- 1/18/2011
4/5 stars
Ok, I've been here a few more times. I've had ribs, pork, and beef with a variety of sides. It's all good but lacking something. Similarly, the sides are missing… something. My wife put it best when she said the food's lacking "depth," although neither of us can be more specific. The food *requires* the sauces as opposed to being elevated by the sauces.
But I bump them up from three to four stars for a few reasons. They support local businesses like Heinzelmännchen brewery. I've found the smokehouse's lunches quite inexpensive and filling. The service is fast and efficient, which is handy when you're driving through. And the staff is delightful. Our server this last trip knew all about various food reactions and checked with the cooks about which sides contained wheat when she didn't know.
All this is worth a bump in the rating for me even if the food falls a tad flat.- 4/17/2010
0/5 stars
Slow-cooked pig. Local beer. Automatic win.
That said, the cubed pork I had wasn't the best I've ever had. Definitely up in the top tiers, but it seemed to be missing flavor (besides banana leaf, different style). It was moist and well-cooked, just missing something.
Now, the sweet potato fries… Whoa. They're sugar-coated. That's a first for me, and sounds kinda awful at first. But… Take one of the sour sauces, mix in the hot sauce, and dip… Multiple levels of sweet, spicy, sour all in one.
Wash it down with the mild honey blonde ale from Heinzelmännchen, a brewery down the street, and it's all good again. Must against my better bladder judgment, I also tried their soft birch beer. YUM! Hope I can pass through Sylva sometime when Heinzelmännchen is open and I have an empty growler.
I'll stop through Dillsboro again, and I'll try the smokehouse again. Could be that their award-winning team was off winning an award somewhere.