Smoky’s House BBQ

Everything in this restaurant is bland. Got carryout once and dined in a second time. Both very disappointing. Won’t be going back. Zero stars wasn’t an option

Food was Ok. Not great/​not bad just middle of the road. The staff was amazingly attentive and friendly. If I was only rating the staff it would have gotten 5 stars. Kudos to the owner on the staff they hired.

Excellent food and service — best around and equal to Black Dog in Champaign and Urbana — you will not be disappointed. Atmosphere decent and good for family gatherings as well.

I spend 16 hours smoking my brisket, so I know my smoked meats. This place was awesome. The meats were great, the sauces each had a unique twist, and the slaw was really fresh/​crunchy.

First time eating here today. I tried the Brisket, Ribs and Burnt Tips.
Cornbread, Tater Sad, Cheesy Potatos and Green Beans for the sides.
Brisket — Pretty good. Could had a little more on the plate.
Ribs — Good but over cooked a bit. (Someone gave me a rib they couldn’t eat so the rest could have been OK)
Burnt Tips — Good Lord. These were incredible!
I hadn’t heard of these before but other reviewers were raving about them.
Two of us got them and we both agreed, these are phenomenal. I wish I had ordered a big plate of these.
Pieces were large. VERY tender and juicy. It’s now my new favorite kind of BBQ.
For the side, they were all pretty good.
The Cornbread though wasn’t your Jiffy Cornbread. This was like corn casserole which is a thicker and wetter version with actual corn in it. Delicious.
And they have several different homemade sauces that were all delicious so you should be able to find at least 1 that you want to douse your smoked goodness in.
Well folks. There it is. Get the burnt tips and Cornbread and a drink. That’s probably all you need. It won’t dissapoint if they consistently cook it like they did for me.

Walk in and got a big whiff of smokey BBQ. That’s were it all ended. The smell was a 4 star the food 2 stars. But the table service was a five star. I’ll try once again just to make sure I didn’t catch them on a bad nite.

This is an updated review of Smoky’s House BBQ. My first visit was not the best, but as the owner did provide a reasonable explanation I figured a second visit was in order… and I’m glad I did !
As with the first visit, the staff were consistent in their friendliness and attentiveness. I did notice in the bucket of BBQ sauces, there was a bottle of «perfectly spicy“sauce which was not at the table I sat at last time. This sauce was very nice, had a slight smokey taste, a hint of sweetness and a nice little kick which I found pleasing and just right.
So that I could make a good comparison to my last visit, I ordered the burnt ends and ¼ chicken, but I also added brisket. For sides I picked the steak fries just like last time, and went with two new sides of cornbread and creamy potato salad.
When the tray came out it was clear right from the start that I was going to have a much better experience this round. The aroma was very pleasing and I wasted little time in peeling off a chunk of chicken and tossing it onto my waiting tastebuds… pure joy ! The chicken was moist, smokey, warm and very tasty. I dredged the second chunk though the «perfectly spicy» BBQ sauce and that was the jackpot for me. The burnt ends were also much better than last time, both tender and juicy. The brisket was really good, with lots of flavor and I couldn’t help but think how good this brisket would be on an onion roll, with some shredded cheddar cheese, onions and peppers smothered with your favorite BBQ sauce.
As for the sides, the steak fries were just as good as last time, which shows Smokey’s can have consistency! The creamy potato salad was very, and I mean very good. I mixed in a little BBQ sauce that had vinegar and it was a good combination. The corn bread was a pleasing, large chunk. All too often BBQ places are skimpish with their corn bread which I find odd considering it is perhaps the cheapest and easiest item to make. But here at Smokey’s he’s not stingy with the cornbread.
So I’m glad the owner reached out and asked to give him a second try. His reasoning was on the day of my last visit they were having difficulties with the smoker. Having a BBQ smoker myself, I know first hand how finicky a smoker can be and if one is not careful everything can go dry in mere minutes.
In conclusion, I’m pleased to say that I’ve really enjoyed my second visit and you can bet I’ll be back again soon ! Oh, and one last thing. The prices here are very reasonable and you can really stuff yourself with very little $ drained from your wallet.

This is classic Memphis BBQ done extremely well. So far, the smoked chicken, smoked turkey, burnt ends, ham and pulled pork have been perfect. The ribs are. Plain. Freaking. AWESOME. They have bite but come off the bone easily. Perfect amount of smoke and they hide nothing with sauce.
This southern girl is a BBQ snob who says smoky’s honors the BBQ tradition.
The sides are good enough… the cornbread defies expectations. The beans are canned… sadly…but flavor is good. My only regret is they don’t have stamp/​point cards cause I am going bankrupt eating there five times a week!

Gotta try the burnt ends delicious! Really liked the selection of sauces! Lil heat and chipolte mango were rocking! Dry rub on the ribs was perfect. Good sides and unique entres. Coming from the Owensboro area with a great BBQ tradition this was a great find.

On a two day drive from Florida to Chicago, on first day stopped in a BBQ joint in Georgia we found on the net. It was so, so, not as good as apparently the locals think. So on second day I thought we could get off I-​57 on RT.16 and drive a few miles east into Charleston to Smoky’s. I was there on occasion when my daughter attended EIU. It is still the best. Should have got her name but the wait staff were very attentive and had suggestions for what was great that day. She recommended the burnt ends but we declined and now I’m p*ssed, after I thought about it. I got the brisket and my friend got the pork/​beef combo. On a diet so only ate a few fries but they were crisp and fresh, the meat was perfect and the 4 – 5 sauce choice was a good mix. The topper was the corn bread served with honey and butter, there went the lo-​cal meal for me but it is a once in a while thing to make the stop. Been to the best BBQ in Chicago and Smoky’s is right up there, keep it going guys I’ll be back!

Finally finally finally!!! OK, it has been a while since I could give a review with five stars and mean it wholeheartedly but the meal that I just had at Smoky’s House BBQ was one of the best meals that I have had in a very long time! I have eaten barbecue all over the world and to a certain degree I pride myself on being able to determine what is good barbecue and what isn’t, well I am here to tell you that if you are ever passing through Charleston Illinois you need you need you need to stop by this place. For the longest time I have been unable to find a single barbecue joint that could offer me a decent burnt end and ladies and gentlemen I have finally found it! The size of the burnt ends that I just got were at least an inch and a half by inch and a half by inch and a half in size! When I tell you that it was fall apart tender, what I mean is that it literally fell apart in my mouth. Never before have I eaten such a succulent and juicy piece of meat with the perfect balance of fattiness smokiness saltiness, and the coup de grace was there Memphis sweet barbecue sauce, just the right balance of sweet and tangy in Memphis smoke. To be honest with you I just had lunch a little while ago and I did not want to eat another meal before I headed back to my hotel for the night but seeing this place and smelling it from across the parking lot where I was working I had to at least give it a try just in case I never made it back here, well I am here to tell you that I will be back here tomorrow and every day after that I am within an hours driving distance of this place! On a side note it’s interesting to me that I got great service from a drive-​thru barbecue joint and it was fast! I will have to post an addendum to this review tomorrow after I try the pulled pork and beef brisket, but based on today’s meal I definitely think that they’re doing something right:)

I’m a big pulled pork BBQ fan, so this is one of my favorite places in town! The different sauces at the table are all excellent. The portions are good, the service is good, and the food is good. I’m a huge fan of the green beans too!

Good service, generous portions. Delightful experience! It’s not about the atmosphere, the food is good.

Went through the drive-​thru for lunch, service was fast and friendly. The burnt ends sandwich I had was very good, and the hot BBQ sauce really complimented the brisket very well. The sauce was pretty spicy (perfect for me, but I love spicy food), so use caution if you’re sensitive to such things. The baked beans were tasty as well, and the fries were fresh and crispy. I’ll definitely go back. Plus, they take AmEx.

Had the pulled pork with sides. Good bbq flavor, lean meat, very good. Sides were nothing special but wasn’t there for them. Service was prompt and friendly.

Best BBQ in town. I like the brisket and the sweet potato waffle fries. Their wings are pretty good too.

Great meal! Stopped by after a track meet at Eastern Illinois and we were not disappointed! Great BBQ! If you’re in the Charleston, IL area would absolutely recommend a meal here!

«A’ight»
I went in wanting to give this place five stars, but I just can’t.
Things I liked: sweet waffle fries were awesome. Memphis sauce (and the fact that all of the sauces were on the table). Pork was pretty good. Prices are reasonable!
Things I didn’t like: potato salad was obviously from a food supplier and had zero flavor. Mac and cheese was like Kraft? But the cheese was weird and not tasty. Ribs didn’t have a lot of meat on them and the membrane on the bottom was like crisp paper (ew). Everything had this weird campfire taste. I like pit BBQ and all – actually, I love it… but this was like when you drop your marshmallow in the ashes but eat it anyway… just unappealing. Service wasn’t bad, just not great.
Overall, it was okay and I’d be up for giving it a second chance.

Smoky’s House BBQ offers a wide range of foods for any bbq fan. Their sauces, ranging from mild, sweet, to hot, are wonderful and their sides are good as well.
Staff is friendly and seem to go out of their way to help.
Family and friends like the food so much that we are having them cater our wedding reception. I heard they deliver now, you can’t beat that!

It was 95 degrees out, a day that was just calling for BBQ.
After being in town to watch the marching band at the EIU/​ISU game the day earlier, I has spotted Smoky’s and suggested it for lunch the next day with my family. I love BBQ and was happy to smell the smoke from the smoker upon walking into Smoky’s only to be let down by a pool of sauce.
I ordered a chopped Beef Brisket Sandwich with pit beans and applesauce. I usually order Beef Brisket to have a constant thing to judge BBQ on. You have a choice of 4 types of sauces — sweet, little hot, hot, and mustard. I went with little hot. I wasn’t expecting it to be so sweet! And the sandwich was covered with it, I can’t even tell you how the meat was — all I could taste was the sauce.
The pit beans and applesauce were both alright. I feel like there could have been more going on with the beans. Also, my dad had the BBQ nachos and the chips were stale.
The service was good, no complaints there.
Overall, it is a good option for Charleston. I’ll probably be back, but hope that there are some improvements.