A BBQ Bonanza at Smokey Bones

You know how sometimes you leave a restaurant so full and licking your lips, yet you find yourself wondering if you can “find room” for just a little more? That’s how I felt when I left Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill last time I visited them at a VIP media tasting in August. They had just opened their doors at the Mall of Georgia in July, and ever since that first tasting, I have been hoping for another moment to indulge in all the tasty BBQ goodness Smokey Bones serves up.

Well, I finally got my moment!

Enter Round Two at Smokey Bones. This time around, I was treated to a super special personal tasting. As you can imagine, both me and my taste buds were super excited. Right when I arrived, I met the General Manager, Robert who was so personable and super funny. Robert gave hubby and I the rundown of the menu and what was to come. Needless to say it was waaay more than we ever expected. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into the tastings they had lined up for the eve.

Appetizers

If you’re looking for delicious American fare, I definitely urge you to start with Smokey Bones’ appetizer offerings. I got to try three of them: Skillet Cornbread, Loaded Nachos, and the Smoked Wings. First, we all know that cornbread is the cornerstone of Southern cuisine, so I happily pleased my pallet with this sweet skillet-baked treat topped with a honey-pecan butter. It was absolutely heavenly!!!

Next up on the starter tasting portion was the Loaded Nachos. Talk about a fiesta in your mouth! These piled-high tortilla chips were muy bueno, as they were topped with queso, cheddar jack cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, sour cream, homemade fire-roasted salsa, and sliced jalapeños. Getting hungry yet?

The last app we tried were the unique and tasty Smoked Wings. These wings were giant and oh-so-juicy! They were rubbed and slow-smoked to double the intense flavors. To finish, they were drizzled with a sweet glaze and dusted with a special house seasoning. These wings were definitely worth the mess!

Creative Cocktails

Of course, I wouldn’t be able to taste all these yummy dishes if I didn’t have something equally as delicious to help wash them down. I was lucky to try two of Smokey Bones’ special cocktails, and each one had me wanting more! (Or maybe that was the alcohol talking…) 😛

First up was the Sleeping Dragon. This sip packed a pomegranate punch–it consisted of BACARDÍ Dragon Berry Rum, PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, blackberry syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice, and twice-torn mint for extra flavor. It was then topped with soda and garnished with strawberry boba bubbles and mint sprig. A legendary libation for sure!

You all know that I like to have lots of fun, and that’s probably why this second drink had to have been my favorite! The “Pop Star” was a crackling cosmo. Literally, the drink crackled and popped! It was made with Three Olives Orange Vodka, Kinky Pink Liqueur, blood orange sour, and a rim dipped in cherry Pop Rocks®. This drink definitely topped the pop charts! 😉

The Main Event

On to the entrees we went. We tried four of the main courses, so it’s a good thing we saved a little lot of room for this round. During the tasting session, I was able to have just enough of each dish to get a full feel for the cuisine while leaving me wanting more.

First, there was the Loaded BBQ Burger. This burger is not for the weak! It was a ½ lb Memphis-spiced burger with cheddar, a pile of pulled pork, crunchy onion rings, and KC BBQ sauce all on a toasted bun. Boom. Talk about a loaded BBQ burger you won’t forget!

Speaking of BBQ… this is Smokey Bones’ specialty. So you better believe there was lots more lip-lickin’ to be done! We dove into the next entree, the award-winning Baby Back Ribs. These superstars spend 4 hours in the smoker, and they are fire-grilled to order. They’re then brushed with a sweet BBQ glaze and served with savory garlic bread on the side. I was in BBQ heaven.

Then I got to treat my tastebuds to more ribs! This time, St. Louis-style. The Smoked St. Louis Ribs tasted like they were straight from the “Show Me” state. Seasoned and hand-rubbed, these babies were slow-smoked for 4 hours and brushed with a smokey-sweet BBQ sauce. I couldn’t wait to “show” these to my mouth!

Last on the entree tasting list was delectable Texas Style Beef Brisket. It comes as a ½ lb and is hand-carved and hand-rubbed. It was slow-smoked for 14 hours, because you know the motto… Low and slow. I was told this dish is a guest favorite, so you might want to hurry to make sure you get yours! It is available after 4 p.m.

The Sweet Stuff

Ahh, yes. Arguably one of my favorite parts of any meal… Dessert! To cap off the tasting session, I got to try the Hot Bag O’ Donuts. As if I needed an excuse to eat donuts at any time of day! This dessert was basically a bag of fresh and fluffy round donuts. They are cinnamon-sugar and come with chocolate and raspberry dipping sauces. Which sauce would you go for? I double dipped in case you were wondering. 😛

Food Coma

At the end of the day, there’s no doubt that I slipped into a food coma. After indulging in so many amazing flavors, my tummy was very happy with me and needed a little rest. Everything about my experience at Smokey Bones this time around was even more than I could have expected. From the amazing service to the creative sips and the bad-to-the-bone bites, this place is on fire! And let’s not forget the fact that I got to end my meal with donuts. I think we all know who the real winner is here 😀

Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill actually has two in-house smokers constantly being hand-fed 18-inch hickory logs every day and night, so if you’re craving authentic prepared fixin’s scoot on over to Smokey Bones cause there’s some serious BBQ’n goin down.

Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill has 3 locations around Atlanta, but be sure to make a “pit” stop at their newest digs at the Mall of Georgia at 3333 Buford Drive NE in Buford, GA. Oh, and be sure to ask for Jalessa. She’s uh-mazing!!!!