Excellent food. The staff was very helpful and attentive! The Chef came to our table and made sure everything was OK. The gumbo was great!! The Cornbread was amazing! Reminds me of growing up in the 90s cornbread. 10/10 I Will definitely be back!!! BYOB was a plus!! read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Brisket Tacos - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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OK, so my family was in Texas so of course we had to make sure to get some delicious Tex-Mex southern BBQ while in town. I checked out Yelp and saw that Smoke was a short walk from the Hyatt we were staying at and that it was highly rated. Lets go on an adventure! The joint is located in a food hall which made choice selection a little more fun - everyone could find something from the vendors. We settled on a BBQ platter to sample bits and pieces of the menu. We tried the pulled pork, brisket, baked beans and mac and cheese. We also ordered the BBQ nachos with pulled pork. Everything was great - the sides were very much enjoyed. Well worth the walk and us venturing out to find this place. Great comfort food choice while visiting downtown Houston. read more

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I was really hoping that I would be writing a good review about a black owned barbecue spot but was extremely disappointed. I ordered the smoke through too good to go and was provided food heavily undercooked. I received pulled pork (I think) that did not look tasty or good whatsoever and a chicken thigh that was barely cooked and heavily seasoned. This was extremely underwhelming to the point that I couldn't even eat it or offer it to someone. Do NOT waste your money like I did read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Flavors, variety, quality 10000/10. Sausage and brisket are amazing!! Check this place out!!!

This place is located in the Finn Food Hall. We had the 2 meat combo, it was great. Plenty of food to share. Well seasoned and juicy. The sauces were very delicious as well. The best for me here was the Mac and cheese. I was full but could stop eating the Mac and cheese. The workers here take their food very seriously and it shows. The food hall is chill clean and a place for people to gather. read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - 2 Meats with 2 Sides Combo - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Service was kinda fast The baked potato was good just a little too sweet for my liking not sure what the topping was again I forgot but the potato was definitely big and can share for 2 people which I did read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - The front - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Respectfully, no! My coworker and I ran into the owner the first week of opening. I didn't feel like bbq then and didn't yesterday but since we said we'd try it out, we went in Finn Hall. This the second time FH has let me down. The first time I got raw chicken from The Craft. Both of y'all get somebody else to do it cause I can't. I got 2 meat / 2 sides $22 and barely ate half. Meats: brisket (dry and tiny chopped like in a sammich ) and the smoked wings (just overcooked and dry for no reason, that bird didn't deserve that fate). The recommended sides were spaghetti (too sweet for my taste) and mac & cheese which was the only thing kinda decent except for that green seasoning on top, I mean why? My coworker got some $16 potato and it came with bbq sauce already on it as well some Carolina gold type bbq sauce which she did not like. I'd recommend not saucing potatoes, serve on the side as most restaurants. Overall read more

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It's Memphis BBQ. This is something I had to keep telling myself as I consumed my food because my Texan expectations didn't always align with what was presented. I ordered the Memphis Nachos as they were recommended over the loaded fries by the staff. My initial reaction when I saw it was- ok this will be interesting. I've never had pickles with nachos. Also, in a city known for Mexican food, I was disappointed to be served what looks like standard food court tortilla chips (e.g. Tostitos) but I was hoping that the meat and other flavors would make it better. The cheese and crema overpowered most of the dish and I didn't get any discernible flavor from the chicken. At first glance I was concerned about the amount of protein in the serving, but because I didn't eat all the chips, I was able to have chicken with most every bite/chip. Smoke Dust Wings - If I recall correctly, Memphis is known for dry rub, so this was important when it came to the wings. I wanted to give the wings a fair tasting before trying them with any sauce. While there was certainly a lot of what appeared to be seasoning on there, I couldn't call out any spice or flavor -- therefore I added the sauces. The server gave me two to try because I wasn't certain about the 22K - here's where her recommendation hit home - the 22K is the way to go. I was on the fence because it was more mustard-based but it was definitely the more satisfying and complimentary to the chicken compared to the other BBQ flavor. I'm not a big bread eater so I didn't even taste the toast that accompanied the wings -nor the pickles that were provided because of sodium-intake restrictions. Strawberry Lemonade - This is a good sized portion of lemonade and I can see why this flavor was apparently more popular. It's sweet but fair warning, a few sips and it wipes out every other taste from the food. I appreciated how nice the staff were and that for a very small team they churned out orders as quickly as they could. read more

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The food itself; fantastic! Really great and friendly service by Chef Reginald! Had the smoked chicken salad and Chef offered me a free side of Mac with my meal! Would get again! read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Smoked Chicken Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Me and my partner came across this place looking for something close in the area. We didn't realize it was more cafeteria style, but that worked as it was causal. The favor was good on the meats. I loved the brisket. The chicken was okay, it felt like it was reheated a tad bit too much. The mac and cheese was creamy and tasty. The service was great. The staff gave recommendations and were patient with our questions. Now the lemonade.... bomb! Decent BBQ at a decent price. My favorite was the sausage, brisket and mustard bbq sauce. read more

Not sure how to rate this one. The website is a bit deceiving. Don't expect a down home southern BBQ restaurant. This place is in a food court and the prices are skyyyy high. I drive 30 minutes to get to it and was turned off as soon as I saw the place. I guess I should have scoped out the location. It's located downtown and you will have to pay for parking. In fairness I can't comment on the food. I was looking for Texas BBQ and saw this place and decided to pass and try the Mexican spot next to it. read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - The Mexican restaurant delivered. Great dish and very reasonable prices. - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

I was in Houston for a work conference and our hotel was next to Finn Hall. It was an impressive food court but we passed some folks who had food from The Smoke, saying we should definitely try the brisket, and I said well, while in Texas... I decided on a lighter fare and got the brisket with a side of Mac. The brisket was delicious. Juicy, tender and full of flavor. I don't have much to compare it by, but I liked it. The mac and cheese was okay. It came with pickles that were also really good. The brisket portion wasn't too big so if you're hungry, get a few sides. Or get two meat options. Staff were efficient and food came out quickly. You bus your own tables. It is a little loud and echo-y in the food court with all the other places preparing food and nothing to absorb noise. Seems like a place business people go during their lunch breaks and the rest people staying in surrounding hotels. Definitely recommend the smoke. read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Brisket with mac and cheese, pickles and toast. - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Best dam bbq I've had and I eat bbq 2-3 times a week. Chef Reginald knows his stuff and if you want the best you have to give this place a shot Brisket was super tender and perfectly smoked, fries were awesome and the spaghetti was crazy good! 10/10 highly recommend read more

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We stayed in the hotel across the street from Finn Hall and I really wanted some bbq. So when I looked it up I was excited it was near. As I stood in line, the girl next to me asked this guy is the food any good? And he said yes, I'm from Memphis lol When asked we did not know he was the owner. We asked him his favs/recs. He said the pulled pork was really good and one of his favorites. I asked how's the Mac and cheese...he said you mean smack and cheese lol I said ok let's do that. So I ordered the 2 meats/2 sides. I got pulled pork and brisket, with Mac and cheese and baked beans. He was 100% correct on the pulled pork. Mac and cheese was really smack and cheese. And I'm picky about that lol the brisket was also really tender and flavorful. Overall the food was really good. So if you're ever at Finn Hall, you should visit the nice and funny owner with the great food! read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Brisket Pulled Pork - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Probably the best smoked chicken I've ever had. This place is amazing guys. Go to Finn Hall in Houston and check this guy out. I'm going back for lunch again tomorrow read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Kevin and the crew at The Smoke serve an excellent barbecue sandwich with great service! Both their pork and brisket sandwiches were top notch, up there with many larger restaurants. The sauces were homemade recipes of the co-founder. Though the sandwiches were a little on the expensive side they were good values for the portion size. There was a lot more meat than on a lot of barbecue sandwichs. They were served with your choice of sauces including a traditional sweet barbecue sauce or a mustard-based North Carolina sauce along with homemade pickles or marinated cucumbers. Service was excellent, and when we accidentally ended up with two brisket sandwiches instead of a brisket and a pork Kevin had one of the security guards chase us down and give us a pork sandwich as well wanting to make sure we "got our pork sandwich". Food courts can be hit or miss but this one was excellent with a lot of options, clean restrooms, and a polite unobtrusive security guard presence to prevent any problems. Great job Kevin and crew! read more

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Tried their 2 meat plate with one side at the local farmers market. Wrong on so many levels. The "best damn everything"? More like the worst damn everything. First of all, I had to go back because they only gave us half of our order. Second of all, there was a hair in the food. Now for the food, boudain was dry as hell, burnt and lacked flavor. The beans container had a hole in it so it spilled all over the bag. The "brisket" didn't taste like brisket at all. It was not fall off the bone, lacked flavor and it tasted more like a chewy steak. It is beyond me how they stay in business at Finn Hall. Maybe they are serving leftovers at the market? For $37 you can go elsewhere for better boudain and brisket. For brisket or any type of BBQ, the Truth BBQ actually has the best damn everything. For boudain, go to Triple J Smokehouse. I do appreciate the energy they brought to the farmers market and my fiance and I did appreciate the free samples. The chef gave out some pretty good samples of rib but everything else was subpar. The samples brought us in but we ended up disappointed in the end. If you don't season your food when cooking, you might like it. read more

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This place is located in a food court. The food definitely did not disappoint! The smoked wings were amazing!! They cover it in smoke dust and give you some of bluff city and 22k gold sauce on the side. The brisket was good. They only had chopped brisket available, but it was still good. The Mac and cheese was some of the best I've had in a while!! It was so cheesy!! And they put their smoke dust on top. It was really good!! read more

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To begin with, I waited for more than 30mins for my order only for them to have write down my order again... I ordered the Memphis Nachos as shown in the picture below, it was not something worth waiting 30+ mins for with horrible customer service. Not sure where all the good reviews come from but this was dissapointing. If I could give them zero stars. I would. Do better. read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Memphis Nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Loaded fries with brisket Wings Pickles Boudin Peach lemonade Chef Reginald and team exude joy in the food & hospitality. read more

Great food and customer service! I've come twice and had the pleasure of receiving great service from both Chef Reginald and Chef Pete! I've enjoyed the Bluff City, the curry cabbage, smoke sausage, and the Mac and cheese. EVERYTHING was good! So happy to have Memphis styled bbq in Houston! read more

Really tasty and fast. The owner came out and talked to us. Got to try the smoke dust wings. Would definitely recommend. The brisket was heavy in the smoke and so good. Baked beans a bit wet but really tasty. read more

The baked beans were cool but this brisket not it. I paid 32 dollars for the plate and the meat didn't give smoked vibes at all. I was throughly dissatisfied. The meat def tasted like it was made in the oven And it came crumbled up. Lemonade was TOP TIER tho! Vibes were good and staff was friendly. Could be cause I'm from Texas but that couldn't have been the famous Memphis brisket that I've been waiting to try. Honestly 30 dollars for chopped beef(without sauce) when I ordered brisket is crazy work! read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Brisket 1 Meat with 1 Side Combo - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been hearing great things on instagram about this place and since I work downtown, been wanting to give this place a try. I went around lunch time of course and it was busy but not too much. The owner seemed a little off when I first walked up. He started playing music and finally started to talk to customers in line. He gave out some samples of his peach punch....it was nasty! I ordered the Memphis nachos with pulled pork ($13) and it wasn't worth the money. I don't mind supporting black owned businesses, but this wasn't what I expected. The pulled pork was good, but everything was not. My tortilla chips were soggy the moment I opened the container and took the first bite, and the cheese doesn't taste all that great either. I wasn't impressed to say the least. Would I try them again? Probably not. read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Memphis nachos with pulled pork - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Don't eat here food is wack the guy doesn't wear gloves I usually don't care but nasty ass downtown grabbing door handles and stuff. Maybe i had a bad experience cause he was about to pack up but whatever the case may be i was left very unhappy read more

I found "The Smoke" by using the Yelp app. Definitely worth the 1/2 mile walk from my hotel. The barbeque was Memphis barbeque and very, very good! I had brisket and one side (Mac & Cheese) and it was enough to satisfy a big guy (6-3, 250!). My order was ready in a couple of minutes! The Smoke is co-located with other food vendors and a small bar set up. It had a bit of a 'mall food-court' kinda feel, but a lot nicer ambiance. It seemed like a place where 20 to 40 year olds would hang out before hopping on the downtown trolley to head home (the trolley runs right past the location). I asked the security guard and I think the entire location is called the Finn Building, but I could be wrong about that. If you're in downtown Houston and looking for a quick and very tasty meal, I would recommend The Smoke. Five Stars! read more

Everything we tried was amazing. The 22k sauce went so good with the potato had to spin back for extra. Everybody taking my order was nice and helpful. The mac and cheese was different but I enjoyed it. The brisket sandwich was the best brisket sandwich I ever had there was no fat with the brisket and it was chopped amazingly read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Tried the Brisket Loving Texan Sandwich and Mac and Cheese and the baked potato with brisket. - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food , atmosphere, and Chef Reginald Scott were wonderful! He called me MS Delta my entire visit. His personality was only surpassed by his black eyed peas and smoked chicken! read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Smoked Chicken Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Worst BBQ in Texas. The Brisket was dry nasty and tasted like week old bad pot roast! The pork ribs had no flavor and the sauce was bland. The two ladies working did care about the food or service. read more

Holy Toledo! It's some of the best BBQ I've had in a while. We tried the brisket eggrolls (done to a crispy perfection), chopped brisket (just the right amount of fat), the ribs (nice texture), the jalapeño sausage (perfectly cooked and the mac n' cheese which was packed with flavor. The meats already had an amazing taste on their own, but there was an added seasoning on them (magic pixie BBQ dust?) That brought the flavor to another level. I'm going back again for sure! Thanks for the yummy BBQ! read more

Fiiiireee Just touched down in Houston and found this Black Owned business. It's the real deal. Great smoke taste Mac and Cheese like Grandmas Pulled Pork Sandwich has a ton of flavor read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Smokes BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Really great brisket. I had the sliced brisket and a side of spaghetti, and both were excellent. Other menu items I saw looked good, too. It's inside the Finn Hall food court. Cool place. read more

Dear people, I walked into this place originally going to Carol Kay Cafe and had a change of mind. I decided to order something at The Smoke. Soon as I walked to the counter a woman greeted me hyping the food up. She gave advice on what food to get and how good the brisket and mamas spaghetti was. So I decided to get 2 meats and 2 sides, the presentation was horrible. The food was just left on a tray with small cartons used for the sides. The food was a disappointment! It was cold , the spaghetti was dry and seasoned with hella Italian seasoning , the meat was chopped up in little tiny baby bites (not tender at all). The side toast was hard and covered with Italian seasoning. The wings were dry and tough. The only thing that was somewhat decent was the baked beans and the pickled onions and cucumbers (which also had a lot Italian seasoning on it). I met the owner, but we have to do better in holding people accountable. He can do way better than what he's giving us people. At least warm up the food. read more

This is easily the best barbecue experience I've had while I was visiting Houston. I ordered the brisket and it was cooked low and slow to perfection. Their service is outstanding and chef Reginald goes above and beyond to make sure every customer's order is perfect. read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - Brisket, house fries, house bbq sauce, 22k gold mustard - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Highly recommend eating here - Chef Reginald and his staff are the most courteous and helpful. We had the 1/4 ribs and smoked wings and they were the best I've had. I want to try the brisket but all the March Madness fans cleaned him out. I know it's just as good. read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - The 1/4 ribs and side of Mac n cheese so good - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Fast service in the food mall right off Main St in downtown. Got the 1 meat plate with brisket and Mac and cheese. Meat was average (fatty and lots of burnt small pieces. Saw someone else with the sausage and it looked awesome. Wish I had done that instead. Mac and cheese was very good. They didn't have any diet colas and no salt and pepper although the seasoning they put in the Mac was good. read more

Excellent customer service and food! We had the three meat and two sides. We orders chicken wings, moist brisket, and chicken boudin with some delicious mac & cheese and Moma's spaghetti (just your typical spaghetti, but still tasty). We will definitely be back! read more

The Smoke By Chef Reginald Scott - 3 Meat Combo - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Firstly I loved the collaborative atmosphere of several black businesses. The food was incredible. The service was Amazing. Friendly and engaging. I wish I could bring The Smoke and the Concept to San Diego. I had the wings with the 22K Gold Sauce (GET IT!!!!!!). Reginald 5Star+ CJ from San Diego read more

The customer service was great, and that's about it. I got a 2 meat plate with 2 sides. Brisket was dry and chopped to ground beef pieces. Smoked chicken was alright. Mac and cheese BLEHHHH, and cabbage gross. read more

I mean, it's not like I expected a food court BBQ spot to be in the top ten or anything like that. But, this? I love all kinds of BBQ, and Texas style is my favorite. There's lots of great BBQ in Texas. I'm more familiar with the Austin spots, but I know Houston's got great BBQ to offer too. "The Smoke" counter is not it. I ordered brisket with beans and slaw, and the brisket is literally the *worst* brisket I have ever had. Ever. It was chopped into little tiny quarter-inch cubes, more fat than meat, and even the fat somehow failed to be tender. This is *not* the Texas brisket I'm used to. The brisket came with a couple of sauces, both just so-so, and some soggy, thin, small toast (pretty much the opposite of Texas-sized). The beans were gooey, gloppy, and pasty with no real flavor except "sweet". I will say: the cole slaw was actually pretty good. Nice balance of sweet and sour, with a good peppery flavor. If only the rest of the meal had been up to that standard. Giving the shop the benefit of the doubt, maybe they have some other stuff that's okay. I didn't get to try the pork or other meats. And maybe I was there the day the head chef (do they even have a pitmaster?) had the day off or something. But personally, any place that wants to claim they are selling BBQ anywhere, never mind in Texas, has to do *way* better than the practically inedible pile of food-like particles masquerading as brisket here. Yuck! read more