March 14, 2017

Meet Michael LaSage of Bone Lick BBQ in The Edgewood Entertainment District

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael LaSage.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I spent a good bit of my 20’s touring the country playing music. As a teenager, and throughout my 20’s, in between music, I always worked in restaurants, in various capacities. Somewhere in my late 20’s I realized that I was not on the cover of Rolling Stone, as planned, and so, I started thinking about my future and trying to figure out other ways to have an impact, be creative and still live a bit of that rock ‘n roll lifestyle. The restaurant industry provided me with a good bit of those things. And so, I started honing my chops in the kitchen, putting my nose in food lover’s companion, and really started to go somewhere with it.

It was a natural transition for me, as Food and Music always went together for me.

One thing I always loved about touring was eating different foods from all over the country, in particular, BBQ.

This was in and around the same time that I moved to Atlanta… When I moved here I really didn’t know anyone, so I started throwing these parties at my house called Meat Mondays- a BBQ party, where I invited musicians and restaurant industry folk… The weekly party gave me the opportunity to start playing with different old school BBQ recipes and techniques.

The first week there were 12 people there… A year later, there were over a hundred people showing up. It was a hit, but I was going broke. So I talked to my business partner at P’cheen, Keiran, and we decided to do a pop-up. Nobody in Atlanta had really done that yet- a once a week transformation of one restaurant into a completely new concept/brand.

We did that and it was immediately a hit. But it grew and grew until eventually, we had to build a brick and mortar. That was our original location over in West Midtown. We ran that through the end of our lease and then moved back to the Old Fourth Ward on Edgewood ave.

The new location is, stylistically, what Bone Lick was always meant to be. It’s really great BBQ and fun iterations of southern classics in a really cool space. I walk in every day and think of new little projects to make it a little weirder, a little more fun. It’s a place where I want to sit and get a little drunk and eat some great food with my friends. It feels like it is part of something; part of a really cool neighborhood; part of a really fun street. With Church bookending one side of Edgewood Ave, and us the other, it feels like we are truly at home.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Anyone that tells you that their restaurant was a smooth ride, was either a liar or independently wealthy… No part of it is easy.

I came from nothing, financially speaking, and have never had anything to fall back on. I don’t have a rich family. It has always been a struggle, but I have to say, this business has shown me that I am capable of anything when put under pressure. Keeping a restaurant afloat in a highly competitive place, like Atlanta, takes a lot of work. You have to be great at juggling and being able to take the blows.

But… I love it. I really do.

Fortunately, I have a great business partner, and we share the weight. I don’t know that I could weather the storms without him.

I also have a great lady. She is very supportive and loving. When you get hit with the blows dealt with you in the restaurant business, it helps so much to know you have someone in your corner, rooting for you. She is that.

At the end of a rough day, when there was a flood, a piece of expensive kitchen equipment went down, your cook quit, a server was late, the tax man or lady paid a visit and business was not as busy as you needed it to be, you ask yourself why you still do this shit every day… For me? It is seeing the smile on someone’s face when they take a bite of what they later define as the best thing they have ever tasted… Well, you can’t beat that. It makes all of that other shit worthwhile.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bone Lick BBQ – what should we know?
Bone Lick BBQ is obviously a BBQ joint. However, it is so much more than that. It is a style. It is a place to lose yourself for a bit. It is a haven for the weird… Those a little left of the dial. It is a place to laugh. It is a place to be yourself. To forget the airs other people expect you to put on- you don’t need ’em here.

We specialize in BBQ, not one specific region, but the best of the best. We celebrate the techniques passed down throughout the years. We raise our glasses to big bold flavors, and strong drink.

We are known for our big bold flavors; our spiciness.

I am proud to be here. I am proud to be part of the Atlanta food scene. The culture of people in this city who crave good food, big flavors and who work hard to deliver the best!

There are lots of great chefs and cool restaurants in this city, however, one thing that sets us apart so drastically is our ability to deliver really great, high-quality food, stuff that is full of thought, love and ingenuity, but we do it without gouging the prices… We don’t pilfer the pockets of our guests… We offer not just delicious food and great drinks, but we offer value. In this day, and in this city, I think that is kind of a rare thing.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have a great business partner, Keiran. Without him, I would not still be here… We work really well together. It is very rare for there to be two people that work together with the way we do. We don’t fight. We don’t get mad. We don’t even really get all that frustrated. We just work. It’s pretty rad.

And then Feifei Sun, my wife. She is my rock. My partner in life. She is my biggest cheerleader. And means a lot coming from her, especially. She is a wildly accomplished woman…very successful, so having her in my corner is huge… She helps me through the bullshit.

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