Holy Smoke — Restaurant in Saint-Gilles - Sint-Gillis

Summary:

5- star service 3- star food and drink

Quick notes: great service, cool spot, the pit turned out well-smoked meat with not enough flavour to pack a punch, a little bit of an uninspiring meal. Old fashioned was way too sweet. Super tasty fennel salad. I'll go back in hopes that I caught their kitchen on an off night.

Holy smoke was a great experience with average barbecue. As soon as you walk in you'll notice that it's immaculate, sleek and smooth, and beautifully laid out. You'll also be greeted with a welcoming smile, which by itself is enough to make we want to go back. That set the tone for good, attentive service throughout the night. A+ on that note.

The brown liquor menu is extensive. I ordered a 5cl glass of Willett 3y and it came with ice (on the side, yeah!), a glass of cool water, and some peanuts. Smoked peanuts! Great way to introduce the dinner, strong theming, on that note a really nice touch. The fact that I ravenously noshed on them while also nursing fine American whiskey was my personal error, they did blanket the flavour of the rye.

Food time: four of us (including two quite petite ladies) shared the "Diet Another Day" platter— top points on the pun. It's designed for three but was just the right amount for our four top. Brisket, sausage, ribs, dirty chopped brisket chilli, and pulled pork with sides (slaw, cornbread, fennel/red onion/fennel seed salad, and potatoes) served with three sauces. Looked beautiful, smelled beautiful. Unfortunately....

Taste wasn't there. The brisket was beautifully cooked, well proportioned between meat and fat cap and super tender with a little crisp, definitely the winner of all the meats. It just didn't have the beefy, welcoming flavour that I look for in barbecue. The sausage was also good, it had the most flavour of all the mains. The ribs were tender and fall-off-the-bone but again, didn't pack a punch. Finally, the pulled pork was dry, not a little, or kind of, but dry. The three sauces that came with the meats were largely unassuming, none of them added that kick that I or my table mates needed.

When it comes to barbecue, My heart lies in North Carolina. I love the tangy, zest that comes from vinegar-based sauce. Texas barbecue is all about the meat, and I appreciate that when the meat speaks for itself. In this case the meat didn't speak for itself, instead of a harmonious choir we got a monotone of flavour from four different cuts.

Now, probably the most irksome thing.

I ordered a double old fashioned. 15€, not cheap but a good cocktail is always worth it. I asked for no sugar, usually not a problem, to which the server replied that it would be difficult to make. Apparently they use a base which is sugared and is hard to separate from the cocktail. She said she could do it for me. What I received was super sweet. I'm from Canada, we're a whisky drinking culture. Bourbon in my books is already sweet enough, I couldn't taste the liquor at all over the sugar. If I was given a non-sugared cocktail then the garnish alone was so sweet it drastically altered the taste of my cocktail. If you're going to pride yourself on whisky, let the people taste the whisky!

Saving grace: the dirty brisket chili was dang good. A little cheesiness, a little bit of heat without being spicy, I'd definitely eat that again. Also, the fennel salad was...

Definitely a unique venue as far as Brussels is concerned, but don't let the smokescreen blind your judgement. Having dined at the original Pitt Cue in nearby London, I hold this as my standard to aspire to for northern european smokehouses, and yes, this does mean you will do well to compete, but behind the outstanding bourbon cocktails, warm ambiance and friendly service, was the food at Holy Smoke actually that good?

A group of 7 of us went and have to say that for food to be cooked for up to 20hrs in some cases you really would expect it to be ultra tender and falling off the bone. However we found many of the meats still quite resistant and fibrous in texture, this was not something I expected. Surely it should be voluntarily tumbling onto the plate after initial contact with your dining implement like an aged russet oak leaf in November?

The sides were nothing to shout about, even if they were different to the usual smokehouse restaurant bolt-ons, but ultimately their taste was quite forgetful. We did enjoy some generous nachos to start with a high level of care and attention. Desserts were again slightly disappointing. For example, a very firm cheesy attempt at a cheesecake with minimal effort to carry any sweetness was stodgy and heavy.

Did we have a pleasant time? Yes we did, was that because of the langourous nature of the evening and the 5 bourbon cocktails we had each, or because of the quality of the food? In all honesty the expertly made cocktails probably contributed to our enjoyment more than the food. We really had high expectations, and to be frank; yes it is a lovely experience, but the meat does not match the hype and buzz created by this new and original establishment...

Went there with a few friends, be warned that during COVID they close earlier and you have to make a reservation. If you don't, they will ask your numbers if you want to be put in a waiting queue, if place opens up they will call you. The restaurant is small when seeing from outside but once you enter you udnerstand that it's much bigegr inside that what you can expect from the street, they even have a small garden/terrase if you are a smoker to eat at. The staff ther eis young and friendly, it feels like they do their best to accomodate you. Regarding the food the meat there is excellent, no questions asked. The portion they gave are big and if you can finish everything you can be proud. Be carefull about the nachos, the friendly waitress warned us that it was quite filling but we took it anyway: that thing is like a meal in itself ! They provide wiskey too with the meat to give you a great combinaison of flavors ! Didn't saw desserts but let's be honest you won't need one. It's a bit pricy tough, it's a meat restaurant afterall, but well worth it when you see your...