Smoke BBQ Pit

Went in there tonight with the BF, been here couple of times when they first opened, service n food was good then swiched to take out after a few visits in the restaurant. Because of one poor take out service we hadn’t returned for while (take out experience@ liberty ave location which don’t think is associated with them any longer) so since it was fight night n wanted a good drink too we decided to go by on Sunday night at around 9 something… boy was I glad we did, we had our drinks at the bar while waiting for our take out order. I ordered the rib combo with choice of meat being RIBTIPS, that plus sides of coleslaw n mac n cheese, omg the ribs n rib tips (so good right now), my hunny had the waffle n chicken tenders (his go to there) n his waffle smelled so good I had to have a bite!
Gotta say have loved their rib tips n ribs since day one! (Meaty n good flavor which I didnt have to cook myself… um win!) for a neighborhood spot, yea I know its a bit pricey, but the portions are well worth it even on take out which I notice other places try to shaft u on, plus nothing like have bbq on a wintry snowing night.

When I walked in the place, I really wanted to like it. It had bbq joint feel. My first mistake was breaking one of my own BBQ rules, if you can’t smell wood smoke, they probably don’t smoke with wood. Not sure if they do or not, I’ll get back to that. It took about 15 minutes for a waitron to come to our table and bring us a menu, which was odd because it was a Saturday mid afternoon, and there were 3 other tables in the place… Service did not speed up after that. I ordered the brisket/​pulled pork combo, with beans and collard greens. 25 minutes later, it arrived. Both meats were swimming in sauce. I found a dry chunk of pork to try, and noticed that while it had a good roast pork flavor, it was lacking of any smoke taste. Also was right on the cusp of being overdone, with a texture between pulled pork, and pudding. The brisket was chopped, and somewhat dry, despite the pool of sauce it was served in. No appreciable smoke flavor there either. The baked beans had a scorched, burnt flavor, and the collard greens needed a shot of vinegar or something to cut the bitterness. The highlight of the $ 20 combo plate was the cornbread, which was warm, sweet and moist. When we paid, my dining companion paid his $ 20 bill with a $ 20 and a $ 10, hoping for some change to leave a tip. The server figured the $ 10 was her tip, and he had to actually ask her for his change. Still shake my head at that one, considering the lack of service over the hour and 15 minutes we were there…

I have been going to this restaurant for the last 5 years. The customer service has been good. The food has always been ok. My wife and Ienjoy the Catfish until last night. We ate some bad fish which carry over into our Christmas eve at work. I called the restaurant to tell them of our concerns. Owning a restaurant myself, I try never give anyone else bad reviews. However, after 3 calls to the restaurant to let them know and to possibly stop selling that batch of fish.
My attempt was to speak with the manager to be sure the problem would be taking care of. On my third try, I got to speak with the owner Ali.
A very arrogant speaking person that didn’t seem to care that one his customers for 5 years was complaining about his dinner. I supported my neighborhood restaurant for 5 years recommend it to family members and friends that came into town. Now, I have nothing good to say about this restaurant and will recommend none of my friends and family eat there anymore. Just wanted to let everyone know how Mr Ali the owner of Smoke BBQ Pitt treats his customers. Loyal customers! I will not return
Good luck! Remember Sea Food is not regulated by the FDA

Food is taste really good here.
The recent times that I came here, there was always some type of disappointment. Either they don’t have any more chicken tenders, baked beans, or macaroni. Also, I remember the last time I had a waiter, he wasn’t the greatest! I remember asking him a bunch of times for things that were already missing from my order.
Other time I called to take out and it was the wrong order.

One of my favorite spots for bbqs beef ribs there are great good service, never had the fish and based on the reviews I won’t and it’s a bbq spot not a seafood place so I would give them a pass on the fish!

The wait staff was very attentive and nice. I had Brisket, mac and cheese, and collard greens. The mac was good, but not great! The Brisket was delicious. The price was a little hefty, but I have never been treated so well at a restaurant.

I have only taken food out. I typically order the chicken wings and waffles. The chicken is cooked well but lacks seasoning. They have gotten my order wrong a few times. I do not like the macaroni and cheese. The beef ribs and buffalo wings are good. Their cornbread is ok. I will continue to frequent them because they aren’t too far from me and will hopefully find a meal I really like.

The food was good, wings are cooked to perfection and the band is awesome! I brought my 10 month old here and he couldn’t stop dancing LOL! I would gladly come again. Thank you!

Food here taste terrible… I ordered the catfish with waffles and it’s tasted frozen and the lemonade wasn’t good at all … would I come back here def not ! overrated place overrated food

Used like this place. Tonight I got there at 10:20 they refused to seat me. The girl said the kitchen closes at 10:30. The sign says they close at 11. Then some guy says we usually close the kitchen «round about» 10:20. Lol. What? I asked for a manager and was told he was busy counting money. Lol. I guess they make enough and didn’t need mine tonight. Neighborhood place that is not accommodating. Last time there. Gave this place and their lack of service and class too many opportunities.

The food at Smoke BBQ Pit is good, but, as barbeque goes, not great. I tried the beef ribs, and the pork rib tips, and was a little disappointed. In my opinion the need to be seasoned more and cooked until they are tender. The best things on the menu are the catfish, and the two handed burgers. The burgers are delicious, and the catfish is cooked to perfection. They are my favorite items on the menu. The sides are pretty good, especially the candy yams.
The real reason I keep coming back to the BBQ Pit, is that every Friday night, they have this fantastic live R&B band called The Renegade Band. They play all the songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s to the present. They really add a nice touch to the whole dining experience. It is nice to be entertained while having dinner. You will feel like getting out of your seat to dance to the music. It is refreshing to hear live music instead of a DJ.

Decent spot and not far from JFK. Basic food, large portions and family style atmosphere. I’m seeing some bad reviews based on their fish but we only tried their meat and bbq shrimp, which were fine, if on the salty side overall. Mid day it’s not busy with ample parking available.

I mean if they changed just a few things this place could be great.
I was in town for work on a Wednesday night and stopped by this place with a coworker. The atmosphere mimicked what you would find in a typical casual BBQ establishment with novel southern/​country furnishings. They have plenty of TVs to watch sports. We were seated immediately and shortly thereafter our server stopped by and asked us what we would like to drink. I got a water and my coworker got a soda. He arrived with our beverages and we did not get refills for the rest of the meal, despite our drinks being empty for at least half the time.
About the food. In my opinion, the best BBQ places do not sauce their BBQ, before serving it to you. The best places season it, they cook it to perfection and serve it to you and allow you to sauce it (or not) to your liking with their in house variety of BBQ sauces. However, everything on this menu comes sauced. So there’s that. I had the rib tips platter with Mac and cheese, baked beans and corn bread. It was nice to see rib tips on the menu. Rib tips are some time thought of as the scrap meat when preparing ribs and for this reason they’re cheaper and provided in larger portions. The truth about rib tips however is that they are just as moist and arguably more flavorful than the rest of the rib. The smoke BBQ pit’s offering of rib tips were good, not great. As for the sides, they were mediocre at best. As for the corn bread, the best way to describe it is as corn bread with the consistency of cake. I liked it. Oh and my meal also came with Texas toast. And by that I mean it came with a slightly thicker than normal piece of bread that had been toasted on a grill. No butter, garlic or any sort of seasoning.
So, basically the food is OK and the service, at least on my visit, was suspect.

Omg I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT HERE! Authentic bbq cuisine! I always go for the chicken wings and waffles for breakfast with a their sweet iced tea (which is homemade & GREAT). Always get the bbq chicken or burgers for dinner or lunch.
Their customer service is always wonderful, the food is always fresh, the waits aren’t that bad during the week, but on Saturdays it’s kind of long because they’re always busy on Saturdays.
Order ahead for takeout/​pickup.
Photos attached are wings & waffles (came with about 5 wings took some from my mom so don’t be shocked if yours doesn’t have that much) lol.

The folks were hospitable and the size of the place was accommodating. Although given the full bar I got the impression it could appear less family restaurant than it did at 7pm.
The pork ribs were the highlight. The brisket, sliced thin was drowned in sauce but still survived. The child’s chicken and waffle was chicken strips over waffle. My daughter enjoyed it. The sides we tried, garlic mashed potato, Mac and cheese were fair. The cornbread was good. All in all Id like to add ½ star. I’d probably go back if I were on or near Merrick Blvd. Decent family food.

I passed this place on several occasions, and I always said I would stop and try the food. I came here last week with a friend, and I was very disappointed. The food was mediocre at best. The portions are a decent size, but we didn’t even want the leftovers. I had the jumbo fried shrimp with sweet potato fries and «southern» greens. The shrimp was ok and so were the fries, but the greens looked like they came out of a can. I’m southern and there was nothing southern about those greens. I took one bite and put my fork down. My friend had the pulled chicken, I forgot which sides she had. She said it wasn’t that great.
The service was ok. When we were first seated I don’t think our waitress knew she had a table, but when she finally came out table she was apologetic. Their alcoholic beverages are strong, thats a plus. The cornbread was good, but cold. I prefer mine warm. I tried it didn’t like it, I won’t be back.

I went to SBBQP previously during the time of their Grand Opening and enjoyed the food, I am unsure what transpired between 2012 and now… Perhaps the Chefs on staff or the lack there of? For a Soul Food establishment in a predominantly African-​American neighborhood, this is a practical joke for an establishment to advertise «BBQ» that is not cooked. On my 1^st visit I found the restaurant to be a family environment, sort of The Famous Dave or Texas Roadhouse Knock-​Off. Cabin in the woods feel. I ordered the Catfish meal, 2 sides. The collard greens were tasty and the Mac-​N-​cheese was good in 2012. I also ordered the strawberry lemonade from the cocktail menu. Very good and no complaints. Service was dynamic. Fast Forward to the end of 2014 and a total 360! I highly recommended the Catfish to my girlfriend because of the previous trip. I decided on the BBQ Brisket meal. $ 15.99 gets you 2 sides. I went for the Collards and Mac as ordered previously. Our food came out rather quickly and later it was revealed to us why. My girlfriend bit into her 1^st piece of Catfish and exclaimed it was Light and tasty. On her 2^nd piece she realized the texture was that of SUSHI ! Fried on the outside. and Habatchi Fish on the inside ??! The owner tried bringing out another piece to sample. Still uncooked and Raw. She had to resort to ordering BBQ WINGS. My Brisket was not the finest grade of meat and the temperature was not that of a «Smoked BBQ PIT». Tasted Microwaved. I was too hungry to request a hotter plate. The Mac and Cheese was Mediocre at best. Kraft Macaroni Deluxe perhaps? Or the generic Walmart brand? I ordered Peach Cobbler for dessert to make for a happy ending. Mostly brown sugar and peaches with crumbs and Vanilla Ice Cream. I can cook and after this visit, I am motivated to put places like this out of Business for good. The waitress was kind and the service was good, but what’s the point when the quality of food is a 0?

Smoke BBQ Pitt has a outdoorsy décor to it. Everything is made out of wood whether real or faux. This place reminds me of the cabins in the Lifetime movies that married couples go to cheat on their spouses. There are flat screen tvs that line the walls. There’s a separate bar area, a dining area, and a to-​go line.
I’ve been here a few times for drinks but never for food. After going over the menu I settled on the Catfish Platter, Sweet Potato Fries with Mac & Cheese as my sides. I also put in a order for the Spiked Ice Tea which was great. I was elated with the decent sized Catfish. I’m greedy, sue me!
Elation turned into a nightmare immediately once I realized that my Catfish was cooked on the outside but slimy on the inside. The Mac & Cheese was store bought either Kraft or Amy’s. The Cornbread that came with the platter was delish. I wish they offered a basket of Cornbread.
Remember Nickelodeon’s Slime Time Show? That’s what my four pieces of Catfish reminded me of. I prayed it was just a bad piece and the other three pieces would make up for my disappointment. Welp, hope was thrown out the window and needless to say it was sent back.
The waitress understood my plight. She didn’t question me or put up a fight. What I found odd is that she had the Catfish Platter the night before and experienced the same thing. With that being said why didn’t she give me the heads up?! She could’ve lied and said that they ran out of Catfish. I would’ve been annoyed because my palate was set on seafood, BUT I would’ve been grateful. Mucho gracias, Shaquanda (sarcasm).
I put in another order for the Chicken Wings with BBQ sauce which turned out just fine. The Owner which I didn’t know his title at the time came over with a piece of Catfish to try. No apology from him. However he took the liberty to have the Chef fry up another piece for me. After sizing up the piece of fish the owner told me a boldface lie about the deep fryer not working properly.
The deep fryer was too hot and cooked the outside of the fish but not the inside. He insisted on me trying a piece. Against my better judgement I did. I knew what I was getting into once I sliced a piece to try. Looking at the Catfish I knew it was going to be slimy… AGAIN! Why must I relive this nightmare.
I explained to the Owner in a very matter of fact voice that it’s not the deep fryer that’s an issue. It’s indeed the fish that’s a problem. I proceeded to ask him about his seafood being frozen or fresh. «Fresh, fresh, yes of course!» Fresh? Sorry, Papa no it isn’t. Your FISH is spoiled, bad, and rotten. Beyond annoyed I told him do not serve this to anyone else. You need fresh seafood!

I originally really loved this spot. However, the service has dramatically decreased, and so has the food. The waffles are no longer flaky and flavorful, the fish is no longer lean.
My mom and I went for Sunday brunch, and were gravely disappointed. The food was sub par and the drinks– well they were more ice than drink. The waiter was pleasant but their was subtle condescension. For starters, I inquired about the bottles of barbecue sauce previously placed on the tables. To this the server responded that «people steal.» So we we had to request barbecue sauce at a bbq spot, and were issued these condiments via splashes in a plastic cup and not the barbecue sauce bottle.
After we finished eating, an employee comes and wipes the table down. He wiped diligently, lifting our glasses and rudely reaching in front of us as we watched in disbelief!
We tipped according to our satisfaction and our offering was refused by the server. Rather than asking what could be improved, we were handled our money back and told «next time.»
Needless to say, there will not be a next time.

Have been coming here since they opened up. Great BBQ. Such a regular that the owner now knows me and I LOVE the beef brisket and turkey burger.
Let me tell you about this turkey burger… juicy, moist, fresh, flavorful, and best of all it’s tender. It comes with a side of regular french fries but you can always upgrade to another side.
Beef brisket is laced with just the right amount of bbq sauce and virtually falls apart when you pick it up with a fork.
Love the rack of paper towels on the table because you know it can become a finger-​lickin’ great experience dependent upon what you order.
I only dislike their lack of desserts and on a weekend evening, the parking isn’t necessarily right out front. However, there is parking always in short walking distance. ONCE, our waiter was slow but he said he was new so we cut him slack. I do not drink, but my husband says their drinks are «good» but he’s had «better» elsewhere. I don’t care because the food is good.