Barbecue joints fall into that small subset of restaurants where a divey look can be seen as an attraction instead of a warning sign. However, the Mountlake Terrace address of Gabriel’s Fire had gone beyond that point, spending years shifting from one failing restaurant to another, until even a Yelper commented that the building seemed doomed. I barely noticed when a new sign went up a few months back. Then food writer Sonja Groset gave a gustatory sigh of pleasure after a dinner stop there, and I realized that Gabriel’s Fire is the same place that had drawn fans for years in a Ballard storefront, including a cheer from meat maven Leslie Kelly. Instead of just driving by the next time, I drove off with a sublime brisket sandwich, another filled with pulled pork, and a couple sides (a bit smaller than I expected, at $3.50 for 6 ounces of mac ‘n cheese, but good). Later, Monty Slimp, who owns the place with brother Gabe, filled me in on their northward move.