Smoke BBQ — Restaurant in East Windsor

They say that you can judge a BBQ restaurant by its brisket. If they can nail one of the hardest cuts to get right, then they're probably pretty good.

I do my own smoking, so it's rare that restaurant BBQ impresses me. Because of that, I'd been avoiding eating here. But the other day I was looking for something different for lunch and decided to finally give Smoke a try.

Naturally I decided to give their brisket sandwich a try.

The 8" grinder roll was advertised as holding 8 oz. of meat, but it felt like there was more than that - I couldn't finish it all in one sitting. The brisket had a solid smell of hickory smoke and a thin, but noticeable smoke ring.

The meat was moist and still had a good bite to it - it didn't crumble like some poorly cooked briskets will do. The meat is topped with American cheese, but I think a sharp, smoked provolone would have been better.

The other standard by which BBQ restaurants are compared is their sauce. Smoke has a choice of a sweet honey sauce or their spicy aged cayenne sauce. I went with the spicy variety and was disappointed. There was an overall lack of flavor from a sauce that should have had some kick based on the name. It reminds me of when McDonald's came out with their ghost pepper chicken sandwich. The name promised a lot, but the sauce failed to deliver.

But let's not let the sauce detract from the real star, the meat. This was the second best brisket I've ever had at a restaurant. BT's in Sturbridge is still the best, by far, that I have ever had. It's even better...

Yeah...your not gonna find a better smoke house promise! Been all over the country and this is my favorite. Never need to try another. Super side bonus they have the BEST Pierogis in so many different potato combination your sure to leave with more than you planned. Don't leave without grabbing a fresh kielbasa or two from the case! All their sides are uniquely jacked up with extra zestiness and lots of whatever veggies compliment them. The portions are absolutely insane, I don't know how they do it? You cannot even compare the value to anything I have seen in over a decade. The service is also incomparable in competence and graciousness. The kind of experience you will only find in a family run establishment. For your catering needs, years ago I tended bar for a wedding in their ballroom. They catered for the reception, Jerk chicken and an array of cultural favorites for them. Excellent, over the top, beautifully displayed buffet, most impressive...

Fantastic hidden little gem. For me, brisket is generally the tell-all about how good a smoke house is. A bad smoke house will have brisket that is tough and dry that will pull out of your sandwich and leave you longing for a steak knife. That is not the case here. The brisket was fresh and juicy. It came right apart with each bite, the connective tissue properly dissolved, and the little bit of fat on the meat melted like butter. Come the last bite, the only thing I wished for was a larger belt. The Mac & Cheese was delicious. It had a nice smokey flavor that wasn't overpowering. It was a little grainy and not perfectly creamy as I prefer but all in all I'm willing to overlook that and give it another go. It would certainly pair better with some pulled pork and BBQ sauce. I look forward to my...