Arctic Smokehouse BBQ — Restaurant in Alaska

As I understand this is a relatively new business, and likely working out their front line process which will get better in time. Service was great, the staff was very kind and accommodating, especially the employee working at the register, who offered to sub me a dessert for not having enough corn bread to fill my order.

Side note: I wish the wall menu was easier to read from the order line (a few people behind me had the same feedback) 3/5 for food as it was middle of the road. Was it amazing? Not quite. Was it terrible? No.

I will probably come back in a few months.

I ordered brisket and the St. Louis Style Ribs. I wish the brisket had been trimmed a little more prior to cooking, as the fat to meat ratio seemed more like pork belly—as a result it felt a lot heavier than expected. Flavor was balanced however, and texturally it was nice, not overly dry or anything like that. Flavor wise it was seasoned well enough but not too salty.

St. Louis style ribs - They looked really good and tender when they were being packed up, however upon tasting they were a little underwhelming. It seemed like the membrane on the ribs was still on which should have been removed prior to cooking. This could have been one of the reasons the meat was on the dryer side and not pulling off the bone as easily. It could also be because it was cooked at too high of a temperature for a short time, or a combination of that + the membrane. It was also a little on the saltier side.

Collard greens were good, however a little tough to chew. As I understand cooking them too long would make them too bitter, maybe removing the tough center stem as part of the prep would help improve the texture.

Peach cobbler - to improve the texture, it might be better to try frozen peaches (fresh would be great but hard in the winter time and thinking about cost effectiveness up here) which hold their shape better than canned, as the canned peaches get a lil mushy when cooked and are already pretty sweet. Then cooking them on top of that makes them extra syrupy sweet because the flavor concentrates from cooking it down.

With frozen you have more control over the final product and the sweetness. I know canned peaches are a popular and easy choice but this would be a huge upgrade to the current one (canned peaches kind of makes it seem more pre-made if that makes sense)? Especially for $10-15 price point from a restaurant vs the home cook canned peach option.

I also hope they look into other to-go packaging options for their corn bread muffins? It seems like a waste cost-wise to put a single muffin in its own plastic container, I dunno.

I did like the variety of sauces (nice to see Alabama white sauce too), and it’s nice they have a salad bar too.

I hope they get better with time with the continuous feedback they receive, as I do want them to succeed. It is promising to see they are reading + responding to the feedback the community gives...

To start: I'm incredibly excited for more BBQ options. I grew up in the south eating Oklahoma and Texas style BBQ. It's safe to say I've had my fair share. I've missed BBQ since I moved up here.

Unfortunately I'm not sure this joint deserves the moniker "Texas-style".

I ordered quite a bit for my first time as I wanted to get a good feeling of a fair amount of the menu.

The meats --- Brisket - Sliced is the only option it seems, it's dry. Far too dry. It was also lukewarm by the time I got to my table. I would give these a fair grade if a buddy of mine made it, but for a restaurant, this was poor. Ribs - these are St Louis style ribs, they are chewy, not tender, they don't slide off the bone, the seasoning was good but nothing special. It got stuck in my teeth quite a bit from the stringy chewy meat. These were okay

Pulled pork - truly bad. Like seriously do not order this. It was COLD stringy (honestly it was a tangle of very long very thin stranded meat, more like eating noodles than pulled pork) it did not taste good and it was very oxidized like it had been sitting out for too long.

Sides ----- Okra - this may be called okra on the menu and there may be okra inside of these but this is not "Fries Okra" I'm sorry. This was very poor. They weren't fully cooked through, and the batter was the strangest concoction. Frozen okra from the store is better than this.

Mac and cheese - this was good, it has a thick creamy consistency and decent flavor. Nice and hot temperature, overall "good"

Cowboy beans - this was also surprisingly good. I was worried it was too many things in a complicated bowl. One critique is that you really should add some chopped brisket with smaller pieces rather than the 2 half inch chunks I had in my entire bowl. Better dispersion of the meat would have made this side very good.

Cornbread - it's tough. I think they said it's a jalapeño cornbread but you can't really taste it. This wasn't quite hard as a brick, but it was close. Poor

Apple cobbler - this was bad. Truly bad. It was overly sweet. I don't have a great palete, but It tastes like I had a mouthful of honey with a hint of apple. It has the consistency of mashed potatoes. The breading on this was not crispy, not flaky, just mush. Extremely poor.

I really want this to be a restaurant I frequent. I LOVE good BBQ, but I'm really sorry to say this is not good BBQ.

The last thing I want to touch on is price. My FAVORITE championship BBQ restaurant in the world is literally half this price. I understand it's logistically more expensive to have a restaurant here than it is in Oklahoma or Texas, but in Oklahoma I'm paying $25 for twice the amount of food, as compared to the $31 single meat brisket platter...

Oh and the sauces were okay, unique but not great.

I'm very sorry to...

Arctic Smokehouse BBQ—this place is the real deal! Having just opened its doors, it's already serving up some of the best smoked meats I've had in a long time. They've absolutely nailed the true essence of low-and-slow barbecue. ​The Meats: Pure Perfection ​I ordered a platter to sample a few things, and everything was stellar. The brisket is a must-try. It boasts a beautiful, dark-red smoke ring, and it's so tender it practically melts in your mouth—no knife needed. The flavor is smoky, rich, and perfectly seasoned with a simple yet effective rub that lets the quality of the meat shine through. The pulled pork is equally fantastic, moist, and smoky, and it pairs perfectly with their tangy vinegar-based sauce (though honestly, it's good enough to eat plain). The ribs? They have that ideal "tug" that any BBQ purist will appreciate. They're meaty, flavorful, and fall off the bone just enough. ​Sides and Atmosphere ​While the meat is the star, the sides are far from an afterthought. The creamy mac and cheese is exactly what you crave, and the collard greens have a nice, smoky depth without being overly sweet. The restaurant itself has a fantastic, unpretentious, and casual vibe—it smells incredible from the moment you walk in. The staff are friendly, clearly passionate about what they're serving, and happy to offer recommendations. ​The Verdict ​If you're looking for authentic, top-tier barbecue, look no further. Arctic Smokehouse BBQ is not just a great new spot; it's a serious contender for the best BBQ in the area. Service is a little slow, but they just open and there's a huge learning curve. Get there early because they often sellout.This is a smashing debut, and I can't wait to go back for more. Highly...