The new Smokey Barrels has arrived on the Coventry Road bringing a bit of Americana to the south of Brum.
Smokey Barrels isn’t here to reproduce the many generic dining experiences you can get around the city. It’s here to shake things up… make a statement and do things differently. Diners can expect a Texan BBQ restaurant with a spicy twist.
Using a smoker imported directly from USA they also use real wood to create an authentic smoke flavour including hickory, cherry and whisky oak. Our own food lover Lilith Hunt-Sheppard went along to try the menu for herself.
As we arrived on Saturday night we were quite surprised as we stepped inside, the décor takes you straight to the heart of an American smokehouse. The large venue was bustling with all sorts if couple and groups as we were met and taken to our table.
The menu is quite extensive, if you were there with a family, there is something on the menu to suit a variety of tastes. From smokehouse to pizza and even a great array of curries and Asian food too. Heading straight for the drinks menu we order a Mojito and a beer and perused the food menu as they were being poured.
For starters we went for the Frickles (Cajun beer battered pickles) and the Cajun Prawn Skewers. The Frickles were amazing and a must for any pickle lover. The pickles were sharp and tangy and the batter crisp and worked well with the ranch dip. The Cajun prawn were juicy and tender with just enough kick with the extra hit of spicy sauce for anyone that like things hot.
For mains, were wanted to absorb the true smokehouse flavour so went for the Tennessee Low ‘N’ Slow Ribs with Louisiana Hot sauce and the Gunpowder Stack Burger. When it come to value for money Smokey Barrels really does deliver. The ribs were tender and fell from the bone came served with skin on fries, grilled corn and BBQ pit beans (which were delicious). As for the Gunpowder Stack, it’s a must for those who love spice. The double stack burger has lashings of toppings and plenty of Louisiana hot sauce. On both mains, the flavour of smoke runs through the meat and you taste it on every bite. The burger was cooked lovely and juicy, full of flavour with a spicy kick from the hot sauce.
Plates cleared and not sure there was much room in our stomachs for more, we were presented with the desserts. Having a sweet tooth, I always find desserts hard to resist and as a huge fan of pie, we went for the hot apple pie and ice cream and the chocolate brownie and cream. Both were tasty but hard to finish due to the copious amounts of food we had already eaten.
Smokey Barrels really did hit the note throughout, from the décor of the 120-seater restaurant to the open kitchen and the beautiful smell of the smoker filling the air. The food is great and certainly value for money. The drinks menu has plenty and it really was a very good Mojito.
It may be a little out of the way but is certainly worth the visit.
Smokey Barrels, 1741 Coventry Road. Birmingham B26 1DS
TO BOOK CALL: 0121 764 5519 FOLLOW THEM ON INSTAGRAM @SMOKEYBARRELSUK
