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    Smokin’ Buns

    4.8 (90 reviews)

    Order Smokin’ Buns Takeout or Delivery

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    SMOKIN’ BUNS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Smokin’ Buns

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    David A.

    What I liked : the food was good , the decorations were cute country with nice wood pieces . What needed big improvement: The line to order took way long for just 3 orders and 5 people about 10 minutes . The wait for a Burger and Frito pie was at close to 35 min and the place wasnt busy at least on the inside. The kitchen staff kept coming out to talk with friends . At one point I had to ask if they lost my order . I wanted to like this place more .

    Back dining area
    John V.

    Smokin' Buns in West, Texas: A Pit Stop of Disappointment I've always thought critics loved throwing one-star reviews around, reveling in the gloom of it all. Turns out, I'm not much of a critic, just someone who loves great food and counts on reviews to help make sure my fellow diners and I enjoy our meals. Which is why writing this particular review pains me, but I hope it's taken as feedback for improvement. Nestled just off the highway near the Czech pastry shops, Smokin' Buns stands out like a bright red barn among the Texas horizon--a BBQ spot with a drive-thru and a homey vibe. Tired from the road, we opted to stretch our legs and dine inside. And that's where the surprises began: it's far bigger inside than it looks from the outside, a sprawling, rustic wood interior accents, complete with old-school tchotchkes, Texas news on the TV, and a good ol' Texan greeting. So far, so good. We ordered a meat plate and a burger, though some of the essential BBQ items were out of stock (midweek blues, I suppose). As we waited, the only other patron--a patient elderly lady--was still lingering, waiting for her to-go order, and the dining room's chill had us shivering a bit. Finally, her food arrived. Moments later, ours did too. Let's get down to it: if you've ever had fast-food BBQ like Dickey's or Spring Creek, Smokin' Buns is a few steps down from even that. The brisket was dry and old, tasting more like jerky than the tender, juicy slices one expects. The sausage? Picture thick-cut Eckrich straight from the microwave. The "queso" was nothing but a basic Rotel mix. Then came the sides. The mac and cheese? Pure cafeteria flashback--watery and flavorless. The bread was just two pieces of plain Mrs. Baird's, no butter, no toasting, no love. The BBQ sauce tasted suspiciously store-bought (my bet's on Kraft). The most vibrant part of the plate was the side toppings: fresh red onions and pickles. Then there was the burger--a bit of redemption, but with toppings so cold they felt slapped on as an afterthought. The onion rings were the best part, and the truffle fries missed the mark entirely, more like limp fries than anything worthy of "truffle." Before leaving, I thought we'd give dessert a chance and bought an apple mini pie. That was the final straw--the crust was raw, and the glazed apple slices tasted canned, disappointing to the core. To sum it up, this felt like food bought at the store and served at a potluck, trying to pass off as homemade. And, like any potluck with fake home-cooking, everyone caught on quick. As we paid, the cashier suggested the milkshake, "It's the best I've ever had," she said, homemade and all. Lesson learned for next time: just ask the cashier what to order. With its Texas hospitality, charming interior, and even a clean restroom, Smokin' Buns has its appeal. But we came for the food, and even the flies barely gave it a glance. If this place reinvented itself as a burger, milkshake, and onion ring joint, they might just be onto something. As for the rest? Maybe a bit of soul and seasoning are in order.

    Cheese burger made my way and tots well done.
    Jaime H.

    Talk about hospitality at its finest! I travel a lot and I review a lot of places, if I could give this place 10 stars I would, if you don't stop here you're missing out! The service from literally everyone working including the cook was phenomenal! Food was excellent and the portions were huge! The environment was very inviting with old school movies playing in black and white, I will be stopping here again next time I'm passing through!

    Alan S.

    Good burger, good price, great service. I was driving to Fort Worth and getting hungry. I checked Yelp and saw this place. However I was already running very late so I kipped my dinner that night. Today as I was heading back to Houston I decided I wanted to try to find this place. I didn't remember where it was on Yelp just about an hour outside of Fort Worth. I tried looking as I was driving and couldn't find anything. I stopped to get gas about 10-15 miles up the road and figured I'd give it one last chance to try to find somewhere to get a late lunch. Low and behold, this place popped up. As I pulled into the parking area it was a little confusing and I ended up driving off the curb. Thud... I hope my car is okay. Perhaps it could be marked a little better. I came inside decided to try the double cheeseburger. $17 as a combo seems fair enough. I noticed they had housemate pickles and Dr pepper grilled onions so why not throw those on the burger. The girl working the register was very friendly and patient as I tried to make decisions such as which cheese, which toppings, and what bun. I went with the jalapeno cheddar bun, and pepper jack cheese. None of it was particularly spicy. I opted for the onion rings which came with a Chipotle mayo that complemented them nicely. I was all ready to give a 4, as it's very solid but not out of this world. Then from out of the kitchen comes a young man to offer to refill my sweet tea. Between that and the great attitude at the front, this was a level of surface I just did not expect but surely should be rewarded.

    Susan S.

    Passing through, loved the name so we stopped for lunch. It does have a drive-thru but we opted to dine in. The decor is cute and employee were very polite but the food was expensive and a B- at best. 2 of 3 kids finished their corndogs but these fry loving kids only at 3-4 fries each. The onion rings are Definitely frozen and zero flavor. The burgers were ok but not memorable. It has potential w/ the fun name, decor and nice staff but the food wasn't anything special.

    inside
    Courtney C.

    this is a cute local hole in the wall- they have burgers and bbq- i can't say how the bbq is because we only had burgers- the burger was good though- they make their own pickles so that's a nice touch. the prices aren't too bad. its actually a fairly large inside seating area- great customer service. good flavors!

    Double meat cheeseburger on jalapeño bun
    Brandon L.

    Great place for a burger! I pulled up and it seemed as if they were closed because there was like 2 cars in the parking lot. Decent size place on the inside. They had college football games going on when we walked in, which was nice. The staff made some very nice recommendations for us and was very helpful. I will say, they aren't very fast for getting your food to you, but it is worth it. I went specifically for the burger, but they have loaded baked potatoes and loaded frito pies. And when I say loaded, I mean loaded. They had like sausage, brisket, chili, and a whole bunch more of topping on these bad boys. They looked extremely good, which is what I'll probably get next time. The burgers have fresh meat that was made into patties. They definitely aren't frozen, which is probably one reason it takes a little longer on the food to make. Around, it's just a great burger. The sides are all very good to. Can't go wrong with any of them. Can't wait to drop in again here.

    Headed south on I-35. Read the reviews and decided to stop for a burger. We were not disappointed and will be back! Bacon Cheese Burgers were fantastic! The onion rings were very good as well!! Even the tea was good! Definitely give it a try! Got a kick out of the sign in the VERY CLEAN bathroom!

    Bacon cheeseburger, pepper jack cheese on a jalapeño cheddar bun. With seasoned fries and a side of ranch.
    Megan G.

    Where to start?? We came across this restaurant by accident. We were putting gas, headed back to get on the freeway and we saw that it was open.. but only had one car. So, we decided to check it out! The buns, although cheddar jalapeño, have this sweet soft taste to them. The bacon, is a super thick cut with just the right amount of fat and meat and saltiness. Typing this out I can still taste it. The fries had a nice bite to them, with packed in flavor. The ranch was delicious and the veggies on the burger were crisp and cold- I honestly love that! The service, was amazing! The cashier was so sweet, so accommodating- especially knowing this was our first time. So helpful! She continued to come check on us, which was a plus. You do order and pay upfront and the food is brought out to you. It was a small wait- but so worth it. The location, is small and super comfortable! It feels like home and it's very welcoming! We're from Corpus Christi, but I promise we will be back! Soo soo good. Side note- they also have milkshakes and bbq as well as additional side items to choose from.

    Burger & BBQ in case you want both.
    Thomas L.

    The friendliest man you'll come across, great guy, if someone were to represent Texas it'd be him for sure. The burgers were excellent, surprised I've never been here before! If your stopping over here for Slovaceks gas station, stop and get a burger here They have a small selective menu but that's what makes these little places easy going. * Dine-in & drive through very convenient if you don't have the time.

    onion rings

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    1 year ago

    Great homemade food. Everything was very fresh and made to order. Attentive staff and cozy atmosphere.

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    2 years ago

    Great food and friendly service! The bread had a nice semi sweet flavor to it. Will definitely go back!

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    2 years ago

    Food is delicious! Best frito pie we've ever tried-not your ordinary frito pie. Very friendly peeps!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Smokin’ Buns

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    Still Smokin BBQ - My hubby's rib plate, it made me second guess my order. Great flavor and we loved the vinegar based sauce.

    Still Smokin BBQ

    4.0(113 reviews)
    5.6 mi
    $$

    Brisket great Sausage great…read moreMac and cheese great Bread great Potato salad less than average Employees great

    This was just good old fashioned bbq. This place has the soul that Daynes was missing. Classic…read moremeats, well done, classic sides, good portions, and affordable. What more can you ask for? Is this up there with the great bbq places in the state? No. It's not trying to be. Hint hint daynes. Its a cafeteria style, you pick your meal, you go down the line, pick you sides and sauces..and your done. We had the three meat plate, and brisket sandwich plate. The meats on the plate were brisket, jalapeño sausage, and turkey. The sides on both plates were spicy pinto beans, Mac, and green beans. We had regular and spicy bbq. All the meats were good to great. The brisket was good, but missing that bark we like. The turkey was not dry. The best thing here, is when they say spicy, they mean spicy. Like runny nose spicy. Man it was good. The spicy bbq sauce was especially great. So just be careful because the beans were bordering on too spicy. The sausage was what daynes wished it could be. I know I keep ragging on daynes, but come here first, then go there and tell me if daynes belongs on any top list! I would pick still smoking any day! The Mac was delicious. The green beans were out of this world. Why not a 5? Well let's be honest, once you tried the true best in the state, it's hard to live up to it! As great as this place is, it's not snows or franklins or burnt bean epic. We still will definitely stop by when travel again!

    Photos
    Still Smokin BBQ
    Still Smokin BBQ - Three meat bbq plate.

    Three meat bbq plate.

    Still Smokin BBQ - Sign from the highway...like a beacon for yummy food!

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    Sign from the highway...like a beacon for yummy food!

    Bar-B-Que Chef's Smokehouse

    Bar-B-Que Chef's Smokehouse

    4.9(25 reviews)
    19.6 mi

    Food was amazing. Served by the family who kept checking on us and were so kind. Hospitality was…read morespot on. So was the food. We had sliced brisket sandwiches which were stuffed with delicious brisket, perfect edges and tender. No BBQ sauce needed. First BBQ place that loaded my sandwich up with enough onions, pickles and jalapeños. We each ate our entire sandwich, it was huge but so good. Sides were amazing- Mac n cheese & green beans with bacon We will definitely be back when we come to Whitney to fish- hopefully very soon!

    First of all, I want to say we will be back, and I really liked the service. It seemed like a…read moresmall, family-owned business, and I genuinely hope it continues. We bought two meat plates and the BBQ potato. The potato was by far the best meal of the day. Nailed it. Portion sizes were great overall! The meat plate BBQ was alright. The issue we had was with the sides. I had mac and cheese and the potato salad. I will say, everything felt and tasted homemade. However, I feel like the chef is trying a little too hard to get authentic flavors. Let the BBQ be the star and give us some old-fashioned mustard potato salad and normal mac. Both of my sides tasted strange. They had a weird aftertaste, kind of sour or old, not sure. I never throw out food, but I didn't take the leftovers with me. My last critique is the actual BBQ sauce. It also tasted original and homemade but seemed to be trying too hard to be different. It almost felt like a tangy, sweet salsa or puree. Keep it simple, or perhaps offer choices between a general sweet traditional BBQ sauce and your homemade version. Giving it 4 stars until we visit and try again.

    Photos
    Bar-B-Que Chef's Smokehouse - Side door, as seen from picnic table seating

    Side door, as seen from picnic table seating

    Bar-B-Que Chef's Smokehouse - Two-meat ate (smoked ham and sausage with Mac n cheese and potato salad), comes with onions, pickles, and jalapenos

    Two-meat ate (smoked ham and sausage with Mac n cheese and potato salad), comes with onions, pickles, and jalapenos

    Bar-B-Que Chef's Smokehouse - Outside

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    Outside

    Smokin’ Buns - burgers - Updated May 2026

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