Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Smokehouse

We saw the Smokehouse while driving by it one weekend through Old Town Culpeper, VA, so we made plans to visit soon. And so we did. BBQ places always interest me, not only because I love BBQ, but because BBQ artisans are so adamant about making a mark on the world with their special twists on seasoning and preparation.

Ambiance: The Smokehouse is tame by day, but has the looks of a wild evening hang-out, with the makings of a modernized country sports bar. The walls were lined with flatscreens, each with a different sporting event. Not really my thing, but if the food rocks, who cares about an over-saturation of sports?

The friendly wait staff greeted us and sat us quickly, and gave us menus. Oh, what's this? Fried pickles - a fav of ours, so we ordered some, and a salad. For my meal, I ordered the Chicken Salad Sandwich, and my wife ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich, and it was to be offered Carolina style, with a vinagar based sauce. I'm more of a St. Louis or Texas guy, so I wasn't psyched, but my wife loves Carolina style.

Cuisine: The food was delivered hot and promptly, and the salad was really fresh. I was happy about the salad being fresh, because as of late I've been noticing restaurants including past-date/browned leaves into their salads. Is it a sign of the times? I hope not! Definitely not at The Smokehouse, kudos on fresh salads!

Anyway, back to the food;) The fried pickles and mayonaisse-based dipping sauce were amazing. To the skeptics, definitely try fried pickles, you won't be disappointed. My wife loved them too, as well as her pulled-pork sandwich. I have to admit though, I wasn't really into my Chicken Salad sandwich.

Normally I wouldn't criticize a dish, but I feel like this might only help. Firstly, they hyped up a "secret recipe" for their Chicken Salad in the menu, so I was hoping for something with an amazing, complex flavor profile, something that would compliment their BBQ menu. There are some amazing chicken salads out there! Unfortunately, the chicken was very dry, and I am pretty sure the "secret" is seasoning salt and way too much celery seed. Definitely a bummer.

Although, on the upside, good chicken salad isn't rocket science, so I'm sure at some point the recipe will improve to something that will better compliment their menu of BBQ items.

Cost-effective: Not really - it was kind of expensive for a lunch. However, my wife was happy with her food, so it wasn't a complete wash.

Return Visit: Yes, I want to try something else on their menu, based on the merit of other successful menu items!

Food Muser
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