Smok'D — Restaurant in Rio Rancho

If you’re on the hunt for authentic, satisfying barbecue in Rio Rancho, Smok'D BBQ—tucked inside the Albertsons Market—should be on your radar. This local gem offers a classic BBQ menu with a few standout items, along with some room for improvement.

Menu Overview Smok'D BBQ serves up all the favorites you’d expect:

Brisket (including burnt ends)

Pulled Pork

German Sausage

Ribs

BBQ Chicken

Hearty Sides like cornbread muffins, baked potato casserole, coleslaw, and beans

House-made BBQ Sauce

Desserts (which I’m saving for my next visit)

What’s Hot (and What’s Not) Burnt Ends Brisket: A Must-Try The burnt ends brisket is the star of the show. Each bite is fantastically tender, juicy, and loaded with smoky, beefy flavor. This is BBQ done right—melt-in-your-mouth texture and a perfect bark. I’ll be coming back for these alone.

German Sausage: Needs Work Unfortunately, the German sausage was a letdown. The casing was tough, and the sausage itself was surprisingly bland and flavorless. Thankfully, the house BBQ sauce is delicious and helped rescue the sausage, but next time I’ll skip it in favor of the brisket.

Cornbread Muffin: Big & Bold The cornbread muffin is huge and packed with sweet corn kernels and just enough shredded jalapeño to give it a spicy kick. Moist, flavorful, and a great complement to the BBQ mains.

Baked Potato Casserole: Comfort Food Perfection This side dish is creamy, fresh, and loaded with bacon bits. It’s not runny or overly heavy—just pure comfort food that pairs perfectly with the smoky meats.

Temperature Trouble One consistent issue: the burnt ends and sausage arrived lukewarm, while the sides were piping hot. A simple fix in the kitchen could make a big difference in the overall experience.

Final Thoughts Smok'D BBQ has a lot going for it, especially with their burnt ends brisket and standout sides. Skip the sausage, and you’ll have a meal worth coming back for. Next time, I’m diving into the dessert menu. With a little attention to serving temperatures and sausage seasoning, Smok'D BBQ could easily earn a five-star review.

Rating: 3/5 Must-try: Burnt ends brisket, cornbread muffin, baked potato casserole Skip: German sausage (for now)

Looking forward to my next visit—and a...

Ordered for family party. 10lb brisket, 5lbs burnt ends, 5lb turkey,3qts of Mac& cheese and baked potato casserole. All the meat was great All loved it and thought it was better than Rudy's. Potato casserole was a little dry but tasty and Mac was great but too spicy for some. Ordering ahead was excellent. Customer service was excellent all away around. Plenty of leftovers for everyone to take home. Burnt ends will be a regular treat in our home. Kudos to Phillip and James. Couldn't have asked for better...

I think the brisket is fabulous. We've gotten it numerous times. I've gone on the weekends and the men do a great job! I've gone during the week and there was two young ladies. Very Rude!!! They had to finish their conversation before they would even acknowledge me. I was the only person there and had to wait 5 minutes. We think their BBQ is better than Rudy's. But the staff at Rudy's have never been rude. The atmosphere is "come on, its a grocery store, what do you expect"? The men I give 5☆...