Saturday, February 21, 2009: The Smokehouse (San Antonio, Texas)

I’ve been meaning for a while to make a trip down to San Antonio for a meal at The Smokehouse, and we finally got a group together and made it happen. Six of us made the 80-mile trip down I-35 for a Saturday lunch at the no-frills joint on the East side of town that made Texas Monthly’s Top 50 list for 2008.

Russell, Brad, Bo, and I manned up on the Super Family Order (“1 lb Brisket, 1 lb Pork Ribs, 1 lb Sausage, 1 lb Meat of Your Choice, 2 Quarts of Sides, Bread, Pickles, Onions, and BBQ Sauce”). We chose chicken for our fourth meat, and the three of them each had a beef rib, as well. (View the menu.) All of the meats had a nice, smoky flavor, but everything was overcooked and dry. I didn’t try the sides. The owner was gracious enough to let me in the back to take pictures of the meats in the pits.

For the company alone, every Man Up trip is worth it, but I’d say it’s unlikely we’ll make a return trip to The Smokehouse.

Brad’s scores – Pork ribs: 8; Brisket: 7.8; Chicken: 7.25; Turkey: 7.5; Sausage: 8.5; Atmosphere: 7.9; Overall experience: 7.85

Bo’s scores – Pork ribs: 7; Brisket: 7; Chicken: 5; Sausage: 7.5; Atmosphere: 7; Overall experience: 6.5

Russell’s scores – Pork ribs: 7.5; Brisket: 7.5; Chicken: 7; Turkey: 7; Sausage: 8; Atmosphere: 4.5; Overall experience: 6.75

Drew’s scores – Pork ribs: 8; Chicken: 5; Atmosphere: 7; Overall experience: 7

Overall Man-Up Score: 7.025