More than hitting the shops in thongs and ending every word in ‘o’, Australians are weirdly proud of their BBQ heritage. And by heritage, we mean spending every December watch dad ‘flame-grill’ the sausages (they’re just burnt, dad) and the Australian summer heat Nan’s potato salad to a questionable mush.
Sorry fam, but we’ve officially decided to ditch sausages on bread for star-spangled banners – and all it took was one taste of the new menu of American eats at The Smoke BBQ.
Wandering through this New Farm spot will treat you to glimpses of diners elbows-deep in BBQ sauce, others totally obscured behind towering piles of wings. And as American footballers hustle together on the TV – and you start to wonder just what the heck you’ve walked into – your legs freeze. Your heart stops. You start drooling visibly enough to produce alarmed looks from passersby.
We hate to break it to you, but life as you know it has ended. Once you catch wind of the glorious, smoky, saucy flavours wafting over from the kitchen, it’s time to gather a support group: you’ve just become a lifelong addict of American BBQ.
Before it reopened as The Smoke in 2010, owner Steve Johnson opened the doors to Blue Smoke BBQ in 2006. To put that in perspective, that’s the same year Britney divorced K Fed, and High School Musical was released. Feel old yet?
With over 15 years in the American restaurant industry, Steve’s dream was to bring authentic American BBQ to Brisbane, even going so far as to import a smoker from the States. Using hickory wood chips and house made dry rubs, The Smoke’s team of BBQ gurus slowly smoke selections of Texas short ribs, beef brisket, and Memphis-style pork belly.
After a quick stint on the chargrill and a generous serve of Memphis sauce, you’ve got yourself the answer to love at first sight. You also have the answer to whether a human can feel so full that they physically need to be horizontal.
Our hot tip for your BBQ session? Take a break, breathe deeply, and calm those nerves with The Smoke BBQ’s signature cocktail – the beergarita. Once you’ve finished Instagramming shots of your margarita-Corona hybrid, you’ll be good for round two.
Remember: American BBQ doesn’t stop at ‘I’m full,’ with plates of cornbread, house coleslaw, and some of the city’s best buffalo chicken wings still to conquer. And with the decade-old Brisbane favourite releasing a brand new menu packed with goodies like pumpkin pie, pulled pork sandwiches, and gigantic onion rings, one thing’s for sure – our summer diet just went up in smoke.
You’ll find The Smoke BBQ in their iconic location at 85 Merthyr Road, New Farm, open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Words by Samantha Chariton
We hate to break it to you, but life as you know it has ended. Once you catch wind of the glorious, smoky, saucy flavours wafting over from the kitchen, it’s time to gather a support group: you’ve just become a lifelong addict of American BBQ.
Before it reopened as The Smoke in 2010, owner Steve Johnson opened the doors to Blue Smoke BBQ in 2006. To put that in perspective, that’s the same year Britney divorced K Fed, and High School Musical was released. Feel old yet?
With over 15 years in the American restaurant industry, Steve’s dream was to bring authentic American BBQ to Brisbane, even going so far as to import a smoker from the States. Using hickory wood chips and house made dry rubs, The Smoke’s team of BBQ gurus slowly smoke selections of Texas short ribs, beef brisket, and Memphis-style pork belly.
After a quick stint on the chargrill and a generous serve of Memphis sauce, you’ve got yourself the answer to love at first sight. You also have the answer to whether a human can feel so full that they physically need to be horizontal.
Our hot tip for your BBQ session? Take a break, breathe deeply, and calm those nerves with The Smoke BBQ’s signature cocktail – the beergarita. Once you’ve finished Instagramming shots of your margarita-Corona hybrid, you’ll be good for round two.
Remember: American BBQ doesn’t stop at ‘I’m full,’ with plates of cornbread, house coleslaw, and some of the city’s best buffalo chicken wings still to conquer. And with the decade-old Brisbane favourite releasing a brand new menu packed with goodies like pumpkin pie, pulled pork sandwiches, and gigantic onion rings, one thing’s for sure – our summer diet just went up in smoke.
You’ll find The Smoke BBQ in their iconic location at 85 Merthyr Road, New Farm, open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Words by Samantha Chariton
