Smoke Collective Barbecue — Restaurant in North Island

Drawn in by glowing online reviews, we decided to try out this popular barbeque eatery. It offers both outdoor and indoor seating. The rustic smokehouse décor immediately sets the right mood: wooden accents and industrial lighting. We were however hoping to be welcomed by the comforting aroma of barbeque smoke in the air though this was non-existent. The staff were attentive and friendly, ensuring we were well looked after throughout the meal. We opted for the jalepeno poppas and the 3 Meat Sharing Platter, eager to sample the best this place had to offer. The platter came with a generous selection of sides which were fresh and flavourful. Unfortunately, the meats themselves were inconsistent. The beef and cheese kransky was decent but nothing unique, lacking the punch or smokey character that would make it memorable. The smoked pork belly, while rich felt overly fatty and oily and disappointingly, it lacked the deep smokiness one expects from a proper smokehouse. The biggest letdown however, was the brisket — dry, tough, and far from the tender, juicy cut that defines great barbeque. While the atmosphere and service were commendable, the food — particularly the meats — fell short of expectations. Given the hype, it’s a shame the flavours didn’t quite live up to the promise. We came here based on strong online reviews, but sadly, we’re not sure if we’ll be returning...

The person tending the till was very nice and volunteered to bring our order to our car while our baby was sleeping. Ordered for takeaway and I think it was a mistake as we were staying somewhere 15 minutes away and the smell was so good and we had to resist the temptation to just pull over and eat. We ordered the barbecue platter with brisket and pork belly and when we thought it was good for two people, it was actually good for at least three with an appetite. Brisket was really soft an infant can pull it apart. Pork belly was really nice and we liked it better than the brisket but that doesn’t mean the beef should be forgotten. Shame we did not order extra sauce and asked for something spicy to add which could have elevated an already great experience. Overall great food and great service. Will stop by again when we...

We had Smoke Collective Barbecue cater our work Christmas party, and it was an absolute hit! From start to finish, the team was a pleasure to deal with—super responsive, answering all my questions quickly and making the process stress-free.

On the day, the food arrived hot, fresh, and ready to serve. It was simply fantastic! The smoked meats were perfectly cooked and full of flavor, and the sides—corn on the cob, slaw, and roast potatoes—were the perfect complements. Our team couldn’t stop raving about how delicious everything was!

If you’re looking for catering that’s not only incredibly tasty but also hassle-free, I can’t recommend Smoke Collective Barbecue highly enough. We’ll definitely be using them again for...