This five star review for this little family owned barbecue joint is pretty much dedicated to one…read moredelicious sandwich that they've been serving up for a number of years now. I'm talking about the Sho Boat. Plenty of reviews have already mentioned it, and even though I've had other items on their menu, and they've all been delicious, when you stop by Smokehouse Barbecue, you will notice two things... 1. There is typically a line. 2. 99% of the patrons are getting the Sho Boat. So much so that the woman behind the counter just points to people with her pen and says, "Sho Boat? How about you, Sho Boat?" The sandwich consists of perfectly seasoned chopped pork shoulder. Smoked daily on the pit outside on the back of the establishment. It's an awesome blend of juicy, meaty chucks of pork with just enough fat to pull it all together. It's then covered in a sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce on a nice crusty French roll and served with a side of fries, which are also drizzled in their signature sauce. The Yelp! reviews for this place mostly feature pictures of this sandwich, as you will see here in mine. There's not much else to say that hasn't already been written. Yes, it occupies a side space in a local Shell gas station. Yes, it is family run business by people who are absolutely lovely, super friendly, warm and inviting. Lastly, and most importantly, the sandwich is fantastic! The Food Network has got a TV show where all of the top chefs in America tell you about their favorite places and things to eat. The exact name escapes me, but if there were one of these famous chefs that was from Rockford, Illinois, there is no doubt they would be telling you about the this sandwich. It's that good. Again, their menu features more food besides the sandwich, although it is quite limited... But if delicious barbecue is your thing, and you don't mind waiting a minute or two, then this is a must have. Some of the reviews said this is cash only, however when we were there, they were taking a credit card. There is also ATM inside of the establishment. Smokehouse Barbecue isn't much to look at, but the people that work there know what they're doing, and it definitely shows! No frills... just one of the best sandwiches I've ever had served to you with a warm smile by wonderful people that care.

I love the experience here because they treat eaters he like family and they have the best bbq in…read moremy opinion in all of Rockford , il and please trust me in my opinion anyone who is stopping at anywhere in IL should should eat here

This was our first visit to Fort 88 Smokehouse, and we would definitely come back! The service and…read morethe food were wonderful. The portions were good, and despite others' reviews, we thought that the price points for the quality and the amount of food, were spot on. We were seated in a booth, which was very comfortable and the atmosphere was great. Lots of space for dining, as well as a large bar. There were just a few minor details--served water in a very cracked plastic tumbler that went unnoticed and quite a bit of dust and cobwebs on the light fixtures above the booths that prevent us from giving five stars. (Cool light fixtures, tho!) We'll be back when visiting the area, and believe this is definitely a try if you are in the area!

Stopped in for cocktails and an appetizer and it did not disappoint. The fried pickles were out of…read morethis world -- perfectly crispy and seriously addictive. The atmosphere is so cool and inviting, and the service was fast and friendly. The cocktails were excellent and beautifully made. We'll definitely be coming back!

Went here for lunch on a Saturday for a birthday meal since the birthday girl wanted fish and…read moreshrimp. The place had a decent lunch crowd, but was by no means packed, so we figured it would be quick to get food for the kids. Our waitress came to get our drink order pretty quick, but then service slowed for receiving our drinks, ordering food, getting our food, and getting her attention for a to-go box and our bill. As for the food, we ordered the Bangor, which had shrimp and haddock and choice of two sides where we chose the corn muffins and beans. We also got the Nashville hot chicken sliders with sweet potato fries, kids chicken tenders, and kids burger with fries. The kids meals were both quite generous portions, especially the chicken tenders. The tenders were nice and juicy with a crisp exterior and one of the best things ordered. The kids burger was overly charred and had a little burnt taste, so the child wouldn't eat it and ended up eating the shrimp from the other meal instead. The Nashville hot sliders were decent sandwiches and quite large, but were by no means Nashville hot, more like somewhere between mild to medium spice. The sweet potato fries were great though and went well with their bbq sauces. The fish and shrimp received mixed reviews from the two people that ordered it. The corn muffins were definitely something that we would get again and also worked great with the bbq sauces. Overall, it was fine with some good and some not so good. The price is a little higher than some restaurants with similar offerings, but the portions are quite large, so maybe that's the tradeoff. Not sure if this is going to get added to our rotation, but they did seem to have some good happy hour deals, so maybe for that.

The food was EXCELLENT. I had the Blackened Blues. Wonderful combination of brisket, bacon and…read moreblue cheese crumbles. Host greeted us with smile and welcoming voice. We felt like we belonged. Server was amazing. Great balance of friendliness and checking in without feeling overbearing. It was our first time but definitely won't be our last.

Stopped in for a drink (it was a Friday night!) this bar/restaurant is gorgeous inside and the food…read moreis pretty amazing! We tried the brisket eggrolls as well as the carrot cake (wow!), as well as some burnt ends...we will def be back for dinner as the food looked and tasted fantastic! And the bartender was so much fun! If you haven't been, you need to check this place out!

Pink Heifer is a massive restaurant and bar on Main street in small-town Monticello. We were…read moreimpressed by its renovations, cow decor and cleanliness. The menu was decent with an emphasis on BBQ. My mate tried the brisket and found it average, smoky but not overly salty. The variety of bbq sauces was appreciated. I tried the smash burger and enjoyed all the layers of flavor: nice crust on the meat, bacon, onions, spicy sauce. It was a good bite and the potato wedges were tasty too. We were both impressed by the thick onion rings, especially when paired with the house-made horseradish sauce. Yum!

Driving through on our way to Chicago and my husband wanted to check out the Pink Elephant and we…read moresaw this was nearby! Our server Beth was incredibly sweet and always kept our water cups filled which was an absolute lifesaver because majority of the food was incredibly salty. We ordered some cheese curds to start, definitely wanted to have some of those while in Wisconsin! They were a tad salty but melty cheese goodness! I had the rib tip platter and got the corn muffin and Mac & cheese as my two sides. The rib tips didn't taste fresh and were hard, the mac and cheese noodles were the perfect al dente firmness I prefer but the cheese was also salty. My favorite part of the meal honestly was the cornbread muffin that was still warm when it came out!

Consistently excellent BBQ. I've been going to North and…read moreSouth for years, and it never disappoints. The brisket and pulled pork are especially delicious--tender, flavorful, and always done right. Their BBQ options are consistently top-notch, and everything I've tried has been great. I've only ever done takeout, so I can't speak to the dine-in experience, but the food alone keeps me coming back. If you're a fan of quality BBQ, this place is a must.

The BBQ joint is off the road and hard to find. It's worth the drive. We went up to the walk up…read morewindow and ordered a couple.of pulled pork sandwiches, FF, and Baked Brosket beans. We sat at the picnic table to enjoy the day and wait. It was understaffed so it took over 20 minutes but the food was worth the wait. The pork was tender and flavorful, the beans were lick the container clean delicious. The Mac and cheese was fine I would order double beans next time. They offered us some peach cobbler for the long wait. That too was amazing. I would highly recommend the Bandit!

It's a very nice tucked away place and I would definitely give it another shot. I spoke with Nick…read morewho was one of the owners, and got talking about barbecuing. The brisket was better than the pork. The only thing I wished was that I wanted it to be more smoky. The barbecue pork was decent, but I would definitely want to try the ribs during the weekend. He was very nice and very accommodating and added in some sweet pickled jalapeños, which were phenomenal. The brisket sandwich was definitely a good hit. Had the coleslaw and mac & cheese...and that was not bad at all!Had a little bit more mayo than expected with a tad of vinegar, which was OK. Overall, it was a very good lunch/dinner. (by the way, I liked the Kansas City better than the Texas but Texas sauce was also very good! They make their own homemade sauce by the way ) Nick was a great conversational piece and they are going to be starting with a food truck pretty soon which is gonna be pretty neat. He does take a lot of pride in his work, and it shows! So I guess keep an eye open for that. Nice job, Nick. I'll give you the next star an update this review once I have your ribs. Is that a Deal? (because I'm a big-time rib guy.) Thanks again Nick!

First, a big cheer for our server, Alice. What a lovely person. She took care of our little…read morebirthday party, three people, and just made us feel right at home. The weather was perfect, so the manager gave us a table in light shade. It was around 2, so it was warm enough for everyone. The ice tea, and beer were cool and delicious. Our first course, fried pickles and fried cajun fish bites. Crisp bites and juicy pickles......hot side sauces, just enough to keep me happy. Second course. generous crisp cold salads. Third course, we all had different ribs. My Maui Maui ribs, just as I thought, light and sweet and seasoned with a nice pop of hot green. Auntie ate almost all her half rack of dried rub ribs. Filled up, she took some home. I haven't asked my boyfriend about his sweet ribs, but let me guess how tasty they were. ( I meant his meal.) For dessert, we chose key lime pie and chocolate pecan pie, to go. Best birthday party ever. Thank you, Alice, and all who worked to make our meal perfect.....!

All good in a single place! Im let's say working-long stay…read more Decided to check this place for my non frequent meaty meal. And all was so good, abundant and the service top notch! Sappharie was so tentative. Even food was so abundant that I packed half I was in Friday mode: so I ordered their in house Burbon nuts pie! what a delicious treat, not too sweet all balance, only missing like a spark of bourbon at serve to moisturized it . Good music! price ! etc . I will change their next-door neighbors for this in a million times

I'm always finding new spots when I travel, and this particular BBQ spot caught my interest …read more David Alan's BBQ in Mukwonago did not disappoint. The smoked meats were on point, juicy, flavorful, and you can tell they take their time with it. The pulled pork and sausage had that perfect smoky bite, and even the brisket in the bowl hit. The sandwiches were stacked and messy in a good way, and the sides actually showed up too, mac and cheese, coleslaw, and cornbread all solid. If you want legit BBQ with big portions and real flavor, this spot is worth it. Service was attentive, the ambiance was cool too. I definitely will return when I'm in town.

Had the opportunity to try their Cod fish fry. It comes with three nice sized pieces of beer…read morebatter cod and your choice of a number of different side options. We had their pig tail fries and potato pancakes. The fish was very good, not greasy, cooked perfectly. The pig tail fries were also very good. Had to have the potato pancakes recooked as the first ones were over done. The second ones were very good as was the applesauce. Rye bread is rye bread not much more to say there. Neither of us cared for their coleslaw, which is vinegar based. Overall we give it 7 out of 10. The service was handled by the bartender and she did a great job. The ambiance is sports bar/restaurant with plenty of TVs.

Soooooo upset. My BiL sent me a package, pictures enclosed,…read morefrom Swiss Family Smokehouse. NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING on the outside of the box indicated that the contents or the box itself should be refrigerated. So, a week later, I open the box to find four cheeses and a summer sausage, with the four cheeses indicating they should be refrigerated. What?!?!?! THE BOX SHOULD HAVE STIPULATED THAT THE CONTENTS MUST BE REFRIGERATED. Now it's all gone to waste.

Had some fish smoked and boy was it delicious. Will come for their other goodies that they sell…read more It sounds like a whole lot of party food.

Smokehouse processing is the best! Bill and his staff do a great job. I've been taking 1-2 deer…read morehere each year for close to 10 years and they are always fast and the meats always turnout great. You have to get the chili cheese dogs, jalapeño cheddar snack sticks, and old fashion jerky. Everything is vacuum sealed or freezer wrapped and will stay fresh for 1 yr + easily in the freezer. I used to take my deer to pinions but this is way better.