Bryan A.
Yelp
Over the years, I think I've been to every one of The Smoke Shop's locations with the exception of the one in Methuen. They all provide reliably good food and a consistent, midscale BBQ-shop atmosphere.
Regarding the proteins, I've had the brisket, burnt ends, St. Louis style ribs, hot links, wings, pulled pork, and pork belly. In general, they are all good but lean towards a sweeter profile. You can get them dry with the sauces on the side. I haven't found their saucing to be consistent across the locations, so it may be better just to ask for sauce on the side, depending on your preferences. I've found that the ribs and brisket can be a bit dry, but they are still very tasty. The wings are my favorite at the moment but I happen to love wings. These aren't the super crispy style of wings, so go in knowing that.
Regarding the sides, I've had the brussels sprouts, mac n cheese, baked beans, zucchini salad, collard greens, cornbread, texas toast, and coleslaw. They adjust some of these over time, so check what they have when you're ordering. Everything that I've had has been pretty good, though none of the sides have been mind blowing. Good, solid BBQ sides, also generally on the sweet side.
I usually get the Pit Boss, which comes with three meats and three sides. Each of the meats gives you about 4 ounces of edible meat, give or take (ex. 3 wing pieces, 3 ribs, and 1/4 pound of brisket). The delivery sides come in 1/2 pint containers, and you get 3 sides with the Pit Boss. So, that particularly meal can be a massive feast for one or a decent size meal for two depending on appetites.
Overall, The Smoke Shop is a good option for BBQ in the Boston area and deserves its place as a mainstay/staple in the category.