Blue Ox Babe

About Blue Ox Babe

Blue Ox Babe is a fusion BBQ house in the industrial area of Pukekohe, pairing American-style low 'n' slow barbecue with an Asian fusion menu inspired by the team's own experiences throughout Asia, taking their favourites and putting a little twist on them. The barbecue side is built around Eleanor, a Texas-built off-set pit in which meats smoke for up to two days over New Zealand pohutukawa wood before landing on the board as sliced brisket, beef cheek, sliced pork belly and pork belly candy bites.

The Asian fusion kitchen is made for sharing — the house suggestion is two small plates and one large plate for every two people — with dishes like duck fried rice, five-spice chicken, Filipino pork hock, brisket cheese dumplings, Korean galbi short rib and beef cheek massaman curry. The two traditions meet in loaded fries and burgers stacked with smoked brisket and pork belly.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, Blue Ox Babe runs lunch from 12pm, drinks and snacks from 3pm, and dinner from 5pm until late. Weekday lunches bring a lighter line-up of noodle salads and rice bowls, and there's a kids' menu, fusion desserts, and a low 'n' slow set menu for large groups. Free parking is available on Manukau Road and in The Warehouse complex across the road.

Blue Ox Babe: Low 'n' Slow BBQ Meets Asian Fusion in Pukekohe

Blue Ox Babe does barbecue twice over. Set up in the industrial area of Pukekohe, this is a fusion BBQ house where American-style low 'n' slow smoking shares a menu with an Asian fusion kitchen — a combination built on the team's own experiences throughout Asia, taking their favourites and putting a little twist on them. The result is a restaurant where a two-day smoked brisket and a plate of duck fried rice can land on the same table, and both feel right at home.

Meet Eleanor

Every low 'n' slow operation has a heart, and Blue Ox Babe's is Eleanor — a Texas-built off-set pit over which their meats cook for up to two days, fuelled by New Zealand pohutukawa wood. That long, patient smoke is what turns out the boards of sliced brisket, beef cheek, sliced pork belly and pork belly candy bites, weighed out per 200g and meant to be ordered as a spread. Crispy Thai chicken wings cover the poultry quota, while sides like pickled cucumber, mac & cheese and straight-cut fries from local Agria potatoes fill out the table. House sauces — a Thai chimichurri and a crunchy chilli oil — are there for dabbing and dunking. The rule of thumb if you're a pair: three meats, two sides.

The fusion side of the house

The Asian fusion menu is built for sharing, with two small plates and one large plate recommended for every two people. Small plates range from duck fried rice — lightly battered smoked duck tossed through Thai fried rice with a sweet and sour sauce — to a charred five-spice whole chicken leg with pickled daikon, twice-cooked Filipino pork hock, bang bang chicken tossed in sesame crunchy chilli sauce, and dumplings in two styles: deep-fried brisket and cheese, or steamed Hainanese chicken in ginger and spring onion broth. A green papaya salad keeps things fresh.

Large plates go deeper still: tender Sichuan lamb curry, Korean galbi beef short rib with pear puree and Asian chimichurri, slow-braised beef cheek massaman, and gochujang-glazed sticky pork ribs. And where the two barbecue traditions genuinely collide, it's in the loaded fries and burgers — Agria fries piled with smoked pulled brisket or pork, picklenaise and pickled jalapeños, alongside the brisket and cheese burger (single, double or triple stack) and the Frankenstein burger, which stacks brisket and pork belly under flame-melted cheese, pickled cucumber and house BBQ sauce.

One day, three sittings

Blue Ox Babe opens Wednesday to Sunday and splits the day into three parts. Lunch runs 12pm to 3pm; on weekdays that means a lighter list of Asian fusion plates — Vietnamese beef noodle salad, a Japanese-style tofu noodle salad, soy chicken udon salad, and rice bowls topped with chashu pork belly, beef cheek red curry, crispy chicken, Korean bulgogi-style stir-fried beef or Japanese crispy chicken curry. Lunch is dine-in or takeaway, with big takeaway orders best pre-ordered.

From 3pm to 5pm the bar takes over with drinks and snacks: brisket and cheese dumplings, Thai chicken wings, takoyaki filled with octopus and topped with kewpie mayo and teriyaki, and those loaded fries. Dinner runs from 5pm until late, with the full fusion menu and BBQ board available Wednesday to Friday, and both lunch and dinner service on Saturdays and Sundays.

For families and sweet tooths

Kids are looked after with a bento box of Thai chicken wings, fries, egg fried rice and bubble gum ice cream, or a pork belly cheese burger with fries or mac n cheese. Desserts carry the fusion thread through: an ube halo halo of coconut shaved ice, Asian fruits and condensed milk; a lychee coconut panna cotta; and a sponge cake trio — strawberry matcha, red velvet and ube — finished with vanilla bean ice cream and white chocolate snow. For bigger gatherings there's a low 'n' slow BBQ set menu served to tables of six, available to groups of twelve adults or more by enquiry.

Visiting

You'll find Blue Ox Babe at 127 Manukau Road, Pukekohe, with free parking on the road or across in The Warehouse complex. Free mobility parking sits at the rear of the premises — just let the team know before arriving by phone, email or message. Online reservations are available, and menu items marked GI use gluten ingredients, while everything else is made with gluten-free ingredients handled with care to minimise cross-contamination, with vegetarian dishes clearly marked.

Signature items

• Sliced Brisket
• Duck Fried Rice
• The Frankenstein Burger
• Galbi Beef Short Rib
• Brisket Cheese Dumplings
• Ube Halo Halo

Menu

Kids

• Bento Box — Crispy Thai chicken wings, fries, egg fried rice and bubble gum ice cream
• Cheese Burger — Pork belly burger with flame melted cheese, Japanese mayo and fries or mac n cheese

Desserts

• Ube Halo Halo — Ube coconut shaved ice, Asian fruits, condensed milk and shaved coconut
• Lychee Coconut Panna Cotta — Panna cotta with sugar cane sago, lychee and shaved coconut
• Sponge Cake Trio — Strawberry matcha, red velvet and ube sponge cubes with vanilla bean ice cream, praline dust and white chocolate snow

Snacks (3–5pm)

• Brisket & Cheese Dumplings (4pc) — Deep fried smoked brisket and cheese with tomato relish
• Crispy Thai Chicken Wings (4pc) — Wings in Thai herbs and spices with Thai BBQ dipping sauce
• Takoyaki (6pc) — Japanese round dumplings filled with octopus and pickled ginger, kewpie mayo and teriyaki
• Loaded Fries — Agria fries with pulled brisket or pork, picklenaise mayo and pickled jalapeños
• Straight Cut Fries — Made from local Pukekohe Agria potatoes

BBQ Sides & Sauces

• Green Papaya Salad — Vegetarian smashed papaya salad with peanuts and Thai sauces
• Pickled Cucumber — House pickled cucumber, vegetarian
• Mac & Cheese — Comforting cheese side; contains gluten ingredients
• Straight Cut Fries — Made from local Pukekohe Agria potatoes
• Thai Chimichurri — House sauce for the table
• Crunchy Chilli Oil — House condiment for extra heat

Loaded Fries & Burgers

• Loaded Fries — Agria fries with smoked pulled brisket or pork, picklenaise and pickled jalapeños
• Brisket & Cheese Burger — Single, double or triple stack — brisket, flame melted cheese, pickled cucumber, house BBQ sauce
• The Frankenstein Burger — Low 'n' slow brisket and pork belly, flame melted cheese, pickled cucumber and house BBQ sauce

Weekday Lunch (12–3pm)

• Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad — Leafy salad bursting with fresh Vietnamese flavours, seared beef and vermicelli
• Tofu Noodle Salad — Japanese-flavoured vermicelli salad with crispy soy garlic tofu (vegan)
• Soy Chicken Udon Salad — Creamy Japanese slaw, poached boneless chicken and udon noodles
• Chashu Pork Belly on Rice — Japanese low 'n' slow BBQ pork, shiitake leek salsa, ginger scallion and soy egg on rice
• Beef Cheek Red Curry on Rice — Massaman's zesty cousin — slow-braised beef cheek with freshness and zest
• Crispy Chicken on Rice — Juicy crispy boneless chicken on rice with creamy Asian slaw
• Korean Stir-Fried Beef on Rice — Bulgogi-style beef with onion, capsicum and an Asian-style fried egg on rice
• Japanese Crispy Chicken Curry on Rice — Silky smooth curry with juicy crispy boneless chicken on rice

Low 'N' Slow BBQ — Meats

• Sliced Brisket (per 200g) — Low 'n' slow smoked beef brisket, cooked up to two days over pohutukawa wood
• Beef Cheek (per 200g) — Slow-smoked beef cheek from the Texas-built off-set pit
• Pork Belly Candy Bites (per 200g) — Smoked pork belly candy bites, served per 200g
• Sliced Pork Belly (per 200g) — Low 'n' slow smoked pork belly, served per 200g
• Crispy Thai Chicken Wings (4pc) — Juicy, crunchy wings in Thai herbs and spices with Thai BBQ dipping sauce

Asian Fusion — Large Plates

• Sichuan Lamb Curry — Tender lamb shoulder in an aromatic southeast Asian curry with mild Sichuan pepper
• Galbi Beef Short Rib — Melt-in-your-mouth short rib with rich Korean umami, pear puree and Asian chimichurri
• Beef Cheek Massaman Curry — Slow-braised beef cheek with soft carrot and potato in fragrant, mildly spiced Thai massaman
• Korean Sticky Pork Ribs — Super soft baby ribs in a sweet savoury glaze with a hint of chilli gochujang

Asian Fusion — Small Plates

• Duck Fried Rice — Lightly battered smoked duck in Thai fried rice with special sweet and sour sauce
• Five Spice Chicken — Crispy, charred aromatic five-spice whole chicken leg with house pickled daikon radish
• Filipino Pork Hock — Twice-cooked rolled pork hock with sweet sour pear puree and house kimchi
• Crispy Thai Chicken Wings — Crunchy herb-infused Thai wings with house tangy tamarind dipping sauce
• Bang Bang Chicken — Poached pulled chicken, crispy Asian vegetables, coriander, peanuts, sesame crunchy chilli sauce
• Brisket Cheese Dumplings (6pc) — Deep fried brisket and cheese dumplings with tomato relish
• Hainanese Chicken Dumplings (6pc) — Steamed Hainanese chicken and herb dumplings in ginger and spring onion broth
• Green Papaya Salad — Smashed unripe papaya, cherry tomatoes, green beans, peanuts, sweet sour salty Thai sauces (vegetarian)

Frequently asked questions

What kind of food does Blue Ox Babe serve?

A combination of low 'n' slow BBQ and Asian fusion BBQ. Meats are cooked in a Texas-built off-set pit named Eleanor for up to two days over NZ pohutukawa wood, while the fusion menu draws on the team's experiences throughout Asia.

When is Blue Ox Babe open?

Wednesday to Sunday: lunch from 12pm–3pm, drinks and snacks 3pm–5pm, and dinner 5pm–late. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Do I need a booking?

Online reservations are available and recommended, especially for dinner. Groups of 12 adults or more can enquire about a low 'n' slow BBQ set menu served per table of six.

Is there parking on site?

Free parking is available on Manukau Road or across the road in The Warehouse complex. Free mobility parking is at the rear of the premises — let the team know before arriving by phone, email or direct message.

Are there vegetarian or gluten-free options?

Yes — vegetarian dishes are marked on the menu, such as the green papaya salad and tofu noodle salad. Items marked GI contain gluten ingredients; all other items use gluten-free ingredients and are handled with care to minimise cross-contamination.

Can I get takeaway?

The weekday lunch dishes are available dine-in or takeaway, and big takeaway orders are preferred pre-ordered.

Tips

• {"body":"The fusion menu is built for sharing — two small plates and one large plate for every two people; for BBQ, go three meats and two sides between two.","title":"Order for the table"}
• {"body":"The day runs in three sittings: lunch 12–3pm, drinks and snacks 3–5pm, and dinner from 5pm until late, Wednesday to Sunday.","title":"Time your visit"}
• {"body":"There's a low 'n' slow BBQ set menu served to tables of six, available for groups of 12 adults or more — enquire ahead via the contact page.","title":"Bringing a crowd?"}
• {"body":"Weekday lunch is dine-in or takeaway, and large takeaway orders are best pre-ordered.","title":"Pre-order big lunch takeaways"}
• {"body":"The dessert list is worth the wait — ube halo halo, lychee coconut panna cotta and a strawberry matcha, red velvet and ube sponge cake trio.","title":"Save room for dessert"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids' menu with a bento box and a cheese burger","dietary":"GI-marked items use gluten ingredients; other items use gluten-free ingredients handled to minimise cross-contamination. Vegetarian options marked on the menu","parking":"Free parking on Manukau Road or across the road in The Warehouse complex","accessibility":"Free mobility parking at the rear of the premises — notify them before arriving by phone, email or message"}