Loved the outdoor eating area. It is a hole in the wall restaurant that feels like old authentic Milwaukee. This last time, we sat inside. It's a rustic atmosphere. The Sunday brunch brisket sandwich is great!Parking: Free street parking on Sundays. We took a long walk for it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Sauces, Black Angus Beef Brisket Sandwich
Ranger Ben
Good food
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Tennetta Hazard
As tourists, we always look for good food. This place was recommended by one of the locals so we stopped in tonight. Customer service is top tier and we loved the atmosphere and music. The food is good but as others have stated, the food was ICE COLD. The brisket, ribs, beans, mac...literally everything seemed like it had been sitting out in the danger zone for a while. If you go, you HAVE to tell them to bring you hot food. Otherwise, the food will be around 50 degrees.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Martin Roberts
Stopped at the 'Smoke Shack' for some BBQ meat when exploring the Third Ward. I was seated and handed the menu only to be told the Beef Brisket was still in the smoker as they'd had a busy weekend. I was a tad disappointed, as this is what I was hoping to eat, but the Pulled Pork Shoulder I had instead was delicious. The ambience inside the 'Shack' was good authentic American and service was good too. I'll have to return one day for that illusive Brisket.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Will Brewer
We are local Third Ward residents and love to support all the spots in our neighborhood. Having had a good brunch previously, we were looking forward to a great repeat experience. Unfortunately it did not impress today.We, along with at least 2 other groups, waited over 10 minutes for a host to arrive at the stand to seat us despite countless other staff members taking note of the line out the door.We were seated at a nice patio table but proceed to wait 15 minutes before being acknowledged by a single server, despite a few moving about the dining area. 30 minutes after our arrival, we were at last greeted by our server and served waters.We both ordered the pulled pork eggs Benedict and Bloody Mary. The bloody was quite great. Another 30 minutes passed waiting for our meal to only be served the most terrible looking (and tasting) hollandaise sauce. See pic in post but completely curdled, alongside two very hard poached egg. We kindly asked the server if this was in fact hollandaise, which was confirmed after he consulted the menu. We pointed out that it didn’t quite look like hollandaise and he simply said “that’s how it’s been looking all day, that’s how it usually looks.” Being one not to make a situation out of the matter and realizing it was not the server’s fault, we let it go and just pulled aside the eggs and curdled sauce and just had the pork (which was ok).Of note all this occurred with restaurant at less than 50% capacity. Sad to see this place we enjoyed previously, not deliver. We will not be back. Bad service, slow and no kitchen should be happy putting this level of food quality out to their patrons. Moreover, the ambivalence to quality is disheartening. Better choices in the Third Ward to be sure.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
Jeremy Miller
A relaxed, cozy spot in downtown Milwaukee for BBQ.Food: I’ll start by saying I’m not a huge BBQ guy. The food here was good. To start, the fried pickles were pretty good. Especially for the happy hour price. Cornbread was my absolute favorite. Super crispy outside, hot and fluffy inside ? overall, they’ve got great side. For the main/meats, I got the pulled chicken. It was good - but nothing over the top to make me run back. My buddy got sausage and it’s pretty good. He’s a big fan. Now, If you’re a sauce guy, you’ll appreciate their lineup of sauces - hot and mild galore.Drinks: Good, straightforward cocktails. They have a happy hour til 6pm on weekdays. My $7 mule hit the spot.Service: Seemed like a new server. Just a little awkward. But she did a good job.Atmosphere: Quite a different spot. It literally is a shack lol. But it’s a cool shack! It’s super cozy here. They have a 3 seasons barn area, a patio, and a 2 floor dining area. Love all the natural wood and metal together. It’s a nice balance of rustic and homey.Vegetarian options: Jackfruit protein options for vegetarians
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
J. Tibbetts
My partner and I had an absolutely lovely time at Smoke Shack. We enjoyed the cozy feel about the place, the service was excellent & pleasant. The food was spectacular. The Kansas City Eggrolls were amazing. Some of the best food I've eaten period. My thanks to everyone for such a lovely meal!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Farzad ganji pour
Honestly, I expect better BBQ based on the price.Rib was cold.Mac & cheese taste, same as Walmart ready food.Our family wasn't happy with the food at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Ashley Jk
Came in with a large party, was really excited because I came here in September and thought the food was amazing! Unfortunately, our waitress let us know pretty early on that the kitchen had been really understaffed. To be fair, we probably should've left then. Got the plater with 3 meats, pulled pork and ribs were very dry, brisket was literally all chewy fat, everything cold. The sausage was decent! Overall felt bad for recommending the place as the whole party thought the food was not the greatest. Not sure if I would be willing to try this place again anytime soon but hopefully was just a bad day for staffing.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Paul Chapman-Farley
The meat is good, the sides are overpriced and the daily specials only come with chips. The server was friendly unlike the hostess who seemed inconvenienced by having to seat people that made reservations. The place has a fun vibe to it and was playing good BBQ music. Would I go here again, yes, but not right away.
Food was decent, the service was slacking, she kept forgetting items. Atmosphere was really non
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Melissa
Food was cold waited 35 minutes for Reid the waiter to come and see how our food was……we didn’t eat it because it was cold when we got it he brought us just the meat the second time with no sides that we did not finish because they to we’re not even warm…again the meat was cool to the touch and didn’t even get sides..he came back and asked if we wanted a box and we said no the meat was not warm. He took the food away and brought us the bill for the full meal that we didn’t eat and didn’t bring to go and we paid in full for the pound of meat that we didn’t eat and expressed in full that the meat was cold and we were still charged for it. This place sucks
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
ben brockman
Hard pass. Meat was burnt and dry. If this is the regular quality, the owner needs to fly down to Texas to learn what bbq actually is.
Food: 1
Omar A
Walking in it was very slow, dark, and quiet.We got seated at a table shortly after walking in.Service was meh, unfortunately we ordered appetizers. There were no egg rolls, which sounded great. So we went with the "Happy Hour" cheese curds and pickles. That was, in my opinion, the biggest Flop. They seemed like they were all fried together like one big ball. Trying to eat them was not great. The batter had potential but absorbed so much oil, the Sauce that came with it was good. We had the Nachos, which was good, no complaints there.We ordered our food, which took about 20 minutes to get brought out to the table. I never got my beans, so I asked to take them to go.Brisket was okay, cut on the thicker side, not really much of a smoke ring. The sausage was good, nothing too fancy.The Rib tips were definitely the best of them all. The dry seasoning on top and the smoke favor was definitely great, plus your favorite sauce.Downfall was no regular french fries and no burnt ends except on weekends.We had to ask for utensils and napkins.Made it was all a flule because it was slow but definitely wasn't a fan.
Loved the outdoor eating area. It is a hole in the wall restaurant that feels like old authentic Milwaukee. This last time, we sat inside. It's a rustic atmosphere. The Sunday brunch brisket sandwich is great!Parking: Free street parking on Sundays. We took a long walk for it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Sauces, Black Angus Beef Brisket Sandwich
Good food
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
As tourists, we always look for good food. This place was recommended by one of the locals so we stopped in tonight. Customer service is top tier and we loved the atmosphere and music. The food is good but as others have stated, the food was ICE COLD. The brisket, ribs, beans, mac...literally everything seemed like it had been sitting out in the danger zone for a while. If you go, you HAVE to tell them to bring you hot food. Otherwise, the food will be around 50 degrees.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Stopped at the 'Smoke Shack' for some BBQ meat when exploring the Third Ward. I was seated and handed the menu only to be told the Beef Brisket was still in the smoker as they'd had a busy weekend. I was a tad disappointed, as this is what I was hoping to eat, but the Pulled Pork Shoulder I had instead was delicious. The ambience inside the 'Shack' was good authentic American and service was good too. I'll have to return one day for that illusive Brisket.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
We are local Third Ward residents and love to support all the spots in our neighborhood. Having had a good brunch previously, we were looking forward to a great repeat experience. Unfortunately it did not impress today.We, along with at least 2 other groups, waited over 10 minutes for a host to arrive at the stand to seat us despite countless other staff members taking note of the line out the door.We were seated at a nice patio table but proceed to wait 15 minutes before being acknowledged by a single server, despite a few moving about the dining area. 30 minutes after our arrival, we were at last greeted by our server and served waters.We both ordered the pulled pork eggs Benedict and Bloody Mary. The bloody was quite great. Another 30 minutes passed waiting for our meal to only be served the most terrible looking (and tasting) hollandaise sauce. See pic in post but completely curdled, alongside two very hard poached egg. We kindly asked the server if this was in fact hollandaise, which was confirmed after he consulted the menu. We pointed out that it didn’t quite look like hollandaise and he simply said “that’s how it’s been looking all day, that’s how it usually looks.” Being one not to make a situation out of the matter and realizing it was not the server’s fault, we let it go and just pulled aside the eggs and curdled sauce and just had the pork (which was ok).Of note all this occurred with restaurant at less than 50% capacity. Sad to see this place we enjoyed previously, not deliver. We will not be back. Bad service, slow and no kitchen should be happy putting this level of food quality out to their patrons. Moreover, the ambivalence to quality is disheartening. Better choices in the Third Ward to be sure.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
A relaxed, cozy spot in downtown Milwaukee for BBQ.Food: I’ll start by saying I’m not a huge BBQ guy. The food here was good. To start, the fried pickles were pretty good. Especially for the happy hour price. Cornbread was my absolute favorite. Super crispy outside, hot and fluffy inside ? overall, they’ve got great side. For the main/meats, I got the pulled chicken. It was good - but nothing over the top to make me run back. My buddy got sausage and it’s pretty good. He’s a big fan. Now, If you’re a sauce guy, you’ll appreciate their lineup of sauces - hot and mild galore.Drinks: Good, straightforward cocktails. They have a happy hour til 6pm on weekdays. My $7 mule hit the spot.Service: Seemed like a new server. Just a little awkward. But she did a good job.Atmosphere: Quite a different spot. It literally is a shack lol. But it’s a cool shack! It’s super cozy here. They have a 3 seasons barn area, a patio, and a 2 floor dining area. Love all the natural wood and metal together. It’s a nice balance of rustic and homey.Vegetarian options: Jackfruit protein options for vegetarians
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
My partner and I had an absolutely lovely time at Smoke Shack. We enjoyed the cozy feel about the place, the service was excellent & pleasant. The food was spectacular. The Kansas City Eggrolls were amazing. Some of the best food I've eaten period. My thanks to everyone for such a lovely meal!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Honestly, I expect better BBQ based on the price.Rib was cold.Mac & cheese taste, same as Walmart ready food.Our family wasn't happy with the food at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Came in with a large party, was really excited because I came here in September and thought the food was amazing! Unfortunately, our waitress let us know pretty early on that the kitchen had been really understaffed. To be fair, we probably should've left then. Got the plater with 3 meats, pulled pork and ribs were very dry, brisket was literally all chewy fat, everything cold. The sausage was decent! Overall felt bad for recommending the place as the whole party thought the food was not the greatest. Not sure if I would be willing to try this place again anytime soon but hopefully was just a bad day for staffing.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
The meat is good, the sides are overpriced and the daily specials only come with chips. The server was friendly unlike the hostess who seemed inconvenienced by having to seat people that made reservations. The place has a fun vibe to it and was playing good BBQ music. Would I go here again, yes, but not right away.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: BBQ Sauces
Restaurantji Recommends
Brisket was average for up north.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Food was decent, the service was slacking, she kept forgetting items. Atmosphere was really non
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Food was cold waited 35 minutes for Reid the waiter to come and see how our food was……we didn’t eat it because it was cold when we got it he brought us just the meat the second time with no sides that we did not finish because they to we’re not even warm…again the meat was cool to the touch and didn’t even get sides..he came back and asked if we wanted a box and we said no the meat was not warm. He took the food away and brought us the bill for the full meal that we didn’t eat and didn’t bring to go and we paid in full for the pound of meat that we didn’t eat and expressed in full that the meat was cold and we were still charged for it. This place sucks
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Hard pass. Meat was burnt and dry. If this is the regular quality, the owner needs to fly down to Texas to learn what bbq actually is.
Food: 1
Walking in it was very slow, dark, and quiet.We got seated at a table shortly after walking in.Service was meh, unfortunately we ordered appetizers. There were no egg rolls, which sounded great. So we went with the "Happy Hour" cheese curds and pickles. That was, in my opinion, the biggest Flop. They seemed like they were all fried together like one big ball. Trying to eat them was not great. The batter had potential but absorbed so much oil, the Sauce that came with it was good. We had the Nachos, which was good, no complaints there.We ordered our food, which took about 20 minutes to get brought out to the table. I never got my beans, so I asked to take them to go.Brisket was okay, cut on the thicker side, not really much of a smoke ring. The sausage was good, nothing too fancy.The Rib tips were definitely the best of them all. The dry seasoning on top and the smoke favor was definitely great, plus your favorite sauce.Downfall was no regular french fries and no burnt ends except on weekends.We had to ask for utensils and napkins.Made it was all a flule because it was slow but definitely wasn't a fan.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Meat Combo, Nachos