Glasgow – Just like most of you that travel Route 40, we’ve been wanting to stop by Smoke’s Smoke House BBQ for years. Driving by the first thing you notice is the long line and then comes the smell.
Happily, that smell can stay in the car for miles. One day we’ll stop, is what we always say, but then we forget as life gets busy. So this morning when we got word of a new BBQ joint opening up just down the street from them we now had a legitimate reason to stop by, work of course.
Yep, we headed down to the new place, a chain BBQ restaurant named Dickey’s, to see what they had to offer. We were too early. Looks like they’re opening sometime in October. So it was onto Smoke’s to do more “research”.
When we arrived at Smoke’s we were met by a man with a big smile on his face, a man who coincidentally is named Smoke, well that’s his last name. When we asked if he was open, Scott Smoke said not just yet, we open at 12:00. Busily finishing up his store’s opening rituals, Smoke said: “everything comes together right at 12”.
We were there at around 10:00 am so we had some time to kill. Smoke was nice enough to take a few minutes to show us around his place and tell us his story.
Smoke said that over the years he was always cooking for family and friends who encouraged him to open a restaurant. About five years ago he outfitted a trailer with all of the tools he would need to serve great BBQ. He set up in a location where you can’t miss him and he was off to the races.
For several years Smoke was serving up great BBQ, putting smiles on faces, and building a loyal following. He was making plans to upgrade equipment and expand his business.
This is 1/2 of the Brisket Sandwich, 1/2 of the Baked Beans and 1/2 of the Mac and Cheese that we ordered
Then in September of last year Smoke lost everything in a fire that destroyed his location. He was serving food to customers when he lost power and looked out back. The building was on fire and he had to escape through the service window, with the help of his customers. While the fire was a huge setback for Smoke, he was determined to rebuild. Having only liability insurance, rebuilding was difficult, said Smoke.
With his savings, the help of his friends, family and even customers who organized a gofundme page, Smoke found a new trailer and was able to reopen in December, of that year. Smoke said that customers are very loyal, most of them coming back very quickly once he reopened.
In recent weeks, Smoke said that his customers have been asking him about the new BBQ place opening down the street. He said that he tells them he’s not worried. He’s confident that his pricing and food quality will keep his loyal customers returning even after the new place opens up.
“I hand pick each piece of meat that I serve my customer”, said Smoke. “They’re a corporate franchise”, he added.
Smoke’s Menu
Smoke said he cooks his meat overnight and applies the finishing touches in the morning. Preparing just enough product for that day, Smoke doesn’t have much waste which saves him a bundle. Unlike other restaurants, Smoke said he doesn’t serve refrigerated leftover meat the next day. “Everything is fresh from the smoker when it’s gone, it’s gone”, said Smoke.
His place is closed on Monday and Tuesdays. Open Wednesday through Sunday you’ll find Scott at Smoke’s from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm or until the meat runs out, “whichever comes first”.
By the way, our “research” (brisket sandwich) was the size of a human head and probably the best BBQ we’ve had in Delaware.
Passing by Smoke’s is no longer an option. Great food at great prices, who knew?
