Smoke Shack

This was our first time at the Smoke Shack. Surprised at how small restaurant is! Because of limited number of tables, reservations are almost mandatory. Depending on number of people you may feel somewhat cramped or claustrophobic, I suppose one could say it’s intimate. Not a good place to bring a large group. It tended to be on the noisy side, however once seated it was OK. Now, for the main attraction, the bbq. Our group is avid bbq fans and Smoke Shack didn’t disappoint! They do it right. Quality meats that are well cared for. Meat is dry rubbed and smoked. Sauce yourself at the table. Four types of sauce provided. Simply some of the best bbq we’ve ever had! Two appetizers and sampler platter served 4 adults and let us try everything. It was all 5+ stars. As the night progresses they may run out of some meats which is common at good bbq places. Don’t worry, it’s all good. Pleasantly surprised and happy to have found my home for the best bbq in MKE.

We thought the food was excellent. The service as very good. We were lucky enough to have the smoked ribs. We will definitely go back again soon.

Excellent food! Always a great stop. Recommend.

Awesome place & great food, excellent bbq, service was great, its a small place so seating is at a premium.

Anniversary

Great as always. Love the laid back and friendly atmosphere.

We love the Smoke Shack. The food is amazing - real homemade cooking!!!!! Never disappointed.

We made reservations ahead of time and were seated right away! The straws were paper and the to go containers were biodegradable! The food was delicious and service was perfect!!

Brisket sandwich was fantastic. Nice little place in the third ward to go enjoy some lovely music and relax after a hard days work. Would gladly come again.

This was my first time visiting Smoke Shack and was not disappointed. Super yummy food!! We were all obsessed with the mac n cheese. Wish the server was a bit more friendly. Upon making the reservation, I had selected a regular table top, yet we were still sat a high-top. The entire group had all wished we had gotten a table as high stools aren't the most comfortable, but oh well. We'll be back!

Went for lunch and wasn’t rushed but didn’t take a long time either to get our food. Smaller location than the one I normally go to but just as cool inside along with wonderful service and food.

Smoke shack this experience wasn't at its best. The meat was plentiful, but dry. The brussel sprouts were nicely roasted, but incredibly salty. (Why do restaurants do this when there is a salt shaker at the table to add if need be?) Baked beans and cole slaw were more generous portions than in the past and both were good. The unfortunate thing which keeps me from a five star review is that while they offer a cornbread muffin with dinner, it is not gluten free. And so if you have to eat GF, there is no alternative and no one offers you anything else. So, basically you pay for something which you can't get or have. That's not okay. Food allergies are not anyone's fault and people should not be treated as if they choose to be a problem.

This was the perfect place for our family to celebrate a birthday. Delicious nachos!

Celebrated our son’s birthday - everything was excellent!

Great food. Comfortable environment. Highly recommend.

Our favorite BBQ restaurant in Milwaukee. We have been there at least 10 times and each time everything was excellent.

As always, Smoke Shack did not disappoint! The ambiance is great, but if I have to critique, I'd say the cocktails were just so-so, and the Mac n cheese was not great. The smoked meats were excellent though!

This is for the Smoke Shack downtown.

The atmosphere is great, from the rustic decor to casual vibe, and outstanding music selection played at a volume you can comfortably hear, but not have to shout across the table to the other people in your party.

Leo was our server. Fabulous! He explained how they smoke their meats, offered a suggestion substitution that was awesome, split our leftovers perfectly with individual containers for each item. He noted he would give us a few minutes to do some sampling, come back to see how everything was, and then leave us alone to enjoy our meal. And he did. He kept an eye on us tho when my water glass was empty he came over to refill. We were not continuously bothered asked repeatedly how things were, very relaxing.

And now the food.
Words cannot describe just how deliciously everything is, and I mean everything. We ordered the sample platter which came with a 1/4lb each of sausage, pulled pork, chicken, and brisket, a 1/2 pound of racked ribs, sweet potato fries, corn bread muffins, spicy baked beans, coleslaw, and creamed corn. Not the creamed corn you get in a can that's basically mush, but house made and SO wonderful. This was the substitution Leo recommended because we also ordered the Friday special of buffalo chicken mac and cheese and the platter came with pimento mac and cheese. The muffins were the moistest corn bread we've ever eaten. The coleslaw was neither sweet nor vinegary. The spicy baked beans were interesting. Just when you thought some heavy heat was coming, they leveled out, giving you the flavor of the spice without wrecking your taste buds to taste anything else. The buffalo mac and cheese could be a meal in itself, for both flavor and quantity. And the meats? Oh...my...god...the meats. They smoke everything with a dry rub. Though the table has 4 different sauces to use, the flavor of the smoked meats should not be hidden under sauce. I did try the house sauce sauce and it was great.

Smoke Shack is one of my favorite restaurants. The food is always delicious and the service is good too. Today we had a big group reservation (10) and ended up having 5 tag-a-longs for 15 total and they accommodated us no problem! Megan was great and took good care of us. Thanks!

Terrific food and service! Some of the best BBQ I've had.

best bang for your buck you’re gonna get in Milwaukee.

Restaurant is really cute but not very big. I suggest reservations. Definitely will go back again.

Very good BBQ, prompt & friendly service! We went as a family and it was great experience. They also offer Gluten free buns. We will be back!

This place is amazing! The food is really yummy and the drinks are too!

Family in town from Germany and they requested American BBQ. Small indoors but they were able to accommodate our party of 10 at one table. It was a slow Sunday night the weekend before Halloween so not too noisy. We were disappointed that they were out of spareribs, which is what we came for. They offered baby back as a substitute but its just not the same. Service was excellent. Good portion sizes and food was good. Really like the beans and the Texas Mules. Will go back but will call first to make sure they have plenty of spareribs.

Birthday dinner

The cinnamon roll with brunch is definitely a crowd pleaser

Wait staff was very friendly.

We had a group of 6 and had a really good experience! The food was tasty (burnt ends are the best!) and the service was excellent!

Don’t be afraid when you see it...it is literally a shack. Smaller inside with plenty of outdoor seating. Went for brunch on Sunday. Split the burnt ends benedict and the pulled pork benedict. Complimentary cinnamon roll with brunch was delicious. Burnt ends Bennie was awesome. Great Alabama white BBQ sauce, meat was super tender and flavorful. Pork Bennie was pretty good. A little drier on the meat but we then sampled the bbq sauce varieties . Very good overall. Looking forward to trying for lunch or dinner