The Smoke and Barrel

Great pulled pork and polenta cake. Good food in Sanford! Try the brownie, to die for!

We read previous reviews of this restaurant and they painted a very different picture than what we experienced tonight.
I was initially optimistic about some southern BBQ and our son was looking forward to some brisket as he’s become quite fond of it.
We arrived, quiet, dimly lit, bar type interior with an awesome reclaimed wood American flag on the wall. So not a bad atmosphere at all.
We were seated promptly and a drink order taken. The staff are attentive and timely so no issues with them throughout the meal at all.
I ordered an old fashioned with one of the many whiskeys on hand but the drink was flat and devoid of any real flavor, seemed far too heavy on soda water.
When we got the food our perspective changed a bit. We are fans of BBQ, we cook or go get it often, and what I received on my plate was an oily pile of brisket a very small side of potato salad, and a piece of toast. There was no sauce on the brisket, but some was brought and it was fairly lackluster.
The main issue I had with the food was the oily’ness. The entire plate had a thick layer of oil on it after I moved the meat around, it actually made me a little uncomfortable after eating the brisket.
There is no children’s option, so not really a kid friendly place.
Not sure if I want to try this place again or not. The wife enjoyed the collard greens that she received with the pulled pork.

Found this place on a whim after a round of golf. Had the Cuban sandwich and a craft beer. Also tried the brisket sandwich was very tender and could taste the smoke.

Great food and atmosphere! Service was excellent as well. My wife an I both had the pulled pork over polenta. Then only difference is she had potato salad and I had collards as a side. Everything was great. For desert we had a chocolate fudge brownie topped with Yarborough’s vanilla ice cream! Will be back and recommend to anyone!

Go for the brisket and collard greens, stay for the craft beer and bourbon selections.

What a great hidden treasure right here in Sanford. A nice selection of beer on tap from different breweries in NC, a small selection of food on their menu. I had the Polenta and pulled pork platter with a small salad and collards. my wife had the House Special Spicy pulled pork wrap with cheesy potato salad. Wow!!! all was outstanding. The portions served were filling and the service was outstanding «Kate» was great. Our total bill with 2 beers the house made Hummus appetizer and entrees was only $ 37. This is very reasonable.

EXPENSIVE! I paid $ 6.00 for a regular glass of pinot grigio wine… in Sanford, none the less!!! Can’t review the food, because I couldn’t afford to eat there. People, this is freakin’ Sanford, NC, NOT New York city!!! Lower your prices, and you will get more business!

LOVE the atmosphere. Very trendy. The food is very well prepared too. They have some NC favorites. I love their carnitas. They also have a great humus appetizer plate.

Smoke and Barrel serves as a higher end bar in the Sanford area. I am not a beer drinker, but other people have told me their beer selection is quite good. Looking over the beer/​drink menu, I did see several options from local breweries in NC. They have a nice spirits selection with the emphasis being on bourbon and whiskeys, however, they also have a few good selections for other spirits. Décor blends rustic and industrial elements well, so it does look/​feel like a higher end bar/​pub. Drinks are reasonably priced.
The menu is limited, mainly consisting on of a handful of BBQ and sandwich options. They also have nightly specials in which they often offer options such as Mexican or seafood. One thing I greatly appreciate is once can substitute tofu for the pulled pork options. In addition, their nightly specials often have a healthier options. While not vegetarian, I am a healthy eater and appreciate having options available. Despite the menu being limited, the food is excellent.

We went for lunch. The atmosphere was really nice. Has some nice local beers
Server was very nice. I had the brisket sandwich with sesame slaw. My husband had the lunch special they Chicago dog with braised collards. The food was very good
The only cons are the menu is limited. No French fries. You only have 4 sides to choose from and one are bag of chips. My sandwich was $ 10 for this price I expected more from choices not bagged chips. Also there isn’t a burger on the menu.
But if we are in town again we would stop in again.

We noticed this place before when it was under construction. Today, we drove by and decided to stop in for dinner. We were greeted as we walked in, served immediately and got our food fast! The menu was not overwhelming and gave an array of different options. I got the carnitas. I was hesitant at first because I am very picky about my tacos (I am the one who looks for traditional, authentic Mexican food). They were out of this world! The salsa was so delicious. Kudos to the chef’s. This is a gem and will now set a new standard for Sanford area.
I must add, craft beers made my husband very happy! Prices were extremely reasonable. We will be back. Thanks for excellent service.

The staff is very knowledgeable & helpful. You can certainly trust the daily specials. Great brisket & make sure you try the collard greens. Good NC craft beer selection.

Great Cuban sandwich. I lived in Miami for 8 years and they topped any Cuban sandwich I tried. Great beer selection and the whole family loved their food!

Service speed has improved, great hangout place for downtown Sanford. I wish they offered more sides choices.

Quite possibly the best bar in Sanford. My husband and I stopped in on a Sat. night and thought the place was great. The bar has recently opened and has a aesthetic mix of vintage & modern décor. Service was welcoming and nice and the music was enjoyable. There was not a band the night we went but it was still nice. From what I hear, the place can get pretty busy on Saturday nights. We enjoyed our drinks at the bar, relaxed, and talked with others and had a pretty good time. There are about 12 craft beers on tap and they have domestics in bottles. As for spirits, they have a pretty good collection of those too. I did wish they offered some ciders like Strongbow or Magners though. I was also hoping for a cocktail menu, but I guess since they’re still new they haven’t put one together yet.
We did not eat, but the menu did look really, really good. We will be back for sure.
*one nice bonus was the free wifi they offered

Simple menu done right. Nice selection of NC craft beers. A good variety of craft, Kentucky bourbons. FANTASTIC slow-​cooked meats. The brisket was heavenly. The meat from the «Thursday night rack of ribs» melted off the bone. Coupled with a sweet barbeque sauce, added to which was just enough hot pepper to warm the back of your throat, the ribs and sandwiches were divine. Even a simple salad, topped with thick-​cut, smoked bacon and house-​made bleu cheese dressing, was a dining pleasure.
Casual atmosphere in a nicely restored, downtown building. Nothing too fancy here … the focus being on good barbeque to enjoy with friends along with a good beer or bourbon.

Excellent brisket; very tender and moist. Great ribs and sauce — just the right amount of spice. Some of the best collards I’ve had in the Piedmont area. Healthy selection of local beers and bourbon. Sea salt chips on a square white plate threw me off a little. The atmosphere is the best in downtown Sanford. Aesthetics are done very well. One of the waiters described this as more of a bar than a restaurant, but it shall satisfy any foodie’s appetite.

This is exactly what Sanford needed. This place is a hidden gem! Right next to Big Screen hair Salon on Steele St. Live music, rustic atmosphere, exquisite food (I recommend the Carnitas!) and amazing local draft beers!!! This is our new local favorite place, if you’re in town you absolutely have to check it out, I promise you will not be disappointed! Say hi to Jeff the owner or Dennis the Bartender, equally awesome is the Bar Manager Heather! While you’re at the bar, take a whiff of the REAL CEDAR coasters. Simply Amazing :)

Glad to see something new in the area. The menu is simple but done well. I’d rather see great 10 items, than 100 done poorly. With a full bar and a great selection of local beers, this seems like a place you can have dinner and stick around for drinks after. The candied bacon BLT with Duke’s mayo, local tomatoes and greens was delicious, but the BBQ is what they do best. I am looking forward to coming back and trying some more of the menu.

The Smoke and Barrel is a new restaurant and is great. The beer selection is a nice mix of NC micro breweries with some other very good micro brews from around the US. The menu is very limited but is very good. The «smoked» meat has a nice flavor but is not what I would consider as truly smoked meat (no smoke pits in sight). The restaurant caters to the young and the old as well as families and singles. Well worth checking it out!