Smokehouse at Steve's — Restaurant in Graham

Tonight was probably my 20th time at the Smokehouse and it will be my last.

A few visits ago, I decided I’d never order ribs again because they had such a strong, weird, chemically, smokey flavor that did not appeal to me. But, the brisket stayed tasting good for multiple visits after that- until tonight. Tonight, it’s smoke flavor was also unappealing and overpowering.

Neither me nor my two teenagers would eat it. Also, the kids’ Mac n Cheese was bone dry and very bland.

I would have just quietly not returned again after tonight, however, because a rude employee snapped at me when I was leaving I decided something needed to be said. This interaction prompted me to leave this review because now not only was the food disappointing (and that can be subjective), but the service was objectively bad as well.

The Smokehouse is a counter-service restaurant so when you finish eating there, you are responsible for carrying your plate up, emptying it into the trash and separating utensils from plates. We were there at peak dinner time so this area was pretty gross with spilled leftovers around the opening. As I was emptying my plate, I said to my kids, “I actually hate places where I have to clean off my plate and see everyone else’s leftovers.” An employee who overheard me angrily retorted something to the effect of, “Well, you don’t mind doing it at McDonalds”.

So…firstly, I wasn’t talking to her- I didn’t even see her walking up. I was talking to my children. Secondly, I don’t have to separate dirty plates and forks into containers with other people’s dirty dishes at McDonalds, and thirdly, I don’t spend $60 for 3 at McDonalds which is pretty hefty for a counter-service experience.

Smokehouse is a beautiful restaurant with a great vibe, great little attached store, and a couple of good things on the menu but sadly, their claim to fame..the “smoke” is not appetizing anymore and the nasty girl who represented them tonight ensured that they’ve lost me for...

I visited Steve’s Garden Market & Smokehouse for dinner and ordered a one-meat, two-sides plate with smoked wings, mac and cheese, and potato salad, plus a side of ranch and a slice of chocolate cheesecake from the market.

Food Breakdown: • Smoked Wings (3/5) – I went in expecting crispy wings and didn’t realize they were smoked. That was on me! The smoky flavor was deep, but I prefer a crunch, so I tossed them in the air fryer at home. Still, I probably wouldn’t order them again. • Mac & Cheese (2/5) – It came with bacon bits, which I wasn’t expecting. While that was an interesting twist, the mac itself tasted like mass-produced, quick-serve mac and cheese—not bad, but not great. • Potato Salad (4/5) – The star of the meal! Easily one of the most flavorful potato salads I’ve had. The only reason it’s not a 5/5 is that the potato chunks were huge—you only get about 4-5 chunks in the cup, which makes it feel more like a side of potatoes than a salad. Still, I’d order it again individually! • Hush Puppies (Not a Fan) – Super crispy on the outside, but the inside felt lacking. • Chocolate Cheesecake (5/5) – The absolute best thing I ordered. Rich, creamy, and worth coming back for!

Final Thoughts:

I probably wouldn’t return to the smokehouse for a meal, but I will absolutely be back for the market. They have fresh produce, and I picked up some mustard and turnip greens for my bearded dragon. Plus, that chocolate cheesecake is a must-have!

If you’re stopping by, I’d recommend checking out the market section—and definitely grabbing a slice of cheesecake!

⭐ Overall Experience: 3/5 🍽️ Food Highlights: Potato Salad & Cheesecake 🛒 Best Reason to...

Took my husband to Smokehouse At Steve's today for his birthday. It was our first time and our last. First let me start off by saying my husband and I are originally from (#DMV - MD, DC, VA). I like that there's outdoor seating. I was thrown off with their grocery store being inside the restaurant and that there were seating very close near their grocery.store (Steve's Garden Market)🤔. Both my husband and I odered their "1 Meat Platter w/2 sides" and sweet tea. Our meat of choice was bar-b-que smoked pulled pork (nooo sauce came on the meat, heavy vinegar taste😝🙄)...Must be a NC thing lol. And would've been great for the."smoked meat" to have been hot and not warm. Thank goodness they had some on the table. When we added onto our pulled smoked pork, Oooh what a much better difference it made to the meat and it helped make it taste less vinegary 😉👍🏽!! The sides I chose were baked beans and scalloped potatoes (warm, not hot) and hushpuppies (picture included) and my husband chose their mac & cheese and collard greens which he too says could've been hot instead of warm( picture included) and hushpuppies. Ok, my scalloped potatoes were so-so and my baked beans👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽 tasted like pinto beans in a very bland red sauce w/pulled pork added, and both of our hushpuppies were hard as I don't know what 👎🏽👎🏽. My husband said for his collard greens and his mac & cheese had No smokey flavor what so ever. He too agrees that the hushpuppies wayyy too hard. It sucks that his birthday dinner was 👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽😔. Not worth the $30.00 I paid, more like $12 total. Really...