Smokey's BBQ Joo Chiat

Quiet little spot that I happen to chance upon as it was near my hotel. It was late and I needed a bite. Didn't expect much but I was terribly mistaken. Their ribeye steak was well seasoned and well marbled resulting in a burst of flavor with every bite. My only regret was not pairing it with the good selection of beer they had. The place had a quiet neighbourhood ambience about it. I will definitely come back again.

never been to America before, not too sure if they do smoked brisket and ribs that dry and tough there. I think even cafe cartel (anyone rmb this place) did ribs better. I hope the picture does it justice, if dryness were the desired texture. only saving grace was the selection of beer on tap and being pet friendly. have i mentioned how dry their ribs and brisket were?

We had the baby back ribs and brisket combo and onion rings for lunch. The food served was not hot despite the long wait time for our food. The BBQ sauce was over powering for me, and the meat in the ribs could be more tender. The brisket was dry and plain. The fries were well fried, not soggy. There is no air conditioning, it was warm to be there for lunch

The sauces and seasoning for the pork ribs are delightful, but the meat itself is somewhat less appealing. Serving was slow too.

A revisit as I was craving for ribs. Ordered its combo n a pint of beer for a party of 3. Their ribs n beef briskets are of great quality man’s sauce is superb. Only complain my friends have is no ac…. Food quality A+ Quantity A Service A+

Went here to celebrate American 4th of July. Ordered their platter for 2-3 people for $80 plus a few happy hour beers. The pork ribs, beef brisket and chili were all excellent. Perfect amount of smokiness in the brisket. I was surprised at how good it was. Small play area out front for my toddler. Great find!

Disappointed with the smoked beer battered fish. Saw the pic in one of the reviews, looked good with 2 pieces of fish. Turned out to be only 1 piece with soggy batter, not crispy at all. I only tasted smoke and nothing else. Fish and batter were so bland, I had to add salt for taste apart from the tartar sauce. The grilled chicken my hubby had tasted way better. Well seasoned to the right saltiness. Thumbs up for that. Service staff are friendly.

Thick stab of St Louis Ribs, onion rings and a glass of beer. Meat are well cooked that it drop off from the bones. Very chilled place to drink with friends. Kids meals available.

This is the best BBQ in Singapore! We love the food and service here. Great ambience and location. Can't wait to come back.

This is a review of a dinner with colleagues at Smokey's BBQ. When I first arrived in Singapore, a group of colleagues arranged a dinner at Smokey's. It was for my arrival and for another person's birthday. What I was hoping for was BBQ that was equivalent to the larger BBQ chains in the US and that is what I got. The service was very friendly and professional. I like the open-air feel of the place. With the hot humid weather, it has the feel of a summer BBQ in the south and the decor plays to this. It is perfect for BBQ & Beer. http://tinyurl.com/azxnqex I had the baby back ribs. They were good but not great. They were tender enough. I thought the sauce and rub could use a bit more zip. For a BBQ place, they were a little stingy with the fries and they weren't that great. http://tinyurl.com/a9nj6j5 The other folks enjoyed their food. Overall - If reviews were only based on food, this would be a three star review. But I am giving them a bump for friendly service and an ambiance that plays to the cuisine. ps - i really wish they would open for lunch!

street parking is not so easy to come by but free after 5pm. your best bet is the open air coupon parking located at the corner of tembeling rd and joo chiat place. they are non air-conditioned, so be prepared to sweat a little or dress down for the occasion. on tue-fri, during the hours of 3-7pm, they have their happy hour(closed on mon). we ordered jugs of archipelago belgian wit beer @$26. the staff let me try their lager which was also tasted interesting. we started with their sampler which is a combo of breaded button mushroom, mozzarella sticks and jalapenos. the chef special of the day was a venison chillies nachos which had a good blend of flavour and texture. for mains, we tried a full slab of their both their baby back and st. louis spare ribs. the baby back were smaller in size but bigger in taste. buffalo wings were crispy and spicy with a cooling sour cream. we ordered additional coleslaw which were not overly sweet like most normally are. bill came up to about S$45 per person, not cheap. staff needs to be more proactive instead of being asked to provide things all the time. they are probably 3 leaning towards 4 stars but not quite there yet. p.s. a celebrity couple was spotted whilst we were there.

Friend from Tokyo was craving good ol' American eats and this place did not disappoint! We happened to dine on a Wednesday and much to our chagrin they have all day/night happy hour specials on Wednesdays, sweet! $1 wings, $6 pints. US prices! The brisket were outstanding and I felt a bit nostalgic with the huge California flag and TVs playing major league baseball. The best part: first place in Singapore I've seen carrying Lagunitas beer! My favorite IPA. Can't wait to come back the next time I'm craving BBQ.

The last remaining outpost of the once vast Smokey's empire. I'm actually glad they consolidated, even if it means that I now have to traipse all the way to the east to get a familiar tasting BBQ fix. I'm encouraged by the fact that they made the painful but obviously correct decision to scale back on quantity to keep quality staunchly high! Kudos, Smokey's, you've done a most un-Singaporean thing and kept that eagle eye on the only thing that matters, the honest thing, the quality of what comes out of that smokin' kitchen! All too often the first victim of a threatened food or drink empire is quality. Ingredients are sacrificed for scale and economy; foolish and short-sighted, but an understandable reaction. It takes innards of titanium to serve good food in Singapore in a durable fashion and for doing just that, Smokey's get's my permanent 5-star rating. I still have a huge soft spot for Smokey's because they were the very first to start serving up serious BBQ, food that not only put contentment in my belly but also my heart. You know you've stumbled onto something special when you feel elevated after a meal. Smokey's always did that. My all-time​ favorite here is still the Angus Beef Rib. Call ahead to make sure they have it as they tend to run out. There is usually​ ample street parking and there are parking lots nearby. Very decent beer bar and bottle establishment right next door. Very solid stop for some good BBQ and a bottle of suds.

Food coma. I came, I saw, I ate. And am about to be in... food coma. The full slab of St Louis ribs and the buffalo wings are all I remember. They were very tasty. And once I started putting the meat in my mouth, I couldn't stop. Smoky, tender, and easy enough to rip apart with your hands. Those ribs came as a full, overflowing plate of meat, and a full slab was enough to feed maybe five of us? I don't know if everyone was as full as I was though *guiltyface* Excuse me while I pass out.

This southern style stake house is truly great and a pleasure to find in Singapore. I love the outdoor seating and the all night happy hour! The crowd is easy and fun loving. The staff is quick and responsive. Food portions can be generous though the meats just melt in your mouth -- so I had no problem in finishing up all my scrumptious food : ) Definitely recommend this place -- a meat lovers delight !

I love this place! It is a journey for us to get there but so worth the trip for a good BBQ meal. Every time we come I have to get the buffalo wings spicy style and they have a great happy hour beer special which is the perfect combo. The portions are beyond generous, last time I ordered a side of fries and they came out with a whole plate so needless to say there was plenty to share! Most of the staff are very friendly and helpful, there has only been one time where we felt our server was less than an average standard of professionalism but perhaps we caught him on a bad night. This place is as close to true southern style BBQ as you will get here and is worth checking out.

We've been coming here since Smokey's opened and have to say the food is top notch and only seems to keep getting better. I don't even eat much meat and usually have the salmon options but I'm still really impressed with those and the quality of the fries and salads. You rarely see good cuts of meat in Singapore so it's you're a frustrated carnivore this will be soul food for you. One detail that has made this slip from a 5 to a 4 star rating is ambiance. It used to be all non-smoking (which is how it would be in the US, and we were overjoyed to find a smoke free patio) but that was different last time we were in. The patio began to really fill with smoke just as we finished dinner and we decided to flee rather than stay for dessert. You can go and smoke your brains out like it's 1975 anywhere in Singapore, I really don't think this place needed to stoop to that to keep people coming in.

We go here a couple times a month. The atmosphere is fantastic, very casual and very comfortable. They have a half indoor / outdoor seating. I enjoy sitting outside on a nice Singapore day. Pretty much everything on the menu is a good choice with one exception, their Pulled pork sandwich. I don't think they put enough sauce on it, it is too dry. I think they'd be better if they simply didn't just pour the sauce on top, but mixed the meat and then put on the bread. Their beer selection is decent, they've got a fair bit on tap which bumps up their rating. There is also a small craft brew store right next door. As a frequent patron, I'd make a couple more minor suggestions to make their services better. First off, their wait staff needs to be a little more attentive. Sometimes it is tough to get their attention and they don't come to the tables nearly as often as they should. And the second suggestion would be to provide more variety on the TVs. It seems that every time I'm there they either have Rugby or Soccer on the TV. I'm not opposed to those 2 sports, but this place fancies itself an "American" style restaurant. Americans watch Hockey, Football, Baseball, and Basketball, we seldom watch Rugby or Soccer unless were trying to blend in with UK/SG/Aussie crowd.

Best American style ribs in Singapore! And good value too. Try the baby back ribs, beef brisket and St Louis style ribs. It's much better than Tony Roma's and the other chain stores. Service is good and the restaurant fills up on weekends with plenty of expats. Ribs are only available for dinner. Parking is an issue as the only parking lot nearby services many restaurants in this very competitive stretch of eateries.

A true American restaurant here in Singapore. I went here once over three years ago and loved it, life got in the way and I have not been back since, also because every time I think to come, it is a holiday or occasion and they have long since booked up. I made it back this past weekend and was not disappointed at all. It addresses my homesickness in two categories, unlimited Diet Coke refills, not skunky cans, but soda guns, and good mozzarella sticks. But there is more to this place than soda and deep fried bar snacks, the barbeque is great, real smoked meats with a great flavour. This is not the kind of place that sets out a six pack of sauces to cover your meals with, they just have one good tangy barbeque sauce they use to accent the smoked meat flavour. We did also order the chili, which had a good taste, but might be a stretch to call chili, it was shredded beef, with a sauce and a lot of melted cheese on top along with sour cream and (I think) pickles. One important fact to keep in mind about both of these dishes, Barbecue and Chili are hotly debated US dishes, depending on the region and the proper preparation method, so take my review for what it is worth and don't argue with me about direct or indirect, dry or sauce, spaghetti, beer or beans. I'm just telling you what they serve and that I enjoyed the result, but do acknowledge there are many different ways to go about it. The atmosphere is nice, all open air, but comfortable inside with lots of fans and the recently completed construction next door has I'm sure improved the dining experience. I'd highly recommend this place and intend to plan better and be back before another three years passes.

My favorite is buffalo wings. You can choose from non spicy to super spicy. Sample starter is very generous portion and a good way to taste variety of appetizer. Jalapeño cheese stick is very good. Pulled pork is a bit greasy but very tender. Great atmosphere for sport fans.

this should be a 5 star... but their parking stinks, since you have to park on the street... this in itself would not make them lose a star, but when we ordered they did not have the hand cut fries or beef rice. so that was the bad, which really wasn't too bad minus the fact that we missed out. now onto the great! if you like FOB (fall off the bone) ribs, this is your place! we tried the baby back ribs and these were better then most places in the US for perfectly tender ribs. we also tried the brisket. once again, awesome! now lets talk about their chicken wings. i have been looking to for a go to place in singapore for buffalo wings and these are about the best that i have found. the wing sauce was thick with wonderful spice. the wings were large and fried to perfection and the dressing enhanced the flavor combination. they were pretty messy but more then worth it. i will be coming back for beer and wings very soon! an added bonus is that they have a nice, imported craft beer selection from the States. if you want a piece of home this was a great spot and made me feel like i was any place in the US. if it is too busy, stop by next door at The Outpost Trading CO for a beer or glass of wine

The portions are HUGE! Did I say Huge? My half rack of baby back ribs had so much meat in it and the BBQ sauce is spot on, but the meat itself is a little dry. The wife ordered the pulled pork sandwich, which came a little bit dry as well, unfortunately. Best pulled pork burgers we've had is from Two Burgers followed by The 1925 Microbrewery. There was nice ambience and the daughter was dancing away to the songs although it gets a bit warm with the open concept. We also had the broccoli soup which was so so, but the fried button mushrooms is very yummy! The jug of pink lemonade is yummy but we can't finish it either. It's definitely very American; huge portions, ambience, may not be the best tasting food, good sauces.

One of the better barbecue places in Singapore. A pity that the beef ribs were not available due to supply issues. Will be returning to sample the rest of the dishes.

Finally made the short trek to Smokies for some home style comfort food and left feeling VERY comfortable (and somewhat homesick). The food was better than expected and made me miss my smoker! We started off with some jalapeño poppers that admittedly were nothing special but still hit the spot. I had a sampler platter of the baby back ribs and pulled pork for my main. The bbq sauce had a very nice peppery hint and the pulled pork had just a touch of Carolina vinegar to it. The coleslaw was a great addition as well. My wife had what she described as the best burger she has had in Singapore. We both left feeling fat and happy! The service was quick and adequate and it was a nice evening so we enjoyed sitting out with the nice mix of couples and families. Definitely will be making a return trip!

Been here a few times and the food has never disappointed. This time had the buffalo wings and St. Louis ribs, both were excellent. The service really need to step up there game though. Was getting a but frustrating to never be able to get someone's attention. Hope they can improve the quality of wait staff

Two nights in Singapore and we gave this a try, despite 3.5 star Yelp review at the time...and found it to be fantastic! As an American living overseas I don't get BBQ the way I like it and they came through. Details: - Half rack of ribs was delicious, well cooked, and respected their BBQ sauce even if it isn't the direction I usually go. 5 ribs for a half rack though? Could rate you down on this point, since Americans are gluttons and expect more. But I won't. - Kids both had the kid grilled cheese - thank you for using real cheddar? - Wife's blue cheese burger was spot on fantastic. Fries were excellent!

This place has great food. The chicken wings are the best I've had in Singapore. Make sure to ask for spicy. The ribs are great. Good beer and a nice atmosphere. It's not the best southern BBQ ever but it's the best in Singapore.

We had burgers last year, quite good, a bit pricey. Today we went for the ribs, and that was great. And huge, though I just had the 1/3. I recommend going for the meat, it is true to the smoked American BBQ spirit, and definitely worth the money. Affordable kids menus, standard chicken nuggets...

This is supposed to be quite a popular American BBQ place around Joo Chiat, and we decided to venture into this place to see if it lives up to its popularity. The place had a great ambience and we managed to grab a seat fairly easily. The staff were very patient and attentive, and made several recommendations to us. I got the signature BBQ baby ribs and suffice to say that I was not disappointed in the least. The meat was very tender and had a distinct smoky flavor to it which I really liked. The baby ribs also came with coleslaw and steak cut fries, and I really liked the fries. The fries were very crispy on the outside and the inside was really soft and smooth. Near perfect fries. We also ordered a couple of beers, and they were good. Overall, this is a great place to have American BBQ at very reasonably prices, at a very comfortable place for a gathering.

I thought I'll give this place a try. Definitely not worth it. Food is so-so which is fine but my server Kavin just brought it to the lowest level. Rude, can't be bothered attitude, and has a face as if I owed him loads of money. Go to chuck wagon if you want to have a good time. Great buffalo wings and ribs. Service is excellent. Definitely not coming back here.

The Angus beef ribs were melt in your mouth delicious!! Smoked salmon were gorgeous too. Chicken tacos were on the dry side. Will come with more guys next time n try more items ! Come on weekday evenings when it's less crowded for better service level #ThomtoriEats

Staying in SIN for a work assignment had the chance to go to Smokeys twice, both times were great! First Baby Back Ribs so tender, the meat fell off the bones... Second time had the brisket, also super tender, juicy and full of flavor. Tried both local and imported beers on their recommendation, really great selection on both. Highly recommended!

Sad Thanksgiving Experience,,, We were very excited about trying their Thanksgiving menu... Only to be served 2 slices of Subway quality sliced Turkey for $30 Ridiculous! Will never come back... What a ripoff!!!

The seasoning of the chicken wings and the fall-off-the-bone ribs were excellent by any standard (at least to this American!). The hand cut fries are also highly recommendable. The only thing that wasn't up to par with the rest of the food was the coleslaw. Be sure to check out the beer/wine/coffee shop next door. The Ethiopian tomoca coffee beans I bought there are excellent! A great surprise of a find for me.

This place used to be the go-to for ribs and we used to love it. Came back for a nice Saturday lunch and boy were we disappointed. It was still good but the portion was reduced to 3/4 of the size and the service was awful. Nachos with beef chili was good, pulled pork slider was good and I ordered a green salad and asked the kitchen to chop the salad. The server comes back and says that the chef is too busy prepping and won't chop the salad. The restaurant had 2 tables with customers and the chef is too busy to chop a salad for one customer?!?!?! Clearly, something has changed with Smokey's. I hope the owner reads this because it's a darn shame. Sad.

It's a place with nice ambience and good food; we tried the pork ribs, which were really good and a burger which was decent, however the chicken sliders in the kids meal were not really there. They have archipelago draft beer collection and a decent wine list. Overall a pleasant experience

Highly overrated. Miserable staff. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Food was very average. We had the ribs, wings, burger and the jalapeño poppers. Not going back in a hurry.

Horrible service throughout the night. We were left unattended despite wandering into the middle of the restaurant after waiting for someone attend to us. Finally had to request some empty seats from a passing waiter which he mentioned was 'untaken'. The fact that nobody bothered to offer any seats to us despite passing us on the way to the kitchen was bewildering to say the least. At the end of the night, we had a shock when the bill was presented to us. We were informed at the point of order by the waitress serving us on the happy hour promo, which was in fact totally wrong information. We only found out when the bill came & we saw the prices. The waitress handling the bill went to get a senior person, presumably the manager, who could only say 'he can't help us' flatly without leaving room for any discussion. Would never return after this first trip there. Would give 0/5 stars if I could but it seems 1/5 was the minimum.

Horrible foods and service,given 1 star feel over rated.Definitely will never ever go back to this restaurant.What types of Americans food they serving?????Disappointed

Guaranteed best buffalo wings in Singapore. As an American living overseas, take my word for it, it is a close as it gets to US style buffalo wings. Brisket and ribs are not bad. The chili leaves a lot to be desired.

Again another BBQ Place brought over with an U.S. idea which, was a huge disappoint and has become a failure!! I have ate and cooked Ribs and Brisket all over the States and could not even find a close or taste that could be compared to these not good tasting Ribs and Brisket!! The Ribs both Baby Back and St. Louis seemed to be re-cooked and thrown back on the smoker to warm them up. You know that when the inside is still cool but, the outside was just warm and re-cooked crisped. Also, who throughs on top St. Louis Ribs Dry Rub a Sauce? I can tell you they do and that usually happens when a BBQ Place is trying to hide something. And of course they were. Under the sauce was a big piece of bristle and did not pull of the back skin and the Rub is not tasty which, should be a nice taste but, it was not. Also, the Staff is a gaggle !! Two people working and the rest of the time for an hour and half were on break the rest of the staff while I was thier and look like the ones on break were drinking strawberry rum shulshies and just having their own private party with the neighborhood gals....... Recommend for me will not be ever coming back!

About week three into our trip and craving a taste of home, we were so excited to see an American BBQ place pop-up on the map. If you're willing to spend the money, as it is a bit pricey (more than you'd pay in the US), it's worth every bite. My fiancé and I shared the St Louis ribs and the brisket. Loved everything about this place, from the patio seating, the rugby game playing, right down to the music in the bar.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, this formerly great little restaurant has lost its focus. Not only have they been overtaken in the taste and quality stakes by Naught Pigs in Tanjong Katong, but the quality and service has nose dived. Where to start.... the service is almost non-existent, even on a quiet night I was ignored when entering and had to move myself when it started to rain, they forgot my fiends order and we were ignored thereafter, to the extent that I had to stand up and wave a serviette to get someone's attention away from the game on the TV. The food is bland, bland, bland - the BBQ sauce is vinegary and dull, the ribs are minuscule, the fries were cold and the coleslaw was watery slop. The beers are OK and you can watch F1 or a game while you eat, which is probably not worth it these days because everyone seems to look at their mobile phones while they eat. Anyway, go there with mates for an average steak or ribs and to watch a match but don't go there for the food and be prepared to be ignored. If you mention the lack of service they will be sympathetic but are UNABLE to deduct it from the bill LOL - so just ask for a discount. My advice? Don't bother.