Smoky Sam's BBQ — Restaurant in Castletown

I visited 2 weeks ago with my partner for my father in law's birthday and we were unfortunately really let down. We were seated close to the pass so during our time there all we could hear was the chef shouting rudely at his staff and them shouting yes chef. His staff seemed to be more and more stressed as the night went on and it was really unpleasant to hear how he spoke to them. Seemed to think he was Gordon Ramsay with the way he was talking. He kept commenting on how muddled he was, picking up and rearranging orders on the pass. I've since noticed that this man wasn't the owner so perhaps things run smoother when the owner is there. There were times we couldn't hear each other speak over the kitchen noise, the chef shouting or staff putting cutlery away. It was such an unpleasant atmosphere to be in. I felt so bad for the wait staff which is why I didn't remove the 10% tip at the end of the night. Perhaps those seated outside have had a better experience.

We were served by 3 different people while we were there and although they were nice, the service seemed so unorganised. We never received one of our sides. We had to ask for plates to eat off. The "smoked hasselback potatoes" weren't at all smokey and were undercooked. My partner found multiple feathers still in his chicken wings. The brisket was really overcooked and my father in law could barely cut into it let alone eat it.

A family beside us arrived with a young child and after waiting a long time to order they asked somebody if they could please order, they were told no because there was a table of 20 outside taking priority - I couldn't believe what I was hearing!!

We felt the menu was very misleading. Broccoli with 'almond and chilli butter' was just cold broccoli in a bowl of butter that had some chillis and 2 almonds in it. Granny smith slaw was an extremely basic coleslaw that I don't think even contained apple. Also the website showed a different menu which is the reason we went. When we arrived we were told that 4 things were unavailable, one of them being the turkey, however later in the night we heard someone order and receive the turkey dish! My partner's potatoes and chicken wings came covered in a white sauce which wasn't the one it said it came with - my partner doesn't eat mayo so we asked whether this contained mayo and were told no. We have since checked and know that it did. I'd advise being very careful coming here if you have an allergy or dietary requirement...

Don't intend to come here again and wouldn't recommend it to others but glad to see that others have had a much better experience than we did. Perhaps it was...

Great quality BBQ food that you won't find anywhere else on the Isle of Man!

The menu has a wide range of options but you're almost definitely going back again in future so you'll have plenty of opportunities to try everything! The food quality is great - there aren't cheap ingredients used, it's cooked to perfection, and you can tell a lot of care and consideration has gone into the menu and cooking of the dishes. Staff are super friendly and attentive (the kind of place where the chef may come and say hi if they're not rushed off their feet!) The restaurant (Castletown) has options to sit inside and out, but the vibes are equally great. The food is reasonably priced for good quality BBQ food (in my opinion). One of my favourite places to go to.

My only criticism is that when I've asked for food to be boxed off they have left the delicious homemade coleslaw off (but I'll have to remember to ask specifically to avoid that next time). It'd also be great to see some of the Foraging vinters menu items make an appearance in Castletown!

Specific recommendations: The burnt ends and...

The Best Vegetarian Meal on This Island in This Barbecue Smokehouse!

F&B Big Threes: Food: incredible; the best mac and cheese I've had in this part of the world; the Yorkshire pudding not only was crispy but it was also TASTY!; the slaw was incredible; loved the spicy barbecue greens

Service: the manager with the warm cap obeyed the #1 cardinal rule of hospitality and made me feel welcome: he was kind and patient and let me walk in and order takeaway with a smile though they were busy; he was incredibly nice which single diners for takeaway rarely get; the Yorkshire pudding was a gift and he got it for me with a SMILE; the open kitchen staff of young dedicated smiling team made me realize that this is a first-class run business with probably a really smart caring individual at the helm; I hope they put a profile picture here on their page...