Smoke Shack

We ordered the burnt ends sausage sandwich with the tasty brussel sprouts and the beef brisket with the mac-n-cheese. The buns they came with were great quality. Desserts looked good, but we skipped it for walk to the Public Market to get dessert. Our server, the young guy with blonde hair was engaging, attentive and we enjoyed talking with him. Interior was dark, so would be fine on a cold winter's night but glad we could spend our time outdoors on a warm fall evening.

We had a great experience at the Smoke Shack - our waitress Kaia was really attentive, brought everything quickly, checked up on us and even change the channel on the big screen TV so that we could watch the football game we wanted. Food was delicious:) make sure you try the Brussels sprouts! Serving size was fantastic and really good tasted like something we’ve had back in Texas. This place is easy to miss - feels like an authentic bbq joint nestled in between city buildings. Totally worth trying! Lots of indoor and outdoor seating.

I ordered the 2 meat combo plate with brisket and pork, the pork & brisket were both extremely dry with no dry rub taste from any seasoning, it taste like the meat had been sitting under heat lamps all day with no moisture to keep it moist. The brisket egg rolls I ordered were phenomenal. & the customer service was very good.

My cousin and I have been coming here for years now. We live about 75 miles away and make the trip at least 2x a year because the food is absolutely worth it. Their sauces are great and even their desserts are worth noting. Definitely cant wait to come back again!

The food is great! The service is great! Just go! Very reasonable too! Despite it being a freezing cold and very windy night, we chose to sit outside in the tent. The propane heaters worked and it quite a fun time!

Over all was not a bad experience. I got the brisket sandwich and it was overall pretty good. The two sides that I got were ok. Maybe would get the Mack cheese again but make sure it’s hot but the potato salad wasn’t that great. Please would recommend that you all put brisket in your baked beans as an alternative and not pork please :)

My husband and I came out for a date night here. The food was good, chicken is definitely a must try. But the brisket was dry unfortunately. The biggest downside was the service, we unfortunately got forgotten about. We were seated outside, spoke to the waitress but then no one came to check on us. It had been over 20 minutes and the restaurant was really slow so I was curious why we were waiting so long. I went inside to ask if we could order and our waitress realized she forgot about us and apologized. She was very kind, I was just taken back a little since there were only 3 parties dining at the time. Over all the food was pretty good.

Food was pretty good, and the location is alright. The outdoor seating is a pulse. To start off the do not get the sauce on the burnt ends. Only a couple of the meat pieces,I would consider real burnt ends. Chips that come with it are good. The cornbread tasted like pound and it was good but not cornbread. The wings needed so much more seasoning. The ribs were tender but the sides were not good.

The service and food was impeccable. I will definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the Milwaukee area.

Great spot for barbecue in the downtown area and loved the outdoor seating area! Inside was cozy and rustic but on the warm fall night that we visited, soaking up the last of the warm evenings outdoors was ideal. Dog friendly and a big screen tv too! Our server was friendly and patient, as we looked over the menu deciding on what to have. The smokey old fashioned paired nicely with the smoked chicken that I ordered. My sides of choice were the mac n cheese (so creamy & cheesy!!!) and the Brussel sprouts (with balsamic?). My favorite part of my meal was the Mac n cheese and the old fashioned but I'd return here if I was in the downtown area and in the mood for bbq!

This has been a long time bookmark and being a bbq hound if anyone follows me you know that I get bbq all over the country for many years over the course of my travels. The place is small with a small bar and looks like a shack from one of those pictures of a single property that didn't sell out and each side has a huge building towering over it. Once again a single person is directed to have a bar seat which I instantly told my hostess noooooo, I'm not paying a premium price for bbq ribs with a 50% tip to eat at the bar and yes I'm a good tipper $10 and change for a $19 and change lunch. Service was good on my visit and the place is really small and cozy with a woody charm. I ordered the 1/2 rack of St. Louis ribs as the menu states because St. Louis ribs are twice as meaty as baby back ribs with two sides Coleslaw and pickles. My two sides being baked beans and Mac and cheese. Complete fail when my St. Louis rib plate hit my table because first off no coleslaw like the menu states and the St. Louis ribs were not traditional meaty ribs but flat like baby back ribs like a MDs M rib sandwich WTF. The St. Louis ribs were the most meatless St. Louis I have had in my bbq travels and any cooking with grocery store St. Louis ribs I have bought. Ok after the menu miss leading me let's talk about the food and a good thing that pictures don't lye because the ribs were flat as board for St. Louis style and not meaty but they were moist/smokey fall off the bone. The baked beans were super loose like a soup and sweet with next to no bbq meat in it like lots of bbq restaurants do. The Mac and cheese was bland/creamy and cooked to mush and like I always say a salty/sharp cheese should be used in Mac and cheese for depth and body. As a bbq hound who travels the country eating BBQ the menu and the food was a miss leading fail.

I don't care if my final destination is Boscobel, Wisconsin, I'm flying into MKE so I can hot Smoke Shack before driving west. Headed to Madison? Fly into MKE. Going to Green Bay? Flying into MKE. I think you hear my point. But you'll understand my point if you stop by Smoke Shack on your way to Anywhere, Wisconsin. Excellent meat, fabulous sides, great bottle selections in the bar. Indoor/outdoor seating options, and a very convenient (pay) parking lot right across the street.

Date of visit: April 18, 2025 This has been a favorite in the past that I had neglected to review and wanted to waste no time with this visit letting fellow Yelpers know the score! We were here to celebrate our birthdays with a friend a bit past the actual days (because...well, life!) and I appreciated being able to make a reservation through OpenTable, though disappointed that even when you select "Birthday" that message doesn't always get through to the staff. Lucas was our server and while we had some longer waits and pauses in the meal, he was quite affable and was more than happy to answer any questions our friend had, this being her first time to the 'Shack. We started with the Burnt Ends appetizer, which had a healthy amount of meat on it, helping justify the higher price for the item. Loved the white barbecue sauce that it came with, just wish that there had been a little more of it for dipping as the drizzle wasn't the most generous. For the main event, I went with the Two-Meat platter and selected the burnt ends sausage with brisket, and sides of cornbread and mac + cheese. The mac and cornbread were very good, though the bread did have a hint of an aftertaste that I didn't love and was glad that the piece wasn't any bigger than it was. The meats were good though I don't know that I would have necessarily classified the sausage as "burnt ends." All in all, a good meal and I would definitely return yet again in the future!

The food was very good! We got the combo platters with brisket, pulled pork, and burnt sausage ends. All the meats, sides, and sauces were very tasty. However, I'm giving my first visit 3 stars only due to the service. I might've hit an off day and I'll come back to try it again at some point. We were sat in the "heated" outside covered patio which wasn't very warm at all. There were huge gaps letting snow and wind through. Not all tables had the fire pits in the middle so if you were seated a regular table you were very cold. We ate with our winter apparel on the entire time. Our appetizer took 40 minutes to come out and we were told it would be compensated on our bill (it was not, but we were so ready to leave by the time we asked for our check I wasn't going to argue). Our server rarely came to check on us, we sat with empty drinks for the majority of the meal, we were not offered to go boxes, refills, desserts, etc that servers normally come to check in on. We had to ask for all those little things including silverware. When we did ask for to go drinks we were told it's an extra charge, so just be mindful if you tend to like fountain drinks to go. Again, I'll re visit just to see if it was an off day, but I am disappointed in our first visit :(

Stopped here during a conference on a Saturday night in 2024. The wait staff were incredible! Caleb was awesome and was very attentive to us. First, their bourbon menu is extensive and reasonably priced so make sure to order something you wouldn't normally try. Drinks: I had the pecan old fashioned. It was really good! Not too heavy on the pecan flavoring and it didn't overpower or get overpowered by the bourbon. Starters: the CORNBREAD was a 11/10! The honey butter was the perfect topping as its sweet flavor oozed when you bit into the warm, moist bread. You need to get this. The PIG MAC was good. Typical Mac n cheese flavor (not super rich) and the meat was tender enough. It comes out without sauce so you have the option of which sauce you want to use on the table. 10/10 would recommend.

First time here. The waitress (Abbie) was really nice and very attentive. The appetizers (chicken wings, Kansas City egg rolls were delicious. We shared the two meat combo platter-pulled pork and beef brisket. So tender and juicy. Will definitely be back.

Go see Allan S at the Smoke Shake! Great tunes, chill vibe and Lucas at the bar allowed me to taste test beer...

Finally cross this place off the bucket list and it's a mixed bag for me. Ordered pick up. Walked in, place really is decorated like a shack. Pretty cute. Hostess was very friendly. Now on to the food. I had the 2 plate meal. I had the Texas pork and brisket and chose Mac and cheese and baked beans as my sides. I also ordered 1 side of cornbread. The Mac and cheese was bland and not creamy and the beans were more on the spicy than sweet side. The saving grace was the meat and corn bread. The Texas pulled pork had a great flavor and the brisket was very lean, with only minimal fat. And the cornbread is the best tasting cornbread I've had in Milwaukee. It's cake like, just the way we make it down South. Puts soul food places in Milwaukee to shame. I just wish I would have gotten 2 pieces for $6 instead of just one. I would give it another try to see what the other sides are about.

ate at Smoke Shack while visiting from Dallas. Was greeted with a smile & quick service. My server had great recommendations. My food was better than expected based on mixed yelp reviews. Very good brisket sandwich and sides! i do have to say the restaurant felt overpriced for what it was ... and the sides were def on the smaller end for $6. would i eat here again? yes. would i recommend? yes

Critic Rating: 3.7 Scores: - Food: 3.0 * 40% = 1.2 - Service: 5.0 * 20% = 1.0 - Ambiance: 5.0 * 15% = 0.75 - Value for Money: 3.0 * 15% = 0.45 - Uniqueness: 3.0 * 10% = 0.30 Here's a formula that expresses the quality of a restaurant on a 1-5 scale, considering key factors. Each factor is rated from 1-5, and then weighted according to its importance. Formula: Q = wf*F + ws*S + wa*A + wv*V + wu*U wf + ws + wa + wv + wu Where: - Q = Overall Restaurant Quality - F = Food Quality - S = Service - A = Ambiance - V = Value for Money - U = Uniqueness Factor Weights (w): - wf = Weight of Food Quality (40%) - ws = Weight of Service (20%) - wa = Weight of Ambiance (15%) - wv = Weight of Value for Money (15%) - wu = Weight of Uniqueness (10%) ___________________________________________________ Comments: Cool location, nice patio area for watching the game.

Went before a comedy show and they were slammed. We sat on the outside patio, and it was really nice out there. Even though it was busy, the servers where happy, and were hussling. Food was awesome. Had a platter and every was great.

So good! You might miss it walking by - the pulled pork was delicious but the winner was the cornbread. Try all of the sauces - not a bad one in the bunch. Highly recommend the prohibition sweet tea and sit on the deck! Staff super courteous. Will be back next time in Milwaukee

Food was great! We got the 1/2lb pulled chicken and full rack of ribs. Service was so-so but would eat there again.

This has become a favorite place to have dinner when visiting Milwaukee, especially when we can enjoy the patio. Our experience, yesterday, was great. The food was delicious as always and the service was excellent. Our nice waitress, Kaia, did a wonderful job. And, she was from Madison, too! We enjoyed the St. Louis Ribs and 1/2 lb. platter of the beef brisket, along with sides of coleslaw, baked beans and sweet potato fries. All very good. If you enjoy barbeque, it's a great place to check out. I look forward to a return visit.

If you have to try BBQ in Milwaukee, you have to come here!! They have a great selection of meats, sides and never I have seen so many bourbon selection!! And my biggest thing about any smoke house is the music - if they playing the Blues you know your food is gonna be great! And the staff was simply amazing! Friendly and engaging! Not bad for a Monday night!

Heard good reviews about smoked meats at Smoke Shack. The menu seemed to brag more about the bourbons in the cozy little shack. At 1:00 p.m., the lunch crowd had cleared out on a Wednesday, but the music blasted so loud conversation was difficult. Four of us chose very different lunches. The brussels sprouts were burned beyond recognition. My house salad with honey mustard was interesting. Pieces of brisket were interesting as well. Nothing comparable to Heaven's Table on North. Finding good smoked meats in Milwaukee is still a challenge.

Smoke Shack is definitely the place to come to, if you want to finish off that long work week. Even on nights that you just want to chill out, and have a beer or cocktail then you have to come here. As for the food, even though the main thing here is smoked meats. There's still other of options, for people that prefer a meatless meal. The platter/combo meal we ordered was enough to feed 3 people. Everything was good, but my only complaint would be. I wish the ribs were a little more tender.

As others have said, unassuming spot tucked in downtown MKE. We tried the blackberry bramble, poppop's soda, Smokey ol fashioned and toasted pecan ol' fashioned and all 4 were fantastic in their own right. The brisket was tender, but not very Smoky tasting, the 5 bbq sauce options helped in that arena. The sausage was amazing. For side, we did the 4 cheese Mac which was heavenly. I'm not a huge mac & cheese fan, but I was blown away by the creamy gooey goodness. The pasta wasn't over cooked and the cheese was divine. Don't sleep on the creamed corn either!! Bbq corn with some green pepper flavor on the end, seasoned to perfection. The combo also came with sweet & spicy pickles and creamy coleslaw. Opted to do the Campfire pie for dessert and it didn't disappoint. The bruleed marshmallow, decadent brownie with chocolate chips and graham crust hit the spot The brisket didn't really stand out to me, but everything else, including the service, leave me eager to come back on my next visit to Milwaukee The food and drinks were too good to take time to get pics ‍

My husband and I travel a lot and have gone to Texas quite a few times in the last five years. Our first visit there, we ate barbecue for a week for "brunch" and dinner, so we've tried a lot of Texas barbecue. Our favorite is in San Antonio and it's called the Smoke Shack. It was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives a few years after our first visit. In Dallas Pecan Lodge and Terry Black's are our favorite. With Cooper's Old Time Barbecue from New Braunsfels, Austin, and Fort Worth following behind. My husband found this Smoke Shack listed in a Food Network post. So, we decided to try it. I wish I'd had looked at the rating before I did. All the food needs seasoning. Everything was bland, bland, bland!!! We ordered Fried Green Tomatoes...zero seasoning. And they come drizzled with a Chipotle Aioli with zero Chipotle taste or heat! We had to drench the tomatoes in Carolina Gold sauce from the table to give them an enjoyable flavor. Mac and Cheese, bland and soupy. Definitely disappointed since Wisconsin is known for cheese. Potato Salad needed salt & pepper. The beans were good. The brisket was super moist and super tender but again, and I write this with such disappointment, as bland as bland can be. Hospital food bland. Now their sausage was tasty all around. Third best food item I had here. The second best item was the salad. I ordered the Harvest Salad with their Sherry Maple Vinaigrette which was very good. The only item I would come back for is their Pecan Pie because it is AMAZING from the crust to filling, simply perfection. But even MORE AMAZING than that pie is they top it off with a Purple Door Whiskey Ice Cream scoop! OMG that ice cream! Pie comes with one scoop but order an extra scoop! You'll thank me later!

Everything of service went well..Water was/is pure of the freshest order of professional proficiency with full respect for the garnishes*lemon slices given,earned and the smell of the food was mouth watering yet the atmosphere around was most pleasant as patrons and members devoured their meals with heavy satisfaction. $.$.H

Definitely give Smoke Shack a visit if you are looking for some solid barbecue in Milwaukee. I got the nachos as my meal and they were loaded with meat, cheese and other toppings. No chip was plain which is exactly how I like my nachos. David got (but not pictured) the Pig Mac sandwich which had pulled pork and Mac and cheese. I would get this next time, or I would at least get a side of their Mac and cheese. They used cavatappi noodles which is the superior noodle to use for Mac and cheese. I really liked his sandwich and also their home fries were so good without any ketchup (and that's saying something as I smother all fries in ketchup). As an appetizer we tried the Kansas City eggrolls which I would definitely get again. Overall smoke shack was a fun place to check out. We enjoyed trying all their different homemade barbecue sauces as well. My personal fav was the Kansas City.

Wow, excellent bbq and signature cocktails. Super cool inside. Great service at the bar. I highly recommend.

My fiancé and I planned on going to Fresh Fin for dinner and stumbled in here instead, we were pleasantly surprised with our last minute decision. The service was wonderful . The waitstaff was super kind and quick. We got seated right away on the patio, which it was cold out so we were a tad worried but we were seated at a fire pit surrounded by a table. It kept us warm throughout dinner and provided a cozy ambiance. We got the Kansas City egg rolls and they were filled with tender brisket! Highly recommended. I always enjoyed my smoked chicken sandwich.

Stopped by this place during a day trip to Milwaukee and it did not disappoint. I don't always crave bbq, but this place truly hit the spot. We ordered the Smoke Shack Sampler because we wanted to try a little bit of everything, and will say it's definitely worth the $60! All meats are served dry, and sauces are provided at your table for you to choose (my favorite sauce was the House BBQ). Their sweet potato fries and Mac and cheese were also stellar. I will say the Mac and cheese had the most drooling cheese pull and as someone who's lactose intolerant, it was very much worth it. Our waitress was very helpful in providing recommendations and service was quick. They offer indoor and outdoor seating, which was perfect since we had our doggie with us. Overall, the ambience is laid back and food was great.

Very small portions for $$$. Wish I would of weighed it before eating , def didn't look like 1/2 pound of chicken The chicken was bland didn't taste smoked and the pork was tough , we didn't even want to feed it to our in dog . Very disappointed

Always dog friendly, with great food and great service. We event drive from the Chicago suburbs to visit!

Was looking forward to this place and was underwhelmed. Ribs and brisket were dry and tough. Sides were good. Meat was meh.

Their is not too many good BBQ places in the area but this is one of the good ones. It's situated downtown in between two tall buildings and this is just a little shack but it's a nice shack. The place is small but we went on a night they weren't busy. On the weekends I definitely would recommend making a reservation especially whenever the weather is nice as they do have a patio. They had a specialty cocktail list and I didn't end up getting one but they looked great so I'll be back for that. Now the food here was amazing. We had cornbread for a starter. It was moist and tasted how cornbread should it was fantastic. Then for the entree I got the Pig Mac with fries and both were incredible flavorful. The waiter was nice and I think it was one of the managers was really nice as well when I at the doggy photo wall she was pointing out her favorites. This will now be my go to place for bbq.

Came with a reservation. The vibe of the place is overall chill. I got the two meat plate plus added ribs. For whatever reason ribs don't count as part of one of the platters and need to be added on separately for an extra $6 for two ribs. Although they say 2, I'm pretty sure they gave way more than that. The brisket falls apart it's so juicy. The sausage is very flavorful! The ribs nearly fall off the bone. All the bbq sauces are on the table and taste great/add so much! The meat is so good it doesn't even need the sauce. The Cole slaw was fresh and not too saucy which was nice. The Mac and cheese was made perfectly- very cheesy which is my preference! I wouldn't get the broccoli slaw again cause it was too saucy and it had the broccoli stalks and not the heads. Overall great and would come back!

First time coming here, wanted to try something new in Milwaukee since I don't come here as much as I used too. This place was absolutely cozy and I felt right at home here. I tried their 1/2 of jackfruit plate which I was told tasted like pulled pork was such a great option. Thankfully I didn't feel tired afterwards. I also had a side of beans and their cornbread as well. Absolutely delicious as well. This place was really quiet for a week day, staff was professional and entertaining. Great liquor options I wish I could have tried. Overall, left very satisfied.

Can't believe I've lived in Milwaukee for years, and somehow missed this spot! Stopped by for Taste and Toast, and could not be more impressed. Great ambiance with the outdoor patio fire tables. Bummed they were out of the Brisket Pesto Flatbread special, since that's what we came for, but the rest of the food made up for it! Fried Green Tomatoes are top notch. And the Sweet Heat cocktail needs to be added to the regular menu! Wait staff was quick and friendly! Will be back soon!

Wisconsin BBQ? Yeah! Smoke Shack is a fun and unassuming spot tucked into downtown Milwaukee. Great ambiance inside, though my party was seated on the covered patio - which is fine by comparison, but I'd have MUCH preferred to sit inside due to the ambiance. Service is great! Attentive and personable, our server knew their way around the menu to offer suggestions. Great selection of bourbons and whiskeys, good beers on the menu. As it's a BBQ spot, expect a solid selection of meats. From ribs to pulled chicken, brisket... Its a great menu with enough variety to satisfy your picky friends. Prices are bit high for the portion size, but I suppose that's just the way of things these days as it's happening everywhere.

This review is for CATERING. Earlier this year, I had a Derby party. Of course, I had to find a good BBQ place. Out of all the places I sampled, this was the best! I ordered several trays of the brisket, plus sauces, rolls, and of course, the Mac and Cheese. I was even able to order the warming trays sets from them which saved me from hunting around for some. The catering person was very helpful. It was as easy as pulling up the morning of my party and loading up my car. I highly recommend Smoke Shack when planning an event. They were the hit of the party!

I tried smoke shack for the first time and I ordered a brisket entree the cost was $19.50 with 2 sides. So I asked for mac and cheese and Cole not knowing it included a small Cole slaw as well. Which that's not my concern. I asked for Tex's and house bbq sauce which was missing in addition the child size portion of brisket. For the cost versus the amount of meat it's highly lopsided. The Cole slaw was tasteless and the cream corn was like paste, it was edible though. The ribs were meh. I believe the cooks here really do not know barbecue. I won't revisit this place.

Really great service and food. Visiting from California and was really impressed with the barbecue. They were great at telling me what didn't have pork as well

Cute little place with BBQ. The sauces were awesome, but our ribs were on the dry side. The baked beans had salsa in them (I think).

Although I was hesitant because have not enjoyed this type of food in most similar restaurants. Well, what a great surprise. Cozy space, great service, great drinks and delicious food. The brisket is outstanding, the corn bread (separate item on the menu) are delicious. The bean side dish is also excellent. Looking forward to returning.

Food was excellent. We were nearly weeping it was so delicious. Got a large platter and it was still too much for 4 of us to finish!

Liked the food but was very disappointed to find out 2 sandwiches we looked at were 3-4$ more simply because it was the weekend/ brunch time. Not sure how that would be the plan decided on.

Great barbecue sandwich. Really good cocktails too. Great attentive service. A great staple in downtown Milwaukee

Friendly staff and fast service. Love the theme. But disappointed with the cornbread, the bbq sauces, and the wax paper they put the food on tears easily when trying to eat.

ribs were very crusty, and slightly burned. odd cut with pieces of cartilage through out. would not eat here again.

That was one of the most disappointing meals I've had in some time. The outdoor patio was nice, and they seated us even though the reservation was for the wrong day. The bar made me a virgin cocktail for $5, so I was happy about that. I think the other people at the table enjoyed what they ordered, but my husband and I ordered a 2 meat plate and wow- paltry. There were 3 small slices of brisket and 2 slices of smoked pork belly. That pork belly. Tough, baby. We asked if the mac and cheese was made with eggs, and I have a very strong feeling it wasn't asked of the kitchen and they just made an assumption. The greens were good. The sweet potato fries and meat were all lukewarm. I think this is the 3rd or 4th time that I've tried Smoke Shack, and for sure needs to be my last.

The food was great! The barbecue was amazing. The service from the waitress was absolutely horrendous. We ordered from the BBQ Brunch. The Shack Daddy came great, but the pulled pork's didn't. We ordered 2 pulled pork SANDWICHES. NOT THE HALF POUNDS. When the food came out we thought that they forgot the buns. But the waitress said that she should've asked if we meant the sandwich. I said yes, we both said we wanted the sandwiches and instead she just brought us buns. SHE DID NOT OFFER TO CORRECT THE ORDER FOR US. ONLY TO charge us more for the 1/2 pound and the bread. THE WAITRESS ALSO OPENLY ADMITTED THAT SHE JUST PUTS IN THE 1/2 AND NOT THE SANDWICH ALL THE TIME. And when I said that she charged us wrongly- she said that it was too late since we ate already. If a manager reads this. Fire that waitress. She was beyond rude, has 0 customer service skills and has already admitted to doing this to people multiple times before. I'd love to come back, the food was good, but I won't if I'm gonna be yelled at by the server and overcharged for food I DIDNT ORDER.

We stopped by smoke shack and shared the platter and nachos. The platter was the perfect size to share and a great deal for $59. The Mac, cornbread, and meats we're great! As we're the nachos! They were out of brisket so replaced it with extra pulled pork which was good. The sauces are delicious as well.

Great ambiance throughout. Pork was very good. I wanted bbq and this place hit the spot. Fast service and Helen knew all about the menu.

The server was not trained at all. Messed up 3 of 5 orders even after repeating them to use. Portions are small, and food was cold when they brought it out.