Smoke Bayou — Restaurant in Louisiana

Disappointed by Service Despite Great Food I've visited Smoke Bayou four times at the new location, and while the food quality and flavor are consistently excellent, the service and operations leave much to be desired. On my most recent visit, I waited 1.5 hours for my food, only to be told that the side I originally ordered had sold out during the delay. The hostess eventually informed me that she had to prepare the order herself because the kitchen had refused to make it—even though I already paid. This level of internal miscommunication should never be visible to customers. Additionally, the front-of-house staff often avoids eye contact and engagement, which makes it difficult to ask questions or get assistance. The bar area is another weak point—despite being open, each time I've visited, it’s never staffed until closing time which is frustrating for guests who prefer to sit there. The bartender is heading out and it was 6:30pm. If there cannot be a dedicated bartender, adjust the posted schedule to reflect a permanent earlier closing time. To-go orders appear to be handled at the hostess stand, which clogs up the entryway and disrupts the flow for dine-in guests. A better system might be to route these orders through the bar area, which could also create opportunities for upselling drinks while customers wait. Overall, Smoke Bayou seems unprepared for the demands of its expanded space as of now. The food is the saving grace, but the lack of process, communication, and customer service significantly detracts from...

My 14 year old son is a true carnivore. He has been asking to try brisket. He loves grilled food but wanted to try true smoked meat that wasn't drowned in BBQ sauce. He said he wanted to truly taste the flavor of the meat. We decided to take the kids to Smoke Bayou after seeing advertisements on our news station. As we were on our way my husband began reading the recent google reviews. I could tell by his facial expression that it would be hard for him not to be bias now. Since I promised my son a true smoked dining experience this weekend my husband fell back and decided to be in our corner and give Smoke Bayou a try, but he needed some serious positivity to meet us in this place to change his mind set. We arrived and it was packed! I told him it would not be that busy if something wasn't going right within the place. Most ppl were waiting for orders. We were seated immediately and the hostess explained that there would be a wait. Our server came right over to greet us, took our drink order, then explained they were a little backed up in the kitchen but she would keep us updated as we waited. Two servers continued to refill our drinks and update us and even told us when our food was being prepared. We had 4 different sides ( which are large and sharable) and meats. The food was Amazing and it was seasoned to perfection!!! Smoke Bayou came through tonight!!! I have every confidence that they will continue to redeem themselves. They won my family over so we...

First time coming to Smoked Bayou and Keith Lee recommended this place. My goal is to support black-owned business, however, the young lady who took the order, Kobe, seem to be off putting when I placed my order. When I asked her what the difference was between ribs meats and rib bones, she looked at me with a unpleasant look and answered, "What do you mean?" I asked her the same question, and her reply, "It's the same thing."

Well, ok. After that, her answers were very abrupt. I asked about BBQ and she said it came with all three. After I asked for all three, I noticed a sign that read, only BBQ sauce was free and others were extra. Why didn't you offer or ask if I wanted the BBQ sauce before I paid. She walked away without even asking while I completed my transaction. Very impolite.

Service was not what I expected. There was another young lady who helped me out and was very polite. Overall, the food was good but I did not receive any BBQ...