Smokey Sensations — Restaurant in Las Cruces

I was eager to sample their tantalizing specialties when perusing Smokey Sensations' diverse menu. After much deliberation, I decided on the California burrito and a side of collard greens. However, my enthusiasm quickly turned to dismay upon receiving my to-go order.

For $12, I expected some heft to the burrito, but what I received looked more like a jumbo egg roll. The small paper tray holding the $4 collard greens compounded my disappointment with the paltry portions. I was dumbfounded at the puny size and contemplated scolding the chef. Nevertheless, I decided to withhold judgment until sampling the food itself.

To my delight, the burrito - or egg roll - packed an immense flavor punch. The steak harmonized beautifully with the house-made guacamole, while the fries added a delightful textural contrast. The chef's novel technique of grilling the burrito proved instrumental in achieving such sublime tastes. Despite the disappointing portion, those robust flavors have me craving another of these distinctive "egg roll" burritos.

In stark contrast, the collard greens were the worst I've ever encountered. Egregiously under-seasoned and undercooked, they were practically inedible - I endured an aching toothache after struggling through a few bites. One ill-advised bite even left me with a temporary toothache, leaving me utterly flabbergasted that such an insult to collard greens could fetch a $4 price tag for a scant spoonful and a half.

Smokey Sensations offered extreme highs and lows on this first visit. The california burrito was a revelation, while the collard greens were an abject failure. Still, the potential glimpsed in that solitary menu item leads me to recommend giving this establishment a fair chance.

3/5

On my visit to this local eatery, I was thoroughly impressed by the flavors and quality gracing my plate. The Korean-style beef ribs were the shining star, with a perfect balance of sweet and savory. The chef's expert preparation rendered the meat sublimely tender, making every bite a delightful experience.

The accompanying mac salad surpassed all expectations, with perfectly cooked noodles – a rarity in many establishments. The addition of tuna was a delightful surprise, adding depth and texture that I had sorely missed. The yellow rice, though flavorful, played a supporting role to the other standout items on the plate.

I highly recommend savoring the ribs with the mac salad – a combination that will satisfy you utterly. My only minor critique is that the premium sides upgrade should be more reasonably priced when ordered as part of a plate rather than as an extra side. However, the quality justifies the cost, as this is a premium offering.

Intrigued by the jerk chicken burrito, I inquired about the size and was displeased to learn it would be comparable to my previous visit's California burrito. Despite the price-to-size ratio being a bit steep, my fond memories of the beef ribs and the California burrito from my last visit quelled any hesitation.

The jerk chicken burrito itself was a delightful surprise. While not overwhelmingly spicy, it offered an authentic kick that perfectly complemented the savory sauce and yellow rice. To the chef, I recommend adding corn to this dish, but I can only imagine how adding corn would have further elevated the flavors.

Although my first experience at this establishment didn't meet expectations, this second visit firmly established it as a culinary destination worth seeking. I eagerly anticipate this eatery's well-deserved recognition within the local...

Where do I even start with this one? Let’s break it down, so you know why I gave the rating I did.

Food – 3 stars: Alright, I came in excited for this Dino rib, ready to channel my inner caveman. But man… this wasn’t it. The meat did come off the bone, I’ll give them that, but it was chewy—like I was gnawing on a rubber tire. It was cold too, like it had been sitting backstage waiting for its big debut but never made it to the spotlight. I tried pulling it apart with my fingers like I was on some BBQ survival show, but no luck.

Then there was the BBQ sauce. I get that every place has their own secret recipe, but this one tasted like the secret was watered-down apple cider vinegar. It was so thin I could’ve sworn they just waved the bottle over the plate without actually pouring it. Even my sidekick looked at it and said, “Bro, that’s like pure liquid.”

Now, the onion rings. Oh boy. When they brought them out, I thought maybe they were going for a rustic, extra-crispy vibe. But nah—these rings were black like they’d been forged in Mount Doom. I figured, “Hey, maybe they taste better than they look.” Nope. Biting into one felt like chewing on a piece of charcoal. I half expected smoke to come out of my mouth.

Service – 5 stars: Here’s where things turned around. I waved down the waitress and showed her the onion rings. She took one look, smiled like she knew exactly what was up, and swapped them out for fries without hesitation. Respect. She kept checking on us, asking if we liked the food. My buddy and I just gave the universal, polite “It’s okay,” which, as we all know, really means not great. But she handled it like a pro, flashing those courtesy smiles while probably knowing deep down we weren’t loving it.

Then came this dude—some Black guy walking around like he owned the place. And maybe he did own it. But honestly? We didn’t care. He came up to us, asked how the food was, and we lied straight through our teeth: “Oh yeah, it’s okay.” Meanwhile, we both knew it was not okay. Then he launched into this whole story about something—I couldn’t even tell you what because I wasn’t paying attention. I just nodded, trying to look interested, low-key nervous when he mentioned that he actually did own the joint.

Atmosphere – 2 stars: The vibe? Tight. And I don’t mean cool. There was this family behind me, and every time the lady stood up, I felt like I was about to get smacked by her backside. I was bracing for impact like I was in a bumper car. A little more space between tables would...

Smokey Sensations is a phenomenal Barbecue place that always delivers on quality,

As a central Texan turned New Mexican, normally I'd get pretty spoiled with our Barbecue options when visiting family. I'd like to say I have no reason to visit central Texas to get my fix for good, delicious, amazing barbecue. I got the mixed meat plate that I got with brisket and jerk chicken, since the plates come with 2 generous sides, I got the Mac and cheese and dirty rice, I honestly find myself craving those sides they were so good! Also some of the best Barbecue I've had, and I grew up in Texas! The prices on food I believe are fair, I will say drink prices seem a bit steep, especially for the cup sizes and some of the drinks are in pre purchased bottles, at 4$ a drink it really starts inflating to 50 bucks for two people rather then a more reasonable 40, depending on your entree choice. To justify such prices, I'd like to see increasing sizes on cups and maybe moving away from bottles if feasible at that price point, or changing the cost of the bottles to a more reasonable 2.50 or 3.

I brought my mother by to give it a try, she's lived in Texas all her life as well, her comments about the food? "Central Texas should take some notes!", best praise I can think of from a woman such as her!

The staff is excellent, friendly, and genuinely happy to help you out. Everyone I interacted with was happy to make things right, I'm glad to see staff empowered to do what they think is right in the moment, more places should do this, it feels good to know that there is no fuss, no problems, just make it right. The owner himself comes out frequently, working and checking on customers, interacting with them and ensuring everyone is enjoying their food and that it is at the quality he set. He is a fantastic man to interact with and understands quality.

While drinks are a minor pain point on cost, I am swayed to a perfect score by the sheer quality of the food for the price, as well as the amazing staff/owner (full disclosure, I'm assuming he's the owner from how we interacted). Id recommend this place to anybody and everybody to give it a go if you haven't yet. If you are skeptical, I demand you go...