Holy Smokes, It's Good!
Smokey Mountain BBQ lives up to its name
By: Nancy Powell
As I pull into the virtually empty lot, ivy covered walls make me wonder if my white t-shirt, sneakers and a frayed skirt are a bit too casual for such a fancy place. When I tug open the doors, however, I find another story—warm honey-colored walls, red wood paneling and high ceiling duct work dressed in black and red, black tables and chairs lined up assembly fashion, the ever so slight aroma of sweet barbecue cutting through the air conditioning, fingers being licked spotless as bones are tucked away in a corner of the plate—and I relax, knowing I’m about to be seduced by Southern hospitality sprinkled with California attitude.
Smokey Mountain BBQ is an informal, yet relatively undiscovered newcomer to the IE barbecue scene that should have more star power than I’m privy to this Sunday evening. Star power, as in an actual real-deal smoker behind the scenes on the premises (an often missing artifact my Southern friends are very quick to point out when sampling “Southern” barbecue in California). The smoky aroma of hickory undisguised pervades every nook and cranny in the meaty entrées, with the barbecue sauce actually playing a supporting role.
There’s more to Smokey Mountain than excessive quantities of meat, although one wouldn’t know it watching others wolfing down reasonably priced platters of St. Louis ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. After all, what is barbecue if not the meat? The Smokey Canyon Sampler is the ultimate carnivore’s gift, a hefty selection of three meats (ribs, brisket, chicken, Louisiana hot links, tri-tip, pulled pork or barbecued turkey) with two sides for a mind-boggling $19.50 (only a full slab of ribs will cost you more).
A sprinkling of sandwiches, salads, and sides also make it the list, although, in my humble opinion, it’s the sides that make the meal sparkle—in particular, the piping hot beer-battered onion rings ($1 extra with entrées) and sweet potato fries, $2 extra and my favorite. The fries are nicely crisped on the outside but pulpy and mouth wateringly tender on the inside. The not-your-ordinary Missouri baked beans is a four-bean marvel that’s mighty good going down, provided one can tolerate its sometimes noxious effects.
I try the popular pulled pork sandwich topped with a scoop of Cole slaw. The hickory really shines with the pork, and I don’t miss the minor dabble of sauce underneath the slaw. I add in a little of the sweet Carolina sauce to a corner, but it changes the character completely, and not for the better. I hear the Hot Links sandwich is the co-owner’s favorite, and that will have to wait until the stomach settles and the bloating dies down. The sandwich alone is already tugging me towards an early evening siesta. I don’t let my entrée deter me from polishing off the evening with a nutty homemade blackberry cobbler served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream that melts into creamy contentment with the blueberries. I’ve died and gone to heaven.
There is so much more to try at Smokey Canyon, but that will have to wait for another day and another pant size.
Smokey Canyon BBQ at the Canyon Crest Towne Center, Canyon Crest, 5225 Canyon Crest Dr., Suite 9, Riverside, (951) 461-9299; www.smokeycanyon.com. Open daily: Mon., 11AM–2PM; Sun., Tues.–Thurs., 11AM–9PM; Fri., 11AM–9:30PM; Sat, 11AM. Dinner for two, around $40. AE, D, MC, V
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