Smoke Shack BBQ and Southern Kitchen - San Antonio, Texas - 9th Small Town Texas BBQ Review

"They're taking us to the smokehouse!!!" - Quote from the 2009 Movie The Road 

San Antonio has varied culinary experiences all over the city.  You can have so many different cuisines within a four of five-mile radius that sometimes it is impossible to make a choice about what you want to eat.  In a town where so much great Tex-Mex food can be found and numerous taco stands and other types of food we can't find out here in West Texas a guy could go crazy.  A few years ago I had a blog focusing on any cuisine that I'd run into in my travels as well as stuff from where I happened to be living at the time. As I've gotten older I've learned that specializing makes things a little easier.  You get to really get familiar with the type of cuisine that you are eating because you eat a lot of it.  You also don't have to worry about what kind of food you are eating since you already know that.  You really just have to figure out where you are going to go.  I've eaten at quite a few BBQ joints in San Antonio ranging from Bill Miller's, Rudy's, Grady's (the chains), Two Brothers Meat Market, 2M Smokehouse and South BBQ and Kitchen.  Some were amazing and others not so much and I'll let you be the judge of that.  I'd never heard of Conger's Smoke Shack until recently so I didn't know what I didn't know.  Since we were staying just a few miles away I decided (based on all the reviews I'd seen) to get in there and try their food. I wasn't disappointed. 

A lot of what I read in BBQ publications I take with a grain of salt simply because everything is subjective.  What my tastes are and what other writers or bloggers enjoy may be in a whole other universe.  Some of the places I listed a getbove had rave reviews from the top writers in the Texas BBQ business and so when I first started doing this I approached some of the places with my mouth watering in full anticipation of having great food and in some cases I was sorely disappointed at being served food that was warmed over or burnt.  Sometimes I'd have to say, "The sausage was good!"  I've learned over time not to get too excited until I have food in hand and a good few bites that give me an idea of what we actually have in front of us. After eating BBQ for breakfast and lunch we showed up at Smoke Shack and as I walked in smoke filled the air. This piqued my curiosity and wet my whistle so to speak.  Despite all the BBQ I'd had since 7:30 in the morning I was anticipating what I was about to have because of the smells that I was experiencing.  The anticipation grew more since we got in line to order our food.  

As we got into our seats I noticed the ceilings, walls, wood fixtures, and some window sills were tagged by folks.  Lots of Sharpies had been used to leave names, messages, and proclamations of love for a certain someone or for the Smoke Shack.  There is a rusty sheet-metal wall where the Tea, Lemonade, and Water station were. Utensils and napkins are to the right of the drink dispenser in a very convenient setup. Tables are outfitted with beer carriers to hold the BBQ sauce and other necessary items and condiments. Music fills the air and it does get loud with people having discussions but it is a festive kind of loud and loads of fun. 

When we got our food I was overwhelmed by the aroma that filled the air in front of me. Sweet, smoky, meaty goodness had arrived.  My first impression was that the ribs had a shimmering glisten of glaze all over them and what had overflowed onto the platter looked like syrup.  The ribs were perfectly smoked, well-balanced,  and the bite-through was exactly as it should be. These aren't fall-off-the-bone ribs. They provide some resistance to the bite but just enough.  The Brisket had a dark bark and pronounced smoke ring with just the right resistance to a quick pull. Brisket was very juicy, tender, and didn't require any sauce whatsoever. The coarse-grind sausage was also a great way to round out the Texas Trinity meats and had the proper amount of seasonings.  We opted to add turkey to our meal and it was also very well made. Most turkey ends up being dried out but these few slices were moist with a slightly smoky flavor that didn't overwhelm our tastebuds. Along with the pork ribs the brisket Mac-N-Cheese was out of this world. Creamy with just the right amount of tiny bits of brisket that didn't make the dish greasy or overly smoky.  The creamed corn was also another tasty side that we thoroughly enjoyed.  We also ordered vinegar slaw as one of the sides and out of the three, it was our least favorite thing.  

It is quite obvious that this place stays consistently busy.  There were people coming in and going out the entire time we were there and everyone seemed very happy with their food.  I know we were thoroughly impressed. They also have a meat market next door and a bar behind the restaurant where they also serve their smoked meats.  I would've liked to have tasted some of the dishes there in The Pigpen. 

Chris Conger is definitely doing something right and the Smoke Shack will continue to grow its fanbase.  The BBQ is on point and they have plenty to go around. When you are rolling down Broadway, visiting the Witte Museum, or near downtown Smoke Shack should be on your list of Go-To BBQ joints.