Thursday, July 08, 2004

Acceptable - Smithfield's BBQ and Chicken, Garner

I'd seen these pop up along the freeway to the beach over the years and have wondered if it was a place to take the family. The restaurant turns out to be very informal, even for a barbecue place.

You order from a counter from menu boards on the back wall. Not all of the offerings are on the menu boards. The names aren't always self-descriptive. I ordered a barbecue sandwich, hush puppies and tea, which were all listed as ala carte. I was billed for a combination, which saved me a few bucks, but was not obvious from the board. You pay, get your drinks and go to a table, where somebody brings your order, fairly quickly.

The barbecue was decently flavored. It had enough sauce to not need more and a little pepper kick. The slaw on the sandwich was nondescript, but not bad. The hushpuppies and tea were as expected.

The chicken side of the menu was fried pieces in the usual combinations and buckets. I will try the chicken the next time.