Smokey J's

pretty good Q! Burnt ends are on point! And you cant find burnt ends at most places. I recommend for the overall taste of the meat and greens. Also the brisket is sliced like deli meat, but it has a very good taste as well. You will be pleasantly surprised as a change of pace from the most popular Q place in the area. Drawbacks - Limited sides and the Q sauce needs help!!

Now closed, the short life span of this place is a cautionary tale for anyone wanting to open a food business. Apparently, the initial first had all rave reviews, but as time went on, (Or so I am told) reviews plummeted, and business suffered, culminating with the loss of their lease on that prime Emerson and Shattuck location where "The Omnivore" once operated. (The following was written when they were still open and highly regarded) Classic top grade BBQ, loved by the locals, (especially little old ladies) who like me, were once loyal to flints. Portions generous, ingredients fresh, staff cool, what's not to like. sauces: YUM. NOTE: Try the brisket sandwich before you do anything else.

Quickie: + Has a backyard BBQ kind of vibe + Food was less than average, nothing particularly special + Windows wide open and lots of flies buzzing about :| + Bathroom was not so sanitary looking --- Food: Was craving brisket all day and decided to try the place out in Berkeley. To be honest it was really underwhelming. In addition to the meat, I had a side of greens, bread and ribs and nothing really stood out. My food was actually lukewarm when it arrived, which was odd because we were one of two parties there, so I'm not sure why my plate wasn't piping hot. My friend had ribs too and was left with a 'bleh' feeling. Location/Ambiance: It's a pretty small place... it's picnic-style tables and maybe fits 25 people at most? They leave the front windows open so there are a lot of flies around when you're eating which drove me nuts. The bathroom was pretty grungy and left me feeling grimy when we left (no seat covers!!!). Verdict: It wasn't horrible but the food was less than adequate. With all the fabulous foodie places around the East Bay to discover, I won't be returning here.

I popped in on a Sunday evening to an empty restaurant which meant I could have my pick of the picnic table seating. The staff were really friendly and helpful in choosing what I should order which is always nice. I went with the meat one way which was one type of meat and two sides with a sweet roll and coleslaw for $16.00. My food was served really quickly and the brisket was really nice. I was not very fussed on the garlic potatoes which were a bit dry and bland or the coleslaw which was a bit too sour for my taste. I know some people love that kind of coleslaw though. What was the stand out for me was the chilli which was really tasty. It wasn't the best bbq I've ever had and portion wise I wouldn't say they're as generous as some other reviewers have suggested but that might just be me. If I were to return is definitely get a large chilli and the brisket and just have those together.

I got the 1/2 slab dinner with collards and potato salad plus a drumstick and medium BBQ sauce. All were excellent: good quality meat and other ingredients(produce is from Berkeley Bowl) and the flavors were hauntingly good. The medium sauce is hot enoughI used an Amazon local voucher which saved some money(the above would have cost $20), but even at regular price, this is a good value for the best ribs and sides I've had in the Bay area. For those of you who can remember Flint's BBQ, grieve no more!

If I could it would be a be a negative star! I ordered the I love meat catering platter for my husbands going away party. The preorder went fine I spoke with an employee, was sent an invoice and a link to pay! So we paid in full! We received a confirmation of our order my husband called again to confirm and we were reassured that our order was on the books. Well when we went to go pick up the order we were told that the owner of this business never put our order in but if we waited 30 minutes they would be able to compete this order. We were shocked but because the workers were so apologetic and we didn't know where else to get food for 75 people I decided to wait. They also told us the delivery person was not available that day so we would have to wait. Shortly after we were told that they didn't have the majority of what we ordered. We were told that we would be charged less. We ended up having to wait a whole hour so our guests were greeted with no food and no host. We were reassured that they would stop payment on the order that was already processed and re process the new amount. Well fast forward to 3 days later when the owner returns from his vacation he tells us he can't give us a discount. 10% would be the best he can offer. When I called to speak with him he told me he gave me extra rolls ( Hawaiian rolls) and extra chicken meat even though they shorted us the two full slabs of ribs and a full tray of macaroni and cheese and that the 10% off should have made up for what happened. Then he hung up on me! The worst customer service ever. Not to mention the sausages were dry and burnt, coleslaw taste of pure vinegar and the beans were watery with no flavor. I would have gone back to this establishment if the owner stood behind his workers and stuck to his word. But when your food is so so and you have bad ownership you are doomed!