The Smokin' Oak Barbeque Restaurant, Bar & Catering
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March 31st, 2018; my first time here! Co-owners Brian and Eric, apparently knowing that I was a new customer, came over and introduced themselves asking if I would like to order food or drinks! I started with 100 Year Flood IPA followed by a 1/4lb. Lean Brisket which was "cut with a fork tender", 2 Ribs tasty and Tender, 2 Smoked Sausage Corn Dogs tender juicy sausage filled from end to end, made with house made corn bread mix as a batter! Smokin' Oak features Texas family recipes well prepared and presented in open kitchen by an attentive crew! The friendly and courteous staff rotate into different duties as needed to assure great customer service! Highly recommended and I will return! Awesome whiskey, liquors, wine, beer and craft cocktails variety! The decor is Texas cool and crafted by the Smokin' Oak owners, colleagues and friends locally which means that all involved are invested in the Smokin' Oaks' success!The Outdoor BBQ and Bourbon Bottle Chandelier are designed and built by the Owners ! No contractors or subcontractors were employed! The Oak decor is functional too since it is stored against the walls of the > 21 side and under the benches in the <21 side of the restaurant! I returned April 3rd, 2018 with my friend and shared the "Smoke Stack" which was a tasty BBQ journey with NO leftovers! Savannah was our exceptional server for the evening, making for a memorable experience!
Alexander MajewskiAlexander Majewski
00
Tried out this new place with friends. The atmosphere was pretty nice. Parking sucked. We were hoping for great food. We each had different items from the menu. I had a pulled pork sandwich and it was ok. The bun was simple, white, and plain. The mac and cheese side dish was also just ok, it was dry and a pretty small serving. Another person had the sliced brisket sandwich. The brisket was delivered dry on the bun with a small side of barbecue sauce that he described as not hot or sweet enough for his preference, although adequately smoky & tangy. He didn't like the cole slaw because it tasted like it had been made with Miracle Whip which isn't his preference either. Then our next friend ordered the "fatty" so she could try the brisket, pulled pork & sausage. She said her tiny side of cole slaw was ok but she predominantly tasted a pickly type flavor. She liked the sausage & brisket, but not the pulled pork. The last person in our party had chili. It turned out to be the type without beans which is common. He seemed to like it. He ate it all. They serve Coke products so that got them points from me, as did the tasty pickles. The only desserts they have are otter pops (basically popsicles frozen in a tube). That lost them points. They're within a few blocks of a decent bakery, you'd think they could temporarily use that until they figure out their own signature dishes. The bar seemed well stocked with quite a few beer taps. One of us tried two different IPA beers and one was too flowery and the other was flowery & hoppy. Another tried a Shiner Bock and he was glad to see it because you don't normally see it on tap and it reminds him of Texas. The booth seating seemed nice enough, but the chairs were very hard and small. There were two unisex bathrooms and they were both clean with farmhouse sinks and nice tiling. The service was friendly and good, but they were busy and it took a few tries to get their attention. Overall we'd it 2.5 stars out of 5 if that was an option. We wish them much luck and may be back for the bar, but not meals.
Loretta Richardson-ScheidLoretta Richardson-Scheid
00
I picked up a to-go order from this bbq joint last Saturday. The scents wafting from this place perhaps mislead me to expect a great food experience. I ordered over fifty dollars in food and a cocktail to go...which comes in a plastic pouch. I paid for the fifteen dollar cocktail and was given an eleven dollar cocktail. This also frustrated me as I ordered the house made syrup one without lemonade, as neither of us care for lemonade. I was given the lemonade one. We both hated it. I was also very disappointed to find the potato salad tasted like vinegar and celery and nothing else, not to mention there was only about three tablespoons in the container. I'm happy it's vegan and I'm happy they have a mostly gluten-free menu as gluten and eggs are concerns for our family but none of that matters when the flavor is lacking. The other side we ordered, beans, had no flavor in the sauce either. They tasted of nothing other than beans. The three ribs were likely cooked at too high a heat as the meat did not release from the bone and it was dry, despite a coating of sauce and chewy. Ribs should not be chewy. The brisket was a touch dry but mostly clear they don't use the best quality meat to make it. They also only boxed up three, thin, half slices for the most expensive combo plate. The three, three inch sausage pieces were gritty dry in the center and dry otherwise. It was mildly spiced, just inedible. Finally, we get to the pulled pork (approximately a quarter cup of meat for the whole box). The flavor was ok, not outstanding. Again, it was on the dry side. I can't help but wonder if they cooked everything hotter and faster than ideal to keep a constant supply, as all the meats were dry and the ribs were just a mess. I tried contacting them directly to rectify this...also considering we were overcharged for the drink ordered and not given, but I have heard nothing in response. So, I hope this review helps others avoid our very disappointing experience and save themselves hard earned money.
Kelly KirkKelly Kirk
00
Cannot rate atmosphere as we got to-go but when ordering on the phone the male who answered seemed “rushed” and agitated to take the order. I called 3 minutes after they open. I ordered the majority of our lunch and since he didn’t offer dessert, I asked if they had the banana pudding available? “Yeah, do you want some?” I commented on the corn bread looking good and the reply was “maybe next time”. I guess my decision was made for me. After ordering over 60.00 of food to go, the order lacked utensils AND napkins. I not only had ordered pudding but Mac & Cheese along with Pinto Beans. Hard to eat without utensils. BBQ experience, well is it a BBQ experience if napkins ARE NOT needed? Every item was room temp including the “Banana Pudding”, the Mac & Cheese did not look anything like the pictures, there was not a blanket of golden melty cheese and it was more runny than “creamy” as mentioned in reviews. Now, my idea of runny vs creamy is completely my own opinion, so I will learn that lesson. The Banana Pudding, I guess I also have take the hit as I have never had homemade Banana Pudding, but when I would have preferred the Banana Pudding out of plastic cup from my grocery store…I pretty certain it wasn’t up to par with what the restaurant usually serves. I do appreciate the 2 Nilla Wafers packaged separately to avoid making them soggy from the thin pudding. The Corn Bread which my husband decided I shouldn’t have to wait for “next time” was so dry? Hard? I am not sure but licking the butter out of the condiment container couldn’t save me from choking on the dust. I do have to say the Ribs & Brisket from the Smoke Tower were amazingly tender and had a wonderful smoky flavor and the Sausage was spicy, greasy with a great snap! I am not sure what the red sauce was that was included it tastes like Ketchup & Red Cocktail Sauce had a child. I highly doubt that was the extra BBQ sauce I requested? Will try a “next time” because maybe everything IS better with a couple of the Bloody Mary’s.
Anita LinsonAnita Linson
00
Came here on a date with my partner, we made it in time for happy hour with intentions of trying the menu, getting a few drinks, and taking a bigger platter choice home for movie night. Things started off okay, although we wondered why the food seemed to take longer than normal at any barbecue place we've been to. I got the brisket sliders and my partner got the brisket mac and cheese. While the brisket was very well cooked, tender and juicy, it had zero flavor whatsoever. Somehow it seemed as though it doesn't even have salt and pepper. My partner felt the only reason his mac and cheese was any good was because it had some sauce on it. After we ordered we experienced a severe lag of service. It wasn't very busy in the shop tonight and we only saw who we thought was our server once, we had another guy race around asking if this where okay but with no follow up or offer to order more drinks. Finally we got The attention of one of the other servers who appear to be bussing a table and she put in an order for drinks, but we were well past happy hour at that point. By this time we had placed an order for our bigger platter to take home, and drinks were approaching empty but it took maybe another 20 or so minutes to get anybody's attention for another drink order while we waited. By the time we got our bill and the food, we had been there for just short of 2 hours. Anywhere I've been, barbecue moves much quicker than that, and if it's taking its time I usually have communicative and decent service to make up for it. We really felt like we were treated poorly coming in because we were initially ordering from happy hour and they thought we were going to Be cheap guests And were deliberately ignored until happy hour ended to get a higher ticket value out of us. It's not my style to leave long negative reviews like this, we felt very strongly about today.... Unfortunately We won't be coming back to this spot.
Gayle YeierGayle Yeier
00
The hostess was really nice. That's the best thing I could possibly say about this place. Everything else was so disappointing I don't even know where to begin. I ordered the BBQ trifecta plate. Nearly $40 for brisket, ribs, and pulled pork (or sausage). It came with two sides, in this case Mac and cheese and collard greens. The Mac and cheese was cold. Under the layer of melted cheese was a white liquid that I fear was a mayonnaise-based sauce. The collard greens were almost warm and tasted of sugar, vinegar, and jalapenos. How do you ruin collard greens? Serve these. The single most reliable side was disgusting. The brisket was a slice of point and a slice of flat. It was most and tender and not gross. That being said its only flavor was that of black pepper. Almost zero oak and absolutely nothing else. The pork ribs were tender but had no flavor except a singular bite that tasted vaguely of black pepper. I didn't bother eating the second rib. The pulled pork was the same story. No complexity. No flavor. Left it on the tray with everything else. The service was as bad as the food. No drink refills. No checking on the table at all. In fact, I've been sitting here 20 minutes wondering when I'll be allowed to pay and leave. 25 minutes. I finally went to the bar and got attitude from our blonde waitress that couldn't be bothered to do any actual waitressing. I had given two stars because the hostess was nice but I'm doing that back down to 1 star for the waitress.
Phillip BurumPhillip Burum
00
Nearby Attractions Of The Smokin' Oak Barbeque Restaurant, Bar & Catering
Vancouver Waterfront
Esther Short Park and Playground
Hilton Vancouver Washington
Vancouver Farmers Market
Regal City Center
Comfort Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown City Center
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Waterfront Renaissance Trail
Kiggins Theatre
Source Climbing Center

Vancouver Waterfront
4.7
(2.6K)
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Esther Short Park and Playground
4.5
(1.7K)
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Hilton Vancouver Washington
4.4
(958)
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Vancouver Farmers Market
4.7
(869)
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Nearby Restaurants Of The Smokin' Oak Barbeque Restaurant, Bar & Catering
Who Song & Larry's
WildFin American Grill - Vancouver
Brickhouse Bar & Grill
Amaro’s Table Downtown
Twigs Bistro
Heathen Brewing Feral Public House
Little Conejo Vancouver
Stack 571 Burger & Whiskey Bar - Vancouver
Joe Brown's Cafe
DOSALAS latin kitchen + tequila bar

Who Song & Larry's
4.3
(1.7K)
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WildFin American Grill - Vancouver
4.4
(1.4K)
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Brickhouse Bar & Grill
4.3
(1.1K)
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Amaro’s Table Downtown
4.7
(898)
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Basic Info
Address
501 Columbia St, Vancouver, WA 98660, United States
Map
Phone
+1 360-433-2755
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Website
thesmokinoakpit.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.3
(1.1K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Laid-back stop for Texas-style BBQ meats smoked on-site & hearty sides plus catering & a full bar.
attractions: Vancouver Waterfront, Esther Short Park and Playground, Hilton Vancouver Washington, Vancouver Farmers Market, Regal City Center, Comfort Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown City Center, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Waterfront Renaissance Trail, Kiggins Theatre, Source Climbing Center, restaurants: Who Song & Larry's, WildFin American Grill - Vancouver, Brickhouse Bar & Grill, Amaro’s Table Downtown, Twigs Bistro, Heathen Brewing Feral Public House, Little Conejo Vancouver, Stack 571 Burger & Whiskey Bar - Vancouver, Joe Brown's Cafe, DOSALAS latin kitchen + tequila bar

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