A bit overpriced but very cool, up and coming place. Absolutely awesome inside! Known for their smoked meat and craft beer. Large assortment of bourbons and whiskeys. read more

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We got the pleasure of having Tandy as our waitress during the browns/ bengals game. I'm a browns fan, so the crowd was not in my favor but Tandy respected the us and treated us so well!food was great, service was better. We were seated upstairs, which was great for us. Highly recommend the wings (pricey but so tasty). Overall, great experience and loved our waitress!! read more

Early visit on a Monday evening about 5 PM. We had the place to ourselves aside from two people at the bar. Ascetically the place looks good although I prefer more tables that are regular height. This place has mainly backless metal barstools for all of the tables. The beer selection is better than expected and the bar options were plenty. We had three waitresses and were greeted quickly. They didn't know the bar menu well but were willing to help us get answers. We asked for recommendations as well from the food menu. The service albeit good, was slow for no one being in this place at all. We ordered the pastrami fry box, brisket grilled cheese and the Monday burger special, sides were ala-carte with the burger. The brisket was tough and not smoked enough at all. The hand cut fries were very tasty (we asked for them crispy). Also the burger was cooked as requested. As for the pastrami fries the meat was much better on this dish. This place has charm and potential but is lacking in execution. I would come here again to give them one more try but really they need to focus on the food to get an improved rating. On a random side note, the women's bathroom, needs a door... had to be said. read more

Smoke Justis - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Pretty good food and really good service would definitely go again, also great selection of drinks!

Welp, this was a major disappointment. Organized my trip around making a visit. Service. Poor. Food. Average. Cocktails. Mid. Won't return.

Sooo good! I was very delighted to try their food at BourbonQ event! The barbecue sauce has bourbon in it(yummy) the cornbread was soo sweet & delicious! I will be visiting their location soon. Who is coming with me??!! read more

Smoke Justis - Beef Brisket, Cole Slaw & Corn Bread - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Went here once before a reds game got pulled pork sliders and got food poisoning from them. Will never eat here ever again. I made yelp just so I could leave this review. read more

I wanted to love this place so badly. My experience at Smoke Js was unfortunately not all that great. Took over an hour to get our food....and it was a Saturday at 1:00. My wings were good! The fry basket was just okay. I plan to try this place again. read more

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After arriving at the Marriott Riverfront hotel, I wanted to find a place close for a light snack/dinner and craft beer. I was told this venue was quite new and close by. A quick walk later and I was at the bar. Being an amateur pitmaster myself, I wanted to try their smoked wings to see if they stacked up against mine. For $11 a pound with around 8 wings included, they were close but still need to work on the coating. A bit heavy on whatever breading they use. It was a bit charred to taste. They asked if I wanted ranch or bleu cheese. I figured they would be providing carrots or celery. No--- just a cup of dressing which had no chunks of bleu cheese. With a charge of $.50 for a small cup. Really? Thinking about this now has inspired me to change my rating. The smoked flavor of the wings were very good. Tender with good flavor. They need to work on the coating/seasoning and stop charging for condiments. For $.50--- let me have some real bleu cheese. Drafts on tap were good. Started with the Rhinegeist Truth, but found the Victory At Sea to be my favorite. I can't blame the bartender. He did recommend the Dickmann's Wings over the smoked. It didn't do Smoke Justis any justice. read more

Smoke Justis - Smoked wings - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Stopped for a late Saturday lunch. Tried the brisket chili and cornbread. The chili was very filling, good size portion, we took half home so we had room for our meal. We both had the smoked wings and split the hand cut fries. The wings were nice and crispy, good seasoning. Different sauces on the table. Food came out quick. read more

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Went here with my brother Monday Night. I had just finished a 7 mile run and I was FAMISHED. I remember they had a Monday night special with burgers so we chose this place. Now I've been to SJ a bunch, and I'm well aware of their menu. They have pretty good food, so I guess I'm always confused when I walk in at like 8:30 and there is literally no one in the building. There were about 3 other tables full so they had a few people there, but the empty space was deafening. NEVERTHELESS, we were starving so I sat down and got a drink. Water always tastes a little weird in Kentucky so got a coke and a Beer. Took a little bit to get our orders in due to ?? Not sure what happened there but eventually someone came over I ordered a burger no cheese, fries, and smoked wings. My brother got bacon cheese fries. So when we got our food, the fries were delicious as usual and the wings were smoky goodness, but the burger.... Not sure if it was my fault that I ordered it at 9 or if they were just getting rid of meat but it was gross. The meat tasted pretty old and not right at all. I've had a burger at Smoke Justis and I know how it tastes, and this was just not there. I couldn't eat the meat and had to take it out and just finish the bread and veggies. Thank God I had wings because that was just disappointing. My brother really enjoyed his fries so I'm guessing I just got the short end of the stick this time around. Like I said I've been there plenty of times before so I hope this was just a fluke. I'll def update on my next visit! read more

Had the brisket grilled cheese, and a three meat plate. Ribs and pulled pork were the best, the brisket and chicken were good too. Sides of hush puppies and baked beans, good stuff. Cornbread and fries were excellent. Great meal, reasonable prices, will be back, and often. read more

We ate brunch here on a Saturday morning - I think brunch may be a new thing because they weren't very busy. Service was great and our food came quickly. I ordered the biscuit, brisket, bacon and egg sandwich. The biscuit was delicious, but unfortunately, I ordered a side of fruit and that was put on the same plate -- so part of my biscuit was soaked in fruit juice. The fruit was a mix of melon, pineapple and grapes - not the best. My husband ordered the omelet with mushrooms, onions and brisket. It was pretty tasty - but the brisket in both of our meals was on the dry side. I wonder if it is better at dinner time. The potatoes (really fries) were delicious and I regretted not just getting those instead of fruit. My rating is between a 3.5 and 4... We have been here once at night, and it's a cool set up for a bar. I will likely come back for dinner or drinks in the future. read more

Smoke Justis - Brisket omelet with potatoes - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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Great wings, and the loaded fry boxes are ridiculously awesome! Love the building and the staff was very attentive, just what the doctor ordered after a day of traveling. read more

Smoke Justis - Perfectly crispy and juicy wings with butter and franks reshot sauce! - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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I was looking forward to this place opening. I love the location they chose, the building they restored and I love Covington. I love the Covington Blue Sox inspiration. I love that we now have a sports bar with decent food. Because good local sports bars is something we lack in as a city or Cincinnati area. However, when we went in to eat here on Saturday afternoon, it was pretty disappointing. Smoke Justis is basically a sports bar specializing in more BBQ type foods on the menu with some other different types of food mixed in that would venture more to the sports bar side. I ordered the "Three Sliders For $9.50" which is a really awesome deal. The sliders are a decent size and they are pretty loaded for sliders. I ordered The Smoked Pork, The Smoked Chicken, and The Smoked Brisket. The Smoked Porked was the only one I liked. Sadly. The chicken wasn't pulled apart well enough and was just kind of thick and fatty on my slider. The Brisket is what I was truly disappointed in. I. Love. Brisket. I did not like this brisket at all. It was the opposite of what brisket should be, in my opinion. Take that for what it's worth, I guess. Haha. It was thick, had ALOT of fat on it, and lacked flavor. Sadly. I didn't finish eating my meal. So I left hungry and it was a bummer. My fiancé, on the other hand, ordered mild wings, which he inhaled and said were amazing. But he even tasted my sliders and didn't like them either. Which on the wings, it's awesome to finally have a good wing place around here. Something else Cincinnati lacks. They have a really wide menu without it being overwhelming, I like that. I also think their beer selection is pretty legit. Other things that were an issue outside of the food. My fiancé ordered a beer, he was clearly brought the wrong one. We looked at our receipt and the server rang it in right, so either she switched beers or the bartender messed up. Our server drove me insane with how NOT attentive she was. We barely saw her the whole time. Which is why we just didn't bring up any of the issues to her. She had a six piece table behind us that she was giving all of her attention. We waited forever for her to stop by so we could get our check. Then when she finally brought the check I had our card sitting out and I tried to hand it to her when she came back with the check, and she reached over me and sat the book in front of my fiancé, in which we then had to wait another ten minutes for her to come back. They have peanuts sitting on the table in plastic cups. This is cool and great to snack on. However, our cup had a good 30% of its peanuts were eaten and just empty shells in the cup. Which is kind of gross and just... You should just make sure to always change the peanuts out between customers if you are going to keep them on the table. Also, I know they are new, and their menu is probably still in the works. But the paper menus should either be laminated or just they should just print out new ones when they get gross. Ours had BBQ sauce finger prints on them and that's gross. My last thing is that I wish they had their BBQ Sauces on the table labeled. I looked on the bottom and there was just one letter on one of them, which is probably more for the servers than the customers. This restaurant is new and has a lot of promise. I would give them two and a half stars if it was an option. We will be going back sometimes in a few months when hopefully they have all the service problems figured out. read more

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I'm not a rib guy. Too often I've found ribs to be "fat on a stick"........not here. All my dining companions ordered ribs and they were all raving about how good they were. They looked great. The sauces were excellent. I got a smoked turkey hot brown. It had a generous layer of smoked turkey breast and a good mornay sauce. Hot Browns by their nature usually require some aggressive knife work. This one was served on a piece of paper which was on a tin plate. This caused the HB to slip / slide all over the place when you cut it. Nevertheless, it was good. We'll be back and I'll probably try the ribs. read more

BEST smoked ( extra crispy) wings I have ever had!!!!!! Absolutely AMAZING! I'll be back for sure. Only disappointment was the drinks! #weak UPDATE After multiple visits at all different times I am knocking 2 stars off my original rating. Let's face it, this is just a bar with average service and average food except the smoked wings and pretzel bites. Otherwise, mostly uninspired, pre made/mixed ( slaw sucks, Mac and cheese side was a cheese puddle with soggy noodles) Suggestion, the metal stools at the high top tables are the most uncomfortable choices imaginable, I guess you want turnover rather than patrons to sit, eat, drink, watch games and be comfortable. read more

I was a little disappointed with Smoke Justis. The food is WONDERFUL and worth visiting to try the menu. But the service is slow slow slow. I was surprised to discover on my first visit that Smoke Justis is actually more of a sports bar than anything else: the entire space is filled with high-top seating (okay, one tiny corner of the place has real tables and chairs) and an overwhelming number of big screen TVs. There is outdoor seating available which is nice. The entire lower level is filled with arcade games, pool table, and shuffleboard with pour-your-own draft beer. The food is incredible. The fries are handcut, fresh, and salty which is my preference and the wings are meaty and flavorful. The service is very friendly, but there are never enough servers staffed for the crowds that come in which leads to slow and frustrating service. read more

Smoke Justis - Federal Burger with fries - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

I accidentally ran into this place with my family. We booked a reservation for a place around the corner and had to wait. Walked around the corner and found this place. Best place in town to be honest with customer service and aim to please. The food was even better. BBQ was on point and tender. I was surprised by the corn bread and how good it was. A spot I can take my family or go later with the boys for drinks. Awesome atmosphere and games down stairs. I'm a fan now. read more

Smoke Justis - Ribs, House Salad, cornbread, sausage, and pulled pork Triple Smoked Meat Specialty Plate - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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I've been here many times with zero problems. The food is always tasty & so are the cocktails. Last night we went with a group of 6. My father & I had smoked wings with sweet & spicy sauce, gold sauce, & blue cheese. We were both up for 1 to 2 hours violently ill last night. No one else in our party of 6 was sick. The only thing my father & I had in common was the blue cheese & wings. It's a real bummer because the wings were tasty but the aftermath was atrocious. read more

Some of the best wings I have ever had. Their house BBQ hot wings were the perfect flavor and spice. Left me with a satisfied belly and pleasantly numb lips. Pretty good beer selection too. Staff was pleasant and attentive. read more

We happened to be in the area and needed to kill time before our son's football game. We wanted a spirts bar so we could grab a drink, some bar food and watch college football. Smoke Justis was perfect. The restaurant was large and spaced out. We sat at the bar. They did a great job pulling a few hightops off the bar so you felt spaced out but could still engage with the bartender. The chili had lots of brisket. The bartender warned us it was a generous portion and he was right. Recommend adding the hot sauce for a little more flavor and kick. The meat in the sliders were good. I tried the pork , brisket and chicken. The brisket was the best followed by the chicken. The bar area had a good vibe with people cheering for their favorite football teams with all the TV's. The high ceilings made all the noise and people talking tolerable. Would recommend if your in the area to stop in for a drink and a bite. read more

Smoke Justis - Brisket Chili Specialty - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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Great tasting brisket, if sliced incorrectly, and great smoked wings. Service was great and great vibe. I will definitely be back.

Atmosphere was perfect for watching football games! Smoked chicken wings were delicious and some of the best I've had. Good sides with the onion straws, mac & cheese, and cornbread. Had the strawberry bourbon sour and it was very tasty. Will definitely be back for wings and good drinks! read more

Giving this a 3/5 because the service was great. The food was not. Food was 90% fat, 10% meat. Wouldn't recommend the food.

So good. So good. So good. Everything. Is. So. Good. As of you need another great reason to come to Covington, Smoke Justice is just another fantastic example of how up and coming this city is. Located a stones throw from the Roebling Bridge, SJ is the perfect combination of classy meets sports bar. Plenty of tvs for catching a game, but not over done, the vibe is classic rock in the back ground & good conversation in the foreground. (The basement apparently has a self poor draft station & pool tables/arcade games -but I've never ventured down, all the more reason for you to come see for yourself) I usually order the smoked wings or a bbq chicken flatbread, but the fries are on point too, and for a place with a "sports bar" feel-the salads are excellent! Great beer selection, and a lot of bourbon (it is Kentucky after all) and the bloody marys! The bloody marys are legitimate too. (my only complaint are the red plastic pizzeria cups-if you've read my other posts-you know my feelings on that subject) As for the staff, they always been super friendly and the service is excellent. If you are in the C-O-V-stop in, if you are not in the area, go get in your car and drive here now. (side note: familiar with Pontiac wings?- like those?-you'll like these-not familiar?-get familiar they ard so good too! ....interested in a quality Northern Ky Sports Bar Sports Bar-check out Dickmanns Cafe in Ft. Wright-owned by The Smoke Justice group too) read more

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So a friend and I stopped at this sports bar for wing week and all I can say is those wings were BANGIN, SLAPPING, and outright DELICIOUS. We were so impressed that we didn't even hop over to the next wing place because we didn't want to lose that satisfying taste that was left in our mouths. Seriously, I wanted to go and find the cook/chef and tip him or her... no bs read more

Brisket Grilled Cheese. Top 3 food item I've ever tasted. A slight buzz will vault this place into the #1 spot. Amen read more

Three stars for the building and bar... Cool atmosphere for a super casual sports bar. Unfortunately I have eaten here twice and cant say anything I ate was very good. Go here to drink and don't expect much from the food... read more

Food was fantastic; Smoked wings were on point. Service was a little slow but I assume they are short staffed like everyone else.

Cant say enough nice things about this place. Cool ambiance as one side is a sports bar and the other is just a bar. Best old fashioned I've ever had and I travel a lot. Wings with just rub were super smoky and tasty. Blue cheese was great. Brisket chili was also very good and a lot of food. Service was super friendly. Definitely come back when i am in the area. read more

Enjoyed our visit to Smoke Justis. Good size portions and prices. Monday-Friday appetizer specials too. Try the brisket and potato box. It was excellent. Friendly staff and quick service. I will be back read more

Smoke Justis - Smmoke Justis Menu - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

We were in Cincinnati and love to find a new bbq place to try. My husband had a brisket sandwich and it was really good. He also tried a couple different whiskeys and said they had a good whiskey menu. I had the chicken nachos. Chicken was good. I requested bbq sauce to put on them. They were a little cheese heavy (2 different kinds) but with the bbq sauce they were good! We would definitely go again. Service was good and ambiance was a fun bar-like. Looked like good outdoor seating - but we went in Jan. It would be fun to go back when it's warmer and sit outside. read more

Smoked wings "flash fried" is money!! Great tasting difference to the regular overpriced fried only wings other are plating up. Nice place , great seating layout and vibe. It is worth checking out. read more

Smoke Justis - Friday night. It's cold and rainy outside but this place seems to have just under a full house - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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We were very disappointed with the food in this place. The food was cold (all of it), maybe the meat would had been great if they served it hot, the fries were bad, cold, greasy and soggy, the cornbread tasted a little stale. It is so disappointing when you go to a place with such nice reviews and it is bad, way lower than average. The place looks great and the service was good, but wouldn't recommend it. We are not planning to go back. read more

Just a great place to kick back with friends. Went there before and after the Bengals game today and just very, very good. Trent, our server was EXCEPTIONAL. He really made us feel like we were his only customers. Oh, by the way, food was very good. The Brisket is their specialty. Very good. read more

We stopped by tonight, about 530. Got in no issues, waitress was attentive and nice. The food was incredible. I got the triple meat with hush puppies and baked beans. The meats were tender and seasoned well, the cornbread was so moist, the beans were incredible, and the hush puppies were perfect. They gave 3 different bbq sauces, I liked all of them. Will definitely come back. read more

Smoke Justis - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Went to Smoke Justis this past Saturday for the Colts game and loved it. It's a fun sports bar with great drinks and food. The bread sticks were amazing, highly recommend! We will definitely be going back. read more

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I guess when you go to a bbq place you should get bbq.Wife had the catfish still swimming in oil. Same with the French fries pretty much uneatable.The wings were good the beer was also nice place to go for a sports bar. But stay away from anything fried. read more

This place is cool inside and out. We went early on there Sunday brunch hours and seemed to be the first ones there. But after a little bit others started to show up. The servers were helpful with questions and were good. The wife got the smoked wings and I got the brisket plate. Her wings were amazing and my brisket was ok. How ever my bbq beans were fantastic! Would go back again for poor your own beers and food. read more

Smoke Justis - Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky