Greetings BBQ-Bandits readers!

This is the first (hopefully of many) entry to be made by JM, AM’s brother. We’ve grown up eating barbecue together, so I figured I’d join in on the fun. It’s appropriate for me to be writing this entry because I was the one who suggested that we eat at Smokejack last night.

Background

Driving up and down highway 9 through Roswell and Alpharetta, I’ve seen the place on the side of the road many times and really wanted to stop in. I also once read a favorable review of the place on Northside Food, but I’ve never happened to drive by it at a time when it was convenient to go.

Luckily, last night when AM and I were trying to decide on a place to eat dinner while perusing the internet, we found a coupon on atlantarestaurantcoupons.com for Smokejack. This reminded me of how much I had wanted to visit, and provided further incentive to go: a free appetizer or dessert.

The Restaurant

Smokejack is located on highway 9 in Alpharetta, in a cute little downtown-area set-up. There was parking available right out front when we went (which was late on a Tuesday), but not a lot of spaces. The website says there is more parking around back – we didn’t investigate.

The interior is warm and welcoming. The décor is a little upscale for a barbecue place – they even have cloth napkins, which I consider to be odd. There’s a full bar off to the left, and the main dining area sits to the right. On the wall there is a large chalkboard with specials and recommendations, which is easy to read and quite convenient.

The Service

When we first entered, I was disappointed in the response. There was no hostess at the podium and we had to stand there for a good 3-5 minutes before anyone addressed us, despite the fact that two waiters walked by and obviously saw us. They could have at least managed a “someone will be right with you” rather than walking by pretending they didn’t notice.

Once we got seated, the service improved. Our waiter ended up being very helpful and the food came out fast. We were in the place around 8:30pm – 9:30pm on a Tuesday with only two other parties present. Being so empty, and with a posted closing time of 10:00pm, I feel like the initial service could have been better. However, the service after being seated redeemed the place.

The Food

First, drinks. We both ordered sweet tea, which was very pleasant. Not too sweet like some barbecue places. The drink menu/bar seemed pretty ample, but I didn’t look at it in particular detail. I ordered a Sweetwater 420 on draft, which was satisfying.

As mentioned, we had a coupon for a free fried pickles app with purchase of one entrée. I’m a big fan of fried pickles, and always curious to see how each individual restaurant’s version will turn out. These were the best I’ve ever had. The batter was light and well-seasoned, with strong black pepper flavor. They were served with a spicy mayonnaise of sorts, which was really unremarkable. I’d skip the mayo and ask for a side of barbecue sauce to dip them in, as this was delicious, or just eat them solo. I’d definitely order these again, and getting them free was naturally a plus!

AM ordered a bowl of brunswick stew as an additional appetizer. It was very tasty and we ended up splitting it. It was the style I prefer - more or less blended, with small pieces of pork and vegetables rather than large chunks. We both approved.

The sides were solid. The macaroni and cheese tasted fresh and homemade, with a nice baked crust on top. The baked beans were nice, and actually seemed to have fresh chiles in them, which is super unusual. I was pleased. The corn pudding was the standout. It was like a soufflé, made with cornbread. I thought the texture was wonderful, and there was a pretty strong sweetness to it. However, it also had green and red chiles in it, so there was some kick, adding another welcome layer of flavor. I suppose if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like sweet cornbread, then you wouldn’t like this too much, but it really hit the spot.

In summary, I’m really glad we decided to hit this place up, and I’ll be returning as soon as it is feasible. I hope to try some of their other offerings in the way of meat, but I can’t resist ordering that corn pudding again. Definitely recommended.

Info:
Smokejack Barbecue
29 South Main Street
Alpharetta, GA 30004
770-410-7611