United Smokehouse — Restaurant in Safety Harbor

Hi there. Born and raised floridian with a taste for good BBQ here. So it being Sunday I figured it was a good time to try this place and see how it was. The place was clean, comfortable, and inviting. Staff were all very friendly and helpful. I've had BBQ from all over the nation and love sampling the skills of a good master smoker. I am adding Sunday is their last day open until Thursday and I went a little later in the day (7pm ish) to try them out.

Ok I ordered a pound of brisket, 10 smoked wings, and 1/ chicken with 2 sides. Here's the honest and fair break down. I'm not an influencer or BBQ snob whatsoever just to add.

Ok so Brisket.....honestly this was my favorite as I do hold brisket on the BBQ pedestal it deserves. It was tender, not dry, had a good tasty bark and sliced thick. I'd give it an 8/10. What really set it off was the home made, vinegar based sauce...props to them. Very good sauce. Brisket though was good but I couldn't go higher than an 8/10.

Wings....been seeing these on fb and they looked incredible so yep ordered them. The smoked wings got an 5/10. Sorry but I'm just be8ng honest. They were tender and juicy and had a good smokey taste with a little bit that lingers in the after taste.....other than that I'm not sure what else to honestly say. They are on the right track but maybe switch up the marinade? I just found them a little confusing when it came to taste but again the BBQ sauce was excellent on them.

Half chicken with potato wedges and collard greens. Ok the wedges were.....wedges. nothing really much else to say or that stood out. Collard greens were good 👍. The chicken was very juicy, tender and had a good smoke taste but it felt like it was lacking something to help really stand out. Again the sauce helped my enjoyment of it. All in all I'd give the chicken a 6/10. Not saying I didn't enjoy it just was missing that "well damn" moment.

All in all this place does put out decent BBQ and again the facility and staff itself were great. I'm sure as they progress they will dial in things a little more. I really missed having any Mac n cheese or smoke BBQ beans on the menu. That's it, hope you enjoyed reading this and best of...

I was super excited that there was a new BBQ joint opening in the Harbor. Having moved here from TX, we haven't found anyplace that even comes close to what we are used to, and I'm generally a pretty tough sell. I really wanted this to be it. But sadly it was not.

Let's start with the good- -Service was excellent. Very attentive and friendly staff. -The space has gotten a nice facelift from it's former self. -Plenty of available parking which is a premium in the Harbor.

Now to the not so good- -Pretty limited selection of sides. -There was the unmistakable flavor of an electric assist smoker. It just didn't have that real pit BBQ taste. It imparts a bitter flavor IMO. -Seasoning was a bit uneven in spots. It picked up some dirty smoke in a few spots and there was a heavy chili powder flavor on much of it. It needed much more salt and pepper. -I only had about three legit slices. The majority was just in chunks like pot roast. --The slices I did get were sliced very thick and were incredibly dry. One slice was almost 2" thick. One end piece from the flat was so dry it was actually crunchy like a chip. Not sure if it was just overcooked, poorly trimmed, or if it didn't get pulled and wrapped properly. Either way it shouldn't have left the kitchen. -It was expensive. $30 for a pound of brisket to be specific. For comparison, the other local place I usually go to is $23 for a two meat plate with 2 sides. It isn't a pound but is more brisket than I can eat alone, not including the other meat. I usually get 2-3 meals out of it.

I realize this is a new restaurant and they are still working to get it right. The industry is rife with unimaginable challenges so I'm trying to just be fair and honest. I REALLY want to like this place and I hope they get things sorted out (no draft beer, etc) soon. I'll be back some day to try something besides the brisket as the other items I saw...

United Smokehouse has elevated the dining experience in Safety Harbor with a cocktail program that's anything but ordinary. What sets this place apart isn't just the quality of individual items, but how the bartenders have crafted drinks that create unexpected and delightful flavor conversations with the food. Be sure to get their version of the gin & tonic, the tonic water is house made and it delivers a very unique flavor profile the way tonic is supposed to be!

The cocktail menu shows real creativity and thoughtfulness - each drink feels purposefully designed rather than just thrown together. But where United Smokehouse truly shines is in how these beverages interact with their food offerings. The flavor profiles that emerge when you pair their cocktails with different dishes are genuinely surprising and wildly interesting. It's clear the team has put serious thought into how smoke, spice, sweetness, and acidity can play off each other across both food and drink.

This isn't your typical dinner-and-a-drink experience - it's more like a guided tour through unexpected flavor combinations that somehow just work. The pairings reveal new dimensions in both the cocktails and the food that you might miss if you experienced them separately.

If you're looking for a dining experience that will genuinely surprise your palate and show you flavor combinations you hadn't considered before, United...