CJ stars don't match words: Smoketown USA

(in the interest of consistency and continuity for Saturday posts)

Marty reviews Smoketown USA today and heaps praise on the flavorful sides and compliments the 'Q. It seems the star count was reduced due to quirky service on a couple of visits ("hapless, Keystone Cops charm"). I love the way he describes how two servers and a patron banded together in search of his lost drink.

Vegetarians/Vegans take note: Marty reports the sides, as well as some other menu items, are friendly to your preferences.

Word count today: 632

CJ Smoketown USA Review

We went to Smoketown USA tonight for dinner, and it was delectable. The CJ review is spot on (except for the 2 1/2 stars...but I won't get into that debate again) The restaurant was pretty full, I imagine due to the review. We were served by the owner and a new employee, Mathis. They were so friendly and personable, even though they had a million things going on.

I got the rib basket with pinto beans and greens. The vegetables were vegetarian and had such depth of flavor. They were well seasoned and cooked just right. The ribs were meaty and tender. The sauce was much better this time than the last time I tried it. It had a little heat to it and allowed the smokiness of the meat to be the feature flavor.

My absolute favorite part of the meal was the dessert. I had a piece of pound cake with caramel sauce. It was freshly baked and warm, made with wheat flour. That slice of cake was, hands down, the best thing I've eaten in a while. I'll definitely be back again soon.

I ate there for lunch last Friday (the day it snowed) with a coworker and we pretty agreed on our experience. The ribs are good, though I wished they would leave the sauce off. The sides were not memorable at all (the green beans tasted like they were from a can and the corn bread was cold), the service was erratic (almost half an hour from the time we ordered until we got the food, and we were the only customers in the place) and the desserts were divine. We both said to each other we would give the place a 4-5 on a scale of 10. There are too many better cue joints in town to merit a return visit, but if others like the place I do hope it stays in business.

We also went to Smoketown last night and what a great choice! Marty was right on about the sides, all we got were wonderful : Spanish rice (spicy), green beans, pot. salad & cabbage slaw (spicy). I got the chicken and my husband got the pork ribs they were great also. We were too full to try the desserts but they looked good. Save those for next trip and there definately will be a next trip.

Where is it located at....Like to give it a try.....

It's on the corner of Oak and Logan.

Where is it located at....Like to give it a try.....

I didn't know where it is either, Robert, and thanks to Amy for clearing that up. There's been a good bit of discussion on this forum about the place. Search "Smoketown" here and you'll find pre-Marty reviews.