Smoak BBQ — Restaurant in Rochester

After several unsuccessful attempts to get in due to long wait times and no reservation, we tried a mid/later afternoon arrival time and were able to get in, albeit the restaurant was nearly full with patrons. The exterior of the building looks modern, clean and inviting although as we walked from the parking lot we could see staff standing outside (visible to the parking lot) taking a cigarette break, which is probably not an initial impression that the owner wants to make. Perhaps put up a screen to allow staff to take their breaks but not be visible to customers; win-win for all? Upon entering we were quickly greeted (and seated) by a friendly hostess. The restaurant is a casual, big open floor plan with a bar, tables and booths. We were seated at a booth and unfortunately every 15 minutes or so, the ventilation system pumped cold air on us which made us uncomfortable. We considered asking to be re seated but the restaurant was busy and we made the choice to stay put. The server was attentive/service oriented, although used the word "y'all" so much that it made us wonder if this was a requirement for wait staff to adopt a southern persona (as a competing Texas inspired Rochester restaurant does). Hopefully not, since for me, it diminished the quality of the experience; at times seemed awkward. We ordered: $8 cocktails- Barrel Aged old fashioned and Sazerac. $6 Appetizer: corn bread and $14/$18 Entrees: pulled pork, jalapeno/cheddar sausage combo plate, and prime brisket. Sides: french fries, potato salad, pulled pork soup (seasonal for the day), and beans. The server took the order and returned to advise they were out of the jalapeno/cheddar sausage which was disappointing, but understandable. The server returned again to get clarification on the drink order and stated that the bartender works hard on the cocktails and that we would not be disappointed, which seemed odd. Review: The cocktails were OK; and competitively priced but definitely not standouts. Both drinks were on the sweet side; but could be written off to personal preference, so not a major criticism. The cornbread was very sweet, moist and cake-like, lacking cornbread (corn) flavor. The entrees were served hot on an aluminum tray lined with paper. The pulled pork was very tasty and tender with a subtle smokey flavor. There was more than an acceptable amount of connective tissue in the pulled pork that should have been removed at the time of plating (chef/sous chef or server). The brisket was a little dry - solved by adding sauce, but tasty. The sides were all fresh and good. The sauces were tasty; mostly true to the descriptions, but the "Texas Hot" BBQ sauce was not very hot and ideally there should be an option for those who like more heat without resorting to store products as we were offered: Tabasco, Sriracha, Crybaby, etc., that the server promptly delivered, and later checked back to gauge satisfaction. Overall, the food was good; I was hoping at this visit to get some "wow" factor. There are a few things that the owner may consider for closing improvement gaps for this new restaurant to make it stand out among the competition. There are many other menu items to check out such as the bacon, pork belly, bbq bowls, tacos, sandwiches, etc., and hoping to experience the wow factor...

I was watching the men’s NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT and it hit me (major stomach rumbling) that I hadn’t had any dinner…it was going on 9pm, and I didn’t want pizza, so I knew I had limited choices…(this is Rochester, not New York, or even Minneapolis) Sure enuff, there were very few places open that delivered, but SMOAK was one of them…I had heard about them from people, and read about them in the “Rochester” magazine, so I decided it was time..GOOD choice, but not 5 star worthy..I ordered from the TOAST app, but delivery was provided by DOOR DASH…My driver Anthony was 10 min. early from the “promised delivery time” and the food was quite good despite a few little “quirks”…The beef brisket sandwich was pretty cold, so were the mashed potatoes, but the coleslaw was warm, because it comes in the same box, so it absorbed all the heat from the other food..little quirks, like I said, but they were starting to add up…no napkins, no plastic silverware, and my main complaint, NO BARBECUE SAUCE…I don’t even remember seeing options to choose from when I ordered…next time I’ll consult they’re FULL menu I guess.. Like I said little quirks,not really a big deal..In summary, the brisket and mashed potatoes were good enuff to warrant another try, which I will do SOON…(so watch for an “updated” review) Update: (sort of, I haven’t been to SMOAK to actually “dine in” yet, which the owner suggested I do to get that “5th star”) This is just to point out my “ignorance” as I had stated in my review that there were no options for Bar-B-Q sauce, I got to thinking: what kind of a restaurant reviewer are you, BEEF BRISKET is always served WITHOUT any kind of Bar-B-Q sauce unless you request it, and even then it comes “on the side”…I apologize to the owner, I am quite surprised he didn’t point this out when he responded to my review…That tells me (and you) what a class act he must be…!! I am officially upgrading SMOAK to 5 Stars, and look forward to eating there SOON! ...

Pulled into a large parking lot with the patio out front with bags (cornhole) and plenty of standing tables. The door to the right was well marked for takeout. The door to the left around the corner was for dining in.

The atmosphere was wide open with the kitchen to the right from the parking lot. To the left is a bar centered. That side had garage doors that opened to the side patio. All the way down is a garage door that can be used for patrons to walk from the patio to the dining room. At 3pm on a Monday, it was logical that only 5 tables and one person at the bar made sense. Cement floor, metal chair with wood tables, and large booths around the outside that could hold 8 are the seating.

Service was a little cold. She was the only person doing the entire place and running the bar. I will get past that as I watched the manager hold down the counter next to the kitchen.

The food was impressive. I ordered the brisket tacos on flour tortillas (you can order corn tortillas). The brisket was perfectly done. Moist, seasoned BUT NOT over seasoned. Comes with 3 street taco sized and a side of salsa. I would the salsa at about 2.5 stars simple puree with a little spice. It could use a little more salt and pepper. I turned and chose a mix of the BBQ sauses at the table. A few drips of the Texas Hot BBQ sauce with a drizzle of their Carolina Mustard Sauce. They also have a Smocked BBQ Sauce and K.C. Sweet BBQ Sauce. There could have been something between the heat of the Hot, the Smocked, and K.C. the Texas Hot is an 8 on 1-10 and will turn off the average MN resident (kinda babies on heat). I like it, but I am not an average MN'n. I also have an Arnold Palmer to drink. Good mix.

I will be back. This one gets back on my list for a return, and I will introduce others to...