Excellent little side-of-the-road BBQ joint on US-20 in Chesterton just minutes from the Indiana Dunes State Park beach and campground. I have driven by this place dozens of times since moving to the area and we finally visited. Man, I was missing out! Smokey's is some legit BBQ! It is cash only and even has a sign available for when they run out of that day's barbecue. The pulled pork was perfect and my wife and kids enjoyed their platter of brisket and pulled pork. Traditional sides include homemade coleslaw, baked beans, rolls and potatoes. Everything was fresh and delicious! I also enjoyed a cup of their brisket vegetable soup with my pulled pork sandwich. The sauce options were equally good, including sweet BBQ, hot mustard, mild sauce and hot sauce. Also loved seeing a sign from Kid Rock's visit declaring the "best little grub shack this side of Detroit." We will definitely be coming back and I highly recommend Smokey's to anyone visiting the area. They also offer carry out, so perfect for taking back to your campsite at the Dunes! read more

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A place I would recommend and take anyone! Such good food (highly recommend the Ruben) and the service is just wonderful and personable.

The best charred ribs I've ever had in my life!!! I got them coated with hot sauce. The owner says he doesn't boil them, that's why they're superior!! For sure. read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - The best ribs I've ever had! - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Amazing ribs! Super cute and very friendly staff! Cash only thankfully I had but will be back again

Stopped in for brisket plate and found the brisket a little dry. $18 includes roll and two sides - great parsley & chive potatoes and cole slaw. It's possible the cole slaw wasn't scratch made, but was good enough to provide contrast to the barbecue. Sodas $1.50. Cash only - so be prepared. Saturday early afternoon - wasn't end of the day bbq either. Will have to try the rib tips or pulled pork as an alternative, but those are more forgiving cuts for slow cooking. read more

The restaurant and the staff were very nice! It's a cute little place! Nice atmosphere. The sides were great homemade sides! Beans, slaw, potatoes were all great! Biggest problem with this place is it's really not traditional southern bbq like they advertise. Brisket had a poor bark, little to no smoke ring, fat wasn't rendered completely. Pork was as expected just not much bark or smoke, pretty juicy tho. Ordered a full rack of ribs. They were good but very sauced to help cover for a little of the dryness. They were also heavily charred unlike traditional southern bbq. Prices were right on with real bbq. I asked about the smoker, turns out they don't use an offset smoker which explains the lack of smoke flavor. Overall the place is solid and food is pretty good but just not up to the standard of southern style bbq. It's still worth a stop if you are in the area. read more

Stopped in on a Saturday afternoon for a late lunch. It's a quaint, family owned place with great southern decor. Service was friendly and helpful. Ordered the full slab of ribs with mild sauce and selected the baked beans and coleslaw for my two sides. Also ordered a cup of the chili. The ribs were absolutely delicious! Tender and flavorful. They have several sauces: mild, sweet, hot, and mustard. Although I had the mild sauce on my ribs, I ended up preferring the sweet sauce a bit later. The real star of the meal for me was the coleslaw. The perfect vinegar/creamy mix and a wonderful crunch. I ended up using the rolls to sop up the juice leftover from the coleslaw. The baked beans were wonderful, firm beans with a tomato-based sauce. The chili was your standard chili, with a good broth and chunks of meat, beans, and tomatoes. read more

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This is a fabulous place for BBQ in Northwest Indiana! The restaurant has a lot of charm, full of interesting memorabilia on the walls, and was very clean. There are about seven tables inside and some tables for outside eating. I ordered the 1/2 pork, 1/2 rib tip dinner with coleslaw and potato salad. The rib tips were served without a sauce on them. The meat was tender and flavorful. Four sauces were available on the table. I found the sweet, hot and spicy mustard the most interesting and flavorful, tying for first place. The mild was good too. The coleslaw was crunchy, creamy and slightly sweet and tangy. The potato salad was creamy and you could taste the other ingredients which ensured it was full of flavor. The chocolate pecan pie had nice size pieces of pecans and was not too sweet. There seemed to be bits of dark chocolate directly under the pecans. The service was friendly and fairly fast. I hope to return to try their brisket and parsley and chive potatoes. read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Chocolate pecan pie (4/5) - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

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We called ahead and placed our order. I was told by previous customers that they are usually very busy! This was our first time there. We arrived about 10-15 minutes after placing our order. The wait time was short . We loved the ambiance of the building, inside and out! The food was hot and tasty! The staff were very pleasant and helpful. Great place for BBQ! Note: They are CASH only. We will be back! read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Pulled pork and rib tips with sides! - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Ribs were spectacular service was very welcoming made you feel like family being greeted on thanksgiving day or something

Food: excellent This is the place to order to go unless you want to enjoy US20 The food is excellent order and go read more

If you're reading this, you NEED to try this place out!!! My boyfriend and I shared the smokehouse dinner platter, which has 1/2 brisket and 1/2 pulled pork, and ended up getting ANOTHER brisket sandwich because the food was soo good!! The sides are delicious too, we loved the coleslaw and soup. The "garlic pasta" side was actually pasta salad, and despite usually not liking pasta salad, it was still amazing! I'm not a local but would come here everyday if I was! read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

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This place is amazing! We just stopped for a quick bite after a hike at the dunes and had never even noticed this place. Food was delicious and service was fast & friendly! It is cash only so I was glad we had enough cash on us to order what we wanted. We had the beef brisket, pulled pork, baked beans & potato salad. All were Do not miss this BBQ if you're in the area. We will definitely be back! read more

Best pulled pork in my opinion.. perfectly seasoned, juicy & not overly smoked...Simple perfection

Ordered a lot of different food items wasn't very good. Really bummed. Rib tips were dry and maybe old. Brisket was good but seemed like it was just slow cooked in a crock pot. Pulled pork was dry and only flavored with pepper. read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

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CASH ONLY !!!! Plan accordingly.. Nice and cozy place right off the main road. Excellent food and friendly staff. The baby back ribs were extremely tender and flavorful. Small place but a hidden gem for sure. read more

We had the pulled pork, combo with tips and brisket and baked beans and potatoes. We got the pecan and chocolate pecan pie to go. It was all delicious. Fantastic reward after hiking the dunes. Cannot recommend highly enough. read more

The BEST ribs I've ever had at a restaurant in my entire life! I'm insanely picky about ribs. The brisket was phenomenal as well. Loved the atmosphere of the restaurant as well. Reminded me of a little place in Gatlinburg, TN. The staff was so friendly as well! They only accept cash, so be prepared for that. I highly recommend eating here. I wish I discovered this place sooner!! read more

Smokey's is a classic BBQ shack with amazing quality and delightful decor! They offer dine in and take out.

Some of the best bbq I've had in a while! This was a place we saw off the side of the road and figured it had to be a great local place to stop for some smokey, fall off the bone, bbq. Portions were big, leaving us with a few leftovers that made for the perfect beach lunch the following day. Definitely recommend stopping! read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Rib dinner, pulled pork sandwich, potato sides, coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Best BBQ I have had ever. Not sure how my kid found this tiny joint, but the beef brisket was outstanding - the sides perfect and the hostess, just mean enough to keep it real. YUM!!! My wife did order a chicken sandwich - that was probably a mistake (very dry)... I would stick to a chicken dinner, or that magical brisket. read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

This is a must stop for me and my family every time we pass the barbecue was amazing the ribs the pulled pork the brisket my family loves all their entrées they are cash only and the nearest ATM is a half a mile away but don't let that stop you this place is a must visit and eat for some delicious barbecue read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - my 3 year old son Maximus smashing some amazing bbq ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

BRISKET SANDWICH WAS AMAZING! After a long day of hiking and berry picking, we were desperate for some food to hold us over on our way home. We had a hard time finding food around us and stumbled upon this gem. We called in about 10 minutes before closing and they were happy to accommodate our pick-up order although we would be arriving 5 minutes after closing time. Boy, am I glad they did! We ordered 2 brisket sandwiches and the potatoes with parsley and chives. Both were delicious, but the brisket truly stole the show--tender, seasoned, and Smokey (as the restaurant name implies). I didn't even have the foresight to take a photo of the food before devouring it in 30 seconds. We will definitely stop at this establishment again the next time we are in town! read more

Driving up, this place looks like they would be good BBQ shack . out-of-the-way, but well worth it. Enjoy the ribs, chicken & Brisket... I recommend it highly read more

If you don't like your BBQ smoky, you'll hate this. It would be nice if they offered a non-smoky option. If you hate smoky BBQ, go to Wagner's in Porter and order their original ribs. Fiddlehead in Michigan City also has ribs that aren't smoky and they're as good or even better than Wagner's. Fiddlehead has a half slab on Thursdays that is less expensive than Wagner's half slab. Fiddlehead gives you more sauce than Wagner's, plus the ribs are juicier than at Wagner's. Wagner's sometimes chars theirs too much, which makes the meat a bit dry. read more

Between business trip work in Michigan City and the Hotel in Chesterton, I've passed Smokey's Southern BBQ several times and with a note of curiosity. So one day after work, I took an immediate detour off US 20 and ordered a brisket sandwich to go. The inside of the building is small, and includes a counter, modest, but comfortable looking seating, and and as a bonus, a nice clean restroom. Service was quick and friendly, and before I knew it, I was on the road again (with a beer waiting form my in the fridge). Portions were generous, the sandwich was delicious, and I'll be back. I might even bring my food hound friend Jesse T. along for the ride. :) read more

Driving past and being hungry, my friend and I decided to stop in here for a quick bite of BBQ. It's a tiny place with a lot of goofy things on the wall. But definitely a homey kind of place. As far as the food goes, it's definitely southern-style BBQ. I got the pulled pork sandwich which came out very juicy compared to what you end up getting in lots of places. They brought out two different BBQ sauces, the first was a sweeter, vinegar based one, and the second was a spicier one (although not too hot). Great sandwich and the normal size was plenty big (they also have a jumbo). My friend got the steak sandwich, and she was quite happy with it as well. read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Drove past this place a hundred times, in the middle of nothing, finally stopped. Tried the pulled pork & brisket with coleslaw & roasted potatoes, everything was amazing! Best BBQ in the area hands down. Can't wait to try the ribs. Bring $ they do not take credit. Only 3 mins off of the highway! read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Friendly folks and really good food. Cozy, comfortable environment. Only negatives were that they don't take credit cards and I don't typically carry cash so I needed to take an extra trip to go grab some money. They also seemed to be out of a number of things we tried to order. But we liked it and will definitely be back. read more

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Yum yum yum! The sweet sauce wasn't so good, but the food and service are awesome!!! Seems like everything is made in house and it looks like Kid Rock was there. He left a note for everyone to read. Check it out. BRING CASH! No cards read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

I was hooked when I walked in this place. The aroma of incredibly savory, and smokey bbq'd goodness. Full slab of ribs, 3 sides, soup, couple of rolls and 2 rootbeers.......we are stuffed The flavors are worth the drive! Crisp, light cole slaw and rich, savory ribs. The baked beans were rocking, not too sweet and a unique flavor I have never had. ( but I am totally going to have again) The pork and bean soup was, dare I say, decadent. It was loaded with pulled pork, beans, potatoes, celery, spices in a rich broth (just a touch thinner than stew). I probably should have stopped at the soup, but I ate it all!!!! Then we ordered chocolate pecan pie......to go This was the only thing I thought was pricey, however pecans are expensive and I have never ordered pecan pie before, so maybe $4 for a slice is accurate. We are banking on the fact that everything we had thus far was exceptional, so the pie can't possibly be bad and we are going with it! The staff was very engaging, the dining area was clean and the little woodsy "outhouse" was adorable. We will definitely be back and we will bring friends. read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - PORK and BEAN Soup....delicious!!!! Super flavorful.....get the bowl because a cup will leave you wanting more. - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

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We stopped here last night craving some BBQ. Nice little surprise. This is a walk up to the counter and order type place. There are about 6 or 7 tables inside and another 5 outside the building. We ordered the brisket sandwich with beans and the jumbo pulled pork with chive potatoes. Both were yummy! The pulled pork had enough for a nice leftover, unless you are REALLY hungry. We paid about $25, which we thought was fair. Be aware that this is a cash only establishment. Be prepared! Everything looked clean. Check out the unique entrance to the restroom! read more

Smokey's Southern BBQ - Outside signage - Barbeque Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

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The best pulled pork in NW Indiana! The ribs are also excellent as well as the side dishes. I especially like the baked beans. Be sure to get a pice of the pie. read more

This BBQ joint is a small but delicious BBQ place! They served me and my buddies a great amount of food and it was all so delicious! I can not wait to go back!!! I recommend their Brisket sandwich dinner it was superb!!! My buddies also likes the pulled pork sandwich! read more

Absolutely delicious! We had the beef brisket & pulled pork with the parsley potatoes & cole slaw. The meat was so tender & tasty even without any BBQ sauce, the potatoes were cooked & seasoned to perfection, and the cole slaw was the best I've ever had. The restaurant is cozy & clean. Service was excellent. We will definitely be back. Quit passing this place by & stop in, but bring cash only. read more

The BBQ chicken and the sauces (I tried 3 different ones) were DELICIOUS. Some of the best stuff I've ever had. The staff was so friendly and nice. The interior is cutely decorated. It's very small, but home-y. They are lacking in the sides + drinks department. There's no mac n cheese, corn, baked potato, cornbread, or other typical BBQ sides. It's just baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, and plain Lays chips. My husband ordered sweet tea and was given a bottle of Pure Leaf Sweet Tea (the stuff you buy at the grocery store). For BBQ this good, seriously, make some homemade sweet tea. Portion size is kind of small, but maybe that's because I had no side item or bread item. They are cash only. read more

We were here in May and liked. Planned to use them for our family reunion. Week prior called to place an order. No answer, no response to message. Had to learn they were on vacation by driving to restaurant but would be open on time. Drive by to place order. Still closed due to family emergency. They are entitled to a vacation and i understand closing for a family emergency. But for both cases, please update your phone message. Only by luck we found a brand new business read more

I've passed by a couple of times but stopped today and was not sorry! Ordered a pound of shredded pork and a pound of brisket and both were delicious! One of best BBQ places--and I've been to KC, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. The meat was very lean but not dry--just perfect! Can't speak to the sides--next time--but mixed the sweet and the spicy mustard sauces to compliment the meat. Don't need slot of sauce though bc the meat is so tasty, it stands on its own! read more

The food here is really good, and the ambiance is something special. Forget all those wannabe chains- this is the real thing. Pulled pork, Cajun style sides, homemade cake for dessert. Everything is made here, the smoker out back is running all the time. read more

Smokey's is open again. They had to close for a while because they couldn't get pork from plants that had closed due to COVID. They are open and as excellent as ever. read more