Smokin Willy — Restaurant in Purcellville

When we picked BBQ as our food of choice, we knew we were taking a risk on our wedding food choice. We knew that most weddings have the typical chicken, fish, or steak with some fancy sides. Sometimes it buffet or plated. However, because we had a rustic feel to our wedding and we had a pretty diverse group of guests, no better way to make people feel comfortable than good ole BBQ. And it was a hit!!!

The food was good, the brisket was to die for, and so many people loved the greens! Everyone had enough to eat and even the proclaimed vegetarians gave it up for the day. The food was that good, and no better way to get people to relax and want to have a good time than some good BBQ. They know it is not a stuffy environment and yet food that will fill you up.

We decided to do family style and that was one of the best choices we made. People didn’t have to wait for very long for their food and there was enough for 2nds and 3rds.

The staff was also so good. Chris was not a sales person. He made us feel comfortable and we knew he didn’t need our business, but if we went with him we knew he would go the extra mile for us. Ashley kept everything together and changed the menu to our exact needs.

The one thing I will say that they do better than others is that they breakdown the menu by item instead of price per head. We visited other caterers who did price per head and we felt that some of the options were a little bit of a rip off. For example, we do price per head and it didn’t matter if we did a fruit bowl or shrimp scampi as a side, it would be the same. But everyone knows shrimp will cost a lot more than a fruit bowl. Where Smokin Willy separates themselves is that you can custom the menu by item and determine how much of each item you want to make sure the budget fits for you without feeling like the caterer got away with you overpaying.

The last detail is that they cook on site. I can’t tell you how important this is, but just the aroma building during cocktail hour was enough to get everyone in a positive mood. But if they don’t cook on the site, the food will be different than what you had during your tasting. This detail, along with the staff attentiveness, and customized menu is exactly why you should go...

First I just want to say WOW we had our wedding this past Sunday, October 18th, 2020; and everything was absolutely AMAZING. I 100% have already recommended them to literally everyone I know.

Now let's get to the nitty-gritty! We found out our wedding caterer went out of business on Tuesday afternoon (our wedding was on Sunday) we immediately began calling other vendors to see availability, only a couple of caterers were actually available on such short notice. Smokin Willy did not originally have the staff to work our event on such short notice, however, after hearing our story Chris the owner was able to work with a couple of other restaurants in the area and was able to work our event. We literally had a 1-hour planning call with him at 10 pm on Tuesday night.

The very next day we had another 1-hour final planning call with our wedding planner and their event planner everything went smoothly and we were excited about our wedding again!

Fast forward (just 4 days) to Sunday the 18th our wedding day and I was absolutely astounded for only 4 days notice, the staff was amazing, the food was amazing, the service was amazing; Chris himself was there for at least some of the night if not all of it! Everyone couldn't believe how delicious everything was and they absolutely loved how we had everything plated. We did "family style" but plated so everybody got a little bit of everything!

They made sure the bride and groom got appetizers while we were taking photos and let me tell you those bacon-wrapped scallops are something to die for! They also made sure that during dinner we got our plates towards the beginning of service.

This review can only do so much, all I can tell you is I highly recommend them, and if you are on the fence on them just hire them! If they can handle an event in 4 days and make my Italian family happy they can make anyone happy!

Thank you again Chris/Ashley and the whole Smokin Willy team that made my event such a success, we are so appreciative of you guys coming in, at the last minute and saving our wedding.

Love, Joe +...

Our poor server needed to be on some antidepressants, she was so unwelcoming & lacking in any personality, but that has little to do with the food. Just hope to get cheerier service at any future visits. Got the Chicken Quesadilla appetizer -very tasty but portion size was way too small for splitting (& cost). Guacamole cost additional, & unlike most BBQ joints there's no complimentary chips & salsa. Since the Quesadilla was so small, we did add on chips, which were also good & I really liked the salsa since it was heavily flavored with cilantro. My S.O. -who hates cilantro- did not. He got the Pulled Pork Plate with Potato Salad.. the Pork was fantastic & had good portion size, the Potato Salad was heavily seasoned with Old Bay (I wasn't a fan). The Coleslaw was completely lackluster. I got a half rack of Glazed Babyback Ribs, with Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Grilled Veggies. The Ribs were "just ok".. tasted fine but nothing amazing. The Mashed Potatoes barely had any garlic in them, were cold & had the "skin" on them that they get when they've been sitting forever. The Grilled Veggies were definitely the best thing I ordered. Portion size of the Ribs was decent, but the sides were small for the cost. The Cornbread was more like "corncake".. very light & fluffy consistency but did have a nice taste to it -it just isn't very cornbread-like. Their Sweet Tea is NOT (sweet), & the lemonade tastes chemical-y like artificial sweeteners.

Overall the food was ok to good, although overall the portion size can be a little small so probably more inclined to go here for special occasions instead of making it a regular spot. Definitely better than Monks, if you're trying to choose between the...