Smok’n and BBQ’n on AMI
Bradenton Beach, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: BBQ
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 2/5
Dined in September 2017
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Owner:
Andy Kubes
SMOQEHOUSE is a fast casual BBQ restaurant concept that has evolved over 20 years of time in the industry by masterminds Andy and Heidi Kubes in Faribault, MN. They featuring handcrafted sandwiches, salads, soups, and daily specials. Cooking is Andy’s passion and his journey started working as a dishwasher at a diner, followed by work at a local A&W Restaurant, an Applebee’s, then at a popular nightclub in Minneapolis where he learned about new craft cocktails. From this time working in supper-clubs, he was introduced to Sean Murphy who owns the fine dining restaurant Beach Bistro on Anna Maria Island, where he was offered work, and he and his wife moved down to Florida.
After six years they moved back to Minnesota, and over time learning how to smoke and cure meats. He entered a few BBQ competitions and from there opened their first restaurant without even having a menu of what to prepare. Construction began thanks to funds from a gofundme page they set up, opening a day after Valentines Day to large crowds offering a style of BBQ that locals did not have in the area making them an instant success. They were approached after a few months to open a second location in Northfield, MN, and after a brutal construction process opened exactly 13 months after the first restaurant opening on March 15.
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| Dining Room |
They decided to take a mini vacation when Heidi started looking online for rentals on Anna Maria Island, and saw an advertisement on the first page “Rare restaurant for rent on Anna Maria” so in April they flew down and signed another lease for the third Anna Maria Island, FL location which opened on July 31.
Menu:
- Sandwiches
- Sides
- Salad and Soup of the Day
- Kids
My wife and I were on a mini vacation to Anna Maria Island and were told by some of our friends that knew Andy to visit SMOQHOUSE while down there. We did a lot of restaurants hopping eating some great food and have cocktails. One thing to say about Anna Maria is that it is a little-kept secret for great restaurants, bars, and beaches.
The menu is written on a chalkboard near the ordering counter, with daily specials written on a rolled sheet of table paper attached to the wall next to the main board. The design is very unique and catchy with dark black walls and ceiling with designs of cows, chickens, and pigs. Along the wall is a bench with tables and regular chairs on the opposite side. The center of the restaurant has a long bistro style cocktail table for large parties. Once you order your food, you can dine in or take it to go.
We decided on one item from the daily specials and the other from the main menu, then split both sandwiches eating them to go, heading back to St Petersburg. The special was a smoked buffalo chicken on brioche with a bleu cheese slaw. The flavor had a lite smoke and to our tasting a mild-style spice which may have been tempered from the mayonnaise in the coleslaw.
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| smoked buffalo chicken |
The second item was the brisket burger, slow cooked with some smoked cheddar, caramelized onion, and a house made ‘Smoq’n Sauce.’
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| brisket burger |
Other items on their menu include a traditional Cubano with pulled pork, ham, Swiss, mustard, and pickles, the islander with smoked chicken, ham, grilled pineapple, pepper jack cheese, and teriyaki mayo. A pork loin with mustard slaw, bacon, and bourbon jam; jerk chicken with jicama slaw, pineapple jam, and jerk sauce; then a pulled pork with a cabbage-apple slaw. For the vegetarian, they have a sandwich with smoked summer squash, red peppers, goat cheese, vegan garlic aioli, mustard sauce, and micro greens. Want to go vegan, then omit the goat cheese and your good to go. Side items include hand-cut fries, poutine, house-made plantain chips, and a soup of the day which was a spicy black bean on the day of our visit.
So was the place smok’n or a complete burnout? I would have to go with almost smok’n as we were not too impressed with the buffalo chicken special, but everything else to include the ambiance, and friendly management made it a good experience.
Dessert:
No dessert menu
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy BBQ Articles and Restaurants:
Mojo Old City BBQ Vibrant Southern cuisine & BBQ in St. Augustine, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Bradenton Beach / Anna Maria restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Exploring the restaurant scene on this 7-mile long Gulf barrier island
Anna Maria Island Florida, USA
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A Chef driven Beach-style Bistro
Holmes Beach, Florida, USA
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Gourmet organic Taqueria street food
City of Anna Maria, Florida, USA
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Third-floor terrace seafood-centric New American dining
Bradenton Beach, Florida, USA
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Chef-driven seafood restaurant
City of Anna Maria, Florida, USA
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Global seafood with a comfort feel
City of Anna Maria, Florida, USA
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Florida style waterfront dining with Gulf-to-Table concepts
Bradenton Beach, Florida, USA
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A Few Florida Favorites:
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Old-school English-American Eatery
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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Music, food, and wine near pier 60
Clearwater / Beach, Florida USA
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The “Last Local Beach Club”
Panama City Beach, Florida, USA
|
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Homey seafood eatery in a 1903 cottage
Dunedin, Florida USA
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Exploring the restaurant scene on this 7-mile long Gulf barrier island
Anna Maria Island Florida, USA
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Relaxed hangout serving German Grub
Brandon, Florida USA
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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8.5
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6.5
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2
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Food quality
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9.5
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5.5
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4
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Plate presentation
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6.5
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3.5
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3
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Customer service
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1
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1
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0
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Alcohol and other beverages
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0
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0
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0
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Total regular points awarded
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25.5
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16.5
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9
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.647058823529412
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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2
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0392156862745098
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.706274509803922
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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1
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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2 of 5 Stars:
71% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
Far Above the Average Dining Experience
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Restaurant style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style:
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American, Barbecue
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wears flip-flops!
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Contemporary, Modern, Rustic, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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A Public lot or Street meter parking
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricy)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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Smoqehouse:
1701 Gulf Dr. North
Bradenton Beach, Florida
34217
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 941-242-5340
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Mon-Sat
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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High Rise Fine Global Dining, Highest Restaurant In The World
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
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Elegant Modern Australian with Molecular Gastronomic dining
Melbourne, Australia
|
Haute French Restaurant
Paris, France
|
Other Pictures:
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
