Reopening a bar at a time when establishments are closing down left, right and centre requires a certain amount of audacity. Mario Sargeant has plenty.
He is the owner of the cosy, intimate Longdenville spot, “By Mario”, where he serves specialty drinks, imported beers and a kitchen dishing out everything from a “mean pepper-fry” of shrimp and chicken to wings, fried fish and cheesy pepper fries. But it is really his barbecue pigtail that has earned him bragging rights for “the best in the country”.
To get that order, you have to have patience; it is not served on a regular basis. He picks a day, rolls it out, and everyone shows up.
“Before the date, the comments and the WhatsApp messages are hilarious!” he says. “It has become a thing of its own. The response is something else! I can barely wish someone a happy birthday on social media without it being brought up.”
His parents previously owned the bar, then called El Cid. Mario had been around it since he was about five years old, but though he never planned on taking it over, life, community and an undeniable knack for comfort food had other plans.
Following his father’s death from COVID in 2022, the bar was closed down, his mother having stopped working there years earlier due to her age. Over the years, still grieving, he paid little attention to the spot until his cousin called one day and asked what he was doing about it.
“She then contacted the courts for me to find out what is next because we were told that we can’t transfer a licence after a person passes away,” says the Tabaquite Composite Secondary alumnus, who had already turned to his former fields—photography, graphic design and marketing—to make ends meet when everywhere was on lockdown because of the pandemic.
It was only in June that he finally decided it was time to get the establishment up and running, renaming it “By Mario”.
Old customers came right back, and new patrons have grown to love the vibe too. Describing the feedback since then, he shares: “Having so many people in my corner who are genuinely happy to see me achieve this is a blessing in itself. My girlfriend was also right by my side through it all and I am extremely grateful to her.”
As for his famous pigtail, that became a reality quite by chance about ten years ago when he teamed up with his mom to help raise funds for a friend to get back on his feet after a vehicular accident.
Once that fundraiser was over, he walked away from the grill. But the streets never forgot. Due to an organic wave of public pressure, patrons didn’t let him rest, demanding he make it again and again.
“The people who step through those doors, both locally and abroad, are who made this become a passion. The looks on their faces on grill night, the love I’d receive when they walked through that gate, the comments on the food in person and online—it all brought a joy that I never saw coming.
“Everyone became family. They look out for each other. You could roll in by yourself and not feel left out at all. That is what changed everything for me.”
The fact that he partly owns the property the business is on allows him a certain level of security.
“So for me, this business is not about a quick turnover. I am in this to have something to fall back on later in life while creating a comfortable environment and giving something good to people.”
Mario, 51, inherited his passion for food from his mother, even though she never liked him near the stove when she was cooking.
He recalls a chicken sandwich she made in 1990 that people still talk about. He later honed his skills by taking a culinary course which he originally thought would last just six weeks but ended up running for months.
“Next thing you know, I’m cooking and baking,” he jokes. “I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the people there too. It helped me to truly understand just how good my mom was. I wish she knew.”
Now picking up right where his parents left off, he tells Guardian Media: “I hope it continues to grow, not with a tonne of people, but with the right ones. People should always feel comfort and warmth by Mario. I’m sorry if this sounds like a boast of faith, but it is the truth.”
There are some other plans that he’s keeping close to his chest for now, but very soon, patrons will hear about them.
Will they top his barbecue pigtail? Well, that remains to be seen.
