My wife and I were visiting my niece, and on our way out of town we came across a little BBQ spot…read morecalled Sugar and Smoke. It's a neat-looking place--nicely decorated, inviting, and full of that good smoky aroma that hits you as soon as you step inside. We were welcomed immediately, told to sit wherever we liked, and our waitress followed us over to take our drink orders right away.
My wife ordered the meatloaf special, and while I teased her for choosing meatloaf at a BBQ joint, I ended up going with the Smoked Reuben. They brought her an entire meatloaf, along with green beans and mashed potatoes. I'm not exaggerating--this loaf easily could have fed three people. It was so good she nearly hurt herself trying to finish it. She almost made it through all the green beans, too, but I managed to snag the last one--and it was delicious.
Then came my Reuben: a massive, five-layer monstrosity. I actually asked the waitress whether they made it that way just to impress me (since I had announced upfront that I'm a bit of a Reuben snob, lol) or if all their Reubens are like this. She swore they're all made exactly the same. You've got to see the photo.
The marbled rye was sturdy and didn't collapse under the weight of two layers of thinly sliced smoked beef and a thick layer of juicy, tangy sauerkraut. I'm a kraut lover, so I really appreciated how generous they were. The house-made Thousand Island-style sauce tied everything together perfectly. In the nearly 17 years I've been posting on Urbanspoon, Zomato, and now Yelp, this Reuben easily sits in my top three--maybe even my #1. The smoky flavor made it unique, and I loved it.
My only regret was not being able to finish this monster of a sandwich--it was delicious but messy, and I went through a handful of napkins. A lovely lady came out to ask how I liked the Reuben and introduced herself as one of the owners. (I apologize--I've forgotten her name!)
My only suggestion would be to keep the meat thinly sliced--shaved would be even better--and maybe offer a half portion at a lower price. As it was, I could barely touch my perfectly cooked French fries.
To top off the experience, my wife ordered the bread pudding. She has a "gold standard" bread pudding from years ago that she compares all others to, and she said this one was just as good, if not better, than her all-time favorite.
I wish we had a Sugar and Smoke closer to home, because it would absolutely be a regular stop for us. It's so refreshing to find an establishment that cares this much about its food and its customers.
