The Galax Smokehouse — Restaurant in Galax

I picked the Galax Smokehouse for a late lunch during the Hillbilly Dayz street festival. There were a few other diners when I went in and all tables were full except one when I was leaving. I was promptly greeted and taken to my table and my drink order was taken. I needed a little extra time to peruse the menu before deciding on a small pulled pork barbecue platter. It came with one side and I chose fried potatoes which were the most flavorful fried potatoes I’ve ever had. I think they were sprinkled with seasoned salt but I’m not sure what gave them the special flavor but I thought it was delicious. The potatoes were thinly sliced and cooked to have a little crunch but not hard and dry. The pork barbecue was moist and tender with no visible fat. It had a good flavor and the addition of the sauces brought out the flavor. The hush puppies were what I expected and had a hint of onion flavor. The outside was crunchy with a moist inside that was cooked completely but not dry. The bread was like a piece of Texas toast that had not been toasted. It was soft and had a pleasing taste. I got unsweetened iced tea (because I have Type 2 diabetes) and it was very good. It was the correct strength and not watered down. My food was served very quickly and the wait staff was attentive and helpful. I wanted to try their FAMOUS banana pudding because Southern Living magazine had featured it. On my first bite I recognized banana flavored pudding along with soft vanilla wafers. The bananas were the right consistency and not overripe. It was topped with a swirl of whipped cream. It truly was fabulous. My entire dining experience was pleasing and I was happy with the quality of the food and the...

I was looking forward to having a meal at one of our old favorites. We were regulars when the place opened for business but lately have not been able to come in as often. We stopped in one night in July right before closing, were treated well and couldn't wait to visit again on another trip. So, today we popped in during the late afternoon and found a totally different picture. We were only one of three tables and had a hard time getting waited on. The server seemed as though she either didn't like us or just didn't like working. We watched as our food was prepared, set on the counter and the bell tapped. Then the food sat. The food sat some more. There is nothing I dislike more than cold food so hubby went up and grabbed the prepared plates and we served ourselves. Our server arrived five minutes later, gave us our bill and told us that "ticket goes with the food. Sorry." I thought, things happen, we were eating, no big deal. But then I found plastic wrap in my meat. ???The server never came back to see how the food was or if we needed refills. She just disappeared so I didnt really find out where the plastic could have come from. So, in the end, the food was good despite the weird plastic, the place a little more worn as one would expect, but the kind of service we were used to just wasn't there. It just felt like the enthusiasm and care were gone. Maybe after 15 years it gets harder? Maybe late afternoon is a bad time to get a meal? Maybe we just had a server having a bad day? While I won't say, "I'll never eat there again," I don't think, if asked, that I could recommend the Smokehouse, and we probably won't go out of our way to eat at the Smokehouse...

Wow, what a find! I stopped her randomly as I was cruising the Blue Ridge parkway, looking at the leaves, mountains and everything in-between.

I got hungry and decided to head to the closet town to me, and happened upon this place after getting some gas and snacks at a gas station heading into town. My girlfriend is not from North Carolina, so I wanted to give her some NC BBQ experience, and this place DID not disappoint, in fact, they inspired me to smoke my own baked potatoes at home, who knew the smoker could make a mean baked potato? Well, these guys (and gals) apparently.

The inside is a typical NC BBQ joint – old cigarette advertisements, as well as Pepsi, metallic sculptures, folk art and the like.

We both got sandwiches, as it was just lunch and we had a nice dinner at home planned, so I got the brisket sandwich, and she got the pulled pork, both were good, but we both really enjoyed the brisket. The sauces on offer were also great, I tried them all, as a few were to spicy for her, but none the less, they all had great flavor and depth, and even the spicy ones had different elements other than “heat”. The star of the show was the “Smoked mashed potatoes” they potatoes on the smoker and smoke them for a few hours and then turn them into mash with butter, some cream and garlic and onion power, topped with cheese these mashed potatoes changed my world. As I said at the start of this review, I will be copying this idea at home, very shamelessly. I am glad I spotted them, and even happier that our lovely waitress told me they were...