Smoque shack

I have heard many people talk about Smoque Shack, and they all keep telling me that I need to go there.  How can I turn down the request to eat large quantities of smoked meat!

Smoque Shack was created by Chef Warren Sutherland who used to be the chef at Sweetgrass Bistro.  The restaurant is located in Byward Market off York Street.  When you walk in, you are greeted by a long bar area where you can see part of their philosophy at work right away.  On tap is a good selection of local breweries.  We had to wait about 5 mins for a table so we sat at the bar for a drink where by the time we got our beers, our table was ready.  I do like how the bartender told us he would push our beers over to our table, and not have to settle up with him.  I very much like not having the hassle of settling up with the bartender while waiting for your table.

The place was busy and bustling.  The dining area had wood paneling on the walls with a few flat screen TVs.  The main dining area was not big, but it fit a good number of people.  When it came to the food, there was a good selection of what they smoke.  The main three meats were there: beef, chicken and pork, all in different forms.  When the server arrived, he gave us all the information about the menu we needed, also highlighting the meat sampler and was very knowledgeable on questions we asked about sides and sauces.  I ordered the rib tips for an appetizer with  sweet chili sauce and we all got samplers.  I got the pork back ribs, the jerk chicken and the pulled pork while my "boss" also picked the brisket.  For sides, we had beans, southern style greens, sweet potato fries and onion rings.  The rib tips arrived first and we all dove in as the smell of the dining area was making us all salivating.  There was a good number of them, enough that 4 people could share.  The sweet chili sauce was a good recommendation by the server as we kept the sauce for later and had to fend off the other serving staff wanting to clear our empty pate.  As for my meat main, I picked to start with the pulled pork.  The meat just flaked off and the flavour was oozing out.  The jerk chicken had a very good kick to it.  If you are not a fan of some heat, do not have the jerk.  I did like it.  The ribs were good, but it played an easy third fiddle to the other two selections.  It actually played forth as when the "boss" let me have some of her brisket, all I could say was wow.  The brisket was my favourite of all of them.  The meat was cooked perfectly, lots of infused flavours, and just melted in my mouth.  The sides were good as well, but with all the meat and meat sweats we were all having, they did not get a full appreciation.  By the end of the meal, I had a good sweat on.  I am not sure if it was because the A/C  could not keep up with our heat, or that the jerk chicken was winning.

The thing that irked me a little was the costs for sides.  No sides come with your meal, and getting a side was in my opinion a little over priced.  I did not expect coming here would be cheap, but it was a little more than I expected, and even after the meal, I didn't feel like the price matched what I got in food.  It was not off by much, but just enough for it to be noticeable.

Everything we had was delicious and the serving staff and atmosphere was very well suited for the smoque shack theme.  I am not sure if I would go back on my own volition, but at the same time, if someone came up to me and asked if I wanted to go, I probably would, just to eat that brisket again.

Review (out of 5):

Food: * * * 1/2

Value: * * * 1/2
Atmosphere: * * * *
Service: * * * *
Price (dinner): $6 - $24
Website: http://www.smoqueshack.com/index.html