*****NOTE: Not more than 48 hours after posting this, we were told that this spot is becoming a Peruvian place and BBQ Smith is going to Catering Only*****
Recommended by: After we claimed that Tavolata had the best Happy Hour in Seattle, a reader suggested checking out BBQ Smith’s Happy Hour. We took her up on her suggestion.
Description on the BBQ Smith’s website: Seattle Barbecue/Texas-Inspired
Neighborhood/Type: Roosevelt, Maple Leaf
Address: 7919 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
What we ate/drank: Texas Cheese Fries – Crispy Fries loaded with house made gouda cheese and topped with brisket. Texas Style Brisket, Pulled Pork, Corn Bread, Mac & Cheese, Miso Collard Greens, Half pound of pulled pork(smoked 10 hrs) and half rack of pork ribs(smoked 5 hrs), Mama Moon’s Kim Chi, Cornbread, Brown Sugar Beans, Hardcore corn- smoked to the core on the smoker with butter/cheese/sour cream/tajin mixture
Comments: We’ve always passed BBQ Smith on our way to Chiang’s Gourmet right down the street. It’s in an odd spot right in the middle of a neighborhood(Maple Leaf) with not a whole lot of parking. Truthfully we had it on our radar to try, but it was never a priority. That is until a reader saw the blog post claiming that Tavolata had the best Happy Hour in Seattle. She begged to differ and suggested BBQ Smith. So of course we needed to check it out.
The first thing we noticed when coming to BBQ Smith was the Chuck’s Hop Shop sticker and discovered that Chuck of Chuck’s Hop Shop fame is actually the owner! One of the best kept secrets is that there is a little satellite Chucks’ Hop Shop in the back. It doesn’t have the selection that the regular shop has, but it does have a really great beer selection for a small bbq joint.
Before visiting BBQ Smith, take a look at their website . They have Google Slides embedded and starting around page 4 they start talking about their bbq preparation-how long it’s prepared, cooked, rests and served. They also talk about the types of cuts. See below.
The style of bbq served here is Texas style bbq, which means they rub the meat with spices and cooked on low heat over long periods of time over indirect heat, which means the meat is not cooked directly over the flame, but to the side or higher above the flame. This leads to some yummy tenderness. Also sauce is not typically slathered on the meat, because it’s not needed. You can see it represented in their cook times. The pork ribs are smoked for 5 hours, the pulled pork is smoked for 10 hours and the brisket is smoked for 12 damn hours!
We’ve eaten both indoors and although their patio is not the most “finished”, it’ll do on a nice summer evening for sure.
You can order your bbq as a plate or by the pound. We’ve ordered so many different sides and types of meats, we won’t go into a lot of detail, but suffice to say all the bbq is tender, oh my god how tender, moist and smokey.
Sides – Score : (4.0/5.0). Nothing really blew us away except maybe the corn. The collard greens were interesting with it’s Asian twist. Everything was good, but not mind blowingly good.
- Mama Moon’s Kimchi – Secret Kimchi recipe passed down from generations.
- Brown Sugar Beans – Slow cooked pinto beans with brown sugar, jalapenos, tomato and spices
- Mac & Cheese – Asiago Cheese, smoked gouda and black pepper
- Miso Collard Greens – collard greens, bacon ends, onion, sugar and garlic slow cooked with an Asian twist
- Hardcore Corn- smoked to the core on the smoker with butter/cheese/sour cream/tajin mixture
- Cornbread
BBQ:
- Half pound of pulled pork(smoked 10 hrs). Score: (4.75 / 5.0)
- Half rack of pork ribs(smoked 5 hrs). Score: (4.25 / 5.0)
- Texas Style Brisket(smoked 12 hrs). Score: (5.0 / 5.0)
Appetizer: Score: (5.0 / 5.0)
There’s one last dish which we got during happy hour and this might be the best happy hour dish in Seattle. The Texas Cheese Fries is $4! You read that right. During happy hour the Texas Cheese Fries are $4.00. Check out how massive this tray is. There’s no way two people can finish this. Also got a Bodizafa from Georgetown Brweing for $3. Holla! Back to the dish. So they give you a huge tray with a layer of fries and these fries are no ordinary frozen Ore Ida fries. Then they put a layer of their 12 hour brisket and they are not chintzy with it and then a layer of their home made cheese. One time we ordered it and the brisket was on top and the next time we ordered the cheese was on top. No matter, trust me.
One thing we haven’t tried are the sandwiches, but honestly why add bread to the mix when you can fully enjoy the bbq on it’s own.
They also just started serving brunch on the weekends, although we haven’t tried it yet.
I wouldn’t say Seattle is the hotbed of bbq, so I wouldn’t consider ourselves experts, but we know what we like and we have had our fair share of bbq in Seattle at Bitterroot, RoRo’s, Drunky’s Two Shoe, Cask & Trotter and Peco’s Pit. And also Bourbon & Bones and Kickin Boot Whiskey may they rest in peace. So for now Smith BBQ has become our go to bbq joint in Seattle due to the hidden Chucks Hop Shop bar in the back, one of the best happy hour dishes in Seattle and just plain good bbq. One last thing, no cash accepted.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 5.00
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.75
Bang for the Buck: 4.50
Overall: 4.75
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: Maggie
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Recommended by: A guy sitting next to us at Varsity Inn
Name: Mojito
Description on their website: Serving the best Latin American & Cuban food in the Seattle area.
Neighborhood: Maple Leaf
Address: 7545 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
Type: Latin American/Cuban
Packed?: We went for an early Sunday dinner around 4:00 and every seat was taken.
Music playing: Upbeat Latin American music
What we ate/drank: Pabellon–Seasoned shredded beef, red peppers, onions, and spices, slowly cooked and served with black beans, white rice and maduros, Vaca Frita- Shredded beef marinated in lime juice and sauted with onions, garlic and sweet peppers. Served with congr and maduros. Passion Fruit Shake,Two beers- Modelo Especials
Comments: Mojito is a small triangle shaped restaurant that’s pretty difficult to find. If you’re driving South on Lake City Way it will eventually fork to enter I5 or split off to what will become Roosevelt Ave. Mojito is located as Lake City Way turns into Roosevelt Ave. It’s a one way street. There’s no parking lot, so you’ll have to park on the street. We had no issues.
With the space relatively small and the place full, the atmosphere is very lively and loud. If you’re looking for a place to have a quiet conversation, this isn’t it. Mojito is very bright due to windows being on all sides of the restaurant as well as the vibrant colors with yellow walls, green trim and blue ceilings including clouds. There’s also a small patio out front that’s used in warmer weather.
Vaca Frita(Fried Cow) is a traditional Cuban dish with shredded beef marinated with onions and garlic. It has a citrus tang to it and comes with beans and rice. Pabellon is the Venezuelan National Dish. It’s a shredded beef dish with a tomato based sauce with beans and rice. It also comes with cooked plantain. Both dishes were so good we’ll order both again the next time we come back. There definitely other dishes that sound really good. The Parrilla Mojito is their most popular dish, which is a marinated steak dish. Their rice is also really good all on its own. We were told it’s made with onion, garlic and cilantro. The best way to go is to order a bunch of dishes and eat family style, so you can try a little of each dish.
Ratings(Scale 1-5)
Service: 5
Food/Drinks: 5
Bang for the Buck: 4
Overall: 4.75
Locals Only Rating: Locals “in the know” know about it
Eavesdropping Convos: It was too lively to overhear any conversations.
Server recommendations to visit in the future: Server was busy, but the table next to us asked if it was our first time here. We told them if wasn’t, but it was their first time. They mentioned their routine was normally to go to Korean Tofu House, but it was packed, so they came here. So we will go there next.
Cloud City Coffee
Description on their web: At Cloud City Coffee, you will find locally roasted, specialty coffee, freshly baked pastries, and delicious breakfast and lunch items prepared in-house by a top-notch culinary team. We offer free Wi-Fi, comfy couches, a lending library, newspapers, games and a kid’s play area, all in accord with a staff that is sincerely happy you’re here. Cloud City Coffee is not simply a café, it’s a community.
Neighborhood: Maple Leaf
Address: 8801 Roosevelt Ave, Seattle WA 98115
Music playing: Gone For Good by The Shins
What we ate/drank: #1 muffin(cheddar, bacon, egg), Double espresso, Mexican Mocha. Oatmeal w/fruit toppings
Comments: In Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts post we named Cloud City Coffee our Favorite Cozy Coffee Shop in Seattle. Unlike modern or minimalistic coffee shops like Broadcast Coffee, Revolutions Coffee or Elm Coffee Roasters, where I tend to get work done, Cloud City Coffee is more of a place to relax and meet up with friends and family. Their motto is “Community and Café” and there are a lot of things going on at Cloud City Coffee that fosters a community feel like a community library, a dedicated kids area with toys, and pay-on-your-honor section for brewed coffee($2) and day old bagels/pastries($1).
This is the type of place where we’d choose to meet up with friends or families that we’d hadn’t seen in awhile. They have something for everybody with their food options from pastries, to sandwiches, salads, soups and even quiche. I believe everything is made in house, which is pretty impressive. They also have multiple drink options in addition to coffee drinks with tea and smoothies available. The coffee they use is from Tony’s Coffee up in Bellingham. The last few times I’ve been, my doppio has been Ganesha Espresso and brew was Café Camelita and Sophia’s Blend.
A warning, this place is always packed, which means their small parking lot is always packed. There are multiple tables that seat six, but you’ll most likely be sharing. They have a small outdoor seating area and when weather permits they have garage style doors that are opened facing south and east that let’s in a lot of light.
In Our Seattle Bar Thoughts post we wrote about our love of neighborhood bars because they tend to be relaxing, chill and have a good cross section of the folks from the community. This is the same reason we enjoy Cloud City Coffee. I wouldn’t say their coffee is the best, nor would I say their food is the best, but there’s an intangible value on how a place makes you feel. These types of neighborhood coffee shops make you feel like you’re in your living room, but away from the distractions of home. It’s a place to escape for awhile and feel comfortable. When I think of a neighborhood coffee shop, this is what I picture.
I see a lot of people working and studying there. In this environment I’d be too tempted to just relax and enjoy my coffee. I’d recommend Cloud City as a place to meet up with friends/family to talk and relax. Or if you are headed to Maple Leaf Reservoir Park a block away take a to go coffee and meal and have a picnic. Or take visitors from out of town who can experience a one-of-a-kind true neighborhood spot with lots of drink and food options.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: The on-your-honor section really feels like a trust factor that can only exist in a community coffee shop.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Food Options: 5
Overall: 4.75
Eavesdropping Convos: My one yr old daugther was eating a muffin and staring at woman with her family(husband and daughter?) at a community table. The woman notices and smiles back at my daughter. My wife notices the woman smiling.
My wife- Sorry, she’s in the staring phase.
Woman- She’s probably staring, thinking who’s that weird looking person.
My wife- No.…. She likes staring at beautiful things.
Woman- Aww…… thank you.
Woman’s teenage daughter- Yeah, right.
Her daughter’s delivery was kinda like this:
Name: Kona Kitchen
Description on their web: a casual family dining experience where you’ll find a tempting array of Hawaiian and Japanese dishes prepared with the care of a home-cooked meal
Neighborhood: Maple Leaf
Address: 8501 Fifth Ave NE, Seattle WA
Packed?: It’s always busy, but it’s big by Seattle standards, so we’ve never had to wait. We’ve also never had issues with parking.
What we ate/drank: Kim Chee Fried Rice, Loco Moco, Dah Braddah Omelette(Portuguese sausage, jack cheese, green peppers, onions), Saimin, Hamburger Steak
Comments: They serve lunch and dinner at Kona Kitchen and even have a bar/lounge section for karaoke on Fridays and Saturdays, but we always come for breakfast. It’s the nearest thing to local Hawaiian meals you’ll find in Seattle. We’re familiar with Hawaiian food and while I wouldn’t tell out of town visitors to go out of their way to eat breakfast here, it does hit the spot if you have a hankering for Hawaiian grindz.
I had to translate some of the menu jargon such as Ono, Keiki, Loco Moco, Broke da Mouth, Braddah for my wife when we first started coming here, but she’s now an expert. See below for translations.
Kona Kitchen also feels like a real Hawaiian place, very homey and relaxed. I get the feeling a lot of folks in the neighborhood frequent the place. We overheard a few of the customers say they eat there every morning! It’s also one of the few sit down diners in Maple Leaf that serves breakfast, so it’s always busy, especially on the weekends.
Like most Hawaiian places the portions are huge. Also, Hawaiian breakfasts consistently incorporate two of my all time favorite processed meats-spam and Portuguese sausage! So my go-to is normally the Dah Braddah Omelette, my wife’s go-to is the Loco Moco and my daughters is Saimin. There is a lot of parking but be careful, the parking lot is all buss up.
One fun bit of inside info is that the place is owned by Yuji Okumoto, the actor who played Chozen in Karate Kid II. He’s the one who kicked the Karate Kid’s ass.
Translation:
Ono – Delicious
Keiki – Kids
Loco Moco- hamburger patty on rice with gravy poured over it and a egg on top
Broke Da Mouth – Broke The Mouth, Ex. This Loco Moco soooo delicious it broke da mouth.
Da Braddah – The Brother
Grindz – Food
Buss up-Busted Up / Broken
If I never see you plenny long time, bumbai we go to Kona Kitchen. Dey got big kine kau kau.
Translation: If I haven’t seen you in awhile, let’s meet at Kona Kitchen later on. They have large portion meals.
Ratings (Scale 1-5)
Atmsophere: 3.5
Service: 5
Food/Drinks: 4.25
Bang for the Buck: 4
Overall: 4.25
Locals Only Rating: Locals “in the know” know about it
Server restaurant recommendation to visit in the future: Varsity Inn by our server(Lara?)
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