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    Smoke Session BBQ

    4.9 (20 reviews)
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    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Loaded Fries
    Bee V.

    It was my first time here and I made a 35 minute drive to this food truck, as I heard many great reviews. And the reviews are right....the brisket, pork belly, and loaded fries were amazing. Brisket (My favorite) was super tender, easy to chew, great smokey flavor and melts away. The pork belly was soft and super tender. The loaded fries were great, such a great combo of briskets, along with mac/cheese and fries, it was amazing! The pork ribs were pretty good, but I think the Brisket stole the show! I haven't had any great Brisket like this in a while. I thought every dish came with a small side of hmong pepper, but I forgot to ask and check. If you're into spiciy foods, ask for a side of hmong pepper, which I think would've made this meal even better. Overall, the food truck was great and lives up to the hype! I will be back for more soon!

    Brisket
    Chris M.

    I have stopped by Smoke Session's food truck a couple of times now - I suspect that's a trend that is going to continue. The food truck can often be found camped out in a vacant lot on White Bear Ave during the week. The daily offerings vary a bit, but so far I can speak to the deliciousness that is their brisket, ribs and Hmong sausage. While not too heavy on the smoke everything has always been really well cooked, tender and tasty. Side dishes aren't anything special, but you can get rice, fries and coleslaw to go with any meal. For BBQ the prices are pretty reasonable, the staff has always been friendly and since they often appear to sell out during the day it appears others seem to agree.

    the side of the truck
    Arina L.

    WOW! This bbq exceeded my expectations! Melt in your mouth brisket, and the pork belly was soo good! Highly highly recommend! They have sticky rice and pepper dipping sauce as well!

    Brisket
    Chue V.

    I was in the mood for some BBQ and recalled seeing this food truck last time I was in the area. So I got in my car and made my way over to the food truck lot and was glad to see the Smoke Session food truck present. From what I read online they make great brisket and serve up a nice sized beef rib. I ordered a half pound of Brisket and 1 order of Beef Rib. I took my order home with me to share with my parents. The Beef Brisket is so melt in your mouth amazing that I wished I bought a whole pound. My parents also agreed, they loved the brisket as much as I did and were asking where I bought it. Besides being melt in your mouth fantastic there is a lot of good smoky beef flavor. Also I loved how when I opened the box the light glistened off the brisket revealing how moist and juicy it was. The Beef Short Ribs were huge and delicious. They were the definition of fall off the bone good! I could take my plastic fork to the beef rib and the meat would almost flake like well cooked fish. Same as the brisket there was amazing beefy flavor with that well developed essence of smoke. You could taste the care and attention they place on their BBQ and it really shows. The BBQ they make is top notch and I would come back and order more from them especially when I need a brisket fix!

    Brisket and Fries

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    8 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

    The service was amazing accompanied by food such as the steak which was very well seasoned and the fries

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great BBQ! Brisket is spot on perfect. Moist, tender and flavorful. Ribs and better than most.

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Best brisket I have had in the Twin Cities. The sauce on the side was the bomb. Looking for good bar b que in the St Paul area go here.

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    8 years ago

    Beef ribs are by far the best item on the menu. Pork belly is pork belly, fatty and juicy.

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    Petey's BBQ

    Petey's BBQ

    4.5
    (11 reviews)
    4.3 mi

    This is the first barbecue joint since Big Daddy's (RIP) that I've had in the St. Paul area that…read morewasn't disappointing. Brisket: proper render, good smoke ring (this doesn't affect taste but it looks nice), meteorite-black bark as it should be, proper bend on the slice. Fat amount was correct, maybe a little solid from waiting without a warmer. Hot links pretty good, decent flavor, sliced a little thin but nothing to complain about, red, could still get some snap on the casing. Beans were satisfying. Cole slaw was good, no stupid tricks or added herbs, exactly what you expect. Meat platters served with toast which I appreciate more than traditional squishy white bread. They have a whole lot of sauces to choose from; while I don't generally use or advocate sauces with brisket, I tried the Hot and I liked the balance of peppers and vinegar. Alary's (the bar that serves Petey's) validates parking for the ramp next door, which is great because parking is even worse than usual downtown right now. I passed the smoker walking from the ramp, looks like a big charcoal/wood gravity or sidebox wood-fired offset. You can tell from the product that it's run with real skill. Looking forward to my next visit, which is something I almost never say about a barbecue joint.

    Service was good for takeout. Ambiance... bar like. We got…read morecarryout...brisket, rib tips, ribs, coleslaw and Mac and cheese on a Thursday evening. The flavors were there but all of the meat and the Mac and cheese were over cooked. They seemed to have been warmed up too many times. The coleslaw was okay.

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    Petey's BBQ
    Petey's BBQ
    Petey's BBQ

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    Firebox Deli

    Firebox Deli

    4.3
    (93 reviews)
    7.5 mi

    Yum-o! I've been wanting to go here for years and saddened I've missed out on this deliciousness…read morethe whole time - the whole time! I tried the Firebox Fries with extra meat. Somehow the fries weren't mushy. This isn't something I'd normally get, but I was surprised at how good it was. I went with a group and was also able to try the coleslaw, sticky rice, and pulled pork. The meat was juicy and amazing. I love the coleslaw and even compared it to other coveted coleslaw - this is my favorite. I'm picky with bbq sauce, but their bbq sauce hit hard. They have a small parking lot - maybe 3 or 4 spots, but there is plenty of street parking. Also worth mentioning you order up front and get a number. They will bring out your food, but you will need to grab your beverage, plates/napkins, and utensils. Hands down better than any other famous and/or Dave you may know.

    I ordered a 1/2 portion each of Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork & Wings. First, the good...They get the…read moresmoke right, which is more than I can say for most BBQ restaurants. That earns them 4 stars in my book, versus 3. The quality of the meat is good, although wings & ribs were cooked a little drier than I prefer. The tender moistness of both the Brisket & Pulled Pork was excellent. My favorite of all 4 meats was the Brisket, which was tender, flavorful, with a nice charred bark that complimented the beef & fat perfectly. The brisket didn't need sauce, which was great, but for my taste it needed just a touch more salt. The Pulled Pork was tender, juicy, and super-porky, but lacked any other flavor or texture. It had no little delicious crispy bits, nor that rich crave-able tasty goodness. It was just pork. The biggest overall drawback for me was that everything but the Brisket lacked that nice tasty char that USUALLY accompanies the smokiness of really good BBQ. Instead of that bit of char, there was a paper thin honey-like hard film, that added a hint of sweetness to every bite, that reminded me of Asian BBQ. That's not necessarily a bad thing but, when you're craving Southern BBQ, that just doesn't cut it. As for the BBQ sauces, there is just one - a typical semi-sweet Kansas City style sauce. BUT there is also "Mama's Pepper Sauce" for an additional charge...hot & yummy (technical foodie term) that is excellent when mixed with the BBQ sauce. If you want good smokey meats, FireBox has that. Worth 4 stars. Just set your BBQ expectations, and you'll be okay. UPDATE: Take the pulled pork home, and chop it on an ultra-hot cast-iron pan! That really brings out the flavor of the rendered fat, and adds those delicious crispy bits with that missing touch of char, plus preserves that great FireBox smoky goodness!

    Photos
    Working hard - smoking meats
    Working hard - smoking meats
    Pork Ribs Plate with Mac n Cheese, Collard Greens and Texas Toast.
    Pork Ribs Plate with Mac n Cheese, Collard Greens and Texas Toast.
    Firebox Deli

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    210 Bar-B-Que

    210 Bar-B-Que

    4.9
    (28 reviews)
    12.1 mi

    Food 4/5 - This BBQ place was worth the try! The chicken was so tender and delicious. The brisket…read morewas the best we've had in MN and the beans definitely have a kick to them. Highly recommend the chicken and side of beans. Service / Ambiance 5/5 - This place is an order at the counter, sit and wait for your food type of place. They had live music outside when we got our food. Really great place we will be stopping again.

    Sooo good - 5 stars!…read more I've wanted to check this place out for a few years. But unfortunately, I don't live close-by and the hours & days of operation are limited. But I finally made it. Three of us checked them out for a Friday lunch. It was definitely worth the trip to meet my Wisconsin buddies for some rockin' Q. This is a casual, order-up-front kind of place. Grab your beverage, pick your own spot, and they bring the food to your table. The meats are excellent. I grabbed a half pound of smoked sausage, a half pound of pastrami, and a half pound of beef brisket. My friends both ordered pork ribs. Everything was wonderful! Being a zero carb dude, I really appreciate that you can order meat by the pound (and the half pound). Thankfully, they don't force you to order plant based items. As zero carbohydrate carnivore eater, I didn't order any plant based sides whatsoever. But my friends got broccoli slaw and waffle corn bread (very clever) as sides. They loved their sides. Both of them topped things off with big Texas Brownies and a la mode French Vanilla Ice Cream. The brownies were giant and flavorful. They actually made the whole back dining area smell like chocolate. Finally, the service was excellent. The food came out fast & hot. And the owner popped out of the kitchen a few times to check on us and to chat. Nice guy. They have live music. But we came early and missed all of that...so I can't comment on the music scene. All-in-all, a great place, especially if you're a carnivore. Thumbs up! -Maxx

    Photos
    Entry Way
    Entry Way
    Main room
    Main room
    Order here

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    Order here
    Smok’ N Outdoors BBQ

    Smok’ N Outdoors BBQ

    4.1
    (15 reviews)
    2.1 mi

    This place has the makings of a great BBQ joint and it's shockingly flying under the radar despite…read morea lot of great promotion on social media. I'll say I don't love the side options (except the sticky rice). I'd love to see them give their take on classic southern sides like some sort of greens or Texas sides like elotes or brisket beans. Or more Asian sides. What they have currently is just fine. But they DO have the most important part down, and that's the meat. The ribs are as good as the best places in the area (Firebox, Jellybean and Julia's) but they're still unique. They have a few sauce options--the green one is amazing. Their Asian pulled pork is great. And their brisket is above average. I've yet to try their beef rib but it's a goal in the future since I'll definitely keep going back.

    Brand new bbq spot owned by a Hmong family. I love the…read moreHmong influence they bring. I ordered the sampler platter for $25. It came with pulled pork, ribs, and brisket. You can tell it was high quality meat. The meats all had a sightly sweet taste to them. I almost didn't need any sauce. I did use a lot of Hmong pepper sauce though because it was so good. For my sides, I ordered the sticky rice, apple coleslaw, bbq sauce, and hmong pepper. The sticky rice was made just how I like it - hot, sticky, and just the right amount of chewiness. The apple coleslaw was good but not memorable. The Hmong pepper sauce was fresh and spicy-- but not too spicy. It gave a good balance to the sweetness of the meat. I docked one star for the following... They provided some tables that look like the ones K12 children sit in at lunch. You can tell they didn't put much thought into designing their outdoor seating (which is currently the only seating available). Additionally, there was nowhere to wash your hands or even hand sanitizer.

    Photos
    Ribs plate with double Mac and cheese, onions, and spicy bbq.
    Ribs plate with double Mac and cheese, onions, and spicy bbq.
    Brisket plate with mashed potatoes and Mama's Mac.
    Brisket plate with mashed potatoes and Mama's Mac.
    Sampler platter

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    Sampler platter
    Animales Barbeque

    Animales Barbeque

    4.6
    (36 reviews)
    13.3 mi

    Love the bright colors and high energy vibe here. With the threat of rain, we got a table inside…read morebut the patio looked lovely. Maybe a future visit. Seeing the size of the portions, we decided to split the Piri Piri Chopped Pork sandwich with Mac n cheese and beans as our sides. It was more than enough food. The sandwich was delicious. Tender pulled pork with a bit of spice on a fresh sesame seed bun. Loved the beans. A little bit of pork fat gave them a great flavor. Husband is the Mac n cheese fan and he loved that as well. My bite was super cheesy. Lots of local beers to choose from. I found a nice hoppy one to try. Love the names but I always forget them. Service was great. You order with a QR code. Food came out quickly. We did have a server visit our table to answer questions and bring us anything needed after our initial order. He was great with giving us some recommendations. The restaurant charges a flat 20% service fee (so no tipping). Parking was a bit of an adventure as there seemed to be a lot of apartment parking on the streets and the lot was pretty small but we found a spot a block-ish away. Great stop!

    What a great experience! I went with a friend and we split the sampler plate, which included pulled…read morepork, ribs, pork belly, and sausage--everything was absolutely delicious. I honestly can't say a single bad thing about the food and I'm already looking forward to my next visit. From the moment we arrived, the customer service was excellent. They don't take reservations, so coming during off-peak times may be a good idea. We were promptly taken to our seats, and once settled, our server explained how to use the QR code for ordering and filled our water glasses right away. There were lots of fun drink options to choose from, and the food truly exceeded expectations. Such a great overall experience!

    Photos
    Live music
    Live music
    Mac & cheese and brisket
    Mac & cheese and brisket
    Banana pudding

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    Banana pudding
    ZZQ Smokehouse

    ZZQ Smokehouse

    4.3
    (342 reviews)
    13.1 mi
    $$

    They get you before you even walk in door. That smell wafting from the smoker is intoxicating!! The…read moreambiance is total smokehouse with lots of wood and metal. It just fits. But the food... It is amazing! Hand crafted with tons of passion. You can taste the dedication in every bite. We shared a lot of items and were delighted with every one. The sauce bar is just fantastic. Something for every palate and we tried them all. Here's my tip- try the fry sauce on the pulled pork. This place is truly a gem with some talented people who care manning the helm. Be sure to give it a try!

    I gotta stop believing yelp reviews. People want quantity over quality on this app and this place…read moreis a great example of that. There's nothing redeeming about this place. Yelp reviewers have no taste. They just want a slab of meat and they're all happy. I should've tried their sauces before I bought anything. The barbecue sauces were all ketchup based. They added in too much apple cider vinegar and the sauces were too viscous and runny. A good barbecue sauce has molasses, brown sugar, and tomato sauce not ketchup and white sugar which is what these were made from. I'd have been better off bringing in my own bottle of barbecue sauce from the grocery store. We ordered a half rack 6 ribs and two sides of coleslaw and potato salad. The coleslaw was runny and too liquidy. It had zero buttermilk in it. It was also made with apple cider vinegar which is a HUGE NO, NO. The potato salad was meh. No mustard. Just white potato salad. THEY HAD NO CORNBREAD! How much does a box of jiffy cornbread cost?!? Seriously, this business should NOT be in the rib business. The half rack of ribs: DRY, DRY, DRY. They were baked way too long. The ribs were flavor-less. I would not go back again. It's a huge shame for a rib joint to be this bad. The ribs were such a huge disappointment. Not even a smoked flavor was ever detected. I hope they don't go down the liquid smoke route either because that's just driving off a cliff at that point. I'm DONE listening to yelp reviews. Yall have no clue what you're talking about.

    Photos
    Seating area
    Seating area
    ZZQ Smokehouse
    Unpretentious spot in the strip mall (by the gas station)

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    Unpretentious spot in the strip mall (by the gas station)
    Handsome Hog

    Handsome Hog

    3.8
    (754 reviews)
    5.4 mi
    $$$

    We had dinner before a show in downtown St Paul. The location made it easy to get to downtown with…read moreplenty of time to park and get to the venue. We had reservations and were seated immediately. I chose the spare ribs for my dinner and Husband had the pulled pork sandwich. The ribs were served with a zesty dry rub and sauce on the side. They were nice and tender. The meal came with Texas toast which I didn't try because the ribs were sitting right on top of it. It also had a piece of corn on the cob. Wish my meal would have been a titch hotter in temp but the food was tasty. We finished with the smoky crème brûlée which was delicious. The layout was cozy and dark with the bar at the center. I could see it being lively and loud on a busy night. Service was excellent. We took our time ordering and never felt rushed. Our food came out super fast. The staff worked as a great team.

    The food was great! Crab cakes 9/10…read more Friend green tomatoes 9.5/10 (awesome flavor, sauce on the side is a great pair with the tomatoes - overall my favorite thing on the menu) Tennessee Hot Chicken Sandwich 8.5/10 (good flavor but would like more heat personally. Overall it was a good choice despite my desire for more spice.) Service great! The bartenders are always great and make some of the best drinks in the cities. Daniel is my favorite! Ambiance: Chill more relaxed vibe.

    Photos
    The bar got me all like...
    The bar got me all like...
    Carolina BBQ Sandwich with Vinegar Slaw and Amazing Mac and Cheese
    Carolina BBQ Sandwich with Vinegar Slaw and Amazing Mac and Cheese
    Le cubano

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    Le cubano
    Smoke In The Pit

    Smoke In The Pit

    4.3
    (260 reviews)
    12.2 mi
    $

    What I support for this establishment is less about its food but more about its message and the way…read moreit serves communities. Ever since 2020, the climate surrounding the George Floyd Square has changed dramatically, and this establishment has become an even stronger integral part of the community as the square itself had represented how the community thrives with its people. A lot of respect for the establishment from that perspective. In terms of food, I would say the soul food, which contained mostly sides, were the main highlight for me. The mac & cheese was salty enough. The fries were solid in a "you can't really go wrong with it" type of way. The candied yams had enough sweetness. The collard greens could taste better but standards must be lower when they're not homemade. I also enjoyed the catfish fillets as they were fried to preserve enough hotness and softness. A lot of what they served, they made on the spot, which was what may be causing longer wait for some. Meat-wise, a lot of items could use further improvement because they were too dry, such as the smoked wings and the beef brisket. The wings were dry to the point that they condensed and got extremely salty. The brisket relied a lot on the sauce and the existing fat on the meat for juiciness while the meat itself didn't have a lot of flavor or juice. As for the ribs, they had some seasoning, and tasted just fine, and weren't as dry. But I have had ribs in Texan barbeque places before and knew what "seasoned" ribs were like and therefore concluded that the ribs here were not spectacular. With all that said, however, I still will return here as often as I can because I love supporting this business. The person serving me was very hospitable and patient. I still got some pretty solid barbeque even if it's not Texas. Besides, outside just the barbeque food, the soul food was solid, like I had mentioned above.

    Wanted to love this place for real, but the food for me was just average. Ribs and wings have the…read moresmokey flavor, the mac n cheese and the spaggetti was susprisingly spicy. The Brisket was a lil too tough for my liking, their bbq sauce was good, that saved my brisket.

    Photos
    Kitchen
    Kitchen
    Smoked Wings, Collard Greens, Mac & Cheese
    Smoked Wings, Collard Greens, Mac & Cheese
    Smoke In The Pit

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    Smoke Session BBQ - bbq - Updated June 2026

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