Kristen F.
Brighton, MA
5 star rating
3/01/2008

Great ribs — the meat falls off the bone. Perfect amount of smoke. Great sauce selection - Kansas Sticky is super, lots of molasses flavor. The regular-heat Memphis BBQ is also fantastic. All homemade.If you insist on having your meat cooked with the sauce, Joe’s burnt ends are cooked in the Memphis sauce. Otherwise, just drizzle some on. Smoken Joe refers to the owner — Joe (surprise). He is a really friendly guy who is passionate about BBQ. If he is around he will insist that you sample things you haven’t tried, especially if it is your first time.They are introducing live music (gospel Sunday brunch to start)…adding a HOMEMADE sausage to the menu, which I hear is great. I also have to throw a plug in for the burger — it is great quality ground chuck, grilled perfectly.

Tasty cornbread, but I will admit, their side dishes have not blown me away but they are decent. And I don’t think Joe’s BBQ chicken stands up to the rest of the items on the menu. But Joe’s is a welcomed addition — hope he sticks around. He is open until at least 11PM so you can get a good late night meal rather than settling for Roggie’s or chinese take out — WOOF.

Fanciulla G.
Cambridge, MA
4 star rating
01/06/2008

I went here for the first time today. We were hesitant as we checked out the menu outside.. it seemed a little pricey. But then one of the servers came outside and gave us paper menus if we wanted to take them home or get take out sometime. He is sneaky that one. He knew that by opening the door, we would smell the deliciousness and inevitably come in. It worked too. The food was awesome tho. It would be nice to see the sandwiches a little bigger since it’s almost 9 bucks for a sandwich, but it really was delicious. The server brought over samples of each of their bbq sauces and told us what each one is, and which ones are good to mix with each other. I got the Memphis Burnt Ends Sandwich with their Memphis sauce. It was awesome. The meat was very tender and the sauce was really tasty. We met the owner who was really pleasant as well. The decor wasn’t particularly inviting, but the food is worth the visit.

Mike B.
Lynn, MA
4 star rating
03/27/2008

Ate here for the 1st time recently for lunch with co-workers. Three people in the party had the pulled pork sandwich, while another co-worker and I had the burnt ends sandwich. Everyone loved the food. The brisket in my burnt ends sandwich was terrific, the sauce–served on the side–was perfectly sweet and spicy. I also had onion rings that were very good. The cole slaw was also very good. Several people in the party ordered sweet tea, and all of them felt it was too sweet; but the server, upon hearing the complaints, came by and diluted their drinks with unsweetened tea.

Service overall was good. I loved the blues themed atmosphere to the place: the music included some Muddy Waters and BB, and was loud enough to enjoy, but not too loud to inhibit conversation.

We went just after the typical lunch hour, and so the place was not full. I’d be curious to see how full it was at the height of lunch, or in the evening.

Overall, very, very good BBQ, fun atmosphere, good service, very reasonable prices: I’ll be back.

Melissa A.
Medford, MA
5 star rating
3/24/2008

I’ve been to Smoken Joe’s three times now, and my favorite meal by far is the Burnt Ends Platter with a side of Memphis bbq sauce and Honey bbq sauce. For sides, I highly suggest their crisp and buttery green beans along with their delicious sweet potato fries! Wendy’s Wicked Dirty Rice and the Collard Greens were also big hits at our table. If you have any room left, be sure to order a slice of pie!

There is live music every Friday and Saturday evening and a Gospel Brunch on Sunday. Shirley Lewis is an incredible entertainer! And her guitar player, Chris Stovall Brown, is absolutely amazing.

Nooney X.
Farmingville, NY
4 star rating
01/15/2008

Decent BBQ, Decent sides, Charming Service, Good Music. Hungry and in the mood for something low-key, my friend and I made our way to Brighton Center admist the slush and dirty snowpiles of the latest Boston snowfall. We entered Smoken Joes to find it completely barren.The lead server leaned on his broom, looked around the empty room and shook his head. “I’m not sure we’ve got a table for you here.” When he cracked a big smile, I thought the temperature actually warmed a little.It was standard BBQ fare as I recall, and nothing too daring. Our server was a total character, very friendly–he even sat at the table next to us while taking our order and chatted about the snow storm. He definitely made the experience for me.As for the food, I was well satisfied. We both got the pulled pork. My only complaint was that all the food was lukewarm–the sandwich, the mac n cheese, and the cornbread. My friend also noted that a “true” BBQ joint cooks the meat in the sauce instead of putting it on the side. Our server, however, was very knowledgable about which sauces went well with what meats.

That aside, I can’t complain about the price. I paid $15 for a reasonably good sandwich, 2 sides, a beer and tip. In Boston terms, I consider that a steal. I’ve given up on $10 meals since leaving Kansas.

And, ladies, clean bathroom. That is itself deserving of a star.

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