Smokey’s & Uncle Grube’s

Very good sweet flavorful pulled pork. Slaw was simple but had just the right amount of ingredients to amp up the BBC sandwich. I also had the baked beans and they were the bomb. I have not had beans like that in about a decade. They were full of flavor, bacon and bacon fat pieces that made it all worth just impulse stopping.
The ladies behind the counter were pleasant and very helpful. Courtesy was wonderful.
Thanks

My wife was excited to bring me home some BBQ, because she knows how much I love it, from a new place she discovered. She said the guys on her job said it was good. Needless to say, she brought the food home and I told her to never bring food from this place again. First of all presentation matters. It looked like some cut my ribs with a cleaver. Secondly, the ribs were very dry w way too much sauce. In my experience if there is a lot of sauce on a rib that means someone is trying to cover up something negative about the rib. In this case the dryness. She also got one of the sandwiches. They were so dry I almost chocked trying to swallow it.

Delicious food… Pit beef is great! Sides are excellent. Roast beef special is incredible! Staff is very friendly. I really don’t know why the restaurant doesn’t have at least 4 stars! It’s a roadside restaurant not a fancy place. Good working class establishment#

First the one of the ladies at the counter was eating chips which isn’t all that bad but both women looked as if I was an intruder. One went to slice my out beef with gloves on but she was eating chips the whole time– a little gross– the the other woman came back holding my beef in her bare hand yuck. She had been wiping off tables prior to grabbing my beef in her bare hand. I asked a large dirty guy behind the counter if he was the owner. He also acted like I was an intruder and said no. I didn’t say anything. I just left completely grossed out and gave beef to my dog. He thought it was great.
Whoever smokey or uncle grubs is — you need new staff. Yuck yuck and yuck

I’m not sure why this place doesn’t have a straight 5 star rating yet… ITS AMAZING. I had a full rack of ribs with a side of fries for $ 18. The ribs are everything you ever want. First of all, they are gigantic. Second, they are fall off the bone. Third, they are juicy and flavored reallllly well. Everyone must try the ribs… NOW.

The service sucks the lady at the counter acted like it was a chore to take my order (maybe look for a job that does not include human interaction is all I’m saying) but watching the cook pour sweat all over the grill was the deal breaker… nasty

This place was so bad. «Pit beef» if thats what they wanted to call it. There is a pit smoking away out front not sure when my beef saw it. It had the tell tale signs of sitting in a liquid to stay moist and warm. If they don’t take the beef straight from the pit to a slicer or if their old school hand sliced. Don’t walk, run its not pit beef.

Where to start…
The lady at the counter looked liked I was an inconvenience as soon as I walked in the door. Maybe it’s because I’m not a white blue collar male but I digress.
I ordered the pit beef sandwich, fries and a drink. When I gave my name for the ticket I pretty much confirmed what I mentioned earlier. She took my money, I put money in her tip jar and said thank you.
After I received my order and unwrapped the sandwich, the first thing I noticed was my topping was not added. I looked past that then took my first bite. The sandwich was barely room temperature. I gave up, tossed my sandwich in the bag and put it in the trash.
If I wasn’t with a group of people I would have made sure to have made my issues known to the cashier but who am I kidding. She could care less about her customers. That is unless your white.

I’ts been a while since my earlier review. The quality has certainly improved. They post their hours clearly on the front door (open 11am-​3pm most days) and they have A/​C in the dining area.

Delicious food, great employees. A+++ :) I recommend getting the pulled pork with coleslaw on top. Extra bbq sauce. Love the outdoor seating and they have sliders now that are perfect for children or smaller meals.

I should have listened to the other reviews. I just had the pit beef sandwich, and the meat was too tough. I felt like a neanderthal trying to rip the meat with my teeth to eat it. Then the sandwich fell apart, and I had to use a fork to finish. The flavor of the meat and the sauce was great. The meat was just too tough to chew. I may try their pulled pork or pit turkey, but I wont go for the beef again.

I’ve never had pit beef before so I’m certainly no expert but… stopped here one freezing cold day and got the pit beef sandwich. It was delicious, I added a little tiger sauce to it, no extra salt or anything else needed. I will definitely go back if I’m in the neighborhood.

This is by far my favorite pit beef place. Order your pit beef how you like it, make sure to add some homemade BBQ sauce, grab some homemade sweet tea, and just enjoy. They have several great sides to choose from as well, but just note the fries aren’t impressive whatsoever.

If you don’t want to read my full review the snap shot is low quality ingredients, below standard portion sizes and an overall disappointing experience. The food lacks character and flavor.
I would give this place zero stars if I could. Everything about this place is so disappointing im not even sure where to start. Today was my fourth time going (i work right down the street) everything on the menu is underwhelming bland. I wish this place would go on a food rescue show– because they NEED help and a lot of it!
From the street the place looks promising… giant smokers, pick nick tables and screen door make this place look like its a secret slice of heaven just waiting to be discovered. Dont be fooled.
Inside the place is dirty, grimy, and poorly lit. As a customer you dont get the impression that you are going to be served good food. They impose a credit card minimum of $ 10 and charge for drink refills… the hallmark of a cheap establishment.
If your going to order the pulled pork sandwich make sure you bring a snorkel and bathing suit… i have never had such a disgustingly wet sandwich in my life. I understand vinegar based bbq sauces can be thin but this mystery liquid that my sandwich is swimming in is not sauce… by the time you take your food from the counter to your seat your bun will be too soggy to even hold your sandwich together. The first time this happened i though it might have been the pork from the very bottom of whatever container they hold the meat in, but its a sloppy mess everytime… even if that isnt a deal breaker the sandwich im sorry to say just does not taste good. It lacks flavor, lacks kick, theres nothing good about it.
Low quality ingredients seem to be the norm here… The pit beef isnt any better. Not a great cut of beef, tough. skimpy portion sizes, and doesnt actually taste smoked.
Everytime i leave this place i feel let down and ripped off.
Sorry ‘Uncle Grube’ but today is the last day i will patron your ‘restaurant’

I drive by this place all the time. I live 5 mins away. I suppose that’s why I ate here today. I was intrigued by a review about their BBQ sauce. I wish I didn’t live so close.
The pit beef is not your traditional offering. Couldn’t taste any smoke, thick slices which made the beef tough, and the portion was half of what one typically get’s.
The BBQ sauce was interesting in the «I’ve never had it before» way, but it couldn’t make up for the other short-​comings. The fries are not worth mentioning, so ignore this sentence.
Even if you’re in the area, I would try to find someplace else. I could understand if you wanted to expand your pit beef repertoire, but that would be the ONLY reason to eat here if you’ve read this. If you have to eat pit beef, it’s worth the 8 mile drive over to the spot on Rolling Rd near Security Mall.

House hunting is hard work and by the time we were done, we were starving. We were in the area and punched a location in the GPS. But as we were driving we were re-​routed by them scent of BBQ! With the pit out in front we knew that was where we needed to go to.
As you walk in the menu is simple and to the point. Pit Beef, Pit Pork and Pit Turkey.
Husband got the Pit Beef and the kiddos got the Pit turkey. I got the Grilled chicken breast.
All three were delicious. My sons could not stop stuffing their faces, the pit turkey was seasoned perfectly and no need for adding any additional seasoning or condiments. Husband got the pit beef and would not talk while eating it, ’nuff said. I had the grilled chicken, I added their BBQ sauce to it and OMG! Besides the fact that the chicken was moist but people their BBQ sauce is what needs to be had. They need to bottle it and sell it. The husband and I were eating the kiddos french fries because we needed to use up the remainder of the sauce. The sauce is amazing!
Go here for their beef and pork and the sauce, do not get the potato salad though. My one complaint, the potato salad was bland and watery. Also if you use a credit card, you have to spend $ 10 or more.

It’s funny … my first review was taken off of Unilocal!because it was «flagged by a user» as «not first hand experience.»
HERE WAS MY FIRST REVIEW
Recommended from a friend who I USED TO trust … we sat there eating together and he kept going … and … AND. am I right???
He was and is wrong.
HERE IS MY NEW REVIEW
This place was recommended by a friend of mine who said he knew BBQ. When I went there with him he kept asking me if I liked it. I didn’t. This place isn’t even average … and is a shame when you think of the great Pit Beef in Maryland … especially Chaps or Pioneer.

I’ve experienced some very good Pit Beef within the Maryland area. I have had the privilege of tasting some savory beef stuffed inside of a bun with my fair share of condiments. I really never had a «meh» experience with pit beef, until I went to Smokey’s and Uncle Grube’s.
Smokey’s and Uncle Grube’s is located right across from Meadowridge Cemetery, where a tent with a set of benches reside, and a small hut where the cooking goes down. I came here out of curiosity on a brisk afternoon during lunch to see what this place could offer. After my last visit, not much can be offered.
There was only one woman operating at the time; which meant she was doing the food preparing and cash register at the same time. She didn’t seem friendly, at all. I ordered the Pit Beef sandwich with cheese (25 cent extra) and a side of fries. Total came to about $ 9, which means I should probably get my $ 9 worth, right?
Not necessarily; Smokey’s & Uncle Grube’s wasn’t even worth $ 6 IMO. The Pit Beef that I got here was cut in chunks, not thin-​sliced, which I don’t have a problem with. The problem that I have is the sandwich not being hot, or even lukewarm. The cheese… well the cheese was slapped on the sandwich like cards are placed in the pile of an ‘I Declare War’ game. I had to warm the sandwich up when I got back. The fries resembled something like overcooked Ore Ida french fries from the frozen section of your local grocery store. You figure that one out.
One thing I will say is that the BBQ sauce that I used on the Pit Beef sandwich made the sandwich decent to eat. Not enough for me to come back here, unfortunately.
Also to add: this will be included in the special edition of «Don’t Believe the Hype» season series, coming soon to your local Unilocal stores. Cop that!

We discovered this little gem through my iphone Unilocal app while in jessup and in need of a quick lunch. we would never have found it as it’s a small ‘shack’ on the side of a road we never go down… thank goodness for Unilocal!
it looks pretty unassuming, with a sheltered outdoor eating area of picnic tables and seating for ~25 people inside. we got the half rack of ribs that comes with fries, cole slaw or beans (we got fries) and the sweet bbq pork sandwich, along with a side of cole slaw. the food came out quickly and looked/​smelled great! we quickly took photos, grabbed a bottle of their homemade bbq sauce and dug in!
their sauce is definitely on the sweet side which was perfect with the salty ribs and pork. the sandwich was overflowing, the kaiser roll soft so as to necessitate just the right amount of sandwich-​eating-​savvy to eat it without losing its integrity. we would definitely recommend adding cole slaw to the sandwich (25 cents or $ 1.25 for the side so you can add some and have more to eat separately) as the flavor combo was outstanding, and the cole slaw itself was really tasty by itself. the ribs were just the right level of tenderness (pulled off the bone easily but still had a bit of bite to the meat) and seemed like they were dry-​rubbed, then brushed with their bbq sauce. the fries were extra-​crispy and DELICIOUS with their bbq sauce. yes, we loved the bbq sauce. the food was great, the service friendly and we are definitely going back the next time we’re craving some bbq!

Smokey’s & Uncle Grubes is a hidden barbeque dive in Elkridge, MD with a fairly unwieldy name, a friendly atmosphere, and a tightly focused menu — ‘meat’ is the order of the day here.
Seating is about six tables inside, with a woodburning stove & plenty of both kinds of music (country AND western). There is a covered area outside with picnic tables, which I imagine is quite busy on warm days. Today was not warm.
Lots of customers are greeted by name, and it looks like there are quite a few regulars. That’s always a great sign.
The mainstay here seems to be the Sweet Barbecued Pork sandwich ($ 6.25, which is what I had). My lunch buddy got the Pit Beef sandwich (also $ 6.25). Fries and drinks rounded out the meal.
Now to the food. The fries are very generous — one order could probably feed two lightweight eaters. Neither of us is a lightweight eater. They were very, very good fries — hot, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside — so score one for the fryolater!
The pork sandwich is chopped pork in a light, sweet barbeque sauce. It’s very, very generous (to the point of overflowing a big Kaiser bun) and quite moist — you will need to eat your sandwich upside down. All in all, it was a good, solid, 4-​star sandwich.
My lunch buddy is a Texan with ‘opinions’ on barbeque, and I tend to listen to his input on such matters. The beef sandwich he had was kind of cold and tough. While he liked the rub and the ‘bark’ that had built up during the cooking process, he just wasn’t satisfied with the cut and quality of the meat. A strictly 2-​star experience.
Next run, we plan to try the pork ribs, the kielbasa, and/​or the burgers.
To summarize: I always like a friendly place with great prices. The food is good, the setting is appropriate to the food, and it’s not a giant chain. 3 stars to Smokey’s & Uncle Grubes, with the probable addition of a fourth upon my next trip if the other dishes pan out.