"Smoke Shop opened in Cambridge in 2016 thanks to Andy Husbands (who owned the now-defunct Tremont 647), a longtime barbecue devotee and fixture on the competitive circuit. His Kendall Square restaurant has since closed down, but its newer counterparts in East Boston, Fort Point, Somerville’s Assembly Row, and Cambridge’s Harvard Square are still going strong. The restaurants feature big platters of meats, from burnt ends to ribs, piled high with sides. Don’t miss the wings, coated in sticky-sweet agave and spices. On the beverage side, there’s so much whiskey." - Erika Adams