Smokin'

Wow, 2012 - WHAT A YEAR! TOP celebrated its one year anniversary, PID and I got engaged, I finally graduated to a big-girl camera, we celebrated the EXCITING launch of City Dining Cards and made a lot of wonderful new foodie friends. As we move into 2013, we have a few big announcements, but first we have to make up for lost time.  It's been a while since we've posted a review, but that doesn't mean we haven't been collecting delicious material!

In early December, a lovely F.O.R.T. (whom we'll call MM for Munhall Molly) relocated to Munhall and was in desperate need of an extra hand to help assemble some furniture and offered to take me to lunch at Smoke in return for the favor. Turns out there really IS no such thing as a free lunch, but she knows me too well. Food bribes never fail with me. And I was pumped to finally try the place out.



Sadly, 8th Ave itself has really yet to improve, but Smoke has certainly started the ball rolling. This diamond in the rough is hard to spot, but easy to smell. Just keep your nose peeled for a delicious, smoky (imagine that) aroma.  The restaurant is quaint and rustic, boasting only a few tables and small bar in an eccentric, old wood and exposed brick atmosphere.

Their menu is small and manageable - the perfect size for a taqueria. MM and I had a hard time choosing an appetizer because each and every one of them looked so darn delicious. Finally, we settled on the red potato salad with sauteed leeks and bacon (because who can say no to bacon?) and the Mac n Cheese.

Red Potato Salad with Leeks and Bacon - $3.50

The potato salad was sheer perfection. The only flaw is that it wasn't quite big enough for two hungry girls to share, so I'd suggest you order your own! Potatoes and leeks are like peanut butter and jelly, in my book and add bacon to that marriage? Well, that's a threesome I'm not ashamed to be a part of.

Mac N Cheese - $5 (add meat for $1.75)

The mac and cheese was definitely tasty, and the plethora of cheeses (mascaropone + white cheddar) used were obvious in the dish. The roasted garlic added a flavorful, but not overpowering punch. It ranks fairly high, but not the highest on my list of best M&Cs. 

For my tacos of choice I decided on pork and chorizo while MM went with the smoked duck (the daily special) and Migas (eggs and black beans) breakfast burrito, both of which she raved about.

The chorizo had a serious kick to it, but it was a bit dry for my taste. I wished for a BIT more sauce to soften it up, but the flavor was there in full force.

Pork Taco (top left) - $4.75, Chorizo Taco (right) - $4.25

The pork taco? Well I could eat an entire truckload of these. So juicy, so tender, so delicious. And let me tell you - their handmade flour tortillas are out of this world. They taste so fresh and are so soft and fluffy. If I recommend this place for any one reason, it would be those tortillas.

Restaurant Information:
Smoke BBQ Taqueria
Address: 225 E. 8th Ave
Phone: (412) 205-3039
Reservations: Not taken
Hours:

Tue - Thu: 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Fri - Sat: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Sun: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Notes: BYOB, CASH ONLY,  Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Overall Opinion:
If you love ethnic foods, Mexican, tacos, smoked meats, friendly servers, BYOB joints or charming holes-in-the-walls, you need to add Smoke to your "to-do" list immediately. The freshness of this place was uber impressive. I absolutely recommend it as a pre-movie date site to replace the tired PF Changs and Bar Louies of the world. If you go, get the Jalepeno Apple Slaw and tell me how it is. I'm still regretting not trying it myself!

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