This independently owned barbecue joint has much to commend it. It is located in the cute town of Orange just off the main circle . There are two tables outside on a tiny patio and a multitude of tables inside. Our lunch visit didn't start off that great. The staff seemed overwhelmed and not that happy to see us, but we found out later it was because they had a rush of unexpected large parties with a small team. Once things calmed down, staff were more friendly. We shared the two meat combo. We chose brisket and ribs, and a very generous portion arrived on a paper lined quarter sheet pan. The brisket was fork-tender, and had just the right amount of smoky flavor. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone and delicious. Both meats benefited greatly from the delicious barbecue sauce on the table. One small note would be for them to consider a different kind of bottle for the sauce or maybe don't fill them so full. It makes a drippy mess when one pours the sauce. We ordered coleslaw, mac & cheese, and cornbread as sides. The coleslaw was first rate, fresh and crunchy with the right amount of acid to cut through the richness of the meat. The mac & cheese was comforting and creamy, made with a great choice of cheeses. The cornbread for me was too sweet. It was more like cake than cornbread (reminded me of Jiff cornbread mix) but that's a personal preference not necessarily a negative. The place offers an interesting, curated selection of beers and ales. I didn't try any because I didn't want to drink in the middle of the day, but definitely would be worth exploring. Parking is available on the street with the ParkMobile app. read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Small outdoor patio - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

I didn't know what to expect from this charming restaurant, until I went there with friends the other day. Lively atmosphere. There's ample parking, but can be a challenge during peak hours, and if you're not tech savvy it can get frustrating when you do find a parking spot. I admit, with all of the other Yelp reviews, I had mixed feelings about going to this bbq joint. Their menu was very expansive. I tried their bbq ribs, corn bread, and brisket. I wasn't disappointed, but it could be better. This place has potential, and the customer service certainly was a hit or miss. My ribs were a little bit dry, corn bread was a tiny muffin shape, and that was dry. The brisket was delicious, and that was a hit! Located in the Orange Circle, I loved the location. One of the very few "Mom and Pop" shops and restaurants in the area. Overall, my dining experience was so-so. This place is a one and done for me. Food and service are a 3.5. I'm being generous with my 4 Stars! Enough said.... read more

Visited for lunch and was told there would be about a 20-minute wait, which was fine since we were at the Circle and could walk around. However, while we were waiting, several tables became available, and we eventually ended up seating ourselves and asking if we could sit outside. It almost felt like they forgot to text us that our table was ready. To start, we ordered the avocado fries and deviled eggs. Both were decent, but neither stood out. The deviled eggs were a little sweeter than I personally prefer. My sister ordered the tacos and thought they were just okay. My husband got the three-meat combo and said the meats were good, but the portions felt a bit small. They were generous with the mac and cheese, though, and it was probably one of the best things we tried. I ordered the pork grilled cheese, which was tasty, but it's also hard to go wrong with a grilled cheese sandwich. Overall, the food was fine, but nothing really impressed us. The service is what ultimately brought the experience down. It took a long time to get seated and for our food to arrive. While we were eating outside, two women waited quite a while for the table next to us, even though it appeared to be available. There didn't seem to be much urgency from the staff, and they ended up standing awkwardly nearby while we ate. In the end, everything was just okay. Between the slow service and average food, I'm not sure I'd come back. read more

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We were so stuffed on our burnt ends and 420 Mac we had to take home our Ribs! Service was ok I waited forever for another Coke Zero which I never got until we were leaving she brought me one to go. It's a small place but very comfy cozy inside and very nice. There's a big bar area too. We can't wait to come back and try more items on the menu. read more

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My husband and I got the 3 meat combo for 38 dollars- you get a lot of meat. We got ribs, pork, and brisket with candied bacon and fries. It's a popular spot but has very yummy food. Great spot for family or friend dinners. read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Loved this place! The brisket was super yummy and paired really well with the habanero raz barbecue sauce. The service was good and they had lots of good looking drink options. The 3 meat combo was $38 and was a ton of food for 2 people. read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Oh, Smoqued...if you weren't smack dab in Old Town Orange I would've been to you sooner. (Because parking is challenging, especially for someone who can't parallel park). But my foodie friend chose you for our lunch today, so I ventured on over. Like most of the businesses in that area, Smoqued is not lacking in personality. The wood they use for the smoker is stacked right up front as you enter, letting you know right away that they're serious about their smoking game. The inside is pretty spacious and and outfitted with dark woods that make it feel casual and welcoming. Regarding parking, we discovered that there's an entrance in the back right by a public lot, so that will be an appreciated bit of info for future visits! We arrived right as they opened, so we were greeted and seated right away. Our server gave us a few extra minutes to peruse the menu and make our selections. There are SO many delicious sounding dishes, several return visits will be be necessary. But for today, I went with the 1/2 chicken with deviled eggs and the amazing mac & cheese for my sides. My friend chose the smoked brisket sandwich with BBQ beans for her side. My chicken was SO good! Tender, juicy, perfectly seasoned and that delectable smoky flavor bringing it all together deliciously. And there's a reason why it's called Amazing Mac & Cheese ~ because it definitely is! Same with the deviled eggs, which were topped with a piece of candied bacon. Can you say drool? Only thing that would take them over the top would be if the candied bacon were also mixed into the yolky filling. My friend LOVED her brisket sandwich and beans! We both have decided that Smoqued is now our favorite BBQ spot!! We're coming back soon, so more pics will definitely follow!! read more

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I came for a weeknight dinner. I ordered the BBQ chicken wrap ($18.00). The wrap comes with BBQ grilled chicken, fried garlic, pickled veggies, crisp greens + spicy aioli in a flour tortilla. Delish actually. If you're for something a little lighter, I highly suggest ordering the wrap. For one, it's stuffed with tons of greens and the BBQ chicken had so much flavor. The wrap is also very saucy, so you should eat it in one sitting otherwise the tortilla will get super soggy. For my side, I ordered the mac and cheese and received a whole skillet. The portion size was exciting, but the flavor was a little lacking. We also tried the smoqued pulled pork. ($19). The sandwich is comprised of smoked pork tossed in the house BBQ + topped with coleslaw. It was fine, but it was a little smaller in size. Everything was giving BBQ, but nothing was extraordinarily memorable. Fine for a weeknight dinner, but definitely not a destination. read more

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This place is exactly what I expected... nice interior, friendly service, and decent (but not great) BBQ. If you're craving S-tier brisket, this is not the place. It's certainly better than Lucille's (which is pretty bad) but it's nowhere near as good as Heritage or Badlands BBQ. Granted it's located right off the circle, which is a massive bonus. As for the food... Tater tots were good, but that's an easy side. Chili mac portion was massive and pretty good. The cornbread was so fragile that I tried to put butter on it and fell apart and became a pile of crumbs. I ate the second one without butter and it was fine but not great. This should be an easy fix. Overall, Smoqued is a fine restaurant, but I'm too spoiled by great BBQ to ever return here. It would be a great place to get together with friends for food and drinks. Other reviewers raved about the burnt ends -- maybe give those a try. read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Brisket with chili Mac and tots - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

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I know that it's the holidays and the crowds are endless. But man.. tonight was rough. However, Laura and Luna were hustling and doing a great job-they def need to be given a shout out by the owners/managers because they were the MVP of the night. We haven't been to Smoqued for years, but decided to stop by after another restaurant quoted a 2+ hour wait. By far the best thing was the baked potato-- ironically enough. It was fluffy, warm and the meat was perfect. We also got lots of ribs and all of them were fall of the bone tender. The mac and cheese is ultra gooey and delicious. Our least favorite thing was the cornbread as it was ultra dry and not in a good way, but with all the other stuff being so tasty we weren't upset about it. The restaurant is on the smaller side, so a bit problematic for larger groups but luckily we were able to be sat timely with 8 of us. I also wish there was one more TV so we could've caught the rest of the football game, but it was easy enough to get up and check out the score. read more

The food was good. Nice and smoky. I had the cheesesteak with seasoned fries, he had the breakfast burrito, and we had a burnt ends app. The bread for the cheesesteak wasn't great, but the meat and veggies were good. Hubz picked chicken in his burrito, and it had bones in it. He was grossed out by that, but overall happy. Only complaint was the service want stellar. I ordered my cheesesteak without onion/sub jalapeno. When I brought to her attention that there were onions everywhere - she made me prove it first. I don't like having to dig thru their error to confirm their error. Also, she took forever to come greet us or do anything else. She was kind, just not services at all. read more

Long overdue update. I've had chicken, tri tip, candy bacon and ribs since my last review. They sometimes do cooking classes. I've done the brisket, and twice for the turkey. Yesterday was the turkey class. Everyone gets their own turkey and prep it for the smoker. You take your turkey back to the kitchen and the smoking process. I'll pick my turkey Wednesday and take it home to reheat it. After the class you get a delicious lunch. Today was chicken, Brussel Sprouts and stuffing. Check for postings on future classes. This is a fun place to hang out, eat, and down a few cold ones. Everyone is super friendly. I recommend this place read more

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Just a little of a wait but was worth it. Food was DELICIOUS and service was exceptional. Price & portions were great too. Will definitely recommend this place. read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Combo plate - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

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The food was delicious. I really enjoyed the burnt ends and the steak. I felt like the portions were pretty large too. Between 5 people we ordered 2 combination platters and two appetizers which was more than enough. We stopped by on the way home from universal so it was a much needed meal after all the walking. The restaurant is located in a really cute town and the restaurant itself feels very barbeque-ey. The service was good, they had us wait for our seats for a moment but it wasn't too long on a Tuesday evening. read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

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This is a nice local BBQ place just off of the Orange Circle in, of course, Orange. Nothing fancy in what appears to me to be an older manufacturing building with brick walls, a bar with TV's and semi-dim lighting. The menu is limited but what my wife & I had was good. Unfortunately, there were no big beef ribs for me, so I had a sausage plate which I enjoyed. I also had a nice glass of dark beer. Service was OK with a very pleasant server. I recommend this for a nice casual lunch or dinner. read more

Food was delicious, especially the deviled eggs. Would definitely recommend and will be going back.

Food & Service-Excellent Happy to know they have N/A Beer. Always a Great Experience read more

Food was very good. The brisket and ribs were extremely tender and delicious. Chili Mac is definitely worth trying; the chili is a bit spicy and the macaroni + cheese cools it down nicely. Service was exceptional. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Decent beer selection. read more

Long overdue review as I've been here about five or six times. Love the ribs, the wings, the beans, the salad and cornbread. I really wish some of their sides were better but this is a great bbq spot in OC. The service is always great - it seems we alway get the same waitress each visit. I can't remember her name but she's always sweet and accommodating. The ambiance is quite lowkey, during peak hours it can get pretty loud but such a great place for a comforting lunch or dinner! read more

I have been an Irregular at Smoqued since it opened. The BBQ and Tap selection has always been solid but preferred chill n in my Biergarten instead. Over the last year, I was drawn in for their Brisket Baked Potato and their Haus Amber. I quickly noticed the New Vibe that has been created. Laura is engaging and has become intuitive to my tastes, Makayla (The G.M.) embraced me to join The Mug Club and Mathew, TCB! I recently took their Brisket klass. All that was included and the whole experience was really Kool. The Pitmaster Marc wasn't pretentious, but rather very approachable and a bit of a character. His theme that BBQ was 'Art Meat z Science' got me to think differently about cooking. Although Recipes and Techniques are a foundation Creativity and Experimentation is where the enjoyment lies. We started with about 20 strangers, but after the Klass (and a few Beers) we were a community. We had a chance to rub our own Brisket and put it in RUTH to be picked up Easter Sunday. Amazing! To the owner Mike Hernandez, you are a Rock Star. Thank You for putting this Vibe & Chemistry together & creating an Experience. Stoked on Smoqued! read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Dry Rubbing My Brisket n Liquid Marinating My Tongue! - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Got the brisket, took forever to arrive, tasted like old overcooked rubber, it was a struggle to get down, ate half of it and left. Service sucked as well, the bartender was walking away while taking my order expecting me I assume to talk really really fast. The location is convenient, but this isn't the spot, go literally anywhere else. read more

Awesome. Murray willis. Locksmith. A wonderful place and also his brewery next door!!!

Restaurant is located near Chapman college in the old section of City of Orange where you can find a lot of eateries and shops. Have eaten bbq in Texas, KC and Atlanta so I'm a little biased when judging bbq, but I felt that the food was quite good. Our favorites that you should try are the burnt ends and avocado fries. Their brisket and pull pork was decent but like I mentioned earlier, I'm a little biased when it comes to bbq. Their Mac and cheese was very good but their corn bread was a little dry. Service was great but unfortunately they sat us between two families with little ones. One family had really well behaved kids but the other one did not. It was very hard to enjoy your food and company when parents allowed their four year old to run back and forth on the bench seat, run into me a couple of times, and later kick me because he wanted to tumble on the seat and try to climb up the wall Hints: Restaurant is pretty small so I would recommend making reservations. There is only street parking so allow some time to find a space. read more

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I went to a different American BBQ restaurant where the service and food there were good, but it made me want to try other American BBQ restaurants. This restaurant came up after doing a little search on Yelp. I arrived around 12pm on a Friday and it was already a little bit busy for lunch service which was a good sign, but there was plenty of open tables and I was seated right away. Restaurant looked clean as well. I ordered Burnt Ends because it got raving reviews on Yelp. This was so good and I highly recommend! I also ordered Brisket Cheesesteak with a side of mac n cheese. These came out pretty good. Nice and hot. It took me awhile to finish the cheesesteak and when I finally got to my mac n cheese, it was still hot which was nice. There is street parking and a parking lot towards the back. I forgot that there was a lot in the back, but I got lucky that I found street parking near the front of the restaurant. I saw some other items on the menu that I want to try out, so I plan to come back in the future. read more

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Visited here for dinner and there was quite a good amount of people already dining! Parking situation is either the public lot behind the building or street parking around. We were seated immediately when we arrived, and service was pretty decent here as well. It wasn't too slow, but also wasn't too quick. We ordered the burnt ends, 420 Mac, and the jalapeno sausage by itself. The portions are also surprisingly pretty small here, only the 420 mac was decently sized; however, it was the most filling one! We all enjoyed teh burnt ends the most, very flavorful and the fatty parts of it was extremely flavorful as well. Literally melts in your mouth. The 420 Mac kinda felt too liquidy (probably because of all the juices from the meat). Although, I wish it was cheesier. The cornbread was also very crumbly, it falls apart to quickly. Also it does get kinda too soggy with all the ingredients in the 420 mac. We actually ordered a side of cornbread, but I think the waitress misheard and we ended up getting the candied bacon. We all didn't enjoy the candied bacon lol. We also ordered the devil eggs here, but it wasn't too special. The filling could be creamier, but just tasted like regular eggs. Although portions were pretty small, the 420 mac was at least pretty filling. It's quite heavy, but still feels overall a bit too greasy. The ambiance is quite nice here. It really sticks into theme and is a nice place for large gatherings. read more

Smoqued California BBQ - 420 Mac, Deviled Eggs, Burnt Ends, and Candied bacon - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

The service was good but what we ordered was not that good. My husband had smoked brisket sandwich with Cole slaw and it was just okay, what he said was it tasted dry. My grandson and I decided to try the smoked chicken tacos. They were three tacos with two large corn tortillas and sliced chicken with coleslaw on top that tasted like smoked seasoning but the chicken was not smoked. Let's just say we tried it and for us it's off the list. read more

My friend and I had lunch at Smoqued BBQ today for the first time. It is now our favorite bbq restaurant. Our server Destiny was great. She saw to our needs before even asking. She was friendly and very efficient. I had their smoked brisket sandwich and a side of their bbq beans. Both were awesome! My friend ordered their chicken with sides of Mac & cheese, and deviled eggs. She loved it all. She was kind enough to share one of the eggs with me and I snagged a bite of her Mac & cheese. They were excellent! We both look forward to returning to try other dishes. They do not disappoint! read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Smoked Brisket Sandwich with BBQ beans - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Love the food, not the bathroom. Taco Bell that's open till 3AM has better bathrooms read more

I've been here several times. This is a decent local bbq spot. Especially if you are looking for bbq after exploring the shops around the Orange circle. It's good bbq and great Mac and cheese. My favorite thing here is the Mac n cheese with added candied bacon. We had the deviled eggs with candied bacon, the Mac n' cheese, and the avocado poppers, a side of candied bacon, and a beisket sandwich with a 2 towns mango hard cider. Everything was delicious. It happened to be my birthday and the server brought me a fun treat. Cornbread covered in caramel sauce with vanilla ice cream on top. Soooo good! I would like to see them improve their offering by including trip tip as a main dish. Smoqued has a great casual atmosphere. It's close to the downtown circle center. The service was friendly and attentive. We were seated right away. It was a Wednesday early evening. So I can't attest to weekend business. Overall I would return with friends or family again. read more

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Just sat at the bar to enjoy some brisket and Mac n cheese.. The brisket was very cold, didn't taste very good, no actual flavor to the meat, no bark on it and what I was served was extremely fatty.. I felt like it was chuck roast or something else.. definitely not the same brisket I have had here time after time. Gave my plate back with more than half my dinner on it. Service was good, just not great food this time, a real bummer for a $50 dinner with 2 beers. read more

This spot is an Orange County gem. The food is so great and the staff is really friendly. The atmosphere is great to take a date or the family. It's a bar and dine in restaurant with very, very, very good food. They are known for their smoked brisket and Chicken. They even offers a Brisket smoking class for all these inspiring grill masters. They even offer a Brisket smoked class which I used as an opportunity to take a date (my wife). We had fun! read more

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This place is bomb af! Definitely will return the staff were amazing when we came in. on this day it was so hot! and we got served drinks very quickly! The menu is straightforward and you can't go wrong with anything. They also have special type beers on the left side board. Again we will return when we come back to Orange. read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

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First timers here and we will absolutely be back. Everything we had was delicious but the macaroni and cheese was the show stopper. Honestly it's the best I've ever had. The brisket sandwich was absolutely amazing as well. All the sides were so good! Service was amazing and attentive! Inside was cool and beautiful! Exposed beams and brick gave it a rustic feel. I can't wait to come back to this place! read more

Smoqued California BBQ - Amazing macaroni and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

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Sign at front says please wait to be seated. Staff member came to the front 3 times, looked at me 3 times, walked away 3 times without offering a seat, asking anything, etc. There's too many dining options in the circle to be ignored repeatedly and not just leave. read more

I'm always looking for good BBQ places close to home to try out and caught a reel about Smoqued BBQ recently and thought it would be a good place to try. I was looking for a place to try and pick up a couple good BBQ sandwiches so I called in my order. When I called in I was greeted with someone very pleasant and ready to take my order. She was very helpful and took my order then double checked to make sure she had it correct. Since this was our first time ordering from here, my wife and I played it safe and got their bbq brisket on a brioche bun along with a side of mashed potatoes and a brisket cheddar melt sandwich with a side of potato salad. I was told it would be ready to be picked up in around 15 minutes so I headed there right away, we're only about 15 minutes away anyway. I had called in my order around 4:30 so there was a little bit of traffic but still didn't take more than 15 minutes and once I got there, I was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant had a very comfortable vibe which made me feel comfortable right away. I was greeted promptly and told to head right to the bar for my pickup order. I sat down and felt like this was a place my wife and I would enjoy coming to regularly. I got my order and received a 10% discount for first time visitors from my bill, terrific! I was talking to a patron while I waited for my order and he gave me some other food recommendations to try. When I got home and we had our sandwiches, they were so good, along with the sides. The BBQ sauce was delicious and we look forward to getting out there to enjoy a dinner out at the restaurant soon. read more

First time here as we wanted to try a BBQ place. I must say this place did not disappoint. Portions were big or at least big enough for four of us. Brisket was tender, burnt ends were juicy and fatty, everything was super flavorful. We came on a Sunday so they were out of several menu items, so go earlier in the week. Service was excellent! Will definitely come back! read more

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If you're craving some delicious bbq, you need to stop by here! I brought my kids and they loved it. Especially the Burnt Ends. We also ordered the Candied Bacon, Deviled Eggs and tried the Fried Avocado-pretty darn good, all of it! read more

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we were drawn in by the smoke wafting out of the crack in the front double doors. And we were delighted beyond belief. I did not think California could smoke out this quality of barbecue and to find out that this smoker was Texas inspired, then it all made sense. I will even go so far as to say this, when you don't want to wait in line for Heritage Barbecue down in San Juan Capistrano, or when they sell out of meat, this place is worth coming to because they will have meats available all day and night. And if you're in this part of the OC or north, this place is a shorter commute for all that live closer to OC. and one more thing, they have indoor seating, and they have a dozen beers on tap. Laura was our excellent, warm & friendly, and beautiful server. Thanks for a great dining experience! read more

Smoqued California BBQ - receipt - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Walked in as a first time customer on a Saturday. It was very slow around noon. We sat down and ordered our iced tea and water and then placed our food order. Over an hour goes by and we still didn't receive our food. The server comes to inform us their WiFi was down but our food would be out shortly. About another 15 min goes by and we still don't have our food. Needless to say we got up and let them know we were leaving and didn't want the food. The people at a table that sat down about 20 min after us received their food. Wouldn't return. read more

We liked this place a lot and will return. The atmosphere is casual within reason. I wouldn't show up looking like a slob, though, first impressions being what they are. We ordered the fried pickles (always a must), the brisket plate with corn bread and deviled eggs as the chosen sides, and the mac -n- cheese shepherds pie. She enjoyed the mac -n- cheese but could finish only half of it. It's a lot of food no matter what entree you choose, so bring your appetite. The brisket was some of the best I've ever had. The place knows how to do brisket, that's for sure. I didn't care for the deviled eggs, though. I like deviled eggs, but their deviled eggs had too much going on in my opinion. I wouldn't order them again. The fried pickles come with a surprise. Not really, our server told us the round ball with the fried pickles was a fried pickled egg. It wasn't for me, but it might be for you. The service is excellent. Our server, Morgan, did a great job despite the place being hopping. We would happily sit in her station anytime. It's beer and wine only. They have a good selection of draft beers. My favorite wine is Makers Mark, so I can't speak to the wine. ;-) Pro tip 1: You will want to have a reservation if you are going on a Friday or a Saturday night. When we arrived for our 7:00 p.m. reservation, people without reservations were being quoted a wait of 45 minutes to an hour. Pro tip 2: If you have a reservation allow extra time to find a place to park. There is a lot going on in Old Town Orange, and parking can be a challenge. So why not five stars? The parking hassle factor. My pictures are better if you click on them. Cheers! read more

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