The new Sage Grill in Encinitas has taught me to never judge a restaurant by its location – even if it is positioned behind a Taco Bell in an everyday-looking strip plaza.

Outstanding food, reasonable prices and a sleek interior that includes a bar lounge and private wine room have become the winning trademarks inside this surprising gem with the modest facade. If Sage were to flaunt its unpretentious head in Hillcrest or downtown, you’d see hordes of repeat customers banging at the door for more of the kitchen’s fresh and lively fare, which smacks of gourmet quality without relying on strange garnishments and vertical presentations to win you over.

Urbanites could, in fact, see the restaurant emerge on the beaten track because the owners, a five-man partnership, are banking on the continued success of the Encinitas location before expanding outward with their ravishing repertoire of fish and meat entrees, toasted sandwiches and ultra-fresh salads.

Rule number one if you come here – start your meal with an order of Boneless BBQ Spareribs, which are grizzle-free and superbly tender. My dining companion, who normally abhors the texture of rib meat, suddenly ended up with 10 sticky fingers after helping me polish off the order. A slathering of sweet, smoky sauce helps give these boneless wonders their unmatchable quality.

We also went nutty over an appetizer portion of Vegetable Slaw, a superior medley of cabbage and carrots spiced with rice vinegar, a touch of oil and raw horseradish. An order of zippy Lobster Bisque with distinguishable chunks of lobster floating throughout impressed us too. And we loved the steel bowl of complimentary rustic bread brought to our table with three different types of pesto bursting with olives, cilantro and sun-dried tomatoes.

Making an entrée choice at Sage can be as difficult as deciding on drinks because temptation strikes from everywhere. In addition to a long-nosed wine list, the cocktail menu features “New Era” drinks such as Hypnotiq liquor served over ice or a Blood Orange Crush made with Cointreau. Another page offers “Short and Long” concoctions, where you’ll find the tequila-based Prickly Pear and semi-tart rum Mojito. Even better, the bar uses muddled fruit instead of those “puckered” liquors for making things like Watermelon Martinis, which tasted like a summer breeze gliding over our tongues.

The lure of a half-pound Blue Cheese Burger with applewood bacon got passed up for three entrees that we couldn’t resist trying. The big seller here is Miso Black Cod, a beautiful pan-seared filet marinated in miso and sake to the point where it becomes partially cooked. The deep tangy flavor was extraordinary. Ditto for the accompanying skewer of sweet grilled veggies that are brushed with Italian dressing.

The kitchen’s chef, Philip Jordan, clearly shows off his Mississippi roots with a Pan-Fried Catfish that’s too good to be true. The fish is soaked in buttermilk and then coated in a batter containing smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Additionally, the Santa Ynez Grilled Tri Tip sated my carnivore yearnings with a pile up of dry-rubbed beef slices that were as buttery-soft as filet mignon. The plate also included some terrific roasted potatoes accented heavily with rosemary. Not a single gram of food we ate lacked flavor or freshness.

Sage’s bright cuisine corresponds respectfully to the dining room’s stylish ambience, which features monorail lighting, lustrous hickory-wood flooring, metallic accents and a plasma-screen television in the teak-framed bar area. It’s an inviting establishment with friendly service that I won’t mind seeing multiply in more places around town.