Smoke BBQ Taqueria Review

Went here last evening for the first time to meet with a client. Was excited for the Tuesday Burger night advertised on the website. Upon arrival the hours sign on the door said Closed! No indication on the website, Google, or Yelp stating they were closed on Tuesdays. Unfortunate as the reviews live and online seem to promote to be a good place to go. Had to suffice for Condado up the street. They had very good tacos and queso was great.

Amazing food and experience. Lots of man buns, though...

Mac and Cheese with bacon, real bacon I might add was delicious. Stayed hot the entire time. The burger was super tender and had great flavor. The fries, soaked in vinegar, were unique and very good. We will be back.

The food here is succulent! The smoked meats are all that. Had the brisket. Great staff. P.S. check out the lemon and blueberry donuts. Enjoy!

Even with increased competition from the likes of Tako, Smoke is still may favorite restaurant in all of Pittsburgh. The flavors are inventive and delicious, and I recommend the apple wood smoked bacon. Tacos are a little pricey but the quality so high I do not care. BYOB bu they offer great margarita mix if you want to bring tequila, or you can walk next door and get a six pack from Atlas. The only thing I do not like is that this business is CASH only. Honestly, I everything is so good I would come here no matter what. Big fan, highly recommend.

Loved the veg tacos. Nice smoky flavor with vegetable fritters, corn, and beans. Good liquor selection too.

Delicious! Went for dinner. Got the burnt broker ends plate. So good that I came back the next morning for brunch! Got the "ultimate chicken taco!" It was sooooooo good! Visiting from out of town and would live at this place if I was a local!

The food is really great and high quality, I just wish there was a little more of it. Also, I wish happy hour was served at tables, not just the bar. The happy hour sized chips and queso were phenomenal, best deal on the menu.

I am not quite sure how to review this place. It was a Chinese fire drill to get a table. Then, I found out that being there on Burger Tuesday meant that the regular menu items, which is what we came for, were not available. Then I found out the place was cash only. Cash? On the plus side, the food we could get was extremely tasty, both of the burgers and the apps, which were still available. The bartender was ridiculously competent, and our server was pleasant. The four stars is a tribute to the food and the staff

Not the best place overall, just really good, but had possibly the best burger of my life here. Otherwise a 4.

Food and drinks were nothing special, but the service was remarkably poor. Hostess had a terrible attitude from the minute we walked through the door, and after paying for our meal (15 people on one $450 check - CASH ONLY!), we were being harassed by another person to leave our table. The management didn't intervene at all when this drunken prick, along with 2 other people trying to instigate a fight, were telling us we were not moving fast enough and we should "be embarrassed" - we left incredibly dissatisfied.

There's much better places to go in Lawrenceville, than this overrated, overpriced place.

We went for brunch. It was bland. I am currently cringing at the fact that I actually paid $60 for our meal and each one of us hated it. I ordered the cheese brisket potatoes with 2 eggs. Not enough cheese to be in the title, brisket had no flavor, and potatoes had very little seasoning and weren't fully cooked ( couldn't even taste salt and pepper) I'm home now trying to revive the dish. Most of the $15 dish were the seasonless, not fully cooked potatoes so I asked for hot sauce. They didn't have bottles of hot sauce, they said they had Fresno sauce, but didn't tell me I'd be charged for the hot sauce. My husband didn't like his chicken taco... said the smoked chicken taste too much like pork, and it came with nothing. The waitress suggested I add avocados to my 1 yr old's egg burritos, but didn't tell me it was an upsell they charged me $2 for the avocado. Which also tasted old and mushy.who upsells a baby? Bad service. My daughter loves avocados and egg burritos, but did not eat much more after tasting it. I've had better breakfast anywhere I've eve had breakfast. I'm one of those people that thought you couldn't ruin breakfast. So bad. I've paid more for breakfast and I've paid far less and I'll never eat at Smoke again. I'm not sure why this place is rated so high.

Excellent service and food. We went for dinner here and loved it. The brisket is excellent and the queso dip is to die for. Our server was very attentive even though they were very busy 10/10.

I recently moved here from North Carolina and was looking for good barbeque, (NC BBQ is amazing btw) and now I found it. You WON'T regret coming here. There's always a drink special and the food speaks for itself. Also, their service is excellent GO HERE.

***large portions***

Me and my girlfriend went here for brunch in Sunday because of the great reviews here. We got the utilmate chicken taco and chorizo gravy and we waited half an hour before our food was ready. The chicken taco was alright, but the chorizo was super heavy, literally just two biscuits covered in a plate of curry for around $15. The food did not sit well with our stomaches later. Definitely not worth the wait and the price.

I work in the neighborhood and my co-workers and I will often (several times a week) order take out from some of the local establishments. I've now tried to do this twice at SMOKE with super disappointing results. I stopped in today and ordered two tacos from the hostess, who said they'd be ready in twenty minutes, so I went to run some errands. When I got back to Smoke twenty minutes later, they weren't ready yet. So, I waited. And waited. And waited. 20 more minutes went by and the hostess said that she'd go check on my order.

When she got back from that five minutes later, she said that somehow the kitchen never received my order but that she's put a rush on it. I asked her about how long that would take, as I needed to be back at work in 15 minutes. She said she would check. When she got back, she said that she wasn't going to be able to get my food out in time and offered my a refund and a 20% off coupon. Her attitude at that point felt super jaded. The first time I tried to get take out from them, the wait time was similarly ridiculous. If you can't do take out effectively, just don't do it at all! Never again will I patronize this place!

So, I went across the street to The Deli on Butler and they took care of me with fantastic customer service, Smoke could take a lesson or two from The Deli, for sure!

Highly recommend this place. Food is awesome and be sure to ask what the desert special is.

Pros: Food is excellent.

Cons: Way too loud. Service is slow in between starters and tacos.

Pretty good food- cash only ( there is a pnc next door, a citizens bank across the street and an atm in the back of the restaurant)

Truly delicious, reasonably priced food, great drinks, wonderful atmosphere that feels both edgy/upscale and cosy/welcoming. They nailed a difficult balance.

Food was alright, but slow to come out (considering how not crowded it was), and a bit pricey- in line with the other hipster restaurants in the area. Cash only establishments usually have more reasonable prices since they don't have to deal with cc processing fees.. We paid about $30 for two tacos and a small bowl of chili. Hostess didn't seem eager to seat anyone- sort of just ignored us and waited for the waitress to come do it. The waitress was very friendly, though.

The burnt ends taco was awesome and the vinegar soaked french fries were different and great also.

After hearing so much about their food, I was excited to finally visit myself. The food lived up to the hype. The BLT taco was incredible and one of the best things I have eaten in awhile. The quality of the food makes the poor customer service and annoying atmosphere even more frustrating. I have never waited so long for a taco, or any other food for that matter. They only take cash and didn't even split the bill so trying to figure out who owes what was an unnecessary hassle. The music they played was so loud that we basically had to shout across the table at each other to talk. The decor has an obnoxious wannabe hipster vibe. I'm torn on whether I would go back or not.

Food was good. Unique. Drink was weird. They make their own cola . Small setting. Would go back.

It definitely has a chill, rustic atmosphere that is enjoyable. But the food was overpriced for how mediocre it was. Like any other place in Lawrenceville, lots of denim overalls and thick rimmed glasses smiling smugly as they serve you.

A little pricey but overall amazing food. Never had nachos as good as this place.

Small taco, meat wasn't tender, and it was super humid and uncomfortable. Sorry....

The tacos are good but I had to ask for the room separately because it is very spicy
And they only accept cash

The tacos and sides are excellent! I wish that they would go back to the old menu and start to serve more BBQ options like they did when the location first opened.

We used to love this place. Suddenly the rib racks are out of the menu and the replacement is some sick&cheese dishes. Still, not bad but not as good as it used to be. The service, as always, was amazing. The waiters and people at the bar are very charming and helpful

Very friendly staff, food was great and the beer choices were good.

Good food but a little too expensive. $7 for 1 taco

Cash only! Only got two stars because they don't take card! I was on buissness and wanted to use Amex... Get with the times smoke i know you're better than that. The drinks we had were delicious and the server was very apologetic when she found out we had to leave to find another place.

They cook their meat all day. I usually order a half pound to go for lunch then next few days. Their flavors are creative and so well balanced.

Nice environment, but menu is fairly limited in terms of variety, either tacos or chips and queso. Food was good in flavor, but sickenly greasy in a bad way.

Great service. Good food, but a little pricey for Pittsburgh.

For vegetarians, the migas tacos are excellent! They are also one of the cheapest things on the menu; doubly awesome!

Barbecue is extremely difficult to get right, at it requires a mastery of both slow cooking and smoking. But when it is done right and Smoke does it right it is truly a thing of beauty. From the agua fresca that isn't overly-sweet to the sides that are truly fit to accompany the tacos (the potato salad with leeks and bacon may be the best I've had anywhere), Smoke nails it. Do yourself a favor: if you're in the Waterfront and hungry, skip the chains, cross the tracks, and enjoy some of the best barbecue in Pittsburgh. Just bring cash (they don't take plastic) and be prepared for a wait, as it's a small joint.

I got there on burger night. The burger was good. The hostess was awesome. Only thing that kinda sucked was it is a cash only establishment. The bar tender suggested that I go to an ATM. I paid the tab with a ten and $8.75 in quarters ( fortunately, I had just done laundry a few days before and had extra change), That was all I had on me, so no tip this time. There should be a sign declaring that they only accept cash. I understand the reason, it just should be posted. I was here on business for the evening, not a regular patron.

We went to smoke for my 30th birthday with myself, my husband, sister and both my parents. We arrived at 4:30ish and it was already very busy. We had a 45 minute wait which was fine since we didn't call ahead. The hostess was very nice and got us all water and any drinks we wanted while we waited. Once we were seated the waitress came and brought us menus and then promptly left. She came back took our drink orders and then left quickly again. When she returned with out drinks we quickly ordered most of us got the 2 meats, 2 sides and 2 sauces combo. We also ordered an appetizer of the queso dip. Once she left my husband went to go take a drink out of his margarita and there was a long black hair in his drink. Not wanting to make a fuss he didn't say anything even though I encouraged him to say something. We sat and waited awhile waiting for our appetizer not ever seeing our waitress. We waited as the couple next to us got seated and then got all of their order as we still sat and waited. After an hour hit we began growing impatient especially with two pregnant women at the table. After over an hour the waitress finally showed up again and said our food was coming out. Within 5 minutes it came out all the orders were mixed up and any special requests made were not followed. And the queso dip that we ordered as an appetizer was the last thing that came out. The food itself was good and we all enjoyed it. After about 20 minutes of eating the waitress came back and asked if we wanted boxes. Nothing like waiting over an hour for food and then being rushed out. She started boxing up our food. I didn't have much left and told her she could just put my husband's and mine together. When we all got home we realized she never boxes up everything. All the left over burnt ends and brisket I had were not boxes up. My sisters pulled pork was not boxed and none of use got any of the BBQ sauce we had with our meal. What is the point of BBQ if you have no sauce. Overall the food was good but service was the worst I've ever had in a restaurant and will not be returning.

Loved it! Food was fantastic. Loved the atmosphere. Staff is very friendly. Will be back for sure!

Wonderfully fun amd relaxing place with great food. Wonderful drinks.

It's definitely NOT a "taqueria," so the name should be changed to simply Smoke. I ordered the quinoa veggie burger with apple slaw. They were actually decent.

By far in my top 5 favorite restaurants. Diabetic friendly. Amazing flavors! Worth the wait and $.

Great food and good local beers on tap. Be sure to make reservations if you plan to go in the evening.

Lousy overpriced food and they don't take charge cards

Best tacos around. This is a great spot to go for a casual bite, and the drinks are delicious. The tacos are a little on the spicier end so eater beware!

I really don't appreciate the vaguely tax-evasive cash-only policy: card transaction fees should not be a problem, especially if accepting other forms of payment will alienate *fewer* patrons (see the previous reviews) and thus increase sales. That said, the logistics still need to be optimised (take reservations and/or estimate patronage times better), but the food is phenomenal and the environment is sufficiently hipster and unpretentious. I usually find the staff to be just fine. I just never visit anymore, in practice, because getting food from here usually represents an additional inconvenience for me in some way.

I would be more than happy to modify this review, once these things are resolved.

Fantastic food, service was great, the ambience was cool and great tunes!

Smoke is absolutely delicious. It is one of my favorite restaurants in town in terms of food. Their brunch is amazing. Their dinner is amazing. Their Tuesday Burger Nights are amazing. I deduct two stars because I find their attitude about being cash only and splitting checks to be extremely petty given their prices, and it definitely makes me less likely to visit. Despite that, it is reliably fantastic food.

Good atmosphere good food, good service. Will definitely return.

Emailed twice requesting a reservation for table of 7 as suggested by their website. No reply even now over a week later. Hope the food is better than the service.

Incredibly delicious, bad for the scale and the wallet. They make their own cola and donuts though so that's incredible.

Great food. One of my favorite places to eat in pittsburgh. it's a small place so expect a line during peak time but it's definitely worth the wait.

One of Pittsburgh's best.
Happy hour specials are great. Mystery tacos are an adventure that are worth every bit of the $3 each.

Bring cash

Hard to find but the food was good for a quick lunch.

The food is extremely great at this restaurant however the service has always been a nightmare. It s not that the servers are bad at their jobs, it s just that something about this restaurants delivery method or management is subpar. Please improve the service ASAP!

Food is good but overpriced. Do not get take out from here. They told us 1 hour but took 1:50

Great tacos. Fun environment. Cash only (seriously?) Music at a level that makes talking next to impossible.

HOLY SMOKE!! I loved it. The feel of the restaurant was great. Nice vibe, low lighting. Wait staff was great. The food was pretty amazing. Had the queso which was flavorful and creamy with some homemade chips that were not greasy. Tried the brisket taco and the burnt ends taco. Both had interesting toppings with some well smoked bbq goodness. Will definitely be back

The service is great and the tacos are amazing! Definicely recommend the Rib and the Gringo.

Great food, slow service, cash only (seriously guys? it's 2017)

Not worth the wait. Service was subpar. The food was good, but I have had better BBQ. Was told it be 30-45 minutes. Waited almost 2 hours.

I think these might be the best tacos here in Pittsburgh. The chicken Apple taco is amazing you should definitely get one or maybe 2...possibly 3.

Good veggie options. Inconveniences with Bill payment: cash only, no separate checks.

Was told they switched their menu to a barbecue sandwich shop which I think is a huge mistake

We grabbed a seat at the bar & the bartender was very friendly. The place was well decorated & the food was AMAZING! You have to order the queso, trust me. On food, service & decor alone this place is 5 stars but I am only giving 4 stars because of this being a CASH ONLY establishment...there is an ATM upstairs but still. The bar stools were crammed together and not the most comfortable.

Queso with burnt ends is all I have to say about this place. Best I have ever had. I still have a stain on my mattress because I would literally order it to go and eat it like a complete slob in bed because it's the most amazing comfort food ever.

Not bad....smoke taste of all meats was overwhelming. Mac n cheese was awesome. Beer was cold. Service was good.

This was really good. Not a fan of the store bought flour tortilla but everything else was delicious.

The food is really good. They have a great selection of meats to go on tacos, and plenty of tasty adult beverages. Bring cash because they don't take cards. On a Friday night there might be a bit of a wait. Seating is also a little funky because it's broken up from front to the back. The location is great though, right in the heart of Lawrenceville.