The Smoked Joint (Philadelphia, PA)
Smoking Good Time
After having suffered through the dismal Penn football homecoming loss to Princeton earlier in the day, I was desperately in need of a pick me up. Matt and I had discussed meeting for dinner at The Smoked Joint and we thought that it would be a great place for our large homecoming Stouffer crowd tonight. I called and made a reservation for a party of 10 at 6 PM. The Smoked Joint normally has a no reservations policy but they make exceptions for large groups.
Our group arrived in several smaller subgroups, some via car, some via taxi, and some on foot (as was the case for John, Courtney, and I). The restaurant is located in a small shopping center on the south side of Locust Street east of 15th Street. A slightly gaudy neon sign identifies the restaurant but the décor inside is tasteful. The dining room itself is dark, extremely noisy, and has a relaxed atmosphere. We were seated at a long rectangular table that continued to grow in length by the addition of tables as more of our party members arrived throughout the evening.
The few of us that ordered soda received a pleasant surprise when each of our drinks came out in our own personal sized pitchers. Nonetheless, I still managed to require a refill of my diet coke. We ordered too many items for me to discuss so I will just focus on my three courses. A quick survey of our table indicated that most people were happy with their dishes.
I started with a smoked baba ganoush appetizer that was outstanding. Both the pita and baba ganoush had a very strong, wonderfully smoked flavor. This is one of the most unique baba ganoush platters that I have had in recent memory. For my entrée, I choose the slow smoked brisket dish, which is smoked for 18 hours. I was very disappointed with this dish. The meat was very tender but was devoid of almost all flavor. The generous helping of sweet barbecue sauce that I applied helped to compensate but there is no reason for the meat to be flavorless. Matt also had the brisket and shared my opinion. My included side dish of sweet potato fries was very good. The fries were thinly cut, crisp yet not greasy, and were well salted. Brooks and I decided to share the bourbon chocolate pecan pie topped with warm chocolate ganache with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The slice of pie that arrived was small but nicely warmed. I enjoyed the gooey chocolate filling and was pleased with the dessert in general.
At the conclusion of our meal, we were pleasantly surprised with the total bill even after the included 18% gratuity due to our large party size. The bill was extremely reasonable and we were not charged for any of the sodas that we had ordered. After settling the bill, we headed outside, said goodbye to Tamy, Sara, and Ryan, and flagged 2 cabs. We soon arrived back on campus and headed to Brian’s room to continue our homecoming festivities.
I am reserving judgment until after my next visit. Overall, I enjoyed the vibe of the restaurant along with most of my dishes (aside from my disappointing brisket entrée). The service was extremely good especially given the large size of our party. The prices are also very reasonable.
The Facts
Name: The Smoked Joint
Address:
1420 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: (215) 732-7500
Price: Appetizers $4-$14, Entrees $9-$25, Desserts $5-7
Cuisine: Barbecue
Website: The Smoked Joint
After having suffered through the dismal Penn football homecoming loss to Princeton earlier in the day, I was desperately in need of a pick me up. Matt and I had discussed meeting for dinner at The Smoked Joint and we thought that it would be a great place for our large homecoming Stouffer crowd tonight. I called and made a reservation for a party of 10 at 6 PM. The Smoked Joint normally has a no reservations policy but they make exceptions for large groups.
Our group arrived in several smaller subgroups, some via car, some via taxi, and some on foot (as was the case for John, Courtney, and I). The restaurant is located in a small shopping center on the south side of Locust Street east of 15th Street. A slightly gaudy neon sign identifies the restaurant but the décor inside is tasteful. The dining room itself is dark, extremely noisy, and has a relaxed atmosphere. We were seated at a long rectangular table that continued to grow in length by the addition of tables as more of our party members arrived throughout the evening.
The few of us that ordered soda received a pleasant surprise when each of our drinks came out in our own personal sized pitchers. Nonetheless, I still managed to require a refill of my diet coke. We ordered too many items for me to discuss so I will just focus on my three courses. A quick survey of our table indicated that most people were happy with their dishes.
I started with a smoked baba ganoush appetizer that was outstanding. Both the pita and baba ganoush had a very strong, wonderfully smoked flavor. This is one of the most unique baba ganoush platters that I have had in recent memory. For my entrée, I choose the slow smoked brisket dish, which is smoked for 18 hours. I was very disappointed with this dish. The meat was very tender but was devoid of almost all flavor. The generous helping of sweet barbecue sauce that I applied helped to compensate but there is no reason for the meat to be flavorless. Matt also had the brisket and shared my opinion. My included side dish of sweet potato fries was very good. The fries were thinly cut, crisp yet not greasy, and were well salted. Brooks and I decided to share the bourbon chocolate pecan pie topped with warm chocolate ganache with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The slice of pie that arrived was small but nicely warmed. I enjoyed the gooey chocolate filling and was pleased with the dessert in general.
At the conclusion of our meal, we were pleasantly surprised with the total bill even after the included 18% gratuity due to our large party size. The bill was extremely reasonable and we were not charged for any of the sodas that we had ordered. After settling the bill, we headed outside, said goodbye to Tamy, Sara, and Ryan, and flagged 2 cabs. We soon arrived back on campus and headed to Brian’s room to continue our homecoming festivities.
I am reserving judgment until after my next visit. Overall, I enjoyed the vibe of the restaurant along with most of my dishes (aside from my disappointing brisket entrée). The service was extremely good especially given the large size of our party. The prices are also very reasonable.
The Facts
Name: The Smoked Joint
Address:
1420 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: (215) 732-7500
Price: Appetizers $4-$14, Entrees $9-$25, Desserts $5-7
Cuisine: Barbecue
Website: The Smoked Joint
posted by Mike at
6:00 PM
