Blue Smoke

I work near Blue Smoke and have been there multiple times for both lunch and dinner. I recommend the pulled pork, mac n cheese, deviled eggs, sausage sampler, hush puppies with jalapeno marmalade-- pretty much everything I've eaten there has been delicious. As with all of Danny Meyer's restaurants, the service is very friendly. The atmosphere is relaxed and easygoing. Pros: Service, atmosphere, food! more

I work near Blue Smoke and have been there multiple times for both lunch and dinner. I recommend the pulled pork, mac n cheese, deviled eggs, sausage sampler, hush puppies with jalapeno marmalade-- pretty much everything I've eaten there has been delicious. As with all of Danny Meyer's restaurants, the service is very friendly. The atmosphere is relaxed and easygoing. Pros: Service, atmosphere, food! more

I've been in the restaurant industry, management and kitchen, for close to a decade so I understand when someone's trying to make a reservation for over 10 people, some restaurants get a little greedy, and others get a lazy for multiple duplicate orders and go ""Family Style"". But this is wrong. I called the main reservation desk to try to get a reservation for a Sunday night (slow dinner night) for 12. He immediately said, ""For reservations over 10, you would have to speak with our events planner."" I said, ""Basically, it's very casual and we're all just having entrees."" He said, ""No matter; for groups over 10, you'd have to speak with the events planner, who's gone for the day. Can I send you to her voicemail?"" I sensed something was unusual in the works, so I said, ""There's going to be 10 adults and 2 children...."" hoping that more info would help. The reservation taker then adopted a slighty annoyed tone and said, ""That's STILL 12 people, ma'am,"" and transferred me to the events planner's voicemail (It was around 5PM). What he should have told me but didn't (either restaurant policy/neglect) was that Blue Smoke has this policy that for groups of 10 or more, the only dining option is ""Family Style"", i.e. big portions of dishes passed around, preordered by the host., at around $45/head. This is not uncommon in restaurants to make extra bucks and save labor, and also protect themselves from large groups of people sharing 3 entree's.. what angers me is that this was not told to me staright out at the reservation desk. I had to leave a message with the events person, wait for her to call me back, then tell me. It was a waste of her time and mine- I could not go ahead with the reservation with children charged $45/head, and not knowing which meats my people would like. Her time was wasted as well, calling me and finding out that I did not know about the Family Style policy, and did not want it. Pros: Location, ok food. Cons: Pricey, only few dining options for larger reservations more

I've been in the restaurant industry, management and kitchen, for close to a decade so I understand when someone's trying to make a reservation for over 10 people, some restaurants get a little greedy, and others get a lazy for multiple duplicate orders and go "Family Style". But this is wrong. I called the main reservation desk to try to get a reservation for a Sunday night (slow dinner night) for 12. He immediately said, "For reservations over 10, you would have to speak with our events planner." I said, "Basically, it's very casual and we're all just having entrees." He said, "No matter; for groups over 10, you'd have to speak with the events planner, who's gone for the day. Can I send you to her voicemail?" I sensed something was unusual in the works, so I said, "There's going to be 10 adults and 2 children...." hoping that more info would help. The reservation taker then adopted a slighty annoyed tone and said, "That's STILL 12 people, ma'am," and transferred me to the events planner's voicemail (It was around 5PM). What he should have told me but didn't (either restaurant policy/neglect) was that Blue Smoke has this policy that for groups of 10 or more, the only dining option is "Family Style", i.e. big portions of dishes passed around, preordered by the host., at around $45/head. This is not uncommon in restaurants to make extra bucks and save labor, and also protect themselves from large groups of people sharing 3 entree's.. what angers me is that this was not told to me staright out at the reservation desk. I had to leave a message with the events person, wait for her to call me back, then tell me. It was a waste of her time and mine- I could not go ahead with the reservation with children charged $45/head, and not knowing which meats my people would like. Her time was wasted as well, calling me and finding out that I did not know about the Family Style policy, and did not want it. Pros: Location, ok food. Cons: Pricey, only few dining options for larger reservations more

My wife, six friends, and I went to Blue Smoke last night for Restaurant Week and I was pleasantly surprised by several things. 1st, contrary to a lot of the postings, we found the service quite good. Unlike many places, our party was seated as we arrived rather than made to wait for all of us. Each of us was given a drink while waiting for the rest of the party, rather than having to wait for all to order. Our server was very attentive and friendly. She answered all of our questions about the menu and was always engaging. If she wasn't checking on us personally, various other waitstaff checked on us and made sure our drinks were refreshed. 2nd, the food was quite good. No, it didn't arrive quickly and it's not the best BBQ I've EVER had, but you can't compare it to the South or Texas or any of those other places. You have to take it for what it's worth because it is some of the best ribs the City has to offer. I know b/c I've eaten at just about all of the BBQ ""joints"" in the City (5 Boros). At least there is a variety of ribs rather than only one choice like most BBQ joints. If you can't stomach that- simply don't go. 3rd, although I personally didn't order from the RW offerings (I got the rib sampler), most of the table did. The portions Blue Smoke gave for RW were very generous - The biggest portions I've ever seen in a RW, and actually bigger than the regular portions of many restaurants. They gave 4 courses rather than the standard 3. Everything on the menu is easily shared and you can save quite a bit of money if you do- even side dishes are easily shared among several people. Considering the prices in other restaurants, Blue Smoke is about average with dinner and drinks being about $50.00 per person (but if you share, it's not so much). The place is part touristy, part scene, but, remember, this is New York City. By definition, the entire City can be described that way. I would definitely go back. Pros: Food was good, great atmosphere, great for groups. Cons: It can get loud, but you can't help that. more

My wife, six friends, and I went to Blue Smoke last night for Restaurant Week and I was pleasantly surprised by several things. 1st, contrary to a lot of the postings, we found the service quite good. Unlike many places, our party was seated as we arrived rather than made to wait for all of us. Each of us was given a drink while waiting for the rest of the party, rather than having to wait for all to order. Our server was very attentive and friendly. She answered all of our questions about the menu and was always engaging. If she wasn't checking on us personally, various other waitstaff checked on us and made sure our drinks were refreshed. 2nd, the food was quite good. No, it didn't arrive quickly and it's not the best BBQ I've EVER had, but you can't compare it to the South or Texas or any of those other places. You have to take it for what it's worth because it is some of the best ribs the City has to offer. I know b/c I've eaten at just about all of the BBQ "joints" in the City (5 Boros). At least there is a variety of ribs rather than only one choice like most BBQ joints. If you can't stomach that- simply don't go. 3rd, although I personally didn't order from the RW offerings (I got the rib sampler), most of the table did. The portions Blue Smoke gave for RW were very generous - The biggest portions I've ever seen in a RW, and actually bigger than the regular portions of many restaurants. They gave 4 courses rather than the standard 3. Everything on the menu is easily shared and you can save quite a bit of money if you do- even side dishes are easily shared among several people. Considering the prices in other restaurants, Blue Smoke is about average with dinner and drinks being about $50.00 per person (but if you share, it's not so much). The place is part touristy, part scene, but, remember, this is New York City. By definition, the entire City can be described that way. I would definitely go back. Pros: Food was good, great atmosphere, great for groups. Cons: It can get loud, but you can't help that. more

The atmosphere at Blue Smoke is casual and friendly, yet trendy enough to make a fun night. Our waitress was very nice and helpful and went out of her way to make our dinner enjoyable. For an appetizer I ordered the deviled eggs....they were to die for! Creamy with a special spice that I just can't place. Next up were the ribs. A little fatty, but the flavor completely made up for it. Amazing sauce. For dessert I ordered the sticky toffee pudding with creme fraiche, which turned out to be an incredible end to a wonderful meal. The key lime pie is also delicious. Better than my own which is saying a lot! Pros: food, service, menu variety, desserts, ambience more

The atmosphere at Blue Smoke is casual and friendly, yet trendy enough to make a fun night. Our waitress was very nice and helpful and went out of her way to make our dinner enjoyable. For an appetizer I ordered the deviled eggs....they were to die for! Creamy with a special spice that I just can't place. Next up were the ribs. A little fatty, but the flavor completely made up for it. Amazing sauce. For dessert I ordered the sticky toffee pudding with creme fraiche, which turned out to be an incredible end to a wonderful meal. The key lime pie is also delicious. Better than my own which is saying a lot! Pros: food, service, menu variety, desserts, ambience more

We had spare ribs for saturday lunch here, we had fun, the service couldve been a little more attentive, but then it was lunch time, so we didnt want to be difficult. We had their dessert sampler...........The Brownie was to DIE FOR.. I have no words to express how delicious it was. I am actually thinking of ordering it for my husbands birthday, as they also cater. Cant wait to have it again. more

We had spare ribs for saturday lunch here, we had fun, the service couldve been a little more attentive, but then it was lunch time, so we didnt want to be difficult. We had their dessert sampler...........The Brownie was to DIE FOR.. I have no words to express how delicious it was. I am actually thinking of ordering it for my husbands birthday, as they also cater. Cant wait to have it again. more

We just ate here this past Friday night, we were a party of four. Although the food is very good, the service was pretty awful. Granted, they were very busy, however, I used to work in the restaurant industry and I truly feel that the service in a restaurant sets the tone. For example, I was unable to truly enjoy our night out with friends because I was preoccupied with the fact that we waited over half an hour for one drink...and then, another half an hour for our appetizers. The table next to us arrived a solid 20-30 minutes after us and received everything before we did...not sure why. In addition, when we complained about the service, we then received some attitude from the wait staff. This made my husband uncomfortable which I find unacceptable when we are paying for a dinner. This restaurant is not cheap, therefore, good service should come as part of the package. I would not eat here again because of the poor service as there are other very good BBQ places in NYC. Pros: decent BBQ but not the best i've ever had Cons: awful service more

We just ate here this past Friday night, we were a party of four. Although the food is very good, the service was pretty awful. Granted, they were very busy, however, I used to work in the restaurant industry and I truly feel that the service in a restaurant sets the tone. For example, I was unable to truly enjoy our night out with friends because I was preoccupied with the fact that we waited over half an hour for one drink...and then, another half an hour for our appetizers. The table next to us arrived a solid 20-30 minutes after us and received everything before we did...not sure why. In addition, when we complained about the service, we then received some attitude from the wait staff. This made my husband uncomfortable which I find unacceptable when we are paying for a dinner. This restaurant is not cheap, therefore, good service should come as part of the package. I would not eat here again because of the poor service as there are other very good BBQ places in NYC. Pros: decent BBQ but not the best i've ever had Cons: awful service more

The ribs are great tasting, though huge portions. The brisket sandwich and shrimp platter are at least more manageable fr an average sized meal. Great beer selection. Best key lime pie east of the Mississippi!!! Pros: great food, great drink, great staff Cons: Gets crowded, make reservations (Not through Open Table) more

The ribs are great tasting, though huge portions. The brisket sandwich and shrimp platter are at least more manageable fr an average sized meal. Great beer selection. Best key lime pie east of the Mississippi!!! Pros: great food, great drink, great staff Cons: Gets crowded, make reservations (Not through Open Table) more

Good food, great selection of beer and wine, relaxed atmosphere. highly recommend. The mac and cheese and fry bread is out of this world! Pros: Good Food and Drinks more

Good food, great selection of beer and wine, relaxed atmosphere. highly recommend. The mac and cheese and fry bread is out of this world! Pros: Good Food and Drinks more

My boys and I went to Blue Smoke one night last month and was impressed by its unpretentious-ness. The decor and the scene were raw and warm, the food was hearty and flavorful, it was generously propotioned, unlike some other place serving tiny amounts of food. The service was prompt, too. My friends loved the beers. The only drawback was when I ordered a combination plate of 3 different barbecues, our waiter brought the food over without specifying the names of the 3 kinds of barbecue sitting on the plate; so when I almost finished one kind and wanted to know the name so I could order next time, it was too late for my waiter to tell from the leftover bones. Now I only think about the mysterious kind of barbecue whose name is unknown to me. more

My boys and I went to Blue Smoke one night last month and was impressed by its unpretentious-ness. The decor and the scene were raw and warm, the food was hearty and flavorful, it was generously propotioned, unlike some other place serving tiny amounts of food. The service was prompt, too. My friends loved the beers. The only drawback was when I ordered a combination plate of 3 different barbecues, our waiter brought the food over without specifying the names of the 3 kinds of barbecue sitting on the plate; so when I almost finished one kind and wanted to know the name so I could order next time, it was too late for my waiter to tell from the leftover bones. Now I only think about the mysterious kind of barbecue whose name is unknown to me. more

Excellent BBQ. Great atmosphere. I have gone to eat at this place many times and have never been disappointed. more

I have been to this place many times before writing this review, and for whatever reason have failed to write about my great dinning experiences there. My last visit to Blue Smoke was last week with a bunch boys from work. We were seated promptly after arriving around 6pm without a reservation by a friendly and attentive hostess. Before going into the food, the decor is simple yet homey and Southern feeling. Classic wood floors and tables, high ceilings, and a huge bar with great beer and specialty liquor selection from around the world. The food is absolutely great!! The different styles of ribs offered is great for people who have different likings. Slow cooked, tender, juicy, and not full of fake liquid smoke-these ribs are the real deal. The pulled pork along with the chicken where full of flavor and not dried out at all. The sides offered where both original and inventive. The hot BBQ chips w/ blue cheese dip is amazing, and the Mac n' cheese is thick, creamy, and unbelievably cheesy!! Another great dish was the sausage sampler for an appetizer with the stone ground mustard. The price of Blue Smoke was not expensive but not cheap-definitely worth the price. The service was on point and up to speed-we never felt rushed or uncomfortable by the waiter's presence. The noise can be a little loud when dinning during prime time dinner hours-this place does do a lot of business and is usually packed with people at the bar and people waiting for a table. They only reserve half the dinning room and leave the other half available for walk-ins, so if you go early enough-you won't need a reservation!! Unfortunately, I have never had enough room for desert when dining at Blue Smoke, but I am sure it is up there with the rest of their food. Blue Smoke is a must if you are ever in New York City! Pros: BBQ, service, drink menu Cons: crowded, noisy more