Redwood Smoke Shack Texas Inspired BBQ — Restaurant in Virginia Beach

I spent several years in Texas and often dream of that Texas BBQ. Indeed, I may have ensured once or twice that I had a lay over in Austin just to grab some Salt Lick BBQ (their airport location is amazing, and its only fault is that the actual physical location outside of Austin is so good that anything else pails in comparison).

This BBQ was about what I would expect "Texas Inspired" to taste like. The brisket was well smoked, but the crust was lacking. It seemed to be an abundance of pepper and it lacked that Texas "crunch." Instead it was almost sticky, like a sugar BBQ or rub was used. The sides were good, with the greens being the clear winner.

Two things though definitely kept this from being "great" and warranted a lower rating. One was the product shortage surcharge, that I think was 8%, added on. This was an odd shock to see when I got to the counter and honestly, why not just raise the prices temporarily or permanently in such instances? There was also no explanation for this. What shortage are we talking, meat, boxes, staffing? There is still an option to tip when you pay, so I imagine this surcharge isn't going to the staff. I should add that none of the other local BBQ locations have added such a surcharge that I've seen. If you want to add extra charges at least be transparent and explain what exactly it is for!

Second is the sauces. The tiny little sauces they provide would make any Texan cry! Now granted, it is somewhat sinful to sauce brisket in Texas, but I swear every table down there had gallon size sauces to sample or try. Here, I was provided two tiny sauce cups for a pound and a half of brisket. But don't worry, you can get more sauce, for an extra charge of course!

Overall, decent but not great BBQ, but a very nickle and dime approach that makes everything more expensive then the...

I’ve been trying to try this place for two months now, and my wait did not disappoint. I ordered the Meat Sweats Sampler, and I cannot suggest a better way to get to know Redwood’s artillery of offerings.

The two sides I got were the Mac and cheese and their fries. The Mac and cheese was the best combination of flavor and creaminess/cheesiness that I’ve had from a Mac and cheese recently. The fries were good, but their sauce they provided is what really set that flavor apart.

The meats themselves were really great and tender, as they should be. The best meat from the meat sampler in my opinion was the pulled pork, but everything on the tray was a treat. My one little critique was that the smoke flavor seemed harsh with most meats, but especially the brisket, and almost clashed with the sweet flavor of the meats. Not sure if my taste off that day or not though.

Price-wise this place is fairly pricey, but when it comes to the food and preparation that goes into their products, this is to be expected. If you’re planning on dining-in, the room is a little cramped and can be overwhelming at times. Also had a friend with us that waited what seemed to be an unusual amount of time for burnt ends, but the place was also busy, so I’m sure that factored into the wait.

Overall this place is a treat, and I’m ready for...

First time at this place and it was okay. I got the lunch special (13.90) with an up charge of (3.90) as well as 5 wings (7.50). I had hope until I saw the portion size. For nearly 20 dollars you get three small slices of brisket (tail end just before the fatty part) they didn't give an option for lean or fatty. As well as the meat was dry. I got fries as my side and I'd compare the taste to Arby's curly fries but crinkle cut. The portion size on that was equivalent to a small fries from McDonald's. All in all not worth the money in my opinion. Maybe I just got a bad batch or the leftovers. They were close to sold out on a lot so it must not all be bad. That brings me to the wing which made up for the other mess. I wish I just ordered that it was significantly better than than the brisket and cheaper. I'd like to see bigger portion sizes for the fries atleast especially if your gonna charge so much and give so little of the meat. Potatoes are cheap and they'd lose nothing by giving there customers a decent amount. I shouldn't be able to hold all the fries in one hand. This is my honest review I wouldn't recommend this place but I also wouldn't tell you not to go. For that reason I give it 3 stars but really a 2.5 it's meh. If I do come here again I hope the food is what the locals have experienced...