Restaurant Review: You Either Smoque...

... or you get Smoqued... Ah yes. Wesley Snipes reminding Woody Harrelson (and us) that White Men Can't Jump, long before his IRS-snubbing days.

So up in Chicago, there's a relatively new barbecue place, called Smoque, which opened up back in early 2007 over in the north side of town (on Pulaski, just south of Irving Park). They've gotten some good press from the New York Times, more for it's business acumen, than it's superior barbecue. And they were also featured on the Food Network, on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. But what I liked most about them was their willingness to explain what it is that they do.

Their manifesto is a nice explanation of what they try to do. They put it out there, and then let the customer judge. What I get annoyed at is the folks who produce mediocre food, treating their recipes like classified government secrets. These folks are just interested in making this sale. Probably because they know that this may be the only sale they make. On the other hand, the ones who have the best food are always excited to talk shop. They're proud of what they do, and they want to educate people on what the good stuff is. They know that if you educate your customers, and have a superior product, you'll get this sale, the next one, and probably the one after that, as well.

So what do they do? The menu is simple. Brisket, pulled pork, chicken, baby back ribs, spare ribs, and sausage. I think that they offer a salad, but if they did, I blocked it from my memory. Sides? Mac and cheese, beans, cole slaw, fries, and corn bread. Dessert? Peach cobbler. So many places try to do too much, and end up doing everything poorly. The folks over at Smoque don't have that problem.

Mac and cheese? Good stuff. Cheesy, creamy, and rich. Beans? Little sweet, little tangy, little smoky, and good. Slaw? Crunchy, light, tangy, and great counter balance to the barbecue. Fries? If you read the manifesto, you wouldn't bother. Peach cobbler? Really good, with an awesome almond and oat topping. They also had brisket chili when we were there. Not quite a Texas red, but an OK version w/ beans, veggies, and chopped brisket.

What about the meat? Everything was solid - there were no losers in the bunch. However, not everything was perfect. The pulled pork and the sausage were both tasty, but just pushed the edge of being dry. The brisket was also good, but wasn't perfect - it just pushed the edge of being overcooked. I've been told that the sign of properly cooked brisket is that when you pull on it, the meat will pull back a bit, like an accordion. I've had a couple examples of just about perfect brisket down in Texas. The brisket over at Smoque pulled back just a little bit - just pushing the edge of being too mushy, but was still good. The ribs were cooked well - tender, but didn't fall off the bone. The flavor was solid, but wasn't the best that I've had. I'm a little biased toward the maple-based glaze that the folks at Super Smokers use, plus I had just cooked a great rack of ribs at home a couple days before that I thought may have been the best ribs that I've ever had. What was cooked perfectly was the chicken. The skin had that great flavor from the rub and the nice fatty texture. The dark and the white meat were all juicy and tender.

The price is actually very reasonable. For under $40, me and a buddy absolutely gorged ourselves, probably eating enough for 3, maybe 4. It's cafeteria style, so you don't worry about tipping. You get your own drinks, you use plastic forks and knives, you get the food from the counter, and bring it to the table, etc. My recommendation is to bring a friend, and order the 1/2 chicken, the brisket (the platters come with cole slaw and 2 sides), and to get mac and cheese, beans, cobbler, some cornbread, and share everything. You'll spend about $25, and you'll walk out of there pretty happy.

And I don't care what color you are, after you're done eating, you won't want to jump at all, but instead just lounge in front of a TV and watch a ball game.

-foodgeek