The Smoke Pit — Restaurant in England

A Flavorful Journey at The Smoke Pit: A Must-Try BBQ Joint! A remarkable American smokehouse, bar, and BBQ restaurant nestled in the heart of Northampton. From the moment we stepped inside, we were captivated by the authentic ambiance, delicious food, and delightful staff. Our experience was nothing short of outstanding!

As avid graffiti fans, we were ecstatic to find the decor at The Smoke Pit to be an absolute work of art. The place truly captures the essence of urban culture, and we couldn't help but admire the skillful graffiti that adorned the walls. The unique and vibrant atmosphere added an extra layer of excitement, earning a perfect 10/10 for its feel and look.

The staff at The Smoke Pit were friendly, attentive, and always ready to lend a hand. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warm smiles and promptly seated. Throughout our meal, the waitstaff made sure we were well taken care of, providing excellent service without intruding on our conversations. Their knowledge about the menu and recommendations made our dining experience even more enjoyable.

Now, let's talk about the hot sauce selection! Oh boy, it was a spicy adventure! The Smoke Pit takes their hot sauces seriously, and it's a paradise for heat seekers. Be warned, though: some of those sauces pack quite a punch! We thoroughly enjoyed trying different varieties and discovering new levels of spiciness. It's definitely a challenge for those who dare, but oh so rewarding!

Lastly, let's talk about the star of the show—the food! The Smoke Pit truly knows how to deliver mouthwatering BBQ dishes. Each bite was a burst of flavor, perfectly cooked and infused with authentic smokehouse goodness. The meat was tender, succulent, and the portions were generous. From ribs to pulled pork, the food surpassed our expectations, leaving us with satisfied smiles and happy taste buds. It was one point—simply outstanding!

In conclusion, The Smoke Pit is a must-visit for any BBQ lover. From the incredible graffiti decor to the friendly and attentive staff, the entire experience was top-notch. Prepare yourself for a fiery adventure with their hot sauce selection, and don't miss out on their phenomenal food. We left The Smoke Pit with full bellies, great memories, and a newfound appreciation for exceptional BBQ. We can't wait to return for another...

It’s a few years since we’ve been to The Smoke Pit, so we thought we’d give it another go. Things are different this time; one of us is a pescatarian, and we now have two kids.

The place has changed a little; the decor is wild - with cool trinkets, quirky ornaments, and graffiti on almost every wall! It’s personal taste, but we loved the theme. There’s so much for the kids to look at, and it’s interesting. Right above where we were sat was an artwork of Disney characters. The toilets were excellent (well, as awesome as toilets get) - picture attached!

Ok, the menu. It is packed full of typical ‘meat smoke pit’ style dishes. They’ve got all the popular ones: burgers, ribs, a fish sandwich and a vegan burger. It’s not a comprehensive menu for Veggies, but there was an option or two, and that was enough for us. Fundamentally, it’s a meat place - and I think you’d have to be cool with that on the way in. We ordered a couple of sides, but we didn’t need to. The portion sizes were HUGE. There is a special note here for the kid's hotdog. We genuinely thought the kitchen had made a mistake in our favour and accidentally served up an adult meal. It was gigantic.

The fries had a super tasty seasoning; I thought sugar, perhaps because of a delicious sweet aftertaste. Oddly, the kid's hotdog meal had more fries than the adult's fish burger. But no complaints; we all had plenty enough.

The staff were also charming, polite and helpful.

Scores on the food;

Mac & Cheese Burger: 7.5/10 Hotdog: 5/10 Vegan Burger: 8/10 Fish Burger: 8.5/10

It's a pretty extensive drinks menu, too. We also went for a Brooklyn Special Effects (alcohol-free beer) and a few refills.

The bill came to £91, probably right given the quality and amount.

The not-so-great. It's pretty subjective, so please take this with a grain of salt. Firstly, the side of Mac n’ Cheese was ‘overly creamy’. I didn’t have any myself, so this is feedback from the family. Secondly, the side of onion rings. Like everything else, it's enormous. But a big slab of raw onion in the middle. They weren’t terrible, not what we expected, and looked better than they tasted. It's still ok though.

We’d come back. It was a great...

Definitely had some of the better smoked meats I've had. I got the katsu scampi and pulled pork, my boyfriend got the bad boy beef combo (which I tried some of everything from).

Katsu scampi had a good katsu sauce and it wasn't something I had been aware of working prior to coming to the smokehouse, would recommend for any enjoyers of katsu!

The burgers didn't seem great, the one with the combo was overcooked but the rest of the platter was exceptional.

I was surprised at how amazing their steak was, it's not something I'd usually order from a smokehouse and I'd usually reserve it for steakhouses but I'd recommend it for any steak lovers!

Pulled pork was pretty good and had a balanced barbeque taste to the pork, the portion was also pretty well sized.

The fries were good but someone at our table seemed to have a lot more salt on their fries despite not adding any themselves.

Drinks on offer were extensive, I only used the unlimited drinks and found Dr pepper with cherry which I really liked. There seemed to be an amazing range of bourbon and whiskeys on offer as well as interesting sounding cocktails (which I would have had if I wasn't driving).

Didn't try deserts as I was too full by then, but they sounded good. I'll have to try one out next time I visit.

There seemed to be a struggle to get drinks out from the staff and the table wasn't clear when we arrived but the server that took us to the table noticed and quickly cleaned it up. Maybe the menu needs to be more streamlined for the bar staff or perhaps just getting glasses out for the dispenser should take priority as we were waiting quite a while for just a glass.

Atmosphere was busy, somewhat loud due to the music and amount of people inside and very lively. Some of the people at our table weren't a fan of how loud it was, I didn't mind so much. Just trying to let whoever is reading this know what to expect.

I'd say 9/10 small improvements could be made but I'd definitely recommend for anyone that wants tasty smokehouse food which is really what eating out is...