Smokestak Review - London’s Best BBQ?
For anyone that’s been to the US, you’ve probably tried a Barbecue restaurant or two; the likes of Hometown Bar-B-Que in New York or Smoque BBQ in Chicago, but there hasn’t been anything close in London so far, at least that I’ve tried (sorry Bodean’s). Those that are “BBQ” restaurants seem to go over the top serving doughnut burgers or food in a trash can lid, not quite that authentic US BBQ.
Enter Smokestak.
The Location
If you’ve been to Dinerama, you’ve probably smelled the food being cooked up by Smokestak, which started its life as a stall at the Shoreditch Street Food venue. We’re talking streams of smokey goodness pumping out from the industrial grill and smoker, with the brisket and ribs astounding foodies.
Off the back of that success, Smokestak has made the jump to a full-blown restaurant and bar next to London Cocktail Co. on Sclater street, down the road from Shoreditch High Street station and BoxPark.
And what a jump...
The Space
As you walk up to Smokestak, you might get a faint scent of barbecue wafting down the street. Step through the seemingly armour plated door and you’ll be greeted by the sight of the industrial smoker and extraction unit, a clear upgrade from the days of Dinerama, surrounded by a kitchen bar.
The theme is very industrial; charcoal-esque wooden sharing tables, exposed iron beams and rivets, and bar seating with stools that, again, stick to the dark industrial theme. Even the plates are black. And it looks great.
The feel is very laid back and casual; Service is attentive and not rushed, with the bartenders happy to chat about how the food is prepared, whilst shaking up some great cocktails. Green Chilli Tommy’s is a personal favourite; a mix of tequila, jalapeño, lime, agave and triple-sec (pictured below), is smokey and spicy, a perfect aperitif for the feast to come. There’s a shortlist of locally brewed beers from around London to match the food as well.
You could easily while away an evening just picking your way through the menu and working through the drinks list. Even better, you can book ahead on OpenTable, you just might have to book a week or so in advance to get the time you want!
Overall, great for a friend’s catch up or somewhere to start your Shoreditch night out, as long as you don’t mind coming out with a slight smokey scent at the end of it.
The Food
The menu is pretty straightforward; Snacks, Mains/Sharing Plates, Sides and Dessert.
A choice of four snacks, from £2.5 to £5.5, we dived in with the Tempura Padron (£3.5) and Crispy Ox Cheek (£5.5).
I’m a sucker for padron peppers whenever I’m having tapas, but to tempura them, and serve with saffron mayonnaise, blew my mind. And this was only the snack! The padron were crispy without being too oily, and the mayonnaise rounded the whole dish off, balancing out the deep-fried peppers.
Next the Crispy Ox Cheek. Three croquettes of tenderised, slow-cooked ox cheek, coated in breadcrumbs, fried and served with a smokey chilli mayo... Need I say more? One of the stand out dishes of the meal.
Onto the mains, which we’d decided to share, and the main event, the Brisket (£11.5).
Hands-down the best brisket I’ve had, EVER. Smoked for 24 hours, three slices of melt-in-your-mouth beef that even my co-diner, who’s made his own brisket and lived in the US, said blew him away. The chilli sauce gives an added kick and the pickled chillies adds a refresher from the richness. They also serve a brisket bun for £5.5 (or £9 for the larger offering) but the brisket slices are the way to go.
We also chose the 30-Day Dry Aged Beef Rib (£16.5) and Coal-Roasted Aubergine with Miso (£8).
After the brisket, the beef rib unfortunately couldn’t compete, but if I’d had it alone I’m sure I would have been raving about it as well.
The meat was fall off the bone, coated in a sticky sweet barbecue sauce, and pulled apart in the way you expect slow cooked meat to. Again, served with the pickled chillies to freshen the palate. At £5 more than the brisket, it’s a hefty price to justify the portion, but with beef ribs a more premium cut to pork and the quality of the end product, it makes it worth it.
It’s not only the meat that gets centre stage at Smokestak either.
The coal roasted miso aubergine, served with crushed cashews, spring onion and goats cheese was bursting with flavour. The smokey aubergine and the sweet umami of the miso goes to show Smokestak are serious about their food. The cashews and spring onion added texture to the dish and the goats cheese a creaminess to round it off.
By this point we’d over-ordered and left no space for dessert (hopefully this isn’t a pattern emerging). Even the sticky toffee pudding or salted caramel ice cream couldn’t tempt us, so I’ll post an update once I’ve tried them out.
Verdict
Cost - £/££ (out of ££££)
Is this London’s best BBQ restaurant? Most definitely yes, by a whole hog (or brisket in this case). Ideally located in Shoreditch, it’s a great spot to start your night or if you're just craving some great BBQ.
Meat and vegetables are smoked and grilled to perfection, where the snacks shine as do the cocktails. Must picks are the crispy ox cheek and brisket slices. Pair with the local beer or a cocktail and you’re onto a winner.
Downsides, well, there’s not too many. It’s a popular spot so booking in advance always helps. The bill can quickly ramp up if you’re sticking to cocktails, but otherwise it’s a very cost-friendly affair considering the quality of the food.
If you’re looking for BBQ, this is a must.
35 Sclater St
London
E1 6LB