Smoke BBQ,

58 York Street, Kennebunk, ME 04043

"Terrific food. Fast and varied options but all were very good. Nice portion sizes as well. Atmosphere is fantastic! And service was above what I even expected I have to say just really really great. Easy to get to also for a bonus. Don’t hesitate if you are in the fence. I saw a lot of people doing take out for lunch or early dinner (Maine so I’ll say supper :-) ) as well. Speaking of, the hours are super on point, as so many places today don’t open until 4pm. Go and enjoy!"

"Joshua and his crew did an amazing job. Customer service is amazing. Thank you to Smoke Barbecue our pallets were above and beyond satisfied. It's totally worth it I'm an hour and 20 minutes away I live in Norway Maine. You will not be disappointed"

"We walked into this place and we're kind of put off at first. You order your meal at the counter then sit down. Our meal came out very quick on a baking tray. Well let me tell you, this was one of the best BBQ we've had in a while. I had burnt ends that were smothered in a BBQ sauce and pulled pork, cole slaw and potatoes au gratin. The meat just melted in your mouth. My wife had the burnt ends, ribs, baked beans and corn bread. Out of this world. I tried her corn bread and it was moist, not dry. I will definitely be going back here when I'm up in the area. You can't judge the place by the way you order your food. Yes I know southerners are used to this style of restaurant but in New England we aren't."

"Long awaited visit to this new BBQ place in Kennebunk, ME. What a massive transformation from gutting the original building, renovating from the studs, following the planning, progress and investment into the Smoker. Very impressive physical plant. It looks like it is well equipped from the kitchen standpoint and especially comfortable and decorated in the dining room. So much potential to establish themselves as a rock establishment in the community. I’ve read all other reviews to make sure I’m not off on my assessment. It appears that they had a stressful situation on this Saturday that threw them off track. They had a line out into the parking lot filling the dining room minutes after they opened. The 2nd issue was a staffing issue where a bartender had called out. Experienced team members did their best steadying the ship, while some others looked overwhelmed. For a small place, they also had an inefficient ordering process where customers get seated, but then return to the front counter to order for their tables. It created a clogged entry for new people coming in. Table service would serve them well and ensure they have a pulse on the service levels. Dedicated bar service would help too. I was one of the first to sit at the bar. When it ultimately filled nobody was there to greet them. For me, I had a good greeting before the storm. All of this is fixable. As stated, it was a nice comfortable bar, with tons of beer & drink options, TVs and lively music. I had the burnt ends with fries. Super tender and a good portion. I would recommend. A tad sweet & could use some crunch, but that’s being picky. Due to the press on the kitchen, my salad and Buffalo wings were delayed. Side salad was big and fresh. The wings were a little rubbery, possibly a little overcooked, but flavor was good and spicy. I observed a lot of food passing by and everything did look fresh. I’m trying to be fair and helpful, as I personally would love to see them succeed. It could have been an off night. Tweak a couple service issues and maybe don’t do takeout on Weekends until they settle in. A good local option."

"The temperature of food at delivery is as important as the temp of your smoker. Please equip your kitchen staff with an inexpensive infra-red thermometer and ask that it be used. $108 for a nice assortment, and ultimately unsatisfactory because all the meat wasn’t more than a few degrees above body temperature. The burnt ends were better … I’d describe them as pleasantly warm. The five sauces — all at refrigerator temp — were tasty and interesting, but couldn’t be used with meat at that temp. The place is clean, nice, and inviting. The staff was courteous and fast. Thoughtful enough to offer a box for the half-uneaten meal, but not curious enough to ask: “was it okay?” Not really. The food quality was excellent, and it was obvious by the ribs that somebody put a great deal of care into the preparation. Smoke is going to outgrow this building and have a great following by summer … just don’t let the point of delivery fail after all that hard work and preparation. Set standards and put the thermometer in use. It’s not subjective or complicated."