SMOKE Pretoria — Restaurant in Gauteng

*My SECOND review on 13 November 2024: I visited SMOKE for the first time in June 2024. I had such an amazing time writing a 5-star Google review. The food was great, the service was valuable for the money, and the service was top-notch. So I took my husband there last night for our 3-year wedding anniversary. I had to contain myself with the disappointment I experienced. The menu clearly changed since my last visit - all good - however, the small plates are pathetic. One "meat" option, and if you want more or other meat, you need to order a R255+ main meal meat (noting this is WITHOUT a side). We decided to order 2 PLATTERS (not a starter, a PLATTER), which are supposed to serve 2-3 people. WHAT A JOKE!!! We received a small pan with two cheeses in it, topped with WARM grapes and exactly 2 x slices of ciabatta, cut into four small pieces. Furthermore, we ordered the 700g ribs - we received 6 pieces of ribs. Two mocktails, one cocktail, and a class of wine, as well as the mentioned SNACKS, ended up being a bill of R1200. The waitress was friendly and average at best, but nothing special. At an establishment like this, where you know, you will end up with over an R1000 bill, your servers need to be above average. When booking, I did indicate it was our wedding anniversary - would've been nice to even just have it mentioned.... after the food, we quickly wrapped up and couldn't wait to leave. Had dessert somewhere else being worried we might be even more dissapointed. It's almost like the waitress could feel our vibes and she suddenly just dissapeared and didn't show up to our table for a while.

The drinks = great The vibe = Love Service = Average Food & Value = NOPE, no no no value for basic food at best

I feel like such an idiot for blowing this place up so much after my first visit. It's ironic when a place becomes more popular, the value and quality of food just deteriorates. SMOKE went from my favourite place to my least favourite in one night.

*My FIRST review in June 2024: My friend and I had our celebratory birthday lunch at SMOKE. What a vibe! A beautiful restaurant - cozy, yet open. I cant remember the last time I've experienced this level of service before. Every member of the team is friendly, helpful and inviting. Pulane really made our experience even better! The food was tasty, the portions great and freshly made. Every drink served from the bar was meticulous made by the mixologist and handled with love and passion - not to mention, every drink was beautiful. I cant wait to go back. The...

I recently dined at Smoke in Hazelwood, Pretoria, and while the food was delicious, I found myself leaving with mixed feelings. The flavors and presentation were impressive, and it's clear that the kitchen staff takes pride in their work. My server was outstanding—attentive, friendly, and went above and beyond to ensure I had a great experience. Their service was definitely 5-star.

However, I noticed that management wasn't always empowered to make decisions that could enhance the customer experience. This lack of flexibility led to some frustration during my visit, as it felt like certain concerns couldn't be addressed on the spot.

While the food and service from my server were highlights, I believe that a bit more autonomy for the management team could go a long way in making every customer leave fully satisfied.

Below please find email I sent:

Hi Divan,

Thank you for reaching out. I appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on my experience at Smoke Restaurant. While there were some positive aspects, I believe a few improvements could elevate the experience from good to great and earn a 5-star rating.

Burger Preparation: The quality of the food was generally excellent, but I encountered an issue with the burger I ordered. I requested it medium, but unfortunately, both times it came out well-done. The manager was very accommodating and removed it from the bill after the second attempt. However, I noticed that the first burger seemed pre-prepared, as it was extremely dry and overcooked. The second one, though still overcooked, was much juicier, suggesting it was freshly made. Ensuring consistency in food preparation could greatly enhance the dining experience.

Drink Customization: I ordered a whisky sour, but since it was made with Glenfiddich, I asked if it could be substituted with Bulleit Bourbon, which I prefer. Even though Bulleit is slightly less expensive, I was willing to pay the full price for the substitution. Unfortunately, the manager informed me that it wasn't possible, which was a bit disappointing as a first-time customer. I felt like my request was reasonable and would have enhanced my experience at Smoke. Ultimately, I ended up giving the drink to a friend and ordering a Bulleit separately to make my own version.

I’m happy to discuss this further if needed.

Best...

I ate here last night, 28/11/2024, party of 4 people, I asked a waiter what piece of meat he recommends, to which he replied, the 8 hour smoked beef short rib, the item in the menu had absolutely no description how they make or prepare the dish it just literally says “8 hour smoked beef short rib R295”, when the food arrived it came with some kind of raspberry BBQ incredibly sweet basting, the short rib was 80% pure fat, but be careful the fat is in disguise as it looks like meat, On four occasions I literally spat out the what was in my mouth into a side plate, then once I cut away ALL the fat that I could see I was probably left with about 50 g of disgusting fatty incredible undelightfully sweet meat, it was disgusting but at that price point I ate the measly 50grams of actual meat, nobody came to our table to check up on how we are enjoying the food, not ONCE, if our waiter or waitress came to check up I would have spoken up but that didn’t happen, there was never a clear indication who our waiter or waitress is as they changed every time. When I got home I felt nauseated, I spent a good part of the evening on the toilet, woke up this morning with still a runny stomach plus an extra surprise of bad stomach cramps, lots of liquids and rehydrates to replace the liquids I lost, the last meal I ate was the short rib last night, time of writing 08:46 the following morning

EDIT: I was definitely planning on giving Smoke another try just trying something else because I loved the atmosphere with my two friends and wife, but after reading the sarcastic and childish replies by the owner to the bad reviews I am now even more disguised, this so called owner needs a lesson in managerial and business skills, these type of replies directly from the owner says a lot about the business and the incompetence in managing such said business, this behavior DOES NOT deserve to be supported, time of writing 09:13 the...