Last weekend after visiting my brother's new home in the Parkside section of Camden, little did I know that I would find this hidden gem nestled among a row of dilapidated buildings on Haddon Avenue. Its new design and fresh-looking façade are what immediately caught my eye. Being inquisitive by nature, I had to get out to see what this place was all about, and on this particular day, I was on my way to visit my mom and figured we could both use a bite to eat.
I parked in the vacant lot on the corner directly across the street from the restaurant, walked up, snapped a pic, and then proceeded to walk in. I was greeted by a friendly gentleman behind the counter named Omar. I scanned the interior which appeared very clean and tidy. The wall décor pays homage to a series of notable African American figures.
Side Bar: Oftentimes thoughts of crime and poverty spring to mind when it comes to Camden, but that is not the whole of the City's story. It's a place where people love one another and take care of each other. It's a place with a lot of untold history. As a child growing up in the city, I remember visiting The Walt Whitman House in Parkside and learning about Whitman's dream of "a city invincible" (hint: he was talking about Camden). Today, Camden is a wellspring of new economic opportunities, and Blowin' Smoque is a nod to that dream of Whitman's. I am encouraged to see that the entrepreneurs behind Blowin' Smoque have a heart for the city and take great pride in their establishment. They are not another big corporate name setting up shop to exploit a poor community. Blowin' Smoque stands out as a beacon of hope for others from the City who dream of becoming business owners.
Now for the food...
I ordered the Big Beef meal which comes with brisket 3 sides: I chose the mac n' cheese, broccoli salad, and yams, and I added greens and a 10-piece order of party wings for good measure -- because both mom and I like to EAT eat!! I upsized two of the sides (the mac and the yams) to have a larger, shareable portion. It cost $3 extra for each upsize which takes it from a standard 8 oz. container to a 16 oz. one. I also received a tall cup of fresh lemonade. The total for all that food came to ~$60... not too bad on the pockets especially given the substantial portion of beef brisket I got.
* The Meats
BABY! Let me tell you.... That meat was SO tender and tasty. It gets my stamp of approval as **Five Finger Lickin' Delicious** no doubt. The meat was flavorful and the spices well-balanced (not overly salty as is common among BBQ-smoked meat joints). The BBQ sauce was tangy and sweet at the same time. The party wings were smoked to perfection; I sucked that meat right off the bone with ease.
* The Sides
As for the sides, I absolutely loved loved LOVED the mac n' cheese, yams, and broccoli salad; the greens were just okay. It took every ounce of willpower not to lick my plate of all those juices that remained when I was done. My mom also commented that she enjoyed every part of her meal. Plus, there were more than enough leftovers when we were done eating. We each could have had full seconds, but we were full after one plate.
I will be going back to Blowin' Smoque on my next visit to Camden because Omar was trying to sell me on their pork ribs which I do want to try one day along with their Parkside Rice; I just wasn't in the mood for ribs or rice on that particular day.
I truly hope that people support his place and that it is built to last because they are CERTAINLY putting out some awesome good food. There's more than enough space for another taste in Camden City and the market can sustain both the new and the existing businesses to thrive. Parkside, it is not just about Donkey's Place and Corrinne's anymore (winky face). Camden is on the rise! read more