NOLA Smokehouse

The best. Tragedy that it closed. I’m mourning it. Hoping they’ve opened up somewhere else.

The absolute best BBQ in Nola!!! The Burnt Ends are amazing! Hell everything is amazing! If u want BBQ in the Nola this is the only place to go!!!

Came for Saturday lunch with my fiancé. I got a 3 meat plate with burnt ends, ribs, and sausage and corn pudding and baked beans for the sides. The means were all really deliciously smokey and moist. They definitely don’t skimp on the portions. One of the ribs was a little tough, but otherwise very good. The sides were also really good. The baked beans were some of the best I’ve ever had at a BBQ joint.

BBQ Euphoria… amazing. get the burnt ends… get the burnt ends and then take an order to go. The rub has brown sugar that caramelised on the phatty piece of carnivorous meat. Get there early as the hours listed are 2pm or until then run out which seems to be around 12:30 if you’re lucky. The cornbread is incredible well its more of a corn mash. About 20 bucks for two meats, 2 sides, and a coke. This one is added to the must have nola eats.

By far, the best bbq place I have eaten in New Orleans. I do like the Joint, by water vibe. However, the selection of meats here are all juicy and tender. I can’t tell you how many times I have eaten bad, dry brisket. Love the smoke rings and the way the brisket breaks apart here. I love, love, love the corn spoon bread. This place gets really pack but I was lucky today. I came around 1 pm and there were still the full assortment.

I’ve been here 4 times in the last 4 months. My visits would be more frequent if they had more hours but I’m not complaining at all! Chef Rob is all about quality and I definitely support this local business. I always get the brisket sandwich and boudin. The meat is smoked to heavenly perfection, which I am so grateful for. They open at 11am until they sell out and they’ve been selling out pretty often. Today I got there around 10:30 and was the 3^rd party in line. If there’s a line outside you know it’s real.
Chef Rob is the man. Follow them on Instagram for updates and they also update their website daily for daily menus.

This is the top BBQ that I’ve EVER eaten…& they close up when sell out… about 2:00 daily! TRY THE BURNT ENDS!!! OMG

I’ve been waiting to try NOLA Smokehouse as part of a quest to find the best BBQ in New Orleans. Since this place has been getting good reviews, I wanted to give it a try. Arrived about 11:30 because of crowd concerns and food shortages. No problem there as I was among only two or three tables eating it.
There is no sign guiding diners but the red building was easy enough to find.
Menu selections are somewhat limited and 5 meats were offered: Brisket, Burnt Ends, Ribs, Pulled Pork or Smoked Sausage.
I opted for Two meat combo plate and
Chose Brisket and Burnt Ends. Sides chosen were the Corn Spoon Bread and BBQ beans at $ 18
Service was very prompt and was served on plastic plate with plastic forks and knives. Don’t come here if you want silverware and china.
There were several options for the brisket: with or without the fat cap. I chose «medium» fat cap and three or four VERY tender slices of moist brisket was in the plate. The excellent rub created a wonderful bark on the brisket and I tried some bites with the fat and some without. The bites with the fat were extremely tasty and it definitely added flavor.
I didn’t know quite what to expect with the burnt ends and I haven’t seen that option at any other BBQ spot. They were tender and bite sized with the same bark as the brisket.
Three sauces were on the table labelled «Vinegar», «Spicy», and «Sweet». I used the sweet and enjoyed it.
Side order of beans were nothing out of the ordinary, leading to the 4 star review rather than 5. Corn Spoon Bread was very good and is similar to Voo-​Doo version of the same dish.
Will definitely go back to try the ribs and pulled pork

Up until recently, if my mom wasn’t playing grill master, then I wasn’t eating bbq. Simple as that. But then a week or so ago, some coworkers of mine started raving about this burnt end sandwich. They were so very impressed…
And rightfully so!
The pulled pork? Delicious.
The brisket? Amazing.
The burnt ends? Let’s talk about it.
I really like brisket. I didn’t know how much until I had the burnt ends. Omagosh.
And their spicy sauce is tasty. Everything I’ve had here is good, including the stuff I didn’t think I’d like (corn spoonbread). For the record, I’m not in love with it but it wasn’t terrible.
Really good Mac and cheese. Nice slaw, too.
Support. Whole hearted support.

Behold: I have seen what is past the pearly gates, and it is the NOLA smokehouse. Quite possibly the best restaurant in NOLA; even the most expensive fru-​fru spots could learn a thing or two about how to prepare meat from this little spot.
I really should have paid more attention to the sides I had, but one’s concentration clouds over when one is in food nirvana and I can hopefully be forgiven for saying only that I had a lot of meat and some tasty sides.
As others have mentioned, the décor is not really a factor because when you’re here, you’re concentrating on the food in front of you.
NOLA Smokehouse. Stop wondering whether you should come here and just do it.

Outstanding! My husband and I got the platter so that we could try a little bit of everything. Well, it was a lot of everything! This platter had much bigger portions than the platter at McClure’s on Magazine. The brisket was by far the best in town! Everything was moist, smoky, and just delish! The sides were also good. Be sure to try the burnt tips. We will be back!

Not sure if we came on an off day or what.
Not reviewing the décor because there isn’t much but if a bbq place is good enough, you are just staring at the food.
The pulled pork had huge chunks of jellied fat all through it. The burned tips had huge fat chunks through it.
The predominate flavor was of salt and liquid smoke (I am not saying they use liquid smoke, just that the flavor and later, the urps, gave that bitter impression).
The bread was a bit old. Hard and chewy. I know it was Leidenheimer but it seemed like old bread.
The spicy sauce wasn’t.
The vinegar sauce was ok at best.
The corn spoon bread was ok but a little wet. No biggie either way. Just nothing we’d ever want again.
The crawfish potatoes were horrible. They had a black anise ending flavor that really turned me off. Kind of like when people use straight crawfish boil flavor and don’t doctor it up with love.
At 3 bucks per side (2 golf ball sized potato or two scoops of corn pudding) it just didn’t feel like a value. 2 people, 2 sandwiches and the sides and a bottled water. was 30 bucks.
Couldn’t just get tap water or unsweetened tea.
We ended up tossing out the hardest parts of each sandwich and my potatoes and half her corn pudding. Just not appetizing.
I’d give them 3 stars but as I’m mentioned in other reviews, I really don’t like places where you have to counter order, then get all your own stuff.
That’s called a cafeteria and I’m just not a fan of those. So no matter if I liked the place or not, that always gets a point off. Just personal preference.
I’m really just hoping we came at a bad time. Sometimes, things just don’t go perfect. We still had a pretty good day walking Magazine Street so it wasn’t so bad it ruined our whole day.
I wish them luck. It seems from the other reviews that they usually do a pretty good job. But it’s been several hours and I’m still urping up what tastes like liquid smoke.

Super friendly women at the counter. Restaurant is simple: folding table and an ipad as the register with the chef and his kitchen «open concept».
Prices are fair, food was decent. I like that they asked if I wanted lean or fatty brisket, although what I got was in the middle, I’d hate to see what fatty is… Don’t come here for the sides. The potato salad was too salty and rich (butter?) to eat. Literally didnt eat 2 containers of it. The coleslaw was as good as a bag of dole’s from the grocery — basic. The meats were ok. The ribs were huge but mostly fat. Pork, smokey but needed some BBQ sauce to moisten it up.
I wouldnt say its the best BBQ I’ve eaten…

I now have two favorite BBQ places in Nola… and yep… this is one of them.
After seeing two friends constantly barrage this place with visits and a recent group eat (UYE) I had enough and decided to finally visit. I wasnt worried about not enjoying it. If I had any worries, they were immediately dashed when I stepped foot inside and saw what was on others plates. Oh boy!!!
I opted for the regular brisket sandwich and a side of corn spoonbread. I chose wisely.
I had my order to go because I snuck away on a whim. By the time I was making the Tchoupituolas onramp back to the westbank, I was swerving and tearing up the brisket. First bite was awesome. Then I dipped into the spicy sauce. Oh wow! That was just a meat bite. Next I went for the whole sandwich bite. Wow! That bread was wonderful! Just enough crispness. I dont know any of the back story on the bread, but I am sure its a pedigree story. By the time I was getting off on the Manhattan exit I was halfway done with the sandwich. At the red light I finally hit the spoonbread. Brah! Ok, that is similar to that corn yellow scoop of side that was available at Chevy’s fresh mex. If you had that, that is what this is. Yummy! It is definitely my favorite way to eat corn.
By the time I got near Boomtown Casino it was all gone. Barely any spilled on me. Probably because I was in Dyson mode sucking it back. Not my usual Cookie Monster mode of sloppiness.
It was only one visit and I am writting this review but that was enough to know that as far as the East Bank of Nola… this is THE place for BBQ.
Pro tip… get here at 11. The line started forming at 1130. Also you can see two Unilocal Elites in the corner and get an autograph.

FAVORITE NEW RESTAURANT OF 2014
Last year I started a quest to find the best BBQ in this traditionally non BBQ town. Of those I sampled NOLA Smokehouse was by far the best and has kept me coming back. Further, even having opened just months ago, its quality is consistently stellar.
FYI: it’s not in the best neighborhood and has had several attempted break-​ins. So, don’t be mislead if plywood is nailed over the door like I was. The restaurant hasn’t folded, it’s just forting-​up.
Other 2014 Favorites: De Ville Crêperie, Melba’s, Dmac’s, Los Poblanos Food Truck, New Orleans Coffee & Beignets, Broad & Banks Seafood)

It should come as no surprise that New Orleans is known worldwide for it’s creole and Cajun delicacies and comfort food. What we are generally not associated with is being known for good BBQ. However, things are slowly changing as New Orleans has had its fair share of BBQ restaurants open these past few years. But none of them, and I mean NONE of them can stand toe to toe with the quality of the food at NOLA Smokehouse.
After a month or so of listening to the chatter on Unilocal,I opted to go there. I am familiar with the area, but the restaurant is located in a very unassuming building on the corner of Jackson Ave and Annunciation, and there is no signage to speak of. But just roll down your window and let your nose lead the way to BBQ bliss, as the smoke trail is undeniable.
I am glad my 1^st trip was not alone, as I was able to order the BBQ sampler and share this monstrosity of a meal in an effort to sample most of the menu items. Our platter included:
BEEF BRISKET — I’ll put this brisket against anything that the Food Network has to offer. The smoke ring permeates about a ½ «deep into the meat and it’s tender and juicy as heck. Smoked to perfection, sauce is optional and always served on the side.
PULLED PORK — The pork is literally melt in your mouth tender. Although chopped/​shredded, there are still big enough pieces to sink your teeth into.
SAUSAGE — Even though the sausage was served sliced, the pieces were still big enough to appreciate that «snap» you get when you bite into a real sausage casing. This isn’t for the faint of heart or those suffering with acid reflux, as it packs a bit of a spicy punch.
PORK RIBS — These were some of the best ribs I have ever eaten. As delicious as they were, so was the presentation in the way that they were sliced so that you could see the smoke ring penetration. Put your fork down, as the meat is gonna slide ride off of the bone.
BURNT ENDS — Prior to my 1^st visit, I had never heard of a burnt end.
Burnt ends are popular in Kansas City and are the flavorful bits of meat cut from the point half of a smoked beef brisket; and they are considered a delicacy, and rightfully so. These little cubes of heaven all have a decent amount of charred bark on one end and a small layer of fat underneath; both of which reside on top of the flavorful beef brisket. You’d be wrong to think that the char implied toughness or dryness, as they are moist, melt in your mouth tender and delicious. Try the spicy BBQ sauce for a real treat or enjoy the smoky flavor all by itself. I’ve been here 6 times, and after having shared the sampler platter, I have gotten the burnt ends every single time thereafter. They are simply that good.
PORK BELLY — I had never tried pork belly either prior to my 1^st visit here. Although I thought it was pretty good, and I ate every morsel, I think it’s a bit of an acquired taste.
BAKED BEANS — I am not a «baked beans guy», as I don’t like to fill myself up on side dishes, when there’s quality meats being served. But the beans were solid and flavored just right.
CORN SPOONBREAD — This delightful treat was a pleasant surprise. Imagine a warm cornbread pudding. More of a warm dessert than a side, this is some good stuff.
SAUCES — There are three sauces available. There is sweet, spicy and traditional vinegar based BBQ sauce. All 3 have their own redeeming qualities, but the spicy is my favorite. However, the meat is so perfectly smoked, that I use only a touch, as I simply want a touch of «heat».
The inside of the restaurant is nothing to write home about, same as the outside. But it’s functional and this place is all about the food and not the décor. I am glad to see the place is prospering, as I encountered a full house today, and a line of people ahead of me. But no matter how long the line is, I will wait, as I have sampled the smoky goodness inside. However, the word is out, some come early if you don’t want to wait.
Let me know what you think! As for me, this is my go to spot for BBQ!

It took me a while to make it here, but I’m glad I finally had the opportunity to have lunch here. I love barbecue and as many have observed there’s not a whole lot of good barbecue in New Orleans. I was really looking forward to trying the smokehouse since the reviews of it are uniformly good.
The place itself is exactly what one might expect with a barbecue joint. It is quite Spartan, spare but clean. The focus is clearly on the food, not the surroundings. My friend and I decided to share a sampler platter which is not inexpensive but not outrageous either at approximately $ 40. I say not outrageous because there was plenty of meat on the platter.
My favorite was probably the so-​called burnt ends Which are essentially the ends of the brisket. They were extremely flavorful, juicy, and full of smoke. The brisket itself was a little disappointing, not real smoky and very dry. They use a flat cut brisket as opposed to the whole brisket rendering the meat a little on the dry side since the other muscle contains all the fat. The ribs were above-​average although a little undercooked. By that I mean they didn’t quite fall off the bone as I would’ve expected. The pulled pork was excellent.
I also liked the three sauces provided. I particularly like the fact that the sauces are all on the side so you can add as you choose. And all the sauces were true to the BBQ tradition in other words no Ketchup style sauces foisted on the masses by corporate food giants from the North.
The side dishes were a bit disappointing. The coleslaw was well below average although I have very high standards for coleslaw. The savory bread putting likewise was not my favorite. The corn pudding was excellent no question about that. There was also something called sugarcane caviar? It was a little weird frankly. Creative but weird. For some reason I just did not take a liking to it.
But all in all it was a successful foray into barbecue cooking. Is it the best I have ever had? Absolutely not. But if you have a hankering for barbecue, you’ll get at least a little satisfaction here.

Sometimes (or daily), I get an itch.
An itch that only a healthy dose of BBQ can fix.
Some call me a junkie… others refer to me as an enthusiast.
Either way, the smell brings out the caveman in me.
I recently fell victim to said cravings this past weekend.
Unilocal to the rescue.
NOLA Smokehouse was in my crosshairs.
The app said they are closed on Sundays.
Closed?
Let me call them.
Sure enough, they were going to open at 11.
I have heard the stories about this place selling out so I didn’t want to chance it.
Salivating, I hopped on my bike and scooted their direction.
The smell got stronger as I turned off Magazine and I knew I was getting closer.
The anticipation was killing me.
11:02 I walk in the door.
I think to myself that I have arrived… as I inhale the intoxicating aromas.
To this point I had a solid game plan: Order the sampler platter (so I could get a taste of everything).
All that planning went out the window when I saw the sign for Burnt Ends.
Im so weak when it comes to Burnt Ends.
On a whim, I told them to make it a sandwich (Im a genius).
The Ends were crispy, fatty, cured and exactly what I needed. They even dusted the meat with a bit of Fleur de Sel.
Nice touch.
The bread even soaked up the rendered fat that had managed to make it to my plate.
I loved it.
Fat always gives me the Meat sweats.
It took me approximately 22 minutes to eat my sandwich.
In that time, they managed to sell out of Ribs, Brisket and the Burnt Ends.
22 minutes from opening.
22 minutes people.
Thats both Mind Blowing and an excellent Business Plan.
Keeps the demand high.
Apparently that is a regular thing for them too.
The ‘No frills’ interior of this place is a true calling card for a quality BBQ joint.
All the focus is on the food… as it should be.
I did regret riding my bike there.
The pain on the ride home was intense but I muscled through anyways.
If you do happen to visit NS, be prompt.
The food waits for no one.
I dont want to see another grown man whimpering in the parking lot because they sold out of Brisket.
THERE’S NO CRYING IN BBQ.

Yay! I made it here and they were open and not sold out!
Ok, well I’m not a HUGE barbecue person. I like the stuff, but it’s not really something that I ever seek out. After hearing that NOLA Smokehouse is now officially the best barbecue in the city, I knew that I had to see for myself.
First of all, finding this place is a trick. From what I could see, it had no signage, and the only thing indicating that this old store front was serving food was the huge «open» flag in the front. Once I finally tracked this place down, I was eager for my lunch.
Upon entering, I looked over the menu of the day and decided on the pulled pork sandwich. I’m the type of person to likes to ease into a new place and not jump right in. The nice woman took my order and I sat and waited. The place is pretty small, so I can imagine that during peak hours it can get pretty nuts.
My sandwich came, and first of all, it was huge. It was just packed with so much pulled pork. One thing I really liked was that it didn’t come with sauce on it. They let you add your own, so that you can pick your flavor– spicy or sweet, and add as much or as little as you want. I found that my best plan of action was adding the sauce to one side at a time, so that the bread didn’t get soggy.
The pork was tender and delicious. I honestly took a few bites of the sandwich without any sauce on it, and I could have eaten it just like that. The different sauces did a good job of bringing out the flavor of the meat and enhanced the flavor of the pork without masking it.
The super nice staff and the amazing food guarantees that I will most definitely return. One thing I noticed when I was here: I was the only girl! Almost every spot in the place was filled with all guys. Girls, head over here and get you some barbecue! Show the guys that we like smoked meat, too!

Nola Smokehouse is exactly what I was looking for.
For years New Orleans had a lackluster selection of BBQ restaurants. It seems Nola is slowly starting to become more of a BBQ town and for that, I am grateful.
I happened upon Nola Smokehouse as a direct result of Unilocal.Apparently they haven’t been open too long and their page has been plastered on Unilocal’s front page for a few weeks. When I had a craving for BBQ last week, I remembered the name and headed to Jackson Avenue.
The building is rather unassuming from the outside. The only clue of what was in store for me was the amazing aroma and smoke wafting over the wooden fence out back. As I walked in, I knew I was in for a treat. The restaurant is somewhat Spartan on the inside, but that is exactly how I like it. This is not some fancy pretentious place. It is a casual, perfectly appointed restaurant with damn fine BBQ.
Since I was in a serious mood for BBQ, I opted for the three meat plate. My meats were sliced brisket, pulled pork and pork belly (a first for me as a BBQ dish). While they were preparing my plate, the chef was more than happy to talk BBQ with me and offer his tips. He also informed me that he will start doing BBQ classes on the weekends where participants get to eat the food they learn to cook. Sounds like a pretty good way to spend two hours on a Saturday. Back to the food.
While he was slicing the brisket for my plate, I was drooling like a passed out frat boy. That brisket looked and smelled absolutely amazing. The five minute ride back to my office seemed like it took an hour as the smell coming from my food made me want to violate the speed limit by 50 mph. I couldn’t get back to my office fast enough.
Brisket
That brisket was amongst the best I have ever had in my entire life. I thought I made a good brisket on my Big Green Egg, but after one bite I realized I know nothing. The smoke flavor was perfect. The bark was perfect. The brisket was the perfect tenderness. Am I gushing? Yes. It was that good. So good that I tried to get more today only to realize they’re closed on Monday. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.
Pulled Pork
The pork, like the brisket had an incredible smoky taste. Most times I’ve had pulled pork locally it lacks that smoke flavor and has little taste without sauce. Nola’s version is perfectly seasoned and smoky. I bet it would make a great batch of nachos or sandwich as well as being great by itself.
Pork Belly
OK, here is what I’ve learned. Despite several attempts, I am not a fan of pork belly. This wasn’t the fault of Nola Smokehouse. It’s just one of those things I can’t take in large doses. The pork belly slider at District is great, but that portion is enough for me. If you are a fan of pork belly, I would imagine you would love this version. It was melt in your mouth tender and had a great taste.
I absolutely loved the brisket and pork here. I have a feeling I will become a regular quite soon.
Note: The three meat plate is a massive quantity of BBQ. If you are really hungry, or want to share, I recommend you get that size.