Smokey Bones, Pittsburgh

I had the pleasure of attending a friend’s wedding this weekend- it was one heck of a party. The bride and groom were happy, the music was hoppin’, and the guests were ready to eat after an hour of drinking and socializing. My girlfriend and I sat at the head table (not sure how we managed that) and began asking the happy couple questions… How many people are coming? Where did you hire the bartenders? Who’s doing the food? To the last question, the bride answered, “Smokey Bones.” I had heard of this restaurant in passing, but hadn’t actually eaten there before.

Dinner was being served buffet style, and we were ready to eat. As we watched the plates of food pass by, our eyes grew larger and larger, our stomachs growled, and the sweet scents of barbecue permeated our senses. Finally it was our turn; we took our place in line, and began placing mounds of fresh barbecue on our plates. There were many dishes to choose from- a nice mixed greens salad, barbecued chicken, pulled pork, braised brisket, corn, beans, garlic bread, and two different BBQ sauces.

I tried the pulled pork first; it was amazing. The meat was succulent, a little smoky, and extremely tender. As I chewed the slowly cooked meat I looked over at the groom and bride- they were equally amazed at the juiciness of the meat. Glancing around the room, I noticed the same look on the other guest’s faces- complete food ecstasy. I grabbed a pork rib next; it too was soft. The meat had been cooked so thoroughly and slowly that the bone had even started to become soft. The brisket was next; it was sliced paper thin, and loaded with tang and zest. The meat from the flat cut of meat was soft and sweet; my taste buds welcomed each piece with enthusiasm.

I have to admit, I probably never would have considered stopping into Smokey Bones for dinner. Now, I’m going to make sure to make plans to go enjoy some more of that authentic, delicious barbecue!

Congratulations Lisa and Billy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chuck@cooksandeats.com