If there’s one food group that we just can’t get enough of, it’s barbeque.
So when we heard there was a new place over on Fort Eddy Road serving up smoked BBQ meats, we had to give it a taste. We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t.
Let us introduce you to Smokeshow Barbeque. It’s located in the Merrimack Center (the same one that houses Planet Fitness and Cobblestone Design) and since they got top billing on the sign out front, you can’t miss it.
When you open the front door, you’re met with the sweet smell of smoked meat. If you aren’t starving when you walk in, that will change real quick.
You can order meats by the half pound (ranging from $5 to $8) or grab a sandwich for $5.50. There’s ribs, brisket, pulled pork, pork loin, turkey, sausage or goodness – which is a combination of trimmings from turkey, brisket and sometimes pork, mixed together in Smokeshow’s original sauce. And just an FYI, you can get any of the meats in sandwich form, except for the ribs. That just wouldn’t work all too well.
Before we even ordered, owner Matt Gfroerer had a sample of brisket for us to try. It was moist and flavorful, but with pulled pork on the mind all day in anticipation of the mid-week lunch trip, that’s what we went for.
We opted for the sandwich and a side of mac and cheese. The perfect pasta dish to accompany your barbeque wasn’t pre-mixed, but rather the cheese sauce gets poured on top of the noodles when you order.
The sides cost extra, and there’s also cream corn, potato salad, beans, cole slaw and apple sauce to choose from.
The pork had a nice smokey flavor, so much so that we didn’t even add any sauce to it. The big soft bun held up pretty well under the pile of meat and the mac and cheese was creamy and delicious.
The sandwich came in a little paper container, but soon opted to just use the paper lined tray the few times it was actually put down. Paper towel rolls are on each table and necessary for this eating experience.
We soon started up a conversation with Gfroerer, learning that he spent many years learning the art of BBQ in Texas and wanted to come back to the place he grew up to open his own spot. You’ll be glad he did.
The brisket and pork take 12 to 13 hours to cook, and his recipes have been adapted and created from what he did down south.
Then he offered a few more samples. And who’s going to say no to free samples? So we got to try a piece of turkey, a small thing of goodness, a little cream corn and a bite of the jalapeno and cheddar sausage.
What we can report back is that everything we tasted is worth another try. In others words, we ‘d eat there again – and again and again.
They also do take out for you or your party of 200. Check out the menu at smokeshowbarbeque.com.
So if smoked barbeque meats are your thing, give Smokeshow a try. You won’t leave disappointed – or hungry.
