Delicious pulled pork BBQ sandwich, ribs, and fried chicken--everyone especially loved the mac and cheese! The restaurant is quaint and family-friendly, with a great atmosphere to eat, drink, and enjoy the smoky aroma. The manager was fun and welcoming. read more

Ordered to pick up since I was short on time. My order was ready as soon as I got there Tried the barbecue eggroll and wow... mashed potatoes, chicken, peppers, mac & cheese, with ranch. Nothing like it, and I'm already planning my next visit Fast service, great customer care, clean spot, and seriously unique flavors. Don't sleep on Taino Smokehouse Parking? Eh... a little messy, it's in a plaza but seriously, don't let that stop you. read more

See all

Delicious Great service Definitely get the homemade potato chips The desserts are enormous. read more

I had ordered the two meat platter from here before and it was okay. Brisket was dry, jalapeño slaw tasted like regular coleslaw, but the pork was good and it came with a ton of cornbread. After realizing there's like zero other barbecue places nearby, I ordered again. Brisket was a 10/10, and came with way more than I got last time. Potato salad was delicious. If not for the initial experience, I would rate 5 stars instead of 4. Fantastic. read more

I feel bad admitting this but this smokehouse is better than my dads cooking. This place is 100/10 when it comes to the taste of food. I haven't come here in the winter but I am sure the vibes are the same. The service is quick, attentive and helpful. They're always good at recommending things if you aren't sure what you want and I promise they never disappoint. As you can see my pup was accepted here and I loved that everyone was nice and quick with everything we asked for. It's been a couple times coming here and I will definitely be back. I'm not too big on smoked food but this place is elevated with taste! I promise! read more

See all

Comfort food at its best. The mac was delicious, and best of all, the service was fast. We prefer this place over the one in Meriden. read more

Taino Smokehouse - Taino Mac and Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

This place is located next to a hardware store with a frightening looking parking lot, but stop your judging right there, because this place is terrific!! Got the brisket platter - totally agree, the crust is a wee bit salty, but rest is top notch. Loved the collard greens and mac and cheese. The corn muffin is a tiny bit sweet, but really moist and tasty. A very reasonable price for a LOT of good food! read more

Taino Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

The portions on the menu were fair but not really great. We sat outside despite the rain. And the waitress was nice but she kept mixing up our order. In the end, I got the next table's bill and they got mine. I didn't realize until we were half an hour drive away. It would've been $15 less difference so whatever I let it go, but yea I mean it's my fault for not checking after the waitress brought out the wrong drink and mixed up My food order. Taste wise everything was good, basic bbq, no frills. You get what you order that's all. read more

Taino Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

The staff is very knowledgeable about BBQ. We had the best brisket and Mac n cheese . I will definitely go back!! read more

Who knew Connecticut did BBQ so well? Got a ton of takeout from Taino and it was great. Loved the brisket, the smoked chicken, the collard greens, and the heavenly mac and cheese. The coleslaw was standard. The egg rolls had a unique combination of flavors. I didn't try the ribs, but my husband loved them. One thing that disappointed would be the arugula salad, as it's just a pile of arugula and nothing else. I do wish there was some actual Taino culture or flavors injected into the food! That's what I was excited about upon hearing the name of the restaurant. Regardless, it's nice to have an ace American BBQ restaurant in the area. read more

Taino is fantastic! I've been a few times and keep going back to the Brisket Ciabatta that comes with homemade chips, arugula and a horseradish cream sauce. The brisket is tender and flavorful and just the right amount of fat and juice. Their wings have great flavor and a nice crisp to them. The team is super accommodating but since it's a BBQ joint, most foods are cooked ahead and therefore are limited in allergy options. read more

Taino Smokehouse - Brisket Ciabatta - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

You also have a delicious smoked chicken breast salad that my partner said was the best she ever had. Nice to go there in the summertime and sit outside and they're comfortable booths read more

Best BBQ in ct ! This smokehouse is an awesome place to eat! Or pick up food to go like I usually do. Staff are friendly too. My favorite meal is the St. Louis ribs with the garlic mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese. The pulled pork is also amazing! I can't forget the corn bread it's delicious they have a secret cinnamon butter they put on top of it and it's so good! Food is Definitely worth the price! read more

Taino Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

See all

The Brisket was the best I ever tasted in spite of the bark being salty. I didn't dine in so didn't get to benefit from the service but always admire the Native American pictures inside the restaurant read more

BEST smokehouse food I have had in a long time! Portions are HUGE enough for seconds, and delectability at its finest! Everything is amazing, however order or dine early so there are options for meats! read more

You would never expect this dive to be so good! Around the corner from a hardware store you will find some amazing bbq. The sauce is outstanding, the meats ... (no words) and the sides were perfect. FYI - The mac and cheese here is unlike anything I've ever tasted before. Our little was obsessed... but so were we!!! Definitely coming back. read more

Chicken was the best of all the meats and the Mac and cheese was delicious. Seemed very expensive for what we got and the other meats weren't great. Potato salad was an odd texture but the max and cheese made up for it. read more

5 of 5 everytime. Between the service, ambiance of the place and the food. It's perfect. We've been coming here for years now, and while they set me on the "bbq it's life" path- nothing holds a candle. The meat is always perfect. The sauces are smoky and flavorful and never too salty or acidic. I love heat but a lot of bbq places think vinegar in the bbq or hot sauce is the way to make an impact- but Tainos does it perfect. The Mac and cheese could be a little more cheesy but that's my personal preference. Everything else is just great. read more

Excellent all around! We had a bunch of different options and everything was delish. Very small inside but I hear they have a nice patio in the summer months. Staff was very helpful and nice so A++ for service. The wings were huge and so tasty - nice smoky flavor but still juicy. All around winner. The Mac and cheese is so creamy and cheesy I wanted a huge plate of just that! Don't hesitate to try this joint!! read more

See all

We came to the Middletown location. It was small in the inside but nice and cute. Service was really great. Our waiter answered all the questions we had and he was very kind. Food came out quickly as well and we ate everything. The brisket sandwich was so good with the arugula and horseradish combo. It was to die for. Their brisket was juicy and cooked perfectly. The fries were crispy and the mac & cheese was creamy and delicious. We would like to try the Meriden location next! read more

See all

Went on a Wednesday night and ordered an appetizer, 2 drinks and 2 burgers. Portions are generous. Nice music playing on the tv. Quick service and lovely people. read more

Finally made it here after trying Taino prime a few times. Wait was 35 mins which I didn't get cause there were 3 open tables but that was fine. There are these little flies that are everywhere but my 2 yr old son entertained himself by trying to swat them. Finally seated and our waitress is very friendly. The picnic style tables were nice and lacquered so no roughness. Drinks brought quickly and food placed. An app and 2 meals and a kids meal. Waited quite a while for that app (cheese fries) and once we got them wasn't really impressed. However once our meals came we were all very happy! Food was delicious and that 2 meat combo (which was 35 bucks) is definitely more than enough for 2 people. A special shout-out to the homemade ranch that came with the chicken bites. I am not a big ranch fan but I was dipping everything into it! And their corn bread also very good! Would definitely go back for the food and our server read more

See all

The fatty brisket was amazing and the patio was adorable. We stopped here after a hike nearby. My boys loved the brisket sandwiches with house made chips. I traded some of my Mac & cheese for the chips, which were so thin and crispy! The staff was great and we enjoyed talking to Diana the GM and chef. Well done! read more

Excellent Suggest everything We had brisket pulled chicken and pulled pork S Recommend collard greens , Mac cheese, baked beans Good for family or date night read more

Taino Smokehouse - Great out door seating - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

On a beautiful sunny day sitting in the dappled sunlight under a vine covered pergola, I had the best BBQ around. I had the Brisket sandwich of thinly sliced smoked beef with kosher salt and cracked pepper on a brioche roll. What would make this meal better...a side of apple/jalapeño coleslaw and the very best sweet potato fries. What would make this meal even better...a just-out-of-the-oven Blueberry/Peach Cobbler. What a meal, what a day with great service, perfect weather and eating near home! read more

Taino Smokehouse - Blueberry/Peach Cobbler - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

See all

Love the outside setting, you get to sulk in the smell of all the smokers. It has to be nice out to go because the indoor seating is cramped. Chicken bites are the bomb with the alabama sauce. The smoked chicken was ok, nothing to write home about. read more

Taino Smokehouse - Boneless Chicken Bites - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Unassuming place in a small shopping center with Ace Hardware. Would not have even noticed it if I was not specifically looking for it. The front door is for take out but if you walk to the side of the building there is outdoor table service. There's a row of picnic tables with pergola covered with leaves which makes it shaded. There's also some umbrella covered tables. It is quite unique and very pretty. Service was friendly. I had the pulled pork sandwich that came with house made chips and pickle. Sandwich was very tasty as well as the chips. Pickle was just ok. Glad I found this place and it's nice to have an option that is not on busy Main Street. read more

Taino Smokehouse - Pulled pork - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

See all

Love this place! Always really good food and service. We normally get the brisket but we've had the pulled pork and chicken too and all have been delicious. We visit and support this local place every time we are in town read more

Amazing BBQ find in Middlesex County. Very small place, but don't let that fool you. Just about 6 tables or so inside. It's right on Main Street, but it is not in the downtown area of Main Street. It's down the road a road a mile or two from all the walkable area of Main Street. Even though it's on Main Street, it's on the opposite side of the Parking lot. It's best to go from Farm Hill Road, as then when you pull into the parking lot, the restaurant is right there. (It's in the same plaza as a Ace hardware) We were greatly warmly and advise to grab a seat. Prior to coming in, we were looking their menu and were both intrigued by the "bacon pops." We got an order of the Apple Chutney bacon pops as an appetizer and it came out and was amazing! Perfectly cooked bacon and it was accompanied by a tasty dipping sauce. For our entrees, my husband opted for the smokehouse burger. (It has cheddar cheese, onion strings, BBQ sauce) with a side of Texas Chili. As it's Texas chili, there were no beans. It was topped with guacamole which we aren't huge fans of. He did like the chili itself though, without the guac. (We always prefer the Texas style w/ no beans!) I decided on a pulled chicken sandwich w/ a side of seasoned fries. This sandwich was massive. So much chicken and BBQ sauce. It was messy but worth it. The fries were amazing. We both got corn bread. Now, typically I am not a fan of corn bread. I can count on one hand the corn breads I have liked. This corn bread was unbelievably amazing. I would literally just come here for the corn bread itself and I live 30-40 mins away. They bake it a muffin tin and top it w/ a honey butter. As the corn bread was epic, we each had to take one to go. Our server was great. I forget his name, but very friendly and answered any questions that we had. If you are looking for a good restaurant in Middletown w/o all the commotion of the downtown area, I highly recommend checking out Taino! read more

See all

This is my 2nd visit, I ordered the brisket sandwich both times. When I first heard of this place I thought it was a Puerto Rican restaurant but it's a traditional American BBQ/smokehouse. The portions are huge! read more

Taino Smokehouse - Brisket Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Flip a coin, that's what you'll get. Some days the food is delicious, other days not so much. We order to go once every few months and the quality and quantity continues to get worse and worse. Three measly fatty strips of brisket with 2 minuscule sides for $23. We've also had 4 orders in a row with zero BBQ sauce on the side. Who doesn't want to dip brisket or smoked food in BBQ sauce and absolutely no, I should not have to ask you for it. This is especially when you're ordering numerous brisket meals. Dining in- service has always been great and ambiance is always fantastic. Wait staff always top notch. No complaints. We are always suckers to support local restaurants and local BBQ but I think this is the last straw for a while. They know what they need to do to improve, it's up to them if they want to continue cutting corners or actually want to satisfy customers. read more

Believe it or not we prefer this smaller casual place over Taino Smokehouse Prime. Food comes out hot and we enjoy the staffs friendly demeanor read more

The food and the service was excellent!! Definitely going back soon. The brisket was perfect.

Taino is one of my favorite restaurants in CT and is just outside my normal restaurant radius. They're great at numerous things and I have a difficult time choosing food when I make it there. In the tradition of great BBQ, sometimes great food comes from an unusual location. Taino shares a wide building with it's neighbor - a hardware store. In warmer times, Taino has an awesome outside seating section behind the restaurant. It's almost that time of year, but tonight, we were lucky to grab one of the three outside picnic tables in the front for an early dinner. The service was friendly tonight, but I'm not going to comment on the mechanics of how it worked because it seems a bit different than it was before Covid and I assume it will eventually change back. Some of my favorite things to order at Taino include the amazing smoked corned beef sandwich, Mac and Cheese, chicken bites, fried shrimp, brisket and chicken wings. Tonight, we ordered chicken wings. If there is a CT chicken wing trail, Taino's wings should be on it. They're marinated, smoked and deep-fried to give the wings the best of all worlds - deep flavor and crispy exterior. I like the Alabama sauce, which is kind of a spicy BBQ. They have other flavors. We also ordered the Mac and Cheese. I'm not married to a particular Mac and Cheese style. This one is smooth and creamy, with a hint of Southwest flavor. If you love baked Mac with four stretchy cheeses and breadcrumbs, etc., so do I, but Taino's Mac and Cheese is not that. I love Taino's Mac too. And you can't go wrong with thin fried onion straws and thick bites of smoked bacon. My wife's boneless fried chicken was delicious. Crispy on the outside, great texture inside and very good flavor. The mashed potatoes had surprisingly course texture, but had great flavor. I guess I've never had the corn bread before, because my wife let me have a bite and it was crazy delicious. Can't forget that kind of flavor. The one miss for me was the chili. The smoked meat was great, but the seasoning was a bit unbalanced for my tastes. If you've never been to Taino, I recommend you find a warm day when the outside patio is open and check it out with some friends or family. read more

See all

I have visited Taino a couple of times more recently and it's definitely worth 4 stars. The sides (excluding the fries you get with sandwiches which are a lot) are still on the smaller side but very tasty. On my latest visit, I got the brisket with two sides, sautéed vegetables and baked beans. I also added cornbread. The brisket was so tender and flavorful. I love how you can taste a slight smoky flavor but it's not overpowering. Some of the best baked beans I've tasted and the cornbread was really good as well. I'm excited to come back and try more of the menu over time. read more

Taino Smokehouse - So hungry, I couldn't wait to dig into this brisket sando - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

See all

Definitely a unique place for BBQ. I had the corned beef and my boyfriend had the brisket. We both enjoyed our meals. The cornbread and the butter it came with was a perfect side. My boyfriend enjoyed the mac & cheese, but it had a little kick that I wasn't expecting, so I didn't love it. Overall, it was a good meal. I wouldn't rush back, but it's a nice option to have in the area. read more

Taino Smokehouse - Smoked Corned Beef Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Riley was an awesome host, very personable, and knowledgeable about everything Taino. There is a small inside seating area, which is intimate and cozy, like a great gathering place for friends. In the summer they have a great outdoor dining area that is beautiful. The food is always good, my boyfriend had his usual half chicken with chips and fries. The chicken was moist and flavorful, well balanced seasoning on the chicken. I would have given this review 5 stars but my brisket could have been served warmer, as is seemed a little on the chilly side and it was drowned in BBQ Sauce, so much that I could barely taste the Brisket. I am not one for spicy/hot sauces and to me this sauce was just too much, hence the reason for why I couldn't taste the brisket. Next time I will ask for the BBQ sauce on the side. After I scraped most of the BBQ sauce off, the outside of the brisket had a good char of seasoning with a hint of pepper and the perfect amount of salt, very well balanced. The collard greens are the best collards I have ever had, the flavor is out of the world, with the subtle flavor of salt pork pieces and the wholesome buttery smooth flavor of the collards. This is a must have side for anyone who loves vegetables. The baked beans were flavorful and there was a hint of flavor I just couldn't put my finger on, but made these beans unique and not like just any old beans they had zing. read more

See all

Food and servers are overall good! Wish their menu had a few more options but other than that, I'm a returning customer.

Went here with my mom and we absolutely loved it. We ordered the two meat platter and it was very generous. The brisket was just outstanding, so flavorful, tender, and juicy. The ribs were also delicious, falling off the bine and melt in your mouth good. I am not usually a fan of baked beans, but my mom ordered them and they were tasty and good. The mashed potatoes were delicious, corn bread was tasty and not dry. Cozy pleasant atmosphere and friendly service. Can't wait to return! read more

Taino Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

We had gone to another restaurant which ended up being a bust, and came to Taino instead, and boy were we glad we did! The quality of food was excellent, and the service was attentive; we mentioned that the front area was cold, and they right away turned the heat on! I was talking about my brisket sandwich for days. read more