Smokehouse Tavern — Restaurant in Lansdale

TLDR. Food was average, prices were too high for what is being served, service was slow despite not having even half capacity, seating choice was less than optimal. Staff were very friendly when we saw them.

First impressions the restaurant is huge. Tall ceilings and over a dozen TV screens line the walls which can be clearly viewed from almost any angle.

The booth having a large spot of bright red duct tape over the seat was a bit of a turn off. Additionally we were sat right next to the door to the outdoor seating, so every time the server opened the door the wind blew our napkins all over the table. Not my definition of the most pleasant seating arrangement for sure especially since there were multiple other options. And when we attempted to order non-alcoholic drinks it turned out they didn't have multiple of their menu options.

For appetizers we ordered garlic knots, pretzel bites, calamari, cheesy garlic bread, and fried pickles.

First impressions of the appetizers the portion sizes were average and didn't fall in line with what felt like inflated prices. The batter on the calamari was light and flakey, with a distinct lack of oil which was a nice change. Equally the garlic knots were not drowning in oil which was a positive for me. Unfortunately for the garlic knots their flavor didn't meet standards. My husband described their flavor like frozen pre-made garlic knots. I couldn't place exactly what it was but I tasted something off about them. The pretzel bites were soft with a hint of sweetness in the pretzel dough and served with nacho cheese dip which for some reason was quite congealed. Of all the appetizers the fried pickles were certainly the hottest in regards to temperature they felt direct out of the fryer. I was assured the pickles were dill, though the flavor didn't quite match what I expected from a dill pickle. They were not "bad" just not the best I've ever had. I will say the batter they use tasted unique as well as the texture.

The cheesy garlic bread melted in my husband's mouth and had a unique aftertaste.

For entrees I had the meatloaf that was recommended by our server. My husband ordered the BBQ sampler.

The fries that came with the sampler were seasoned properly and had a pleasant taste. The cinnamon apples were especially tasty. The brisket was tender, pulled apart easy, with a palatable sauce. The pulled pork tasted heavily of smoke. The ribs were fall off the bone with a good inner flavor but the outer crust had an overpowered smoke flavor that took over the palate.

The mashed potatoes that came with my meatloaf tasted like instant mash and were very dry. The plate didn't feel worth it's price tag. The meatloaf itself was moist though the sauce it was drenched in obliterated it's flavor.

Their rotating dessert menu left much to be desired for me, with the choices being between chocolate cake, limoncello, and plain cheesecake, I skipped dessert. My husband partook in the chocolate cake and rather enjoyed it, even though the texture was that of cake that had sat out in the open air for a while. Meaning the outter edges of the cake were rather tough and dry.

While our server was attentive, when it came time for refills he was no where around. He mostly stayed behind the bar and despite us putting the empty glasses and plates at the end of the table he paid them no mind. Even going so far as to check on the table next to ours, twice, but not pay ours any mind. The hostess who sat us finally refilled our drinks.

Overall not my worst dining experience but would not male my top 10. The staff were quite friendly when you actually got to see them, I would have appreciated more attentiveness especially given the...

I'm not one to write bad reviews because everyone has a bad day but our experience here was exceptionally disappointing. I have never seen less hustle from a wait staff or been served worse food for the price that was being charged.

Here is the breakdown of events.

5 minutes till host shows up Additional 5 minutes to server 10 more minutes until drinks show up Drink was incorrect. Vodka soda is a vodka club soda... not vodka Coke...a good bar tender knows this. Cheese was fried out of the jammed shrimp (our appetizer) which means it was over cooked.

Servers seemed very disconnected from the job. The place was not that busy. I'm saying this as someone who has spent 10 years in food service so I know what busy looks like

Burger was over cooked. Server forgot mayo and didn't check in until much after the food was delivered.

Salad was sloppy. They put the lettuce core in the bowl and the Salmon was burnt / over cooked.

We expressed our disappointment and we were still charged full price. I My fiance didn't even get to eat. Her plate was inedible. felt bad leaving a very small tip but the server didn't make the effort to have the item removed from the check. Something that could have very easily made the situation better. We may have considered giving the place another chance some day.

We won't be...

First of all I love to give positive reviews for anywhere. When you took over this restaurant in June 2018, many of us had high hopes. We had a few good take outs and then the last month, I’m not sure what has happened. We get take outs often because we are a business and order because your close and want to give our fellow neighbors business. Most of the time when we call, it isn’t the friendliest of interactions. A little bit of staff training would help in that department. Recently- I ordered a salad with grilled shrimp on it. The shrimp was boiled and my lettuce was watery and container was barely full. My other staff member said her salad was the same except for her chicken was rubbery and she said it tasted like it had been microwaved (warmed up). This isn’t first time In the last few orders that we have been so disappointed. The wraps were amazing a few months back, but now? Not sure what’s up?

Hope you all can figure it out. We might order one more time. Otherwise there’s another local place that we love their salads and they deliver. We might just have to go there on a regular basis. Please check out your kitchen see what’s going on and hopefully you can make things right all around. Having a business isn’t easy, but one thing I know you have to have systems and you need to be...