Smokeworks

5 stars all day long! Really, really can speak highly enough - staff, be proud you were amazing! Lovely welcome, great explanation of the menu and the cool red attention switch. Great BBQ options, I chose a rib platter with wings. The food was incredible, best wings, well cooked and flavoured rib, even the fries, ohhhh yes! The staff checked in throughout and were just so welcoming. I might have to come back tomorrow! Last comment - peach beer 'brewksi' was real refreshing. Thanks team - great meal.

Having successfully solved our murder mystery tour of Cambridge taking in the sights our nearest eatery was the Smokeworks... hopefully that won't be a spoiler for anyone about to do the tour! After a little wait for the food once again Martyn picks the wrong dish 😆. I went for the Vianna Beef hotdog. It was okay but wished I'd gone for the Maccy Cheese my partner went for... luckily I was on hand to help out. Very tasty! Would definitely get that next time!

Absolutely delicious! One of the best BBQ places in Cambridge. We tried the beef burger, ribs, fries and the Carolina BBQ sauce – everything was fantastic. The meat was juicy, tender and full of flavor, and the ribs were just perfect. If you love sweet barbecue sauce, definitely try the Carolina BBQ – it’s rich, smoky and slightly sweet, just amazing! Highly recommended.

Love the food here it is just filled with lots of meat cooked to fall off the bone as well as burgers and wings and all sorts. Very nice welcoming staff and fast service. Would definitely come back. It's worth it!

Came here today for a bit of a late lunch after mooching around Cambridge for the day. I went for the ribs and wings combo deal with a side of onion rings, the other half went for the burger, side and drink meal deal offer they had on for lunch time. For drinks I had an iced tea and she the other half had a lemonade. We were seated at around half 2, our orders were taken after around 10 minutes of deciding and twisting the button on the wall to say we were ready, and the food came out 10-15 minutes after. The ribs were lovely, tender and coated in a rich sauce. The fries were seasoned properly, hot and crisp with a fluffy inside, the corn on the cob was cooked nicely and well buttered, the slaw was beautiful, and the wings.... THE WINGS were my favourite part of the dish. A beautifully crispy light batter on the outside, tender, juicy and flavoursome chicken on the inside. The onion rings were spot on too! As for the other halves food, I didn't taste the pulled pork burger, but she said it was really good. The tater tots were blooming lovely though! As for the drinks, both the lemonade and iced tea were lovely and nicely chilled. We also had a carafe of tap water for the table. Overall, a great first time experience at this place, and we'll definitely return in the future. Also a big shout out to the staff working today, you were absolutely spot on, especially when dealing with the chap behind us who said his food was dry, (sure it was mate 🙄) but only when the bill came... Just get the attention of the staff when you have the issue, not when you are paying 😂

Such a wonderful friendly place. Dining alone and gluten-free can be daunting. But the staff made me feel at home, literally. As an American I was missing home and this was a comfort I needed. They servers went above and beyond not just for me but also for everyone else dining there. I am not a connoisseur of BBQ but have had more than my fair share at home. This place was spot on. Can't go wrong with any option!

Service was quick and the atmosphere was lively, but unfortunately the food and experience were very disappointing. We ordered food and drinks, but the drinks never arrived, so we went through the whole meal without anything to drink. The halloumi was especially poor value — £10 for what was essentially eight overcooked, wafer-thin crispy fries advertised as 250g. The full rack of ribs was so tough they were inedible. The only positives were the pulled pork and beef, which were decent, but even they couldn’t make up for the rest of the experience. In the end, half of our food had to be credited, and with no drinks on the bill, the total came to £56 for four of us — but even at that, it didn’t feel worth it. Strongly would not recommend; there are far better places to go.

Good atmosphere, good beer, great service. Great choice of food! Had the platter for one and the spicy nachos. They were both nicely hot when served, something other restaurants could learn from. Why a 4 and not a 5? My baby back ribs were a bit chewy towards the end, I personally like them cooked longer. The wings were perfect! It's a place you must visit!

During a pretty long visit to England, my husband and I had had enough fish and chips, which we love, and looked for something different one night. We decided to try Smokeworks. It was excellent. I had the baby back ribs and fries which were both great. I can't remember what my husband had, but I remember that he liked it.

Location is at the end of Free School Lane. Nice atmosphere when you walk in, options of dining on entry level or below. Unique way to get service, have to go to see and experience, kids had fun with it. Service was quick and food was hot. From someone who has years of experience with ribs they did a good job. Very tender and flavorful. Only bad thing I can say is that description of the Philly burger was a lil off.

I wanted to like this, but the seasoning ruined the ribs. And a lack of spices in general were lacking. However... the BISCOFF milkshake was the bomb!

Love this place! I'm in Cambridge on business and this place feels like home. Would fit in nicely in Texas or Tennessee anytime. Great ribs, yummy wings, my kids love the corn, awesome nacho plates, and a nice beer selection. The service twist with the little light switches at the table is a great touch too, as I have found service anywhere in the UK very slow, flick the switch and these guys are there in seconds. I also love the variety of sauces. Great job!

Smokeworks is a rather unassuming restaurant, tucked away from the main bars and split across two small but well set-out levels. After a few pints at the Cambridge Brew House, we were more than ready for a meaty feast and were glad of a short 15 minute wait before the table was ready. The most unique aspect of Smokeworks is the 'service board' - when you're ready to order, you flick the red switch and your table's bulb lights up on the board (not unlike something from Wallace & Gromit) and someone then comes over. It's a fun addition though I personally wasn't a fan of feeling like I was calling someone over, like they should be at my beck and call. The menu is simple and The Works / Beef it Up are probably of the two more exciting plates available; after all, aren't large sharing platters of meat what BBQ is all about? As it was lunchtime, we decided better of it and ordered some buns and sides. My pulled pork bun was good, with a solid bun - it's a positive - meaning nothing fell apart while eating. There was a hint of smoke in the background but I topped the sandwich off with some of the house hot sauce to add more of a kick. We shared some chicken wings with what I think was jalapeno sauce and some mac & cheese fritters (can't help ordering the novelty item), and I had a side of meaty BBQ beans. The latter were much spicier than expected, but in a totally lovely way! Service was friendly throughout though I personally wasn't a fan of being the one given a bib "in case you get messy", presumably because I'm female. It's a funny comment if everyone on the table gets one but otherwise you're just making assumptions...I put them right in the end by being the only one of us not to drop sauce anywhere. A good option if you're in the area and fancy something different but I don't think I'll be making regular return visits.

During my one-day travel in Cambridge (a really nice get away from London !) I knew I would have to try a burger place, and Smokeworks seemed to have all I was waiting for. First, the place is really nice and embrace the "American dinner vibe" with wood table and big neon signs. And there is a button to turn when you're ready to order : it put a light on a board, with your table number, so that the waitress knows you want to order... Genius ! About the food menu : you can choose from ribs, burgers or mains, but keep it mind it's mostly about meat, smoked meat and bbq food. I thought it was important to say that, since I read bad reviews about the fact Smokeworks only offer BBQ style food : well, it's in the name of the restaurant, what did you expect ? I decided to have the lamb burger, with slow cooked lamb, feta, rocket and pomegranate. I chose 2 minors side, fries and apple-walnut salad. I like the fact that you can choose a big side or two small ones ! The fries were perfect, so crunchy. The salad was good, but expect A LOT of walnuts. It was like a walnut salad ^^ And the burger... The burger... One of the best burger I had in weeks !! Except for the bun, which was average and squishy, the burger was so yummy and tasty !!! There are generous with the lamb and feta cheese, and the combination of these two flavours works so well. You also have to check their homemade sauces : the BBQ is pretty good and the hot one is really spicy (and it comes from someone who can handle the heat) I wanted to give this place 4 stars because of the bun, but I think they deserve more stars just to improve their grade after the not deserved bad reviews... So 5 stars it is ! (I should say I went to Smokeworks for lunch, on a week day, so it wasn't crowded at all. Be more careful during the weekend !)

Staff is so friendly, atmosphere is great but a bit loud. Cool look. Now for the food, it was not so good. We had the meal for two, ribs, smoked brisket, onion ring, coleslaw, chicken wings,corn and sausage. The meat tasted like fake liquid smoke, to the point I couldn't eat it. Corn was flavorless and greasy, coleslaw was good, onion rings were on point. I wanted to like it so bad, I'm a rib fanatic and it just tasted so fake, meat didn't fall off the bone. Food was served NOT hot. Too artificial tasting, had a stomach ache immediately from the nasty liquid smoke taste.

Nope. I'm from Texas and I judge this place to have committed food crime. A cow and a chicken died for our meal in vain. The burger was like those grade D patties we used to get in grade school, but those were much, much better. The chicken had been baked in a oven for so long, it fell to bits, tiny mushy tasteless bits. The bbq sauce was like ketchup and hot sauce had a baby and then left it in a dumpster. Joe bob says avoid at all costs.

My husband and I were so excited to try this restaurant because we heard god things about it. I will say that we were seated immediately and the staff was friendly. The food was a entirely different situation. We placed our order and the food came to the table in 5 minutes! Wow! Really quick. We didn't even think it was our food. Anyway, the food was nor hot; warm at best. I mean Absolutely everything on our plate. So I looked around and noticed that everyone's plate was like that. No steam, no servers saying "careful, this is hot", nope, nasa, zilch. The taste of the food was bland. The ribs were fatty, the BBQ beans were black-eyed peas (so not how its done in America), just wrong! Wrong on all levels. So needless to say Se will not be returning. We didn't even eat half of the food we ordered. Such a shame.

Smoke works is tasty enough, and probably the best barbecue joint in Cambridge (are there any other barbecue joints?), but it isn't great barbecue by any measure. I think Smokeworks' overall problem, though, is its liberal use of sauce. I can only imagine their process is to slather sauce on the ribs throughout the entire cooking process, similar to that of a continuously-hopped beer, which is to say it is seriously flawed. This obviously cooks the flavor of the sauce into the meat, which is nice, but ultimately it ends up overpowering the flavor of the meat itself, which is disappointing. For the record, I also hate the aforementioned over-hopped beers. Otherwise, the meat is cooked well, nice and tender. It's worth highlighting the portion sizes: massive! Granted, I got "The Works" which seems to be a sampling of everything, sausage, a sandwich, ribs, and wings. Of everything on the plate, the ribs were the highlight but the wings were awful. For some reason, the wings, which have bones, are also possibly lightly breaded and/or fried? It made for a strange texture; not what I would expect or hope for. I also wasn't terribly impressed with the beer selection. It's just meh. Overall, if you're looking for some 'cue in Cambridge, it'll do, but don't expect a life-changing meal.

Came here for a late night snack whilst in Cambridge. Don't be fooled by the hipster decor as you come in- its a no fuss meat and beer joint with no frills- just great service and tasty beers. You're seated pretty quickly by funky looking waitresses (I avoided the bike-seat stools as they looked incredibly uncomfortable!) and an explanation is given if you've never visited before- how to order etc. There is a crazy buzzer system which you use when your ready to order and when your food is ready etc. I had the honey and mustard chicken wings and some tasty sweet potato fries. Both of which were so delicious and arrived really quickly! I didn't try any of the alcoholic drinks as I just had a coke but they seemed to have an interesting selection of ales and beers. I would definitely like to come back and try some more of the food and beverages as it was just such a quirky place to come to!

My husband & I just moved to Cambridge from Florida and wanted some good BBQ... we definitely found it! We got the works... the ribs were amazing! Also gotta try the mash with the beef drippings!

Smokeworks is an imitation of American chains that, themselves, attempt to imitate the mid 20th century Texas roadhouse. "Surely this restaurant must be a performance art project," I thought. But, no - it is a real, functioning business! As an American who dislikes the quaint, peasant sensibilities of British restaurants, Smokehouse has been a welcome reprieve. For casual dining in downtown Cambridge it's top drawer. I've been there three times! The restaurant is physically small to the point that the morbidly obese would, I imagine, probably feel uncomfortable navigating the closely packed tables. However, as long as you don't eat at Smokeworks too often, you hopefully shouldn't have this problem. The staff are friendly, the food is fine, service is exceptionally fast, and it has a friendly and energetic vibe. Let's go to Smokeworks!

We were wandering around Cambridge looking for somewhere to eat as the two places we had tried to get in were full to the brim. We were sat downstairs on a sharing table and were happy to have food on the way. The staff here are really nice and friendly and attentive which is great. I love the cosy decor and the industrial feel of the restaurant. That being said... Personally I felt the food was a massive let down. I had the beef brisket bun and the beef was flavourless, there wasn't very much of it either. The sweet potato fries were fried beyond being sweet potatoes anymore. The milkshakes were nice though! Would I go back? Probably not unless I was stuck. It's a shame because it's got a good idea behind it but the food could use some work.

Great little place, more seating downstairs. Great service including a light switch to call the server . Ordered the baby back ribs and sweet potato fries with a side of mash. Very tender rubs, great sauce with sides of sauce. Mash and fries great!

Fantastic surprise. As an American I didn't set my expectations high going in, but it turned out to be amazing. I highly recommend!

Portions are a really good size and reasonable price. Happy hour in the week is good as 2 glasses of prosecco for £6

First time I've ever been to Cambridge and found the best bbq place in England so far! It literally reminds me of BBQ back home in America so freaking delicious! I ordered babyback ribs with fries and appetizer of chili cheese fries with jalapeños. OMGGGG just thinking about it now is making so hungry, I definitely recommend this place if you are for some authentic bbq America food:):) this is your place;);)

Solid, decent BBQ food. Would recommend. Portion sizes leave a little to be desired, hence only 4/5 but otherwise delicious.

So, the main downfall of our experience was waiting. With a no bookings policy, first come first served I have no problem. But I had a hangry husband with me, so until he had food in him it was a tough wait. We stopped in and of course the text notification system failed with our devices. So we waited outside for about 35 minutes to get a table (having arrived at around 8:20pm). The texting system can confuse one a bit,especially when you see people come in, but it looks like they just dropped by, but they probably received a text and it was their turn to sit down. When we finally sat, husband ordered the apple crumble shake, I had house lemonade and we shared the works platter. The shake really did taste of apple crumble, a flavour neither of us had before. It was quite good. I love a good tart house lemonade. The platter was a good election of what they do. Its a great starting point for future visits. Our favourite was the pulled pork sandwich. I really enjoyed the smoked chicken wings as well, but would have liked some of the blue cheese dipping sauce with them. The ribs fell off the bone,but could be a bit dry, luckily there is container of BBQ sauce at the table. I liberally doused mine in it. Fries were nice and crisp, but I wanted ketchup. I know they're seasoned and thy were quite tasty but I love a good sauce with just about anything. The house pickles were OK, and the beans not all the great. Just not something we're into. Next time I think we'll be getting sandwiches, Cole slaw, beef dripping mash, and maybe a few other things we haven't tried. Overall, worth a visit, just time your arrival right if you don't like to be sent off for a while to wait.

The place looks great and there is a lively atmosphere inside with engaging staff. The food is served on interesting tableware such as white enamelled trays. I had the pulled pork burger which, although tasty, was a bit soggy. Probably because of the way it was served - completely wrapped in greaseproof paper.

I had the monster ribs, fries, and beets with sour cream. The food was delicious. I liked that they have extra barbecue sauce at all the tables. The staff was fantastic. Our server was Paula. She was pleasant and quick to get us refills which made for a very nice experience.

They have a really good £10 student deal but the staff have gone from welcoming and friendly and checking the orders right to stressed and making mistakes since the new bar part opened next door.

We really enjoy coming here in groups for food. It's as good a take on American BBQ you'll find in East Anglia. Not the same as places you'll find in London, but hey. Staff are always friendly and their occasional 'challenges' entertaining.

Love the style of the restaurant works brilliantly. Food came super quick! All of it was great but the sausages were just so good, perfect amount of heat and smokiness, I would come back just for them. Pickles on the other hand, get some more vinegar and salt then cut them slightly thicker and you are on to a winner! £40, 2 people, 2 milkshakes, sharing tray including full rack of ribs, chicken wings, BBQ beans, meat bun, sausage, fries and pickles

Been here twice now... Had to come again. Amazing service, great food, and good prices. Do not overestimate the amount of food you can eat. This place will fill that space twice over. A little cramped with space, but it really suits the atmosphere and the service is amazing.

I am addicted to the jalapeño buttermilk chicken wings! The sides (corn on the cob, mash etc) are yummy too. It has a fun industrial vibe. Perfect lunch place!

great location, right on the corner of the intersection. food quality is comparable to its close relative Millworks.

Pretty mediocre- certainly not authentic BBQ. Avoid the pulled chicken bun- miserly filling and no smoke to detect. Disappointed

A bit pricey for the smaller items, but worth every penny. My husband and I came here the day it opened with our newborn baby and it's always a special place to visit, especially when friends are in town. The pulled beef is unreal - I dream about it!

Very dissapointing. They're mis-selling as their food never touched a BBQ or smoke. I don't think the produce they use is good either as the meat is tasteless, they just cover it in sugary sauces. Good choice is beer and very good service.

Great food, cheap drinks, recommend there own whiskey, not bad, love the buzzer service :)

Perfect spot for a guy's night out. This place does real American barbecue. The hipster decor is an odd touch and doesn't quite match the Southern cuisine, but my pulled pork was tender and fantastic, and my friends enjoyed their meals as well. The staff was friendly and cheeky. A great fun, informal dinner spot.

This is real American BBQ. Not Memphis, or KC but a good overall interpretation. They even have root beer floats.

Well. We were really looking forward to our first visit to Smokeworks as we are a) great fans of The Cock at Hemingford and b) we love american style bbq food. We arrived at prime Sunday lunch time and were lucky enough to score a table...in fact there were a few available throughout our visit. Our waitress was bright and breezy and eager to please but we'd already studied our menus online so we knew where we were heading. Pulled pork and pulled beef buns with side orders of fries....potato and sweet potato. Everything was fine. But that's about it. Fine. Tasty. Hot. Well presented. But nothing stood out. Overall, a good effort and an interesting alternative to what else is on offer in the city centre but, for £40 for 3of us to have what was basically a fast food lunch, not memorable enough. Mind you, I think we might be going back for a second go...we would love Smokeworks to find it's feet and succeed.

I'm from the U.S. and lived for 3 years in Cambridge. Most of my life has been spent in Texas which is famous for barbecue chain and family restaurant. Smokeworks is the best barbecue restaurant I've been to in all my travels. I've been there three times with different groups (including other Americans), and each time we split The Works. While it's 30 pounds, it's good value. The ribs fall off the bone, the sausage and chicken wings are tasty, and even the mixed meat bun would make a good meal on its own. The sides (e.g. sweet potato fries) are worth it as well. They have a large sampling of American whiskeys. Don't expect white linen tablecloths, fancy decor, or traditional servers (the waitstaff is friendly enough). This is a barbecue restaurant for people who just want to eat great food. Cambridge is lucky to have a joint like this- you don't have to fly to the U.S. to get a sensational barbecue experience.

We had dinner here for the first time and we'll be back. The service was great and the food tastes genuinely southern American. It's not really cheap but not a rip off either and great to have something so different in Cambridge. The ribs are sticky and delicious and the hot wings are properly hot! Thumbs up from us.

Great food, great atmosphere, friendly staff. I lived in the states for 3 years and the pulled pork and pulled beef definitely stood up against our American experiences and were less oily/greasy. Sweet potato fries were great and they even have A&W root beer. Will probably make this one of our regular haunts in the city.

Absolutely amazing barbeque pork ribs. Smoked beef on toast was also amazing!! Really fun and delicious cocktails!

Very dissapointed! My husband and I visited after seeing good reviews , we were seated straight away and given the menus, the menu was very limited with only 6 or 7 items to choose from as a main to which i chose none of them absolutely nothing appealed to me i am not a fan of bbq flavour and over half of the menu was bbq flavoured the only other options were salmon salad, veggie burger or cottage pie,i really just wanted a burger just a regular burger but none on the menu just pulled pork or beef in a bun i find pulled meat dry so wanted to avoid, my husband ordered a full meal the pulled pork burger with fries and i ordered just sweet potato fries. When the food arrived my husbands pork in a bun was wrapped in paper like those you get in mcdonalds which was a steep price of £9.50 the bun was soggy and the meat was very dry although was nicely seasoned. My sweet potato fries were very dry in the middle so possibly over cooked i has to ask for salt and pepper as none kept on or near tables which i found very odd. I will most definately not be returning as i expected much more from this place the decor did not make any sense an industrial theme so metal based but with hideous uncomfortable wooden mdf planks for seats.