Smoketown USA

Located in the newly popular German Village area and smells delicious. I ordered the rib basket and the sauce was fantastic. I also ordered the soul greens and was very pleasantly surprised at the balance and flavors (I normally don't like greens much). My only criticism was the ribs were overdone and dry on some pieces which made it chewy. There was even entertainment who took requests...nice place with friendly people and great prices.

The night was cold and the belly empty as I prowled the streets of Germantown. I happened upon Smoketown USA, a different American choice from her brethren so here's the gist:

The Food:
LOVIN THAT MOJO! (pronounced moho). I decided on a Cuban sandwich with a side of potato salad and baked beans. The sandwich pleased my German sensibilities with its sour flavor (a pickle, mustard and a mojo sauce decorated pulled pork and ham). The potato salad you could actually tell had real potatoes. I'll never go back to that other stuff after tasting this one and the baked beans were spicy and sweet, in a word the food was nostalgic. I haven't had sides like that since I had dinner at my grandmothers.

The Atmosphere:
Like being back home in the country. The interior was beautiful with its exposed brick and it had a family atmosphere. It had yard sale style art decorating the place, all of which is for sale. The tables were quirky and vintage and the food was served on colorful platters. There's a musician named Billy who played (and does most nights)  there and he's really good! He did a real homage to Denver

Anything Else?:
DO I EVER! The owner sat down with us and the other tables there. He pulled up a chair! He asked us who we were told us about himself and his wife and the place. It was the most amazing thing ever, no one gives that connection anymore. I like to see the face behind the place. It really touched my heart and I'll never forget that, what was so great was that it seemed genuine and not forced at all. It really just made me want to sit a while and enjoy myself and that's really what restaurants should strive for.

Overall:
SOLD! loved it.

My husband and I recently made our first visit to Smoketown, and I cannot believe we hadn't heard more about how wonderful a place it is. Everything about is just--I can't think of a better word than happy!

I agree that the barbecue is amazing, even for my husband, who is an avid ribs snob. It was fish Friday when we were there, so that's what I ordered, and it too was just about perfect. The sides were all well-made and complementary to the main dishes, and of course they made sure we didn't leave without amazing homemade cake.

It's obvious that there are many regulars who are like members of the family for the restaurant staff, but there were plenty of patrons like us who were just making the discovery. The owner made the rounds of all of us, and the rest of the wait staff were attentive and friendly as well. The nice singer-songwriter grey-haired hippie fellow singing in the front window was absolutely charming and obviously had plenty of fans of his own.

Love the atmosphere, love the food. It's just a happy place.