Taste Of Smoke BBQ

Going out of business is a good indicator that you should listen to your customers…

Bottom line, would I return. no.
Service was okay, seated promptly but clearly not too busy. On a Saturday night at 7pm only one other couple in the place.
The slider sampler which came with pulled pork, brisket and pulled chicken was just okay. Brisket was probably best out of the three. The pulled chicken was dry, definitely needed sauce on it. The pulled pork was okay but really nothing special.
Mac and cheese– now I’m not sure if it always taste the way it did or if something went wrong. But it was completely inedible. No flavor at all (except salt), not sure if any real cheese was even used to make it.
Meats are all definitely reheated. Everything came out semi-​warm and was cold within about two minutes. We were definitely not blown away. Not sure if we missed something, or came on a reallyyy off day but we were disappointed.

This place was fantastic! Anyone who says that this wasn’t barbecue done right, has the wrong idea about what good barbecue is.
We tried the brisket, ribs, chicken and pulled pork. All the meats had just the right amount of smokey flavor. Everything was tender and juicy and nothing was drowned in sauce.
The fried pickles were crunchy and not too salty. The beans very savory, smoky and lightly sweet– yum! The mac n cheese was a tad bland, but I still chowed down on it. I even liked the sweet tea.
Prices were great and the service was friendly.
I told all my friends about this place. And then… It closed. It was supposed to be a temporary closing, but I’ve been back twice since they were supposed to have reopened and… still closed.
I’m so disappointed. Really good barbecue food is really hard to come by in this neck of the woods. I would have been a very regular customer here.

this place is closed for good. While it was open its was just meh.

Food was not great at all. Food was reheated and dry. The ribs were cold and so was the pulled pork. Staff was good, but won’t be going back.

Wanted something different so BBQ it was — Hubby took Mini-​Me and I here about 2 months ago and it was a Friday night– not crowded at all– It smelled amazing the aromas of BBQ the minute you walked up to this place– made my mouth water.
Hubby ordered full chicken with mac & cheese, I had full rack and Mini-​Me had ½ rack– good grief with the sides it was a lot of food but worth every bite I stuffed in my mouth. Owner came by our table of course we all had food in our mouths LOL but we managed to say it was delish– Our son called right before our food arrived and wanted to join us, so he showed up as well, ordered the BBQ sandwich and he loved the beans and greens– he liked the sauce considering he isn’t much of a sauce person. Also the slaw I love slaw but it has to be made right so that it enhances your meal instead of overpowering your taste buds– good job!
So the long and short it we like it a A LOT! and its local to us once we realized where its at in relation to our house. and we will be back.

Heard this place was supposed to be good. Big disappointment. Best thing I got in this place was the soda to wash it down. Been there 2x. Gave them a free pass cause everyone has a bad day. 2^nd visit confirmed what I already knew. Over-​Rated. Bring that place down to Texas and it be closed down within its first yr.

Unbelievable BBQ. If you like real BBQ, and I’m not talking about that garbage steamed meat smothered in sickly sweet sauce, then this place is for you. I’m talking about dry rubbed, long smoked, absolutely delicious BBQ. I’ve to some of the best BBQ joints in the south and this place equally rivals if not bests them.

We were very excited to see that we had an authentic BBQ joint right in our own backyard — with a real, honest to gosh BBQ cook off winner at the helm to boot. Don’t recall exactly what competition he won (it’s like chili cook offs. There’s a zillion of them), but it sure sounds impressive.
Anyway, we ordered the ribs, of course, and pulled pork with sides of mac & cheese, coleslaw, fries, and baked beans.
I went to the liquor store next door and when I returned the food was already laid out. Every thing was luke warm. I mentioned this to the owner, who very graciously took it all back and had them prepare another whole order.
But the ribs were still luke warm. The pulled pork was also luke warm and dry. The coleslaw was so sweet you could offer it as a dessert — in a bad way. The fries and beans were good. In fact, the baked beans, made with three or four different types of beans, were great.
My conclusion is that the proteins, like the ribs and pulled pork, are made ahead and reheated. Totally unacceptable. In Tennessee or South Carolina you’d be run out of town, or worse.
And from speaking with the staff, it appears that the owner is delegating responsibility to people who don’t have even a nodding familiarity with BBQ. OK, we’re in NJ, but I think you can find people that do know about BBQ, like yours truly f’instance.

Had ribs and Brisket. Ribs had a Good smoked background flavor but too subtle — could use more salt, sugar. But main issue was that the ribs were not tender. Maybe this was on purpose, but I have had ribs that fall off the bone and prefer that kind.
Brisket tasted okay, came in a form of shredded beef, loose tiny pieces. so lost a point on appearance. It was tender, hence the tiny pieces, but if I were to serve that to a customer expecting brisket and it were pre shredded, I would indicate that on the menu.

This place is AWESOME. The ribs are good, and the chicken even better. The best dish of all is the baby back mac and cheese. Just give me a large container and a fork!!! :)
The prices are not cheap, but the portions are large, and filling. There’s very few really great BBQ places in this area, and this is definately the best of the bunch!!!

I love smoked meat! I’ve enjoyed BBQ all over the country and even smoke my own so I was excited to see this place close to home. This is my experience from my first visit. There will be another.
The folks at the counter were real nice and friendly and they explained their menu as it was my first time there. I ordered a sampler type meal with brisket, chicken, pulled pork and ribs with fries and baked beans.
I am a huge fan of brisket so I was looking forward to trying it here. It had a good flavor but it is pre sliced and held in a jus. Which serves to keep it moist but takes away some of the flavor in my opinion. It was tender but I was a little disappointed overall, not a fan of holding it in a jus I guess. I like it fresh sliced. I hope at some point he is busy enough to justify this.
The chicken was really good. It’s hard to smoke chicken because it’s easy to over smoke and overwhelm the flavor of the chicken. They did a really good job on the chicken, perfectly smoked.
The pulled pork was not very good. It lacked any smoke flavor. It could be the way they hold the meat but I’m not a fan. I’ll try it on a second visit just to be fair.
The ribs were my favorite overall. They were well smoked and whatever rub they use provides a nice flavor. They were tender but not mushy with a nice pull. Very good.
As with all BBQ, or any meat dish really, the end product will be affected by the individual animal itself. Some meat is just better, could be the same grade or quality, but the end result is going to vary somewhat. So the flavor profiles this guy is bringing are good overall and that’s the best way to evaluate BBQ in my opinion. Smoke rings mean nothing as they can be artificially induced and some meat will produce a more pronounced ring than others sitting right next to them on the smoker.
The beans were tasty and the fries were good.
Definitely worth a try if you like BBQ, or have never had it done right. Much better than any chain BBQ place.

This is a great BBQ place. County line & new prospect in the strip with dunkin donuts. Had the sampler with pulled pork, brisket, chicken and mac and cheese and cornbread on the side. All was delicious. Everyone was full. The sandwiches looked great. They have a togo part in the front and a cute dine-​in section in the back. Reasonable prices. Going back for sure. This area was missing a good BBQ place.

In my eternal search for good BBQ in New Jersey-​this was solid. I had the ribs and brisket and both were reminiscent of the BBQ from my home state of Texas. Neither needed sauce, so I didn’t even sample. Unfortunately, they were out of the Texas sausage-​something about delayed delivery-​so can’t report on that. I had the beans, which were sweet, but delicious, and the Mac and cheese, which was overcooked, but had a good cheesy flavor that complimented the beef. The only things missing from making it a truly nostalgic Texan experience were the pickles, onions and soft white bread. I would definitely go back.

We enjoyed this place so much! Good food and even better atmosphere. They had live music, great staff, my kids were able to draw on the chalk wall and dance around to the music. We had the ribs and chicken, both were great. Can’t wait to go again.

I really had high expectations for taste of smoke. After ordering the feast dinner platter, it had a taste of everything (ribs, chicken, pulled pork and Texas sausage that we did not get). Let me start off by saying that I know and had great BBQ and know proper cooking techniques for smoking food.
The Ribs were seasoned good just need more salt on them and needed to be smoked longer, they were not tender at all and were very tough. They did have a smoke ring on them which is proper smoking technique.
The chicken breast was over cooked and dry. The dark meat was ok
The brisket was tender but didn’t have a smoke ring, which mean that it was not cooked properly.
The pulled pork was tender but bland it was just ok.
I was supposed to get the Texas sausage but didn’t receive it not sure why I just realized it when I was writing this review.
The baked bean were multiple types of beans such as navy bean, kidney bean, butter beans. They were also bland and lack a sauce and sweetness.
The Mac and cheese was creamy and wet. It was too bland and needed more cheese.
The cole slaw was just ok. Just had too much carrots in it .
The corn bread was good.
The service was good and we got food in 3 min after seating.
I will give this restaurant sometime to improve before I return or use the take out.

Great service. Good prices.
The pulled port was moist and flavorful, the brisket was also flavorful, but a little on the dry side.
I also sampled the Mac and cheese topped with rib meat (definite must!)
Cole slaw wasn’t very tasty, dry and tasted mostly of onions.

The owner and Pit Master Rory is a Myron Mixon BBQ team alumni. Mixon is a multi contest champion and host a top BBQ school.
Having the opportunity to eat at Taste of Smoke, and sample Rory’s award winning meats in Jackson NJ is a true gift.
Greeted with a smile and lead into the bright and new dining area the menu is simple the regular cast of characters in a BBQ joint but that’s where it ends.
We sampled nearly everything and can say the flavor from the rubs and preps alone are enough without extra sauce. The potions are ample as well so bring your appetite.
Sample everything (like we did) when you go you won’t be sorry. The chicken was fabulous, so tasty and juicy it was enough to satisfy anyone on its own. The pulled pork was among the best I’ve ever had even without adding extra sauce. The best brisket I’ve had outside of Austin or Dallas.
Man I loved the beans too, a little sweet but a blend of 3 kinds and again and ample side portion. The Mac n cheese was tasty but it’s not the star of the show. Hey!!! The corn bread!!! Excellent!!!
This is a fabulous food find in a tiny strip mall in Jackson and I will be back. The hard part is what to have because from my sampler platter everything was dag gum delicious!

Great place for BBQ. Figured we would try it. Heard about it and it’s local. Couldn’t believe how good the sandwiches were. Fresh cut French fries were awesome. Brisket, pulled pork and even the burger was delicious.

We just moved from St. Louis and were shocked when my mom asked us if we wanted to try barbecue in my hometown of Jackson. The pitmaster at Taste of Smoke worked with Mike Mills (or maybe Myron Mixon? One of those MM barbecue Gods) and that convinced us to try it. My husband is a Texan and we were regulars at Pappy’s and Bogart’s in STL. We also love Oklahoma Joe’s in KC and have eaten BBQ regularly in Memphis and Texas over the past 10 years, so we consider ourselves experts on barbecue. My husband was even on a competition bbq team in St. Louis and won money doing so.
Now that my BBQ cred is established… this place is the REAL DEAL. Is it Pappy’s? Not quite. Is it the best meal you can buy in south Jersey other than pizza? Damn right it is. Anyone who has ever eaten bbq in the south will be extremely pleased with Taste of Smoke. I had the pulled pork and loved it. Crusty rub exterior and a pink smoke ring y’all. My husband had the ribs and they fell off the bone (which is a little bit overdone but ok with us).
All of you old folks that live in the retirement communities around Jackson? Go to Taste of Smoke. This sht is great for people with dentures or bad teeth because it is so tender! Good sauces and beans, and they do an especially incredible job on the hand-​cut fries which are a real challenge to get crispy. The décor is awesome too, which is a plus. I do question their choice to set up shop in the old Foodtown/​Carel Pharmacy plaza — not a high-​traffic location, so it’s got to be a destination. I especially hope you all eat there so they stay in business and I can eat there when I go home!