Smoke Joint

So I received an instant message at work a while back.
Q: Smoke Joint with Fred and Amanda?

I then had to spend the next thirty minutes explaining to my boss that Smoke Joint was the unfortunately non-work-friendly name of a restaurant and not an invitation for illicit activities. When I first went, I wasn’t particularly wowed, but I thought that I just didn’t order the right thing. Their Brooklyn Wings were tasty, but not mindblowingly great bbq.



So, a return visit was in order. The atmosphere is supercozy, even in the freezing weather we had this last weekend, and the service is really friendly. Smoke Joint also scores major points with me for serving one of my favorite beverages, Mother’s Milk, a delightful milk strout from Keegan Ales. This time around, I ordered the hacked and stacked pork sandwich, with a side of macaroni and cheese.



Now, anyone who knows me well knows that I adore mac & cheese. Even a potentially traumatizing incident involving vomit and kraft didn’t deter my love. So of course, I enjoyed their generous side portion of the creamy, orange creation. It wasn’t the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had, but I certainly enjoyed it.



At first I was a little weary of the cornmeal-encrusted roll that the pork rested upon. I’m used to my pulled pork sandwiches served on wonderbread buns, but this roll was delightful—especially when it got a bit soggy at the end. Starchy goodness. The pork itself was a little dry, but a little of Smoke Joint’s tangy sauce helped provide a temporary solution.



All in all, the meal was nice, but a huge part of that was just how comfortable I felt in the space. I also really enjoy that it’s fairly close to my apartment. I love having a BBQ place a stone’s throw away, but I just don’t think I’ve ordered the right things. I hear their beef short ribs are where it’s at. I guess I’ll have to keep on trying.