BBQ Blues Café opens in Williams Lake. Tashja Janzen and Shane Belanger are bringing their cooking skills and their musical talents together to provide southern food slow-cooked to perfection and blues music from the heart.

They will serve things like pulled pork, which is smoked and very slow-roasted and served on a fresh bun, briskets, BBQ ribs, gumbo and coleslaw—true southern delicacies. They will also bring local blues musical talent to the stage for live music every Saturday night.

(Photo:  Tashja Janzen on stage welcoming the 50 or so 'pre-opening event' guests on Thursday evening.  Photo:  Ryan Brink.)

“The idea for southern food came when we went to an annual music festival in Soda Creek. There were two guys from Texas who made a brisket---smoked, slow-roasted beef covered with secret ‘dry rub’ and BBQ sauce,” Tashja explained. “I instantly became very interested in southern cooking.”

Singing the blues has been part of Tashja’s life since she was very young. “I started singing in the apartment complex where we lived when I was little,” she said. “I used to charge all the kids in the apartment complex a quarter to come into the mailroom and hear me sing.”

Shane is a blues guitar player, Tashja is a blues singer/songwriter and the two of them share a passion for cooking and for playing and singing the blues.

There will be live music at the BBQ Blues Café every Saturday night, when local groups and musicians take the stage and share their talent. “I’ve always loved the blues, especially old-school blues,” Tashja said. “Blues makes you feel---it’s real and deep and honest. We’ll also be playing a lot of CD blues by Canadian artists—that’s really important to us. We’ll play music by people like Matt Andersen, Rita Chiarelli and Jeff Healy.”

(Photo:  'My Wife's Quartet", a local Blues and Jazz band, plays at The Blues Cafe on Thursday, October 8 for the pre-opening event.  Photo:  Ryan Brink.)

Shane and Tashja have renovated the building for their new café from top to bottom. “When we got here the walls were purple and gold and had floor tiles glued on them,” she said. “My first three days were spent with an iron and a scraper, prying tiles and glue off the walls.”

The end result of their hard work and their vision is a unique and beautiful café that feels like deep-south comfort and smells like heaven.

Tashja’s experience in business development training gives her the background to provide great customer service by building relationships with customers and treating them to true southern hospitality, delectable food and wonderful music.

She said that the atmosphere at BBQ Blues Café is casual and that she wants customers to feel right at home. “There will be a roll of paper towels at every table,” she explained. “Barbeque is very messy, and really, really good.”

Supporting local businesses, local musicians and local food producers is important at the BBQ Blues Café. “We get all our meat from Margetts Meats and want to have all local musicians performing in here,” she said.

Although the service is quick and efficient, the food at the café is as far from fast food as you can get. “A roast will take 16 hours to make, and is cooked to perfection,” she continued. “We also have deep fried ice cream with caramel bourbon sauce, chocolate bourbon pecan pie and peach cobbler.”

Everything is homemade and fresh, and the menu includes things just for kids, including foot-long hot dogs, chicken ‘drumettes’ and a smaller version of the pulled pork sandwich. “For appetizers, we have things like sweet potato fries with chilli aioli and crab cakes,” she said, “as well as homemade cornbread and coleslaw made fresh every day.”

The BBQ Blues Café opens its doors on October 15 at 46 North 3rd Ave.

“Come and enjoy the food, the music and the atmosphere,” Tashja said. “Let us treat you to some friendly southern hospitality in the Cariboo.”

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