First visit to Smokin Notes - the food was good. Pulled pork sandwich was tasty, came with a toasted bun; nice touch. I don't eat a lot of fries but wanted to try - nice flavor. Green beans were good but kinda had an aftertaste, maybe was me. Me and my buddy enjoyed the visit and the food and yes, there's a however. The downside (during lunch) a ridiculously long wait for our appetizer and even longer wait for our food. The likely problem - one wait-staff for about 30 customers. So, c'mon, great food and questionable service, not a good recipe for long-term success. Don't get me wrong, our server was fine, it's just she was the only server in the place. *If you haven't been you should go, the food is very good. read more

We tried to have dinner here this past Saturday evening, and arrived at 8:30 PM. Their hours were listed as being open until 10 PM. When we got there, we were told that there was nearly nothing left to order! The only things that were available ribs and catfish . Neither of those were what we wanted. Poor planning like that will kill a business. read more

First time here. Notes makes sense now with music decor. Waitress was friendly. Pros: baked beans had nice thick tang Pulled pork was very good on a nice bun Ribs were fall off the bone French fries were good Cons: Cole slaw doesn't have much creamy flavor $7 for a beer???? Bbq sauce on the table is just average Bathroom not the cleanest and the exhaust fan is covered in thick dirt. Bill was $55 read more

Hands down the best ribs and chicken I have ever eaten at a bbq restaurant, and I've been to a lot from the Carolina's to Kansas city. The fresh cut fries are always good as are the baked beans. The service has always been friendly and good. Really can't think of anything to ding them on! read more

Ribs were a bit dry but the everything was great!!!! Candy yams, okra, gizzard, pulled pork was the best I've ever had.

Good BBQ, good potato salad, good service! My wife and I both enjoyed it and will go back.

Disappointed: I visited this restaurant multiple times when they were on Sterling in Peoria . something was missing today. My ribs were dry and didn't taste smoky. they were probably kept in the warmer too long they were dry, and I was disappointed. I will gladly pay premium money for good ribs. i'm going to give them another try. Hopefully they will be better. I really want to like this place just not today. read more

The BBQ here is consistently good. I especially like the beef brisket and smoked chicken. Fries are fantastic. read more

We didn't know that Smokin Notes was here until we saw the signs "Open for Lunch" and boy, am I glad we stopped. This place is closer to us, and in my opinion is WAY better than Famous Dave's. The vibe is great, customer service is amazing and the food is worth every penny. I'd provide pictures, but we ate everything!! read more

When I look for dinner ideas, I have to admit BBQ is not my first choice. I am more of a steak, baked potato person. This changed when we went to Smokin Notes. This is the BEST BBQ around. Tender, great sauce, yummy sides and their prices do not break the bank!!! Highly recommend ya check it out!! read more

Hidden gem in the Peoria area. Rib tips and brisket are phenomenal. They have good sides and the staff are super nice and helpful. Fully recommend read more

I have never left a review before but I had to say how good their food is. We had the ribs and pulled pork and it melted in your mouth. Generous fries, and really good green beans and coleslaw. We will make Smokin Notes a regular stop. read more

Ive been a couple times now and the food was delicious both times. The ribs, pulled pork, macaroni, and brisket were all tasty. I did my first order as a carry out and it went smooth and the dining experience was great as well. The interior is super cute and has great music. The waitress we had was friendly and attentive. read more

When they first opened a year ago , we were one of the first couples to try it and the three things we tried were really good. I don't know what happened to them but they've definitely stopped caring. The quality is so diminished. It's not even the same food anymore. If you want to spend an arm and a leg on a little meat and tiny sides, this is the place for you. The burnt ends are dry and chewy. The brisket and pork are half giant chunks of fat. The baked beans and green beans are out of a can. The desserts are all betty crocker box mixes and on top of the food portions being ridiculously small and overpriced, the service is absolutely horrid. Half the time the bathroom drains are backed up so they have no restroom accommodations and when they do work, they're filthy and swarming with bugs. I can't believe the health department hasn't shut this place down. Peoria is better off with no BBQ than this pathetic offering. read more

Love this place! Locally owned, great food, attentive servers. I've been here several times and never been disappointed!

Food was ok. Would like the food a lot more if they didn't put sauce all over everything. Several tables that came in after us were served before us because they knew the staff. read more

I had the ribs. They were tender, juicy and very meaty. My wife had the chicken. It was very good as well. My SIDE of fries was large enough for 2 or 3 people to share. Our server was very attentive and nice. I would recommend this place and I am sure we will go back many more times! read more

Music is too loud. Long wait for food. Grilled chicken sandwich was overcooked and tough. Never refilled my drink. However my meal was very good. I would eat here again but not with anyone I wanted to have a conversation with. read more

Outside of my own grill, INMHO SMNBBQ has the Best BBQ in Peoria, must try the Yams!!!

We went on 8/3/23-our second time. Can't wait for our third time! I am not a potato salad person but I figured I'll give it a try. I'm glad I did and the cole slaw was delicious! The rib tips were tender and full of flavor. My husband had pulled pork. He was impressed by the portion size and the flavor. The service was good and everyone working there was friendly. read more

My 1st visit today and definitely won't be my last! I had 1/2 rack with greens and cole slaw and the entire meal was fantastic. By far the best BBQ in this area and honestly I would put it up against any I've ever had. Ribs were meaty and incredibly tender-rubbed perfect so you could taste the flavor of the meat without being over powered. Greens was just like grandma used to make and loved the raisin cole slaw. Owner stopped at our table and inquired about meal...10 stars I'm my opinion! read more

Oh, my...... if you want tender, tasty brisket & fall off the bone ribs, Smokin' Notes BBQ - East Peoria is the place to go! They also have hand cut fries! Reminded us of Big John's! We definitely will be back! dh :) read more

Great Place! Food and service was awesome !!! Had fried Okra, Ribs and Brisket all were fantastic!! Also had Pulled Pork Quesadilla for Appetizer and it was delicious! Got a chance to meet Nick the owner, great guy! read more

Went there about 2 months ago, pretty nice place. Service was fast, food was good and it wasn't terribly expensive. If anyone likes BBQ, you should give it a chance. read more

my coworker recommended this place for the fries, but i love the fries and the ribs were great. i will go back and try something else. the staff was wonderful. everyone checked on me but not in an annoying way. clean setup with good background music. seemed very popular when i went there during the week. it really was tasty. i had lemonade and it was very good. so check it out for yourself. peoria has a large number of rib places and this one is in the top 3 for me. read more

I hate writing bad reviews but this one is much deserved. The ribs were definitely not fresh. It was easy to tell that they were at least a day old or more. The flavor was average, but slightly tough and chewy. The meat portions are small and not worth the price. The barbecue sauce was definitely store bought. The sides were horrible!!! The coleslaw was flavorless and had raisins! The macaroni and cheese was inedible. I took one bite and spit it out. The pasta was overcooked and the cheese tasted worse than what you would get in a frozen dinner. The collard greens didn't have any seasoning. I had to add my own vinegar to be able to eat them. The baked beans were from a can with an attempt at jazzing them up. The potato salad smelled like spoiled eggs so we didn't dare try it. I will never order from this restaurant again! To add insult to injury, the next day my husband had explosive diarrhea and I was extremely nauseous. Of course I can't say for sure that it was because of the food, but it was the only thing we both consumed that day. read more