We stopped in at OEM Smokehouse in Duluth and had high hopes based on the vibe and the packed house--and to be fair, the inside of the building was fantastic. Rustic, lively, and welcoming. We grabbed seats at the bar since it was so busy, and our bartender/waiter was awesome--super friendly and attentive the whole time. I ordered the ribs and chicken wings, both with dry rub, and sides of mac & cheese and corn muffins. The ribs were definitely the highlight--solid 8/10. Tender with a nice rub. The wings were okay but didn't really stand out, more of a 7/10. Mac and cheese and the corn muffins were both lacking in flavor--more like a 6/10 and 5/10 respectively. My wife got the Henny Penny sandwich (pulled chicken with bacon and cheese), and unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectations. The chicken had almost no flavor on its own, and it really needed barbecue sauce just to wake it up. Overall, the experience was a mix. Great service and a cool atmosphere, but the food just didn't deliver the punch we were hoping for. read more

Shared a bottle of wine and a pastrami sandwich while seeing a band. Great wine and Sammy. Loved the live music and sitting outside vibes

So not impressed with the $19.00 pastrami sandwich with three thinly sliced pieces of meat and a pickle on sandwich bread.

Food is just great - nice ambiance and reasonably priced as well. And the service was also great.

Was seated immediately but service was slow. Waited 10-20 minutes for our server and never got the booster seat we asked for. There was a large group seated near us, so it was very loud for a small space. Once we ordered it took about 12 minutes for drinks and 30 for food. The "OMC Old Fashion" was very good. A little expensive for the size, but good enough to justify. Pit master sandwich was good not great, and the Korean bbq pork belly sandwich was definitely overcooked. The pork belly was cut so thin and dry it was truly like eating saucy jerky. Mixed with the cucumber and coleslaw, it was just not a good textural experience. The mac and cheese was great, and the fries weren't terrible. I'm probably not recommending OMC. I'm SURE the smoked meats are where the best quality food is, but the cheapest dish was nearly double the price and that was not what we were looking to spend at the time read more

The food was amazing some of the best ribs perfectly fatty and meaty love the horseradish bbq sauce and the hot honey is great with the hush puppies and cornbread the mac and cheese isn't to good just overly liquidy sauce and some non melted pre shredded cheese on top but is better if you add some bbq sauce to it great drinks though read more

OMC Smokehouse - Half rack of St. Louis Style Ribs - Half Rack Mac and Cheese Hush Puppies Smoked Pulled Pork - 8oz Cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Really good BBQ restaurant -- starts out with fresh pork rinds brought to the table. I highly recommend trying the sauces on these. Tasty! I got the salad with the brisket on it (don't remember the exact name) but it was very good. And also a side of the elote corn and cornbread. A great combination. Our server was very good and helpful at recommending things. And we loved the outside eating area as the weather was incredible tonight. read more

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We stopped in after coming out of a week trip to the BWCA. It is our tradition because it is so amazing! The chicken wings are a must. The side salads are a perfect mix of greens and veggies. I had the bama brisket salad. It was delicious. However, I did have to pull the pickles off. They were just too much and did not compliment the salad it my opinion. Too strong and over powering. We sat in the section with the kitchen and wait staff. It is not the best place to sit in my opinion. Too much traffic. Our waitress however was very attentive and friendly. I highly recommend this place and have never been disappointed with our choices. My salad just needed a little tweak. read more

OMC Smokehouse - Drinks to celebrate. Cheers!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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First time here. The ribs were tender and falls off the bone whereas the chicken wings were too crispy and lack of flavor. The BBQ sauces were tasty and added some flavors to the ribs and chicken. I didn't care for the Alabama horseradish sauce or the mustard sauce. It was quiet in the dining that we were in and we came between 3 and 4 so it was slow before the dinner rush. Service was prompt and friendly. The restaurant was quaint with lots of pigs, cows and chicken decor to call out the name of the restaurant. read more

We stopped for dinner and were told an hour wait, but only had to wait about 20 minutes as we agreed to sit at the bar. Bartender was very personable and my house old fashioned was excellent. Our food was awesome; great smoked flavor and portion size. Very busy and nice decor; lots of crazy "stuff" to look at. read more

OMC Smokehouse - Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs - Half Rack - Barbeque Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Awesome BBQ place! Our family was in town for a lake vacation and and stopped on a Thurs night around 6PM and we were able to get a table outside (which was a covered patio). There is no table service outside, so you just need to go inside and order at the counter and they will bring it out. They had a good selection of local brews and some interesting cocktails as well. The six of us ordered pulled pork platter, brisket, ribs, tacos and loaded mac & cheese. Everyone loved their food (except the loaded mac & cheese...maybe just different than her expectations) - and the ribs were outstanding! Overall excellent experience! read more

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The food never really disappoints here. The pork rinds are always awesome and free . The ribs and brisket were solid but not really mind blowing, but they fulfilled my craving. The candied sweet potato bake wasn't my favorite, something about them was just off to me. The service was very good and checked up on us regularly and even gave us more pork rinds. And the whole restaurant was spacious and made me feel comfortable inside as if I could hang out there for hours. read more

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We absolutely love this place. Highly recommended for a cozy, relaxed atmosphere and a lot of really good food choices. And the staff are amazing. read more

Sweet potato side is really good. The blue cheese potato salad was not a strog blue cheese flavor if your worried about that. Everything seemed dry since they expected the sauce put on it all. The honey sweet bbq has a tich of the mustard/vinegar flavor and is runny. The brisket and cheddar is what I ordered and had the jam on the side as normally that stuff isn't my jam. The brisket had a bit of a spice to it so I tried the jam on it and it was like a sweet ketchup that cooled down the brisket at least on my palate. It made it very good I gave my side to my partner he had the cornbread as the fries are fried with the catfish, which has gluten. I do appreciate the GF bun was not extra that was nice. When you arrive they give you pork rinds which I don't eat pork but still nice. My in law had the ribs and they were not fall off the bone but it didn't take much to get off. The drinks were good and the service was good. read more

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We were visiting Duluth and had dinner here - OMC won't disappoint! I wish it was close to where I live! It's BBQ at a chef level! What a great place. We started with nachos. Pulled pork, jalapeños and flavor heaven! They didn't last long. I had Time Honored Classic chicken sandwich. Smoked pulled chicken - delicious! Also had Elote and cheesy jalapeño grits. Wow! Superb! This place is wonderful! As Arnold said, 'I'll be back!' read more

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Get. Here. If you're looking for something with an amazing vibe, service staff and food OMC is where you find it! Ambiance is very rustic and considered a trendy smokehouse. I highly recommend the sweet potato bake and cornbread sides, The sauces are all unique, and there is something for everyone. They are sampled when you arrive with the complimentary chiccarones. My personal favorite was the Alabama White, but definitely try them all! This is a great stop especially outside of Canal Park. And if heading back to the cities it's on your way out with quick access to Highway 35. Order of photos: Loaded Mac Brisket Sandwich Burrito Bowl with Smoked Chicken It's definitely a good place for a food coma! read more

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Just phenomenal barbecue. Came to OMC Smokehouse for lunch and disappointed. Ordered Classic Brisket with 2 Bones of St. Louis Style Ribs plus Mac and cheese and whipped sweet potato mash for $33. All of the food was flavorful and a majority of the brisket was tender and juicy which is hard for some places to do. This is a great barbecue option when in Minnesota not just Duluth. I will be back! read more

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I really want to like this place because I've read all of the reviews. I really want to, however, my experience isn't anything like anybody else else's that I can see. I ordered online and picked it up and while it was very fast, the quality of the food was horrendous. The ribs were overcooked and possibly burned. The pulled pork tasted like apple cider vinegar, which I can only assume they were trying to keep it from dry drying out, but that's all I could taste. The hush puppies resemble the donut more than they did hush puppies. The fries were soggy. The coleslaw was a bland replica of KFC, the only thing that was remotely edible was the sweet potato mash, and even that was a little over sweetened if you enjoy a good barbecue, this is not the place to go. I have been to Texas. I have been to Memphis and everywhere in between. I hope they were just having a bad night but I won't return. There are very few options in Duluth so I can see why people think it is good because there's nothing to compare it to. I wish I would've taken pictures. However I did not. Again, not even remotely impressed. I gave it a one star rating because there wasn't anything lower. read more

Cade and Ryan were the best! Came to dinner alone but they made me feel like I was right at home with their conversation and great recommendations! I was pleasantly surprised by the food the brisket was tender, the greens and sweet potato bake were perfect! My favorite was the jalapeño bomb, never had anything like it and I would definitely it them again! read more

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Great BBQ and attentive staff! My husband and I stopped in shortly after they opened. We had just moved to the area and our server even gave us local recommendations. My mom raised me on Eastern Carolina BBQ and all the fixings, growing up in the south. And the hush puppies and brisket were perfect and nostalgic. Will be back for sure. read more

I had looked forward to trying OMC, but, when I finally did, I was disappointed in the food and service. Our waitress mostly ignored us in favor of the next table, a server brought the wrong appetizer, and the food was bland and certainly not living up to the hype of the restaurant. The only redeeming quality of the restaurant was the smore fire pits that were offered up while we had to wait to get a table. Not a good value for the money. read more

Very very good! We had the grits which different and maybe not as good as you'd find in the south but pleasantly surprised. The potatoe salad excellent! read more

We got here right when they opened on Sunday but by the time we left there was already a line forming and I see why! I ordered turkey with fries and Mac and cheese and a biscuit to share (if there's a biscuit somewhere, I'm getting it!) The turkey was great and there wasn't a fry left. I was nervous for the Mac and cheese but it was delicious. An unusual noodle for a BBQ place but the cheese was fantastic. I also really enjoyed the biscuit. I could see it being hard to find parking later in the day but it would be worth it! It's also wonderful to see how clearly they care so much for their staff! read more

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Holy smokes this is some amazing smoked bbq! We were recommended to eat here by a few people, and we finally decided to dine in on our anniversary trip. I wish we would have went sooner. It definitely became a favorite spot now for when we come back to the north shore. I love how they give you the in house pork rinds to sample all of their sauces. I was obsessed with the white Alabama sauce, and I don't even like horseradish, but this had no trace of it in my opinion which made it sooo tangy and good! We ordered the hush puppies with cry baby honey aioli which were some of the best hush puppies we've had. I've had bbq in the south and this is just as good, trust me! For my entree I had the fried chicken sandwich with the Alabama sauce, and Mac n cheese. My hubby got the country fried ribs, YUM! The sides were greens and jalapeño cheesy grits, you definitely can't go wrong with any of the sides. I wanted dessert, but had to hold back a little, ha! Our server Nick was top notch and the brew list here. Highly recommend this place you are in the Duluth area. read more

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OMG we love OMC. Went here with some friends and let me just say, delectable flavor, impeccable service, and the ambiance was fantastic. Thank you to all the crew shout out to our wonderful server MASON read more

OMC Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

My friend and I walked around the corner from Bent Paddle to here for dinner. I suffered from a major case of "eyes bigger than belly" ordering wings as a starter (which arrived with main course) and brisket with cole slaw and collard greens. The brisket was excellent. A decent portion that was flavorful and cooked properly. They clearly know brisket at OMC. The cole slaw was not wet and the cabbage was crisp. Collards were spicy though chopped more fine than I would have preferred. The wings ended up going into a box and were lunch the next day. They were a bit dry though meaty. Not particularly flavorful. The blue cheese dressing was a must. Overall, a positive experience and I would choose OMC again. [Review 17878 overall - 105 in Minnesota - 1399 of 2022.] read more

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Way way overhyped. Our party of 4 each tried different entrees and appetizers and none of the were good enough for us to go back . We know good bbq- having lived in Texas for years and this wasn't even close. The servers knew we were disappointed with our food so they ignored our table. Save yourself the trip, unless you like oddly seasoned dried up salty scraps of food. read more

Everything was Fabulous! Friendly efficient service. The food was delicious! Great spot to have a cocktail! The peach cobbler, ribs and blue cheese potato salad are a must try. Would definitely come back all the way from NorCal read more

We usually build our entire Duluth trip around a stop at this joint! A family favorite that never ceases to hit the spot! Parking is limited to street, and due to the concentration of great spots in the area, can be tough! Couple that with the fact that there is usually a long wait upon arrival, you do have to earn your experience...but it's worth every second. Elite tip: put your name in and jump to a local brewery (Ursa Minor, Bent Paddle, Duluth Cider, Wild State Cider). Once you do get a table, the space itself is vaguely farmhouse inspired. Service has always been attentive and great. Now the food is where this spot wins my heart. I'm all for some good BBQ! Upon arrival, you're gifted a plate of pork rinds, and this is the time to try all four of their tabletop signature sauces. That way you know what to load up on when your food arrives. I've tried a bunch of stuff, and it's all great! I'm partial to brisket and grits, but I also think their loaded Mac and Cheese is phenomenal! Definitely not a better spot for food when you're checking out all that Superior Street has to offer, so definitely Oink, Moo, and Cluck your way over to OMC! read more

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OMC is one of our go-to spots in Duluth. This group of owners that have several other restaurants know how to it right. Great vibes, excellent service and fantastic food. Everyone is always so friendly, smiling and having fun at all their places. They know how to hire and staff correctly. read more

Food 5/5 - When visiting Duluth this is a must stop! The Jalapeño Brisket Bombs are just the right amount of sweet and spicy, the brisket is top notch for Minnesota, and the Elote Chicken Salad was packed full of flavor. Service / Ambiance 5/5 - We got our food within a timely manner. The wait staff was kind and helpful. The smokehouse has a rustic feel and a great layout. read more

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Visited 7/19/24. I had previously heard wonderful things about OMC but never had gotten in until now. Came around 5:30 for dinner (the earlier the better because it does start to get busier later on). Service was really solid with great recommendations throughout. I got the lemonade to drink which was equally sweet as it was delicious. My mom and I ended up splitting the platter (containing brisket, ribs, and 1/4 chicken) with sides of corn and beans and then we added on a side of biscuits. If you're trying to decide between meats, they were all solid but I would definitely recommend the brisket. It was melt-in-your mouth good. The elote style corn was really solid and the beans were flavorful with a bit more of a chili style. My mom wasn't a big fan of the toasted style of the biscuits but I thought they were great and enjoyed dipping them. Overall, really enjoyed everything from the food to the drinks to the sauces. read more

OMC Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

So yummy!! Service was great and the atmosphere was cool. Try the Tipsy Pig cocktail, you won't regret it!

Such a great place for dinner while visiting Duluth. We are staying in the Lincoln Park area, so it was only a short walk from our accommodations. The server was terrific. She explained the nuances of each sauce and was helpful in her recommendations. Everything was incredible. It seemed that we had a little of everything. The smoked meats were wonderful, but the side dishes were the stars of the show. We shared collard greens, the bacon and blue cheese potato salad, and the cornbread. Yum!!! There is a fun vibe in the place and the outside fire pit area was cool looking. read more

We always try to stop here when in Duluth! The BBQ is outstanding!! The service experience has been great we love coming here and will be back! read more

Stopped here for lunch. I had the brisket and added an optional side of pulled pork. Tasty-smoked and tender brisket with a good char. The grits were more like polenta than grits which is OK by me. Not a fan of the beans but there is a selection of 4 BBQ sauces on your table to dial-in flavor. Service was outstanding and offers a casual atmosphere. Patio seating is available read more

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We had our name down on the waitlist and got a text stating it'll be about a 30 mins wait but we waited over an hour for a table of 7. It was very cold and windy but luckily they have bonfires setup outside to keep people warm. When we got our table it was split up into 2 tables versus 1 big table so that's probably why we had to wait the extra 30 mins. The waitress could've been nicer but they were super busy so I'm sure why she was a bit moody waiting our table. Food was absolutely amazing except for the ribs were a little too dry for my tasting. Ordered a full rack and we ended up eating half. They do give out s'mores if you ask the front. I would recommend this place to others but would give them a heads up that they don't take reservations. read more

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I was in town stop here for BBQ, Everyone friendly, order own plate, Chicken, Two ribs and brisket. Delicious to the last bite. Service was great, good wait but it was Friday night. I had a great time visiting with locals while i waited for my take out. 5 Stars for Sure. Chris Wilson Texas read more

When visiting Duluth from the Cities, we have typically enjoyed the Duluth Grill, but menu changes left us looking for options. We saw the connection with OMC Smokehouse, so we decided to try it and enjoyed a delightful lunch with world class service from "Luke." While not inexpensive, the food certainly lived up to the lofty standards set by the Duluth Grill. We enjoyed the roast brisket and the ribs. We thought the blue cheese potato salad was out of this world goodness and quite unique. The baked beans side were also outstanding, with lots of goodies incorporated besides beans. The meats include a variety of sauces that were all delicious. We were supplied with a generous serving of "crisps," that we slathered sauce on. We greatly appreciated the old fashioned amenity of having a snack item on the table to sate immediate hunger pangs, reminiscent of the old relish and bread trays that were once ubiquitous. We later found out that the delicious snack was fried pork rind. Perhaps an additional item would be appreciated. The rustic ambience seemed authentic, and we found it very comfortable. The place seemed immaculate, as were the facilities. All in all, a winner which we recommend. And, if possible, ask for Luke. read more

During my Duluth weekend trip I decided to try out OMC Smokehouse. I read about it being a top place in the area and how delicious the food was. Certainly enough, when we arrived the place was full (we didn't have reservations) and our wait time was 1.5 hrs, not bad. We decided to walk around town while we waited, they notify by text once your table is ready. We ordered the ribs and brisket, these were delicious! The brisket just melts in your mouth and the ribs are seasoned to perfections. My taste buds were happy, to say the least. We also ordered Mac & cheese and coleslaw for sides. I will say I'm only giving this place 4 stars because I believe they can improve on the mac&cheese side dish, it lacked flavor, felt milky, not cheesy enough even though it was topped with unmelted grated cheese. The coleslaw was good though. For drinks, we had a Moscow mule and an old fashion. Overall, we would recommend this place when visiting Duluth. read more

OMC Smokehouse - Moscow mule and old fashion - Barbeque Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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