Hey everyone,
Two Sunday afternoons ago, my guest & I were invited to dine at Smokebelly BBQ to preview their new brunch menu (a HUGE thank you & shout out go to Morgan & ML+A and Smokebelly teams). If you recall, I first visited Smokebelly back in June of 2014, a month after their grand opening and have since had more than a dozen incredible experiences, with co-workers, family and friends over the past three years. Since the East Andrews area is the preferred night out destination for my girlfriends and I whenever we go out in Buckhead, Smokebelly has not only become the perfect pregame destination, but also a wildly popular lunch and dinner spot for many of my co-workers and I as well. Having opened their doors back in May 2014, Smokebelly is the joint venture between Southern Proper Hospitality (The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, etc...) and Trey Humphreys (the Fur Bus, A Social Mess and the Pool Hall), have come together to show Atlantans what true chef-crafted 'cue really tastes like, with real American barbecue influenced by techniques from several regions of the country. At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef Michelle Matlock, a career-driven chef whom achieved her culinary school education through the American Culinary Federation Apprenticeship Program at Delgado Community College, apprenticing under renowned French Master Chef René Bajeux of the famed Windsor Court Hotel's Grill Room. With previous stints at several notable New Orleans restaurants, including Royal Café, Acme Oyster House and Cobalt, Chef Matlock was also once the executive chef for Element Film's restaurant division (so cool!). With years of culinary experience, Chef Matlock brings an extensive knowledge of various culinary techniques, flavors and cultures to the table, which is right up Smokebelly's alley considering their incorporation of varying barbecue styles from across the nation. Coincidence, you say? Absolutely not! A skilled chef who's clearly no stranger to the 'cue scene, in addition to the lively environment, wide menu offerings, extensive craft beer selection, artisanal liquors, handcrafted cocktails and more, it's no wonder why Smokebelly has easily become such a popular hotspot amongst the locals! Although there's little that can be done in regards to the traffic around the area, yes, even on a Sunday afternoon, my sister and I were ready to partake in all things Sunday brunch!
Let's get started:
Two Sunday afternoons ago, my guest & I were invited to dine at Smokebelly BBQ to preview their new brunch menu (a HUGE thank you & shout out go to Morgan & ML+A and Smokebelly teams). If you recall, I first visited Smokebelly back in June of 2014, a month after their grand opening and have since had more than a dozen incredible experiences, with co-workers, family and friends over the past three years. Since the East Andrews area is the preferred night out destination for my girlfriends and I whenever we go out in Buckhead, Smokebelly has not only become the perfect pregame destination, but also a wildly popular lunch and dinner spot for many of my co-workers and I as well. Having opened their doors back in May 2014, Smokebelly is the joint venture between Southern Proper Hospitality (The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, etc...) and Trey Humphreys (the Fur Bus, A Social Mess and the Pool Hall), have come together to show Atlantans what true chef-crafted 'cue really tastes like, with real American barbecue influenced by techniques from several regions of the country. At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef Michelle Matlock, a career-driven chef whom achieved her culinary school education through the American Culinary Federation Apprenticeship Program at Delgado Community College, apprenticing under renowned French Master Chef René Bajeux of the famed Windsor Court Hotel's Grill Room. With previous stints at several notable New Orleans restaurants, including Royal Café, Acme Oyster House and Cobalt, Chef Matlock was also once the executive chef for Element Film's restaurant division (so cool!). With years of culinary experience, Chef Matlock brings an extensive knowledge of various culinary techniques, flavors and cultures to the table, which is right up Smokebelly's alley considering their incorporation of varying barbecue styles from across the nation. Coincidence, you say? Absolutely not! A skilled chef who's clearly no stranger to the 'cue scene, in addition to the lively environment, wide menu offerings, extensive craft beer selection, artisanal liquors, handcrafted cocktails and more, it's no wonder why Smokebelly has easily become such a popular hotspot amongst the locals! Although there's little that can be done in regards to the traffic around the area, yes, even on a Sunday afternoon, my sister and I were ready to partake in all things Sunday brunch!
Let's get started:
☆Exterior
☆Sign
☆Interior
☆Interior
☆Brunch Menu
☆Pimento Cheese with Pita Chips: When pimento cheese is on the menu, there's absolutely way anything could go wrong! Smokebelly's take on this Southern classic cheese spread was crazy addictive! It's deliciously flavorful packed full of sharp shredded cheese and juicy pimento peppers mixed in and seasoned to perfection. The pita chips (or can sub for pork rinds) added a nice textural balance and paired well with the cheese.
☆Bananas Foster Stuffed French Toast with Praline Bacon Crumbles (Dipped and grilled french toast stuffed with cream cheese, dyer's rum & butter bruleed bananas, garnished with house-made crumbled praline bacon): Absolutely AMAZING! I'm pretty picky with my french toast, but I have to admit, Smokebelly blew my mind with their bananas foster french toast! The real winner here definitely had to be the sweet rum-laced sauce and praline bacon crumbles! These two sweet aspects went incredibly well with the salty bacon and semi-sweet cream cheese. It's probably no surprise that this was the first plate to be finished off from our table-yum!
☆Cajun Jambalaya Omelet (Farm fresh egg omelet stuffed with sautéed peppers & onions, spicy tasso ham and pepper jack cheese & finished with smoked tomato créme, served with bruch potatoes or creamy cheese grits): You can't have brunch without eggs, am I right? Between the two omelets offered for brunch, my guest ordered the cajun jambalaya one since the description of it already had the both of us drooling! The omelet itself was tasty and packed to the brim full of fresh veggies, ham and cheese. Although I wish there was just a bit more of that savory tomato créme inside of the omelet, it was still very satisfying and I loved the brunch potatoes that accompanied it as well!
☆Delta Double (1/2 rack baby back ribs and sliced brisket with kale'rd greens, baked beans and mac and cheese): It's near impossible to come to Smokebelly and not make room for their 'cue, especially since that's what they're best known for! I went with the sliced brisket since I find that it retains more of the flavor and fats when it's cooked compared to the chopped brisket and the baby back ribs. The brisket, as always, was divine and the gorgeous red smoke ring could not have been any more perfect! The ribs were finger lickin' delicious with the meat falling off the bone with little-to-no effort at all. The sides were also fantastic as well---the kale'rd greens are a unique twist to traditional collard greens and were fantastic, the baked beans had just the right amount of molasses sweetness to them and the ooey gooey mac and cheese was pure perfection!
As you can probably tell, my sister & I had yet another fantastic dining experience at Smokebelly BBQ! While we're regulars here for lunch and dinner with our co-workers, it's pretty exciting to know that we now have a new brunch spot we can hit up on Sundays! From the moment we stepped into this stylish 'cue Buckhead hotspot, we were immediately greeted and seated at one of the many booths by the window. As we were getting situated, our server, Lisa, immediately brought over our menus and took our drink orders. Once she returned with our beverages in-hand, she walked us through their new brunch menu and made several recommendations based on several items that she enjoyed, in addition to customer favorites. With her help, we settled on the pimento cheese appetizer, bananas foster french toast and cajun jambalaya omelet, all of which were fabulous recommendations by the way! Not much longer after we placed our order, the pimento cheese came out, followed by the various entrées soon after. Lisa did an impeccable job with the timing and transitioning of our meal because we never once felt rushed, which was comforting and very much appreciated despite it being Father's Day brunch. She managed to check up on us multiple times throughout the afternoon and made sure we had everything we needed before tending to her other customers. Lisa was incredibly personable, attentive and sweet, all of the qualities you'd like to see and have in servers. Moving on, although Smokebelly is located in a bustling, high traffic area of Buckhead, particularly on weekends and week nights, I really like the fact that the restaurant itself is a standalone location with plenty of free parking for its guests. Unlike many other restaurants in the same vicinity, free parking would most certainly be considered a luxury, but it isn't here, which is why they get a huge two thumbs up from me! Additionally, even though Smokebelly is a casual, family-friendly 'cue joint, the interior is clean, spacious and classy. Upon walking in, you can't help but notice the beautifully stocked bar to the left, followed by the main dining room complete with olive green leather booths, metal furnishings, ghost wood panelings on the walls, vintage light fixtures, and more! Also, the surrounding areas outside the main dining room consist of a handful of booths encircling the restaurant, followed by an outdoor patio, which is typically where my friends and I prefer to sit when we're here, especially as the weather gets closer to fall. There's plenty of seating here for everyone, so don't be fooled if the parking lot seems pretty packed. If you're like me and tend to take notice to the little things, you'll love and appreciate the playfully vintage and rustic decor here, like the mason jar light fixtures, the chalkboard-type mural on the walls and retro design of their menus. If you're in the area and are looking for a change of pace to spice up your boring brunch, lunch or dinner routine, then you've got to come and check out Smokebelly! They'll give you the "BEST BANG for your BUCK in BUCKHEAD!" Seriously though, for the portion size, price, taste and flavor, Smokebelly can't be beat! And just one last note before wrapping things up, I wanted to give thanks to Morgan & the ML+A and Smokebelly teams, especially Lisa, for the terrific brunch experience and for allowing us to check out the new brunch menu! Already wishing it were Sunday again so that I can get more of that bananas foster french toast again!
Have a splendid day,
-Sandy
FTC: Although this was a media event and my meal was comped, I will always provide an honest review and experience of the restaurant.
If you'd like to invite Bella Vivere to cover & share your restaurant's media events, tastings or parties, feel free to shoot me an email at bellavivere {at} gmail {dot} com-Thanks!
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