Looking for a good barbeque joint with an interesting twist? Well you’re in luck! Smokey Barque, located in historic downtown Frankfort, offers unique food options that will leave you wanting more. Here is my review of the restaurant.
Location- This easygoing tavern is located on 20 Kansas St. in Frankfort and is surrounded by numerous, quaint little shops for you to explore. Directly across the street from the restaurant is the old Frankfort Grainery and a little open park area.
If you walk around a little further you will come across a sweet shop, guitar store, and a cute little Christmas shop. If you’re looking to burn off all of the calories you just consumed or want to enjoy a nice little walk around, then this is the place for you.
Restaurant Design/Atmosphere- The restaurant itself is very appealing both inside and out. On the outside, you can get a sense of what it used to look like judging by its old-timey appearance. As for the inside, the overall look is modern with its set-up (even the music in the restaurant is up to date with familiar tunes by Twenty One Pilots, Foster The People, etc.).
There are two levels to the restaurant and a few rooms that can be used for parties or different events. A patio outside is perfect for summer nights and there is even a portion where you can bring your dogs. The bar is also a great spot to hang out with friends.
The room that I was in was very spacious and there was a lot of room so you did not feel cramped. The décor was nice with different pictures of what the town used to look like dispersed throughout the walls. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with a fireplace and a few flat screen televisions.
Food- The menu has numerous items to choose from and to be honest, it was very difficult for me to decide what I wanted. Burgers, sandwiches, ribs, and anything else you could probably think of is on the menu. Many sides and beverages are also available for you to choose.
Appetizers and starters for the most part are all of the barbeque variety except for items such as mozzarella sticks, lobster rolls, sweet potato tots, etc. My choice for the appetizer was the Giant Soft Bavarian Pretzel. The pretzel lived up to its name because it was really big. If you were to order this I would suggest having some more people with you to share like I did.
Two sauces accompany the pretzel: one is a chipotle cheese and the other is a honey mustard sauce. The restaurant also gives you complimentary homemade barbeque chips along with four signature sauces to dip them in while you wait. Each sauce ranges from something sweet to a little spicy.
Now comes the best part: the main dish. I ordered a burger called the Texas Burger. This burger contained cheddar cheese, chili, sautéed peppers, pickles, BBQ sauce, and an onion ring to top it off (though I opted not to have the peppers or pickles on my burger). The taste was really good and I was happy with my choice.
The flavors mixed well together and it had a little kick to it. The burger also came with a side of coleslaw (which I did not eat) and you had a choice of one side. It was hard to pick a side but I ended up choosing the hush puppies. They were very tasty and the size of them was just right.
They give you two of them and they are about the size of a baseball maybe even a little smaller. Either way, it was very good and I would definitely order that again. They even have a dog menu for your pet when you go there in the summertime, how cool is that?
Prices- The prices of the items are not too bad depending on what you order. My burger for example was $12.99, which was not bad because you are getting your moneys worth. Food items start at $4.99 and they work there way up to $23.99. You are sure to find the perfect food option no matter what your price range is.
Service- The service was very nice at the restaurant. Our waiter was very kind and accommodating to anything that you may need. Since it was my first time there, she did a great job explaining everything on the menu. We did not have to wait long for our food so that made everything great.
This past summer a waiter received a $1,000 tip from a generous customer so you know that the service is great.
Overall, I had a great experience at this restaurant and I enjoyed my meal. I would highly recommend it to anyone to visit whether it’s a night out with friends or just a nice meal with your family. I will surely be coming back to visit this place soon!
Elizabeth Granato
Features Editor