Smokey and the Brisket

 During these pandemic times, we really need to take pleasure in the little things. Be kind to yourself, and be kind to other humans. Take yourself to the park or the beach, or anywhere that you feel is safe and happy. 

It may seem impossible in these times, but a new barbecue place has opened in La Mesa, Smokey and the Brisket.

Currently, SATB is open for outside dining and takeout/delivery. However, the interior is very chic, with a biker-themed dining room, harkening to the restaurant's movie namesake (Smokey and the Bandit for the young ones reading this). The dining room is a little empty at the moment to make it easy to social distance when ordering, but no doubt, it will be a fun atmosphere later on. 

The bar serves beer and wine out of this cute van set up. The vintage decor makes for a nice set up and enjoyable experience. 

Food is ordered at the counter, then brought to the table by a server.  I'll be honest, I like the counter service set up. I find it quicker, easier, and just more efficient in general. 

Everything is homemade in house, with a 12-hour brisket -- a must order. 

We started with the Loaded Fries -- fresh cut potato fries with cheese, pulled pork, tomatoes, and jalapeños. This was a perfect start to the meal, and a great snack to share as a table. Honestly, these would be pretty great as a meal as well. 

I usually love loaded fries, and these were something different with the large chunks of pulled pork and fresh "chip" fries. The flavor of the pulled pork was a perfect match with the slightly spicy cheese sauce. 

The brisket, as mentioned earlier, is a must try. This brisket was so tender and had the best flavor with a crust of black pepper. The brisket is served with the signature sauce, and even though it is delicious on its own, the sauce is seriously the best! The brisket is also served as a sandwich, if that's more your thing. 

The sides are pretty unique for a barbecue place. Of course the traditional mac and cheese is available, as well as fries and baked beans, but I was most intrigued by the burnt carrot and cauliflower side. Roasted vegetables with a maple syrup sauce made me feel just healthy enough with all of those calories! 

Ribs have been sorely missing in my diet during these lockdowns. These ribs were slow roasted, just like the brisket, and sauced with a tangy barbecue. They are served with either a honey mustard sauce, habanero, or homemade barbecue sauce. I highly recommend the house barbecue, but all of the sauces are delicious. The ribs were so tender, so much that we needed a fork to eat them because they were falling off the bones.

Barbecue is all about family and happiness around a table, so of course the kids' meals are available and delicious. Pictured is the kids chicken tenders meal, made with REAL chicken. None of that frozen, over salted stuff here. These tenders were fresh and much better than the frozen stuff. The best nuggets ever!

You might be way too full at the end of the meal, but I strongly suggest that you try the dessert! We tried the homemade churros with ice cream and a dulce de leche dipping sauce. The churros are filled with cajeta sauce, which makes them very decadent and well, if you're already eating barbecue, I think it's good to go big or go home.  

The barbecue is made fresh at Smokey and the Brisket, and because of the cook times, when they run out, they're out for the day! So go early, grab some takeout or eat on their lovely patio. It's definitely a time to "treat yo'self", so do it at Smokey and the Brisket!