This five star review for this little family owned barbecue joint is pretty much dedicated to one…read moredelicious sandwich that they've been serving up for a number of years now. I'm talking about the Sho Boat. Plenty of reviews have already mentioned it, and even though I've had other items on their menu, and they've all been delicious, when you stop by Smokehouse Barbecue, you will notice two things... 1. There is typically a line. 2. 99% of the patrons are getting the Sho Boat. So much so that the woman behind the counter just points to people with her pen and says, "Sho Boat? How about you, Sho Boat?" The sandwich consists of perfectly seasoned chopped pork shoulder. Smoked daily on the pit outside on the back of the establishment. It's an awesome blend of juicy, meaty chucks of pork with just enough fat to pull it all together. It's then covered in a sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce on a nice crusty French roll and served with a side of fries, which are also drizzled in their signature sauce. The Yelp! reviews for this place mostly feature pictures of this sandwich, as you will see here in mine. There's not much else to say that hasn't already been written. Yes, it occupies a side space in a local Shell gas station. Yes, it is family run business by people who are absolutely lovely, super friendly, warm and inviting. Lastly, and most importantly, the sandwich is fantastic! The Food Network has got a TV show where all of the top chefs in America tell you about their favorite places and things to eat. The exact name escapes me, but if there were one of these famous chefs that was from Rockford, Illinois, there is no doubt they would be telling you about the this sandwich. It's that good. Again, their menu features more food besides the sandwich, although it is quite limited... But if delicious barbecue is your thing, and you don't mind waiting a minute or two, then this is a must have. Some of the reviews said this is cash only, however when we were there, they were taking a credit card. There is also ATM inside of the establishment. Smokehouse Barbecue isn't much to look at, but the people that work there know what they're doing, and it definitely shows! No frills... just one of the best sandwiches I've ever had served to you with a warm smile by wonderful people that care.

old fashioned proper soul food bbq!!! there were 3 of us - the shoboat is outstanding - you…read moreabsolutely cannot go wrong

We came back to try smoky bones for the second. Time. What a…read moredifference compared to when it first opened. Had the pulled pork sandwich on brioche, which was fantastic with many sauces to choose from.. The grilled cheese with smoked brisket, also outstanding. I had a side of mashed potatoes and gravy which was very good. We sat at the bar and our server was fantastic and very friendly. Frank the kitchen manager came out to see how everything was. He spoke about some changes that have been made since the opening. We thought that was great that he took the time to come out and speak to us and make sure everything was up to par. We will definitely be going back.

First time customer and I was very happy with the whole experience. My salad was so delicious and…read morethe service was amazing. It's a little loud but I will definitely be back.

Great spot! It's got a cool feel inside, like a Texas barbecue house with military flavor sprinkled…read morein. Not really something Rockford has otherwise. The staff are super friendly, and the food is tasty. They never freeze anything and it's all cooked on site. We got the brisket (our fave even though it was a little fatty) and the turkey, which was a little dry on its own but with the sauce it was great and flavorful. Speaking of, they have a lot of different barbecue sauces to try, I liked the smoky mountain the best, and would recommend if you're into smoky rather than sweet. But there's something for everyone's palate. Definitely want to come again and try their other meats!

Great Place to have a good dinner, lunch, and brunch. The restaurant was clean, and the staff is…read moresuper friendly. Had the brisket sandwich, Mac and cheese, cornbread, and a corn. Love you can refill your soda, and lots of different BBQ's sauces you choose from and to try. Will definitely be back to try the ribs.

Best barbecue in Rockford hands down. I would recommend this place to everyone his side dishes are…read moregreat best collard greens and macaroni and cheese

Service is friendly jerk chicken was good 4 stars there. I had the st. Louis ribs the first time ok…read morebut kinda dry and tuff some parts were moist overall ok. Had the rib tips large size boney and dry some were very good. Sauce needs some ump kinda bland. Really just an ok place. Yes I'm from Chicago and know what's up

The bbq from the smoking' coop is the best. Very flavorful and moist. I usually purchase the…read morepulled pork and use it to make sandwiches at home. I highly recommend this place!!!!

This is a fun roadside stop with a cool atmosphere being in a barn with rolled up doors so you can…read moreenjoy the weather. Service was incredibly quick and the prices are hard to beat for BBQ. If you need a quick BBQ fix, stop in. I really wanted to love this place but found it fell short in a few areas: the pulled pork sandwich meat lacked much flavor, as did the sauces. Nothing stand out. The pork was very juicy and had a nice amount of fat. Slaw was also just okay.

The food was excellent the waitresses was so nice my experience there was beautiful the manager was…read morenice the atmosphere was great kee up the good work

Ok, came back again with my family, we had a really nice server that was really on top of my food…read moreallergy. So I'll add some stars back on for that, last time must have been an off night. Had their salmon and tried the ribs for the first time and both were delicious! Would definitely get those again.

Penguin foods catered my wedding. They were so nice, polite and professional. They made our…read morewedding day and the reception a joy. Everyone at the reception commented how delicious the food was. Their baked chicken and beef was amazing. The au gratin potatoes are to die for. The green bean casserole was the best I have ever had. I ordered haluski, a Polish/Ukrainian dish and they were the best I ever had. John was so nice and accommodating and worked with me and all my requests. If you are looking to cater a banquet, family reunion, wedding reception, etc., please consider Penguin Foods. You will not be disappointed, but rather delighted with every aspect of their service! I would give them six out of five stars if I could.

Nobody makes a better honey glazed, smoked ham in the vicinity of Rockford than Penguins. They have…read moretheir own smoker on site. Order more than you need because it gets better every day it's in the refrigerator. It's simply GOLD.

Everything from the food to the experience is wonderful! 2…read morepeople can have a feast for around $100! The decor is really nice and you get the feeling of privacy despite other tables being there. It's like you're in your own little work in your booth. I love it! My only warning is that you better be ready to have a forearm workout from grilling your own food, but it's SO worth it!!! I go whenever I can!

The customer service was less than pleasant and the food was unfortunately not up to our Korean…read morestandards. I was excited to try something local but unfortunately it seems the establishment is trying their hand at the Korean food experiment for the first time.

While in the area visiting a museum on a Saturday afternoon I was going to get some lunch and make…read morea day of the area so I stopped here, nice choice. The place is in the back of another business so you can't see it from the street with plenty of parking. The place is small with a few chairs to sit at while you get your carry out food, take out only. The place was nuts to but's and you couldn't move with so many people trying to get food. A nice smoke smell filled the parking lot as I walked in so you know it's going to be good, food smoked on site is usually fresh and good. I was going to do the Lg rib tip but I changed to the Lg rib combo to get the ribs with two sides and a can of soda to my surprise. My car smelled amazing with a nice smoked meat smell. I chose the corn bread dressing and Mac and cheese as my sides that came with a little cup of cranberry sauce, nice. When I opened the box it was the ghetto style bbq with the generic white bread which is not a bad thing, I have been to several ghetto bbq places with bars and thick glass in my life that were very good. The ribs were four bone in the combo and sauced that were meaty and fall off the bone tender. The ribs had a nice smoke flavor that were moist/tender, not the slight chew that I like but definitely hit the spot for bbq ribs. The sauce was sweet and mild that complimented the smoked meat nicely. I absolutely love that corn bread dressing is an option but the place is a bbq/sole food on Saturday the menu sign said. The corn bread dressing was very tasty and done just right, not dry but not very wet with a perfect moistness. The Mac and cheese was slightly over cooked with a mild cheese flavor in a thick creamy cheese sauce that was good also. Overall this place hit the spot for my Bbq crave and a great choice for my lunch. Bbq comes in many styles so keep an open mind because it's not like Famous Dave's, Dickeys or Texas Roadhouse chains but very good so I would definitely recommend stopping by.

I Ordered the rib dinner which came with two sides. My only…read morecomplaint was they put too much sauce on the ribs. Next time, (and there will be a next time), I will order it with sauce on the side. Service was great.