Smokey Bones consist of grill masters who respect the power of the open flame. We were recently invited to visit one of the Smokey Bones locations, which we ended up choosing the first ever Smokey Bones! What’s better than checking out Smokey Bones for the first time by visiting the first Smokey Bones restaurant?
The first Smokey Bones restaurant opened up in Central Florida at 3400 E Colonial Dr Orlando, FL, United States. It is wonderful knowing of historical locations around the corner, especially when it is a home of delicious food, delicious drinks and wonderful staff. If you happen to visit the first Smokey Bones restaurant we went to, ask for Jeff because he is an all-star employee that took care of us during our visit.
The Smooth Bourbon Blackberry Lemonade is one of the most popular drinks at Smokey Bones. It’s made of Maker’s Mark or Buffalo Trace Bourbon, blackberry purée, fresh squeezed lemonade, a dash of natural spice, and topped with prosecco sparkling white wine. After seeing an image, I should have tried it. Something so pretty must taste delicious too, no?
Instead, I had the Long Island Lighter Fluid, which I forgot to photograph since I was so thirsty. The Long Island Lighter Fluid consists of BACARDÍ Superior Rum, Svedka Vodka, New Amsterdam Gin, Patrón Citronge, citrus sour, Coke, and lemon squeezed. When reading the ingredients, it may seem strong and you are absolutely correct.
I was told, “you’ve never tasted wings like these” and they were accurate. These Smoked Wings are slow smoked to double the intense flavor before dusted with house seasoning and drizzled with a sweet glaze. The flavors are very unique because there are so many flavors dancing on my taste buds from being salty, sweet and savory. They are cooked well to have crispy skin, yet moist and tender meat.
New to the menu is the 1 lb Smoked Pork Chop that is sweet brined for 24 hours before being slow smoked and grilled all in-house. Here, it is served with Fresh Steamed Broccoli and Big Cheese Macaroni. The pork chop is flavorful in every bite, yet a bit dry. The broccoli is tender and seasoned nicely, while the Big Cheese Macaroni would make any cheese lover’s day.
Smoked St. Louis Ribs are probably our favorite item from the menu from what we tried this visit. These ribs were seasoned and hand rubbed before slow smoked for 4 hours and brushed with a sweet, smokey BBQ sauce. These ribs fell off the bone and were delicious. This dish is highly recommended for you to try.
With the ribs, we had Fire-Roasted Corn and Loaded Cheese Fries as sides. The loaded cheese fries were pretty nice, but would’ve been better if they were thinly cut.
The Texas-Style Beef Brisket platter is a 1/2 lb brisket that was hand carved and hand rubbed before slow smoking for 14 hours and served with a signature BBQ sauce. The brisket is delightfully tender and flavorful. This is our second favorite item from the menu.
It’s served with amazing Sweet Potato Waffle Fries that we could not get enough of! The other side is a Loaded Baked Potato.
On the side of the table, there are a number of barbecue sauces for you to choose from and add to your dishes if you fancy an extra layer of sauce.
From the salad menu, there’s the Stacked Baked Potato & Salad. The loaded baked potato is topped with pulled pork or Texas-Style Beef Brisket, cheddar jack, bacon, sour cream, and green onions. You can have a choice of Garden Greens or Caesar side salad along with the garlic bread.
The Stacked Baked Potato is filled with flavor and textures. The crispiness of the bacon is a nice touch to the smooth cheese and savory pulled pork.
Smokey Bones isn’t all about barbecue as they have a number of burgers, sandwiches, and pasta dishes as well. Photographed here is the Sausage & Asiago Melt, which consists of grilled sausage, Asiago, a tomato sauce drizzle, and cracked black pepper. The flavors are pretty subtle besides the grilled sausages, which were a bit saltier than desired. Overall, the creaminess of the dish takes the prize.
Last, but not least, is this Hot Bag O’Donuts. The donuts are fluffy, yet dense. They arrive warm to the table and in the bag. The bag is shaken up to evenly distribute the cinnamon sugar before the donuts are poured onto the plate to be dipped in either chocolate or raspberry dipping sauces or enjoyed on their own. They are made just right and the only thing I’d want is some bacon added on top…yum!
For more information or to find a Smokey Bones near you, check out their website.
