I sometimes wonder if restaurant owners are doing some market research before opening their joint: it is not uncommon to see some restaurants with the same theme opening couple of steps away. But BBQ in Hoboken: what a great idea! There is no other BBQ place in the city as far as I know, so I was excited to try it. The Smokin' Barrel opened approx. three months ago, serving drinks (they have more than 50 different kinds of beers) and then opened with a full dining menu a month later. It is a big place with a saloon feel; ok, I have never been to a saloon, but watched many John Wayne movies when I was a kid...

We went several times there and each time, the service was very courteous and efficient. We tried several dishes from their menu that offers standard bar food, such as burgers and wings, but also BBQ staples such as the baby back ribs that I tried as a side.

No, you will not find them on the menu as a side dish, only as an entrée, but they nicely accepted to give me a small portion (I suggested that they serve this as an appetizer - wink, wink!). This was a fantastic dish that I highly recommend: the meat was literally falling off the bone, was tender, juicy, with a delightful smokiness. Simply spectacular and definitely the best dish I had there. I was licking my fingers, forgetting proper etiquette, so I would not miss any bit of that deliciously sweet BBQ sauce. But, for a complete cleaning, I used one of their moist towels that were on each table...

Still on the BBQ side, I ordered the brisket and pork platter. I could pick two sides and thus chose mac and cheese (good, but would have liked it creamier), as well as a delicious cole slaw.

The meat was good, tender and juicy, but I admit that it did not beat the ribs! If I had to pick, I preferred the brisket over the pork shoulder, and I bet that the brisket sandwich is fantastic. In fact, the next time we went at The Smokin Barrel, I hesitated between the burger and the brisket sandwich. I went for the burger, while Jodi ordered the portobello burger.

My burger was so so, the angus beef patty being overcooked. Jodi's burger was good, but the roasted pepper was a bit overpowering and she ended up removing it.

Then, we went for brunch. We decided to order few appetizers. First was the fried pickles, served with a chipotle aioli that had a nice kick.

The pickles were cut like fries and were addictive: slightly juicy, they were not greasy at all.

I also tried the buffalo wings that were very good, deliciously hot.

Jodi ordered for the second time the arugula salad, composed of tomatoes, arugula, avocado, cojita cheese, corn and a mango vinaigrette that was added a nice sweetness to the dish.

I just tried a bite of it, going more for a Southern specialty: fried chicken and waffles. I was very excited to try it as I love the mixing sweet and savory flavors. I admit that when it came, I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting a full chicken leg. The fried chicken was good, well cooked and crispy, but the waffle was too dense and tasteless. Too bad...

I should also mention their homemade corn bread that they bring to the table systematically. It is a good corn bread and I had to try to control myself not to eat too much of it...

Although I did not like all the dishes, I am a fan of The Smokin Barrel and I am still dreaming about their baby back ribs! Would I go back? Definitely and this time, I want to try their smoked brontosaurus ribs or the roasted chicken. And why not some dessert...

Enjoy (I did)!

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