Blue Ember Smokehouse — Restaurant in Jonesboro

This was my first time dining here. It is set up like a cafeteria, in a way. When you walk in, it's basically an assembly line to get your meal made. The first section is your meat. You watch them prepare it in front of you, which I like. After the meat is the sides or toppings for whatever meal you selected, and then there's a salad set-up. I will say, because it was my first time eating here, this assembly line style was not common sense. I feel like the workers were polite, but maybe could have been a little more informative about how things work. The setting is somewhat classy,especially the outside. As far as the outside goes, the smokers are right by the front door, in a room, but it can make the front area smoky and smelly. Back to the food.. quality wise, it was average. It could have been more warm, and certain portions could have been bigger. I got pulled pork nachos for $9.99 plus tax. Not enough cheese on the nachos, and was just a small portion, really. I got a side of Mac n cheese, which was good, but not the best. My mother got the burnt ends, which she said were tasty and had a sweet BBQ sauce on them. She also got corn on the cob, which she loved and was delicious. As well as green beans with small bits of bbq. The green beans were NOT GOOD. I wouldn't advise eating them unless you like a strong, smoky flavor. Lastly, we got toast, and it was not warm and wasn't even really toasted. I'd say the experience is very cool, and the concept is interesting, but the food itself, on that visit, was not worth the money. The meal cost $40. I would go back, maybe once more, just to share the experience with my husband, but I would get something...

I was truly disappointed in this place, hence my low ratings. When you go in you will look at the menu on the wall, place your order as you begin to walk thru the line. For me, a BBQ baked potato means a hot cooked potato with BBQ meat of choice, sauce, then lots of melting butter and all the toppings on top, but not this place! You must first select your choice of meat, which was not hot, maybe room temperature if you're lucky, then you are asked what sides. So if you think you are going to get a steaming hot baked potato, you don't! Mine was cold, very little butter which could not melt anyway and all toppings were like fresh outta freezer on top. So nope, if you're looking for a mouth watering BBQ baked potato, you, like me will be extremely disappointed. There seemed to be very little seasoning on their meats and the sides were lukewarm. And we had a wheelchair person with us, so when I asked could we please get help with carrying trays, one would have thought I had asked them to do some hard work. The cashier said no AARP discounts, which was almost seemingly disrespectful really. And the woman behind the counter at the Ice Cream center was so busy trying to answer the phone and getting out Door dash orders that she was a little rude and condescending. Then to add insult to the already way over priced meal of over $70 for 3, with one being that poor excuse for a BBQ baked potato, they charged for ice cream cones., with small being $3. We decided that with small coming at $3, we wouldn't ask about a large. So, with no service with a smile, no Thank you Please Come Agains, I felt a return visit for me was not going to be forthcoming any time soon...

Went to Blue Ember earlier this evening with my boyfriend, and the BBQ was great! The first thing we noticed coming up to the restaurant was the smell. Their smokers were right outside the front doors, and so both the sight and smell was enough to bring us in! When I first entered, I was a little confused, as I didn't know where to order at first, and I was also not expecting the cafeteria-like line set up, but my boyfriend had been there before so he was able to direct me to the correct place. I ordered the Special Ops, which gave me one rib, a 1/3 lbs brisket, 1/3 lbs of jalapeno sausage a 1/3 lbs of pulled pork, and baked beans which I substituted for fried okra. My boyfriend got a pulled pork sandwich with a corn on the cob and potato salad on the side. We both chose to put dry rub on our meats, and then we got three different sauces on the side: Original, Apple BBQ, and Hot n' Spicy. For drinks, you get cups you get to take home! When we sat down and finally got to try the food, I was blown away! The first thing I tried was the rib- when I picked it up, the meat was already falling off the bone with how tender it was. The brisket was phenomenal, almost tasting like soft jerky. The pulled pork paired with Original sauce was my go to, and I finished that first. I think my favorite had to be the sausage though. And you can never go wrong with fried okra! My boyfriend loved his order, especially the potato salad. He liked that they kept the potato skin on the potatoes. While the layout was a little confusing, the...