The Smoke Ring

Reviews 5

RY

Ryan

We were excited to try out Smoke Ring for brunch. On the website it says "Dontt forget about our Bottomless Mimosas & Specialty Bloody Marys!" (their typo, not mine for the word "dont") When we got there and reviewed the menu, it said only the Mimosas were bottomless. On the menu it also said the Bloody Marys came with either bakon vodka or pepper vodka. My friend got there before I did and had already placed her Bloody Mary order. I asked her what vodka she chose and she said that the server didnt ask her for her choice. When her drink got there I tasted to see if I was going to order one myself. Her drink was absolutely disgusting. I typically love Bloody Marys. I have had them many ways at many restaurants and up until yesterday, I never tasted a Bloody Mary I didnt like. Everyone tasted their drinks and EVERYONE thought they were gross! The 3 people that ordered the Bloody Marys told the server that they wanted something different. At that point, the owner/chef came to our table, (Jordan Wakefield, we didnt know that at the time) He was visibly irritated. He informed us that he had been making the Bloody Mary mix for 3 years and that he didnt want to take it off our bill. We explained that we didnt want him to take it off the bill, that we just wanted to let them know that it tasted bad and we wanted a different drink. He definitely didnt treat us like valuable customers. He removed the drinks from the table. Then, some of our party ordered the bottomless Mimosas. I have had countless bottomless mimosas at many brunch spots around ATL. These had hardly any champagne. They were so orange. The birthday girl had to send her meal back as well. Her eggs Benedict was overdone. Of course at this point, after the owner being irriated, the server was not going out of her way to be nice either. The rest of the table ordered drinks and we literally watched them sit on the bar for 15 minutes while the server was chatting with another employee. Food and drinks came SO SLOW. The place was NOT busy at all. When we got the bill, they took off 50% of the price of the Bloody Marys and they charged us 17% gratuity. I think it so tacky when a server does that. I used to be a server and another guest is currently a bar tender so we are good tippers. I always tip good, well over 20% even if the situation is bad because I know how it is in that industry. Pros: The BBQ sliders were delicious. The meat was perfect. The "white sauce" on the table was so freakin good! I put it on my sliders and dipped my fries in it. The gator tail was very good as well. Tip: try the BBQ sauces on the table before putting it on your food. The signature sauce is very smoky in flavor (sounds good, but trust me, it really isnt) IMO, this place does well because its in a great location in Castleberry and there isnt a lot around there. Its very convenient to the dome. However, if they dont change their attitude and service, they wont get any repeat business. I guess we should have seen it as a red flag when we read on the menu that they only take take stuff off the bill if its blatantly cooked incorrectly. It said that people have been abusing the system. Maybe they should look into WHY so many people are sending stuff back. Maybe its their recipes.

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KA

Katrina Wright

So we never really go out for BBQ because lets be real.. good BBQ is hard to find! Nonetheless we were in the mood so we decided to give this place a try.. BEST DECISION EVER!! We walked in and it was pretty empty.. like 4 other people empty but we were ok with that. The host came over and told us we could sit anywhere we like then directed us to the "VIP Booth" as he jokingly called it. As we sat down we figured egh, this is probably just going to be an "ok" dinner. Our waiter came and was very nice. We asked him what the most popular dishes are and he said the pulled pork, brisket, and wings on Sundays. So we decided on the pulled pork sandwich with mac and cheese, and the ribs with a side of Brussels and potato salad. We also did the deviled eggs as an appetizer. When the eggs came they were "ok" nothing to write home about but that was ok. Once we got our food our taste buds were dancing with joy!! Whoever came up with the idea of those brussels needs an award! The mac was good and Im very picky about mac & cheese but the ribs and the brisket sandwich omg so good that we cleaned our plates even after being full!! Needless to say we will definitely be returning to The Smoke Ring!

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MA

Marc Waddell

We went to The Smoke Ring on a ScoutMob deal which allowed me and my wife to get two drinks, one appetizer, two barbecue plates and one dessert. Oh my word! This is some good stuff. The place is a modern looking cabin décor with what appears to be reclaimed wood all over. Great ambiance and great service. We started with two ginger based cocktails, one was a Gingerita the other was The Mule. Both were greatly crafted and great tasting drinks. Next we got the fried okra which comes with a chipotle ranch sauce and they were great. After the appetizer we got our plates...my wife subbed a plate for a sandwich and got the Showstopper, pulled pork, bacon, pimento cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapeño jelly...mmmm.mmmm.mmmm good! Honestly one of the best sandwiches either of us have ever had. She got the mac and cheese as her side and it was good, but not BBQ1 mac and cheese. I got the half rack of baby backs and they were superb. Perfectly smoked, great crust and both the white and red BBQ sauces (both vinegar based) were incredible. I got the burnt endz bbq beans and without question, those are the best beans I have ever had. Great stuff....we will DEFINITELY be back here...

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VI

victoria webb

Ive gotten better BBQ from Texas gas stations. Ive eaten here twice - just for good measure. The first time I got the brisket, which might not have been bad if it hadnt been 75% fat. The second time I had the pulled pork which is REALLY hard to mess up but boy does this place do a job of it. Its not horrible BBQ but it isnt great by far. Not even good. The mac and cheese is strange to say the least and the baked beans were hardly baked beans at all. Seriously .. how are they made? I could only stomach two bites. I got the fried chicken tenders for my son which he ate happily, but then again he is three. I tried one and found them completely flavorless. Ive had some of the best BBQ the country has to offer - Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, you name it. Im partial to Texas-style, but I recognize good BBQ when I eat it. If youre looking for REALLY good BBQ in Atlanta, this isnt where to find it. Try Daddy Dz, Fox Bros, Fatt Matts .. I could go on all day, ive tried them all. But this is just EXTREMELY okay - especially for the money.

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SC

scott melton

I have been here 5 times over the last year and this time was no different than every time before. The food is very subpar. This time I got the ribs. They had a very good taste but there was no way to tear most of the meat off. The meat was stuck to the bone ( this was at 3 in the afternoon).The last time I ate here , I had the brisket and it tasted good also but tough as jerky. This was the same for all the previous trips. Pork - so dry it would pull the moisture out of your mouth and dont even get me started on the chicken. The reason for the second star is the macaroni because it is the best thing on the menu. So why did I go back so many times? As always I give a place a second or even third chance, and of course I got talked into going back because someone else wanted to try it out but today will be my last. Sorry guys I really wanted it to be good and to be fair each time I visited it was at different times of the day because I thought it would make a difference.

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