When in Texas, you gotta have some barbecue. There are numerous places to choose from, but you can be confident in the ones that locals and other travelers repeatedly recommend. So we decided to take the short taxi ride from downtown to have lunch at the Smoke Shack.
Lunch at The Smoke Shack Restaurant
This rustic counter-service barbecue joint serves BBQ snacks, platters, sandwiches, and sides.
Welcome
The place was casual and simple. Meat and sides are served on metal lunch trays lined with some parchment paper.
Counter and Menu
Beer, soda, lemonade and tea are your beverage choices. I ordered the lemonade. It’s handmade and brought in by The Lemonade Company. You get free refills as well.
Drinks
The BBQ Plates seemed like the way to go. You can order 1-meat for $11, 2-meats for $13, and 3-meats for $15. The plates come with your choice of two sides and a roll. I ordered the 3-meat plate of course. I went with the brisket (fatty), pulled pork, and ribs. For sides, I got the potato salad and mac and cheese.
BBQ Plate
I always make sure to try the brisket if available. It’s my favorite. I still dream about the brisket I had in Dallas. I also tend to order the fattier pieces since I find that they’re juicier and has more flavor of course. The brisket was nice and tender. Not as much smoke flavor as the brisket I had in Dallas, but still good.
Beef Brisket
The ribs were great! Super flavorful and juicy. The sauce was caramelized and tasty. They fell right off the bone. I have not had ribs fall of the bone quite like these. So good!
Ribs
Fall Off the Bone
The sides were not the star of this place, it’s about the barbecue after all! The mac and cheese was good. The sauce was creamy and had bits of pulled pork which was a very nice touch.
Mac and Cheese
The potato salad was good too. Not too much mayo and still chunky. I’m not a fan of over dressed and over mashed potato salad.
Potato Salad
It was a good BBQ fix. I’m glad we made the short trip to Smoke Shack. The lemonade was great too. While we waiting for the taxi, we headed out back and they were nice enough to show us the smoker.
Smoker
They also have a food truck that parks at 2347 Nacogdoches, Monday thru Saturday from 11am-3pm. This was actually the original spot where the taxi driver almost dropped us off, but the truck wasn’t out due to the weather so we looked up the address of the restaurant and headed there.
Food Truck
We really enjoyed our BBQ lunch at the Smoke Shack. The staff was nice and those ribs were memorable! I was already convinced that you can’t get good barbecue by the Riverwalk. There were a couple other barbecue places I would have liked to try but did not have time. Thanks, Smoke Shack!
What’s your favorite place for BBQ in San Antonio?
The Smoke Shack Restaurant
3714 Broadway Street
San Antonio, TX 78209
(210) 957-1430
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