ntil we visited Cluck, Grunt and Low, we thought we knew Annex restaurants pretty well: They’re brightly lit, noisy and cheap. You don't see many Limousines and town cars idling outside restaurants in these parts. Yet Chef Paul Boehmer – who is more at home at upscale spots like Ultra Supper Club, The Spoke Club, Bellini's and Opus – has dropped his latest eatery into the mix of navel-gazing spots with no intention of emulating another hipster dining room.

In fact, simmering along at medium cool after a long-awaited opening, this southern-style venue has more of a rowdy country bar feel than destination restaurant. Gratifyingly complex and deliciously road house, the small space has been thought-out in part by designer Brenda Bent, Restaurant Makeover extraordinaire (and also the Bent in the 80's Bent Boys design line); a large cocktail bar dominates the view from the entryway, and a few spot-lit, wood tables highlight the barn-like room. Roll-up doors open the (designer) barn-like space to the street.

Firmly in place with its Bloor & Walmer neighbourhood, CG&L is already being filled with local happy hours drinkers rather than the Gold Card-yielding types that Boehmer is more accustomed. But it's the substantial BBQ they're after, and the kitchen doles the goods out with unhinged glee.

There are some clever options on the small menu (a garden salad with apple cider dressing, and a killer Caesar with jalapeño wood-smoked bacon), and there are the requisite sandwiches – Carolina Pulled Pork, a Rotisserie Chicken and the BBQ Beef Brisket sandwich - each of which are prepared on pain au lait buns from Bistro & Bakery Thuet.