This meal took place on March 3rd, 2023
So I’m sure everyone is getting tired of reading about Angry Smokehouse, but the reviews and the words do not do justice to how truly great this food is. Yes, you are going to need to wait. Yes, the wait can be kinda long. My wife and I arrived and got our name in for a table and were told it was going to be 40 minutes. We were in the door and seated in 20. Just deal with the wait, even if you are told it’s going to be an hour. It’s worth every second of the wait.
The place is small and loud, but it’s a BBQ joint. I expect no different. Very relaxed atmosphere and everyone from the patrons to the staff all seem to be having a good time. We started with the cheese bread appetizer and it seems basic when you read it on the menu, because it just says French bread with cheese. But the chili that comes with it is fantastic and the smokey cheese flavors worth really well. My wife got a Cheerwine Bourbon cocktail that had a great mix of sweet and deep flavors.
For entrées we decided to go big or go home. Wife got the One and Done with brisket and a side of hush puppies while I went big and bold with the Meat Sweats and got pulled pork, smoked bologna and hot links and mac and cheese, smokehouse slaw and bacon cream brussel sprouts. The brisket is out of this world. Tender, flavorful and you can taste the smoke. It fell apart and was so soft and moist that you don’t even really need a knife. The hush puppies were dense and rich, just like a southern hush puppy should be. The Bama White Sauce that comes with them is a spot on mix of sweet and vinegary flavors. The smoked bologna was the biggest surprise for me, as it had really robust flavors and had a light BBQ rub taste while still being really soft and meaty. Hot links had a good amount of heat and are made entirely in-house. Great smoke flavor and not overly spicy. Pulled pork was the standout for me, however. Soft, moist and delicious, with a gentle saltiness and perfect BBQ spice rub. Pair it with the smokehouse coleslaw, which I was very surprised to see was a little on the dryer side instead of being a sloppy mess of mayonnaise while still having a gentle vinegar flavor to it. Mac and cheese was good, but could have been a bit creamier for my personal taste. Brussel sprouts were so soft they melted and the creamy bacon sauce on them tasted like liquified bacon.
So not only is the food out-of-this-world good like Christian Felix and many others have said, you add in that the staff are extremely attentive and friendly and Jeffrey Rogers is checking in on every table and it makes for a great experience. You can tell that Jeff has done his research and really put the same heart and soul into his smokers and food that you would get at a BBQ joint down south. He’s humble and actually listens to his guests and wants to hear about your experience, good or bad. If you have been thinking about trying this place, stop thinking and just do it. As a chef who is about to put smoked brisket on my spring menu and pulled pork on the summer menu, if I could get my brisket and pork to taste HALF as good as this, it will be a success. Congratulations on your success, Jeff. We will definitely be back regularly to try any and every new dish you put out. Next time I’m going to have to fight myself on whether to get the ribs or the catfish, but I’m going to judge the hell out of your catfish after having Irondale Café in Alabama.
Tl;dr Go to Angry Smokehouse. Eat all of the things. Shake Jeff’s hand and tell him he nailed it.
33 Water St, Baldwinsville, NY 13027
315-800-6793