I travel a lot for work, and occasionally I find a restaurant that is heads and shoulders above the rest. Tonya's BBQ joint, Smokin Iron, is not just head and shoulders above every other BBQ place in Idaho- its hips, knees, and ankles too. Everyone is left to bow - ALL HAIL THE QUEEN! Having crawled through dozens of BBQ joints from KC to Memphis to the Dallas and Hill Country, I have had GREAT BBQ. Tonya's Brisket/Sausage/Turkey meets or exceeds them all: Hard 8, Pecan Lodge, Hutchins, Terry Black's. I tried for years to find great BBQ in Idaho, and finally - Tonya brought it to us. Don't let the strip mall location fool you. As soon as you step inside, the hickory smoked goodness and Tonya's Texas Charm take you straight to the lone star state. Her smoked meats are simply second to none, and the side I did try (potato salad) was awesome as well. Coke products flow from the fountain, which is music to this diet soda's fiend's ears. Texas BBQ is all about Brisket, and Smokin Iron carves up brisket as good as any you'll find in Texas, and better than any you'll find in Idaho. The sausage a turkey are amazing as well. There is a new BBQ royalty in Idaho. Long Live The Queen! read more

Smokin' Iron is the best barbecue you will find in Boise, and maybe even Idaho. The brisket was melt-in-your-mouth good, tender, smoky, with just the right bark. We ordered the Jr. plates thinking they'd be modest, but these portions came out stacked. Easily could've passed for full-size meals anywhere else. The smoked turkey? Unreal. Moist, flavorful, and packed with that deep, smoky richness that most places miss. And don't even get me started on the barbecue sauce--it was tangy, perfectly balanced, and made everything it touched even better. The staff? Just as good as the food. Tonya is an absolute legend--warm, hilarious, and made us feel like we were part of the family from the second we walked in. And if you don't save room for dessert, you'll regret it. The banana pudding cheesecake was FIRE. I usually don't even like cheesecake, but this one had me scraping the plate and eyeing my friend's fork. Everything was perfect and smoked to perfection. Smokin' Iron isn't just a meal, it's a whole experience. The restaurant vibe was on point, and everything just hit as it should. Definitely will be coming back! read more

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The most delicious and satisfying BBQ meats of moist brisket, pork, burnt ends on Saturdays, I had the Big Houston with baked potato. I was able to share it with my two friends and still have enough to take home. One friend had a Big Houston sandwich that came with 3 devil eggs bites, and it was there on his plate, and it seemed the next minute his plate and the eggs were gone. His wife had a tall brisket sandwich and baked beans. They also have home made sausage on their menu and they sell along with other items they market. We'll be going back. We had a great time eating and a great time catching up. The staff are super accommodating. The place is intimate, but can seat a lot of people. read more

This place is amazing. The food is outstanding. Don't sleep on dessert. The banana cheesecake and key lime pie are to die for. The staff is very nice and helpful. They were very patient and helped us pick out the best option for my family. read more

In town and saw this place... brisket spud was amazing! Very polite and attentive team...

Hands down, the best BBQ I've had in a long time! The brisket was insanely tender, the ribs fell right off the bone, and the pulled pork was packed with flavor. Even the sides were top-notch--don't skip the mac & cheese! Great food, great service--The owner stopped by to talk to us and gave us a few extra pieces to try things out. The customer service was amazing. I'll definitely be back. read more

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A small venue with big juicy bbq ribs and sausages. Burnt ends are a Saturday must stop buy some. A cooler stocked with delicious canned goods and sausages. A baked potato smothered in shredded pork topped off with sausage. Wow. Big rib sandwich my my read more

The bbq was pretty good. I had a small issue with the ribs (a little dry and burnt in some areas) and the brisket (too fatty for my liking but tasty). Service was good. Had a high school cafeteria vibe for seating. read more

Visited on Nov 29, 2025 around 5:45pm. HOLEE COW. That is THE BEST flavored BBQ I've ever had and I'm from Texas, so that's saying a lot. In addition, it was more than fork tender. I had the stuffed spud with burnt ends brisket. Outstanding food, service, warmth, dessert and THEY ARE VERY, VERY CLEAN. Not just the managers were polite and friendly, the young men working in the kitchen prep area provided help when the others were away from the counter. They cater. Who knew? You can get a whole cheesecake for a birthday or other celebration, if you give them a few days notice and they have outrageously delicious flavors. Their banana pudding is scrumptious. Can't say enough good about this place. read more

Awesome barbecue the brisket was so tender and juicy. The deviled eggs the potato salad the smoked turkey and the baby back ribs were perfection. Best barbecue I've had here in the valley by far. read more

Mothers day take out- wanted BBQ! We wanted the brisket but they were out if ordering on line. We had ribs and sausage. I am used to gettin Bbq that one can eat with or without sauce. This needed the sauce. Not very flavorful. I will say the ribs had so much meat on them and the meat cane right off the bones! The sausage also was meh. Need some mustard and sauce. Typical choice of sides. Beans had little flavor and the coleslaw was a mayo dressing without much flavor. If you are ordering takeout this is not the place. We were charged extra for a takeout meal. The price was high for what we got. read more

DANG!!! Just good food. Tonya and the other staff were so helpful and knowledgeable. It's obvious they are passionate about their food, and for good reason! We got the J.R.'s plate with brisket, house sausage, and baby back ribs. Everything was delicious. We finished with the banana pudding cheesecake. 10/10. We can't wait to come back! read more

Great meat selections, a bit heavy on the pepper mac and cheese, but edible! Nice tender brisket. Good place to stop and get meats for dinner. read more

Got here around 7 on a Thursday night, wasn't busy at all and food came out quick. Brisket was amazing, the only bbq joint in the treasure valley I have found that does Texas brisket right. Highly recommend if you're looking for some tasty brisket, the sausage link and potato salad were great as well read more

This is the best BBQ I've had in Idaho in over 5 years. True Texan all the way. The food was slamming and many different bbq sauces to light your meat up. Met the owners they literally spent time speaking to us, explaining their story, telling us about their business and making us feel like we were in a southern hospitality movie. Want some authentic Texas Q bed to go here. read more

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One of the better bbq places in town. Was lucky enough to still get the burnt ends and it was worth the trip. Just enough smoke without drying the brisket out and caramelized just right with brown sugar. This place even sells specialty wood for your own smoker. Definitely come back to try their wings. read more

Finally! A good representation of Texas barbeque in the Treasure Valley. They opened in 2024. There are a couple of classic entrees on the menu that are typically only found in SE Texas: BBQ baked potatoes and Frito Pie. We had one of both. We went on a Saturday when burnt ends were on the menu so that's what I put on the baked potato. It comes with butter and cheese, add the meat and then chopped red onions, chopped fresh jalapenos, and sour cream on the side. I ordered some spicy BBQ sauce as the burnt ends were thinly coated. I really enjoyed it but of course the baked potatoes are made up ahead of time and that was noticeable. The burnt ends did have a charred crust on one side but not as heavy as I'm used to. In any case the meat was delicious and I would order this again but likely with brisket. Regarding the brisket, they allow you to order it lean or marbled which is a nice choice for the health conscious. The Frito Pie was just like my wife remembered from Houston, which is where it appears that the management is from. It was a nostalgic taste from our past, and authentic. The venue is small strip shopping store with hard metal chairs and no acoustic dampening so depending upon the capacity at any moment in time it can get loud. The have Texas sweet tea (as well as unsweetened) and serve Dr. Pepper so A+ for authenticity again. And of course for dessert they have banana pudding and also a heavy cheesecake if you are so inclined. We will return to try other menu items. Nice to have this place. read more

Smokin Iron - BBQ Baked Potato with Burnt Ends - Barbeque Near Me - Meridian, Idaho

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What a great experience. I ordered the smoked turkey & a "Texas" sausage. with the coleslaw. The turkey breast was very moist, seasoned well with a nice amount of smoke. The Texas sausage was juicy, had a nice snap in the casing and had just a hint of spice. The coleslaw was a mayo base with lemon for the acid. It was crispy fresh and not overpowered by sweetness. There was also a cold case full of sausages to take home along with individual portions of their desserts. There was also individual portions of other items on their menu. I took home the homemade chicken & sausage gumbo, delish. If anyone knows what "boudin" is, there was a sign on the cooler that said "coming soon." I see that they are open on Sundays, which is a plus for me. I would not pass on trying out this place. I have a smoker and have some good cooks under my belt. I am not an expert at it; however, I do know where the bar is set. On yes, the service was "on point." You do order at the counter and they bring the food to you. The young lady that day was very knowledgeable of the items on the menu. I also believe I heard that they were going to be taking orders for whole smoked turkey for the holidays. read more

Food is amazing! We go here a few times a month. We have never been disappointed. Highly recommend the brisket!

I've tried most of the bbq restaurants in Boise and Meridian and I'd be surprised if you could find a better one than this. They have very friendly staff and great bbq. Highly recommend if you're looking for good food. read more

A great BBQ place to enjoy some quality smoked meats. Best smoked meat in meridian. They sell in cooked meats as well with custom flor blends. read more

The food here absolutely SMACKS !!!!!!! Great taste even greater people. The staff is kind, courteous and attentive. I was sold on the quality even before eating cause of the fact that the owners are from Texas. As soon as I walked through the doors you get hit with the richest aroma of bbq!!!! Definitely some Good ole Texas BBQ. I will definitely be a frequent costumer. DEFINITELY A REAL TASTE OF TEXAS!!!!!!Hat off to the owners and the cooks. read more

Smokin Iron - Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Meridian, Idaho

Excellent food generous portions... delicious! Go back for the stuffed potatoes ... ribs after 12 but the brisket meat is tender and delicious... read more

This place is so good! My husband and I split the JR plate, and the amount of food was insane! We got the sausage, brisket, and ribs. The meat fell off the bone, it was delicious! And the bbq sauce might be my absolute favorite that I've ever had. No complaints about coleslaw and potato salad either. Big portions, we couldn't even finish! But we tried! The gentleman at the front helped us order since this was our first time. He was so helpful and nice! As someone from the south always craving bbq, I was so impressed. read more

I was so happy to find this place. As someone who smokes brisket, is from Texas, and now lives in Idaho, this place caught my eye. In the window, they have an outline pic of Idaho with the star of Texas inside it. I was told there was a smoker in the back, so I thought they meant it was in the back of the restaurant. Unfortunately, I was wrong. There is no back because the back of their restaurant as their back is the front of the store behind them. Unlike other BBQ houses, there is no smoke smoke in the restaurant. If the sign in front had not said BBQ, I could not have known this was a BBQ place. The only giveaway this place has BBQ was the piles of wood in bags in the front. I was very excited to try their BBQ, but that excitement quickly vanished when the food came out. The brisket has no smoke flavor to it at all. The sauce was good and reminded me a lot of Good Woods sauce. For me, brisket should have flavor on its on and be able to stand up without the need for sauce. The bark had no flavor either. I specifically asked for lean but what I got was no where even close to lean The meat was very fatty and even the parts that were close to lean, tasted of grease and rendered fat. So for me, the brisket was a huge failure. I also ordered beans, Mac and Cheese. The beans were very bland and lacked any flavor other than maybe the taste of Pork and Beans. The mac and cheese was dry and not cheesy at all. The highlight of the meal was fried Okra which I talked to them about. No one in the valley has fried Okra. The few that do get it frozen with very bad coating on it. So you might as well say that no one does it. For me, Fried Okra is better than fries by a landslide, but it has to be done right, and this place does it right. The other concern here is their prices. A brisket sandwich is $18 which is a lot for BBQ. I did notice they say its Angus. Ive heard angus is supposed to be better, but I say its all in the way you cook. A great cut of meat, if not cooked correctly, is going to come out bad. On the flipside, a cut of meat that is not that great will shine if cooked properly. Either they are not smoking their meat very well, or maybe on the gulf coast of Texas, where the owner is from, they don't like a quality smoke. This place is new, so I am hopeful they will make it, but to compete with other BBQ places like Goodwood and BBQ for Life, they are going to have to up their game by adding smoke flavor to their meat, coming up with a better rub for their crust and a better process for smoking it. read more

I have travelled the country eating bbq, especially all over Texas, so I am comparing this place to that as they say it's a "taste of Texas." Service: its counter order so no service really needed. Girl at the cashier was nice but not very helpful and didn't suggest any items when I asked questions about what to get. Food: They do burnt ends on Saturday, so we went on a Saturday. They were already out at 5pm. Minimum order of meat is 1/2 lb, so you pretty much are only getting one meat unless you're taking some home. I did a brisket sandwich, and got a house sausage. The brisket cook I thought was great, meat was moist, but it was criminally underseasoned. I expected that salt and heavy pepper profile common in Texas style cue. The smoke wasn't heavy, I'd almost say it wasn't there. I got a sausage too, and it was underwhelming. It's a fine ground, so it's sort of mush. Tasted like a synthetic casing instead of natural. Atmosphere: I liked the cooler up front with pickled items, sausages, desserts, etc. I would have liked to have some house pickles or pickled onions with my meal, but instead they serve jarred store pickles and raw onion slices. Why make the good stuff but hold it hostage? There are literally no choices for good barbecue around, so the search continues. I'd say from what I've had around though, this place nailed the brisket cook better than most I've had around here. Give it a shot! read more

Tonya the owner is great. The food here is fantastic, best bbq in the state hands down. Inside her restaurant, you'd think you eating in Texas . Keep it up, definitely recommend. read more

Finally tried it. For context I just came back from a week in Austin eating the best BBQ. This place held its own and more! Tonya and the crew were very friendly and informative. Brisket was 10/10. No doubt the best BBQ I've had in Idaho and definitely in the list for top 10 I've had anywhere. Give it a try. read more

Fantastic BBQ. Everything was amazing, original flavor. They don't go crazy with the sugar/sweetness.

Smokin Iron has officially become our go-to BBQ spot! We haven't had a single item we didn't love--everything is consistently high quality, from the meats to the ingredients. We recently ordered nachos to go, and they separated all the components to keep them from getting soggy on the drive home. The attention to detail here is top-notch! read more

Smokin Iron - Nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Meridian, Idaho

Looking for somewhere to eat this is the place to go the food was outstanding potatoes were great I never had such succulent turkey tender I'm giving it a five-star plus a good rating I recommend this place to anybody passing through or living here read more

This is the best brisket I have ever had. We have been waiting for this place to open for months. A little pricey and sides cost extra. I got the brisket sandwich with Mac and cheese. Mac and cheese was decent but that brisket? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I am most definitely going to come back for more! read more

All I can say is WOW! This BBQ was so very good. My wife and I were craving good SOUTHERN BBQ. Smokin' Iron fit the bill! The burnt ends were fantastic. The brisket chili was super good. Food was super fresh and cooked to perfection! The honey BBQ sauce was great! For dessert, we had the banana cheesecake. Oh man...that was sinful! Total gluttony! We will definitely be back! read more

The food is a 10 out of 5!!! This place is the real deal bbq!! Hands down the best bbq in all of Idaho. They know what they're doing. You get amazing amounts for the price. You taste the smoke flavor through out every bite. The chili has big chunks of brisket with an awesome flavor profile. They have been doing bbq in Texas their whole life and you can taste the difference. The cheesecake was surprisingly tasty. Amazing people with great service. They're right across from the racetrack. read more

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food was really good. when i first saw my plate. i was surprised of the little portions they gave me. since i paid over $50 for a 2 person dish. we ended up not finishing it because we were full. recommend the smoke turkey. service was very good read more

So good! I am from TX and this place beats a lot of the bbq there. Delicious sauce and super tender, flavorful meat. Highly recommend and we plan to back! read more

Totally Outstanding - the food and the hospitality! Word has it Jenny Craig can occasionally be seen here binging on the delicious ribs and banana cream cheese cake. I'll be back soon for another memorable meal with Tanya and her all star crew. read more

Smokin Iron - Barbeque Near Me - Meridian, Idaho

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We recently moved across the Valley to a neighborhood near this spot. We would've never known of it otherwise and we both agree it was a fortuitous find! I'm not a big bbq fan because I like my protein without sugar, but Smokin Iron satisfied my desire for protein (brisket) without an emphasis on sweetness. Evenso, their chili was loaded with flavor and thick with a wonderful combination of spices. The cut was yummy lean, my only regret was we visited on Thursday instead of Saturday when they serve burnt ends. Husband ordered ribs and by the look of all the bones licked clean, he enjoyed his meal. We decided to order banana pudding to top it all off. The pudding was thick and creamy, definitely not out of a packet or box! The cook/owner/manager-not sure what her role was but she obviously was in charge- chatted with us briefly, informing us they only cook with tallow. Another win! Each of our plates were $15-$17 range and we were satisfied. The place isn't fancy, it's a bbq joint!, but it's clean and quiet, and an additional win for us: it's within walking distance. I'll be walking back on a Saturday soon for those burnt ends! read more

The food was wonderful - ordered J R platter & bowl of chili to get a sampling of their offerings. The brisket just came out of the smoker! Melts in your mouth! Good flavor in the homemade sausage! Ribs fell apart! The sauces are flavorful. Lastly, the chili is an all meat chili! It has a nice kick! The staff is very helpful and friendly. Explained their origins and "this ain't their first rodeo!" Open on Sundays for great football food!! read more

The quality of the meat was exceptional and it was smoked to perfection. The service was friendly and prompt and the restaurant was spotlessly clean. This will definitely be on my priority list for BBQ. read more