Brett Q was our server. He gave great recommendations and was very quick. I thought they would have live music that they did not. The inside is cozy, small and quaint. The bathrooms were clean with Cintas dispensers for soap, tissue and towels. We had two three meat specials. Catfish, chicken wing dings and rib tips with fried okra, collard greens and the other with green beans and candied yams. The chicken had a dry rub on it. We couldn't really taste it, but they were well cooked well. Fried hard and crunchy with a tender fillet inside. The rib tips were good but seemed more like mini ribs. They were tender but didn't fall apart. The greens were a bit spicy but so good. The fried okra melts in your mouth. The candied yams were sugar sweet and full of flavor. The green beans had bacon in them. Overall it was a great meal. Go enjoy You won't be disappointed! read more

Smokin BBQ did not disappoint! The catfish dinner was delicious with yams and baked beans. My aunt ordered coleslaw (with raisins). She enjoyed it. The ambiance is quaint with soothing Jazz playing in the background. Our server, Felicity, was amazing, friendly, knowledgeable, and quick, with a beautiful smile. Loved that the Manager, Mya, stopped by each table to check on the customers and their dining experience. We'll definitely be back! read more

Solid BBQ! I like the candied yams and the brisket was great. Service was good and quick. The ambiance was diner style and pretty standard. read more

Smokin Notes BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

I expected a quick meal- I wanted to stay longer! Food and staff was amazing. The bbq and catfish is fantastic. Real Mac n cheese no fake or Sysco crap. I might come back for dinner tonight Good music clean seating and easy access read more

Our service and meal was excellent. Lucked out with Jo as our server who was as accommodating as he was handsome. I ordered the 3 meat combo and got to sample some delicious wings, brisket, and rib tips. They wings were the best I've ever had and the meats were both tender and well seasoned. Whisky sour was mixed decently with my whisky of choice (Jameson). Overall a great birthday visit. Thank you to Jo and everyone else who contributed to our wonderful family meal. read more

I ordered carry out for dinner on a Monday night. I ordered in the restaurant and my order was made in less than 10 minutes. I ordered a beef brisket dinner with baked beans and coleslaw. The dinner came with 2 slices of buttered toast. Ratings - Brisket - 4 out of 5. Sliced tender brisket but some pieces had a lot of fat on them. Baked beans - 4 out of 5 stars. Overall the beans had a good sweet flavor but sometimes the flavor is overpowered by green pepper. Cole slaw - 3 out of 5. The slaw is creamy and sweet. The slaw has raisins. Service - 5 ! Overall, we liked our dinner experience here and look forward to trying additional options on the menu. read more

Smokin Notes BBQ - Brisket dinner with coleslaw and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

I got the 3 meat combo. I got chicken, brisket, and catfish. The chicken was definitely the best. The brisket was fine. I did not enjoy the catfish even though I normally love catfish. The service was not great. I felt myself waiting extended periods of time for things. If I went back again I would only get the chicken. read more

Smokin Notes BBQ - CATFISH, BEEF BRISKET, chicken - Barbeque Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

Best BBQ ribs I have had.....When you don't need to add sauce, you know the ribs are great. Fries also great. Desserts are homemade. Fellow diner said his pulled pork sandwich was best ever! read more

My husband, daughter, and I visited for Valentine's Day dinner last night. The service was great, they were fully staffed and ready for a busy night! Immediately when you walk in you can smell the mouthwatering BBQ cooking in the back. All of the food we ordered was delicious! We started with cheese fries as an appetizer. I ordered the Beef Brisket Dinner Combo and my hubby got the Nick's Special with ribs and brisket. Our kiddo's chicken fingers were obviously hand breaded and very crunchy! 10/10 would recommend and visit again. read more

See all

The barbecue is good meat falls off the the rib bones the pull pork has good flavor the sides are okay many to choose from portions could be a slight larger the service is both friendly and efficient read more

Great Bbq And great service been here many times Will be back again best BBQ in town read more

Smokin Notes BBQ - Onion Rings - Barbeque Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

See all

Awesome atmosphere the music is blues , which is awesome. The food is amazing. Hands down best ranch ever had! Will definitely return! Needs more than 5 stars!! read more

Warning.....Warning.... We went there several months ago and had some of the best burnt ends. We made several visits since then and have never received the same quality of food as before. Just recently we tried the burnt ends again...unfortunatlately this time it led to food poisoning. Several hours after ingesting the food I was awakened during the night with stomach cramps, sweating Profusely, weakness and diarrhea where I contemplated on going to the ER. read more

I'm gonna keep this short and sweet because that's how I like things. Best BBQ joint I've ever been to. Flavorful, moist, hot, tender, all the things. I don't recommend you coming here, I'm DEMANDING you to come here. If I find out you drove by this place and went somewhere else I will personally walk to your house wipe my dirty shoes on your floor and smash your TV with a Franklin Barry Bonds Edition 26" T-Ball Bat. read more

Pretty darned good Q. I have had bbq all over, and this was very good. Everything was great, service, music volume, it was clean. I will definitely be back. read more

Very small portions. Ribs were very boney and not meaty. Collard greens were $4.99 for about half a cup. Onion rings were good but expensive at $9.49 for 4 rings. read more

The rib tips and brisket were fantastic! Super friendly, fast service. Decor is fun and restrooms are clean. Definitely will stop again when we go through town. read more

The most delicious food In East Peoria. The servers are attentive and friendly. Some menu highlights for me are the brisket, fried chicken wings meal and burnt ends. It's a favorite place of ours. read more

Really yummy BBQ! You can smell the restaurant from the parking lot. All our meals came out nice and hot. Everything was delicious including the house bbq sauce. Our server did a pretty good job as well. Definitely reccomend and will be back! read more

Food was awesome! We were looking for brisket like we eat in Texas. We found our place with Smokin Notes Bbq! Service was prompt and our server was friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back when we're in the area! read more

I met my friend at this restaurant for lunch. We both ordered brisket with two sides each. She had ordered the fries. And each order came with Texas toast. The waitress was very nice and the restaurant looked clean. The brisket was good and the baked beans were good. The Texas toast on the other hand was made with rancid butter and the fries were cooked in rancid oil. We told the waitress about this and got no response. She didn't offer another side to replace the fries or a discount on the bill. I know times are tough for some businesses but using rancid oils and feeding it to your customers is disgusting and irresponsible. I did take a Danone home with me in case we get sick later. I also took video to prove the food was from this restaurant. I would not suggest going to this restaurant and I will never be going back. It was very disgusting. read more

Mothers Days lunch with family was perfect. The ribs are so tender the meat falls off the bone and steaming hot. I was very impressed with the potato salad, Baked Beans and coleslaw all perfectly prepared and nice and cold. What a wonderful surprise!! We will return again and again. East Peoria Resident. read more

The food is excellent! Great BBQ and the meals are good portions. I will suggest to eat in, though we do carry-out 2-3 times a month. The sides are a bit pricey, but the taste... yum-yum. Love the rib tips, ribs, onion rings, greens and the sweet potatoes! You have to give them a try... read more

I'm in Peoria about once a month for work and eat here a couple times during my stay. Possibly the best rib tips I've ever had anywhere. Couple that with the great staff and service, and I always have a good experience here. read more

Yum! Got some BBQ to go, pulled pork and burnt ends. Cole slaw, baked beans, candied yams, yes please and thank you!! Oh and the sweet tea! Delish! read more

Smokin Notes BBQ - Pulled pork, beans and yams! - Barbeque Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

See all

I really enjoyed smokin notes, BBQ. The staff was outstanding full of smiles, and suggestions. The food was delicious. I especially enjoyed the ribs. I felt the brisket was just OK a little on the dry side. My only issue was the portions were very small aside from the giant basket of delicious fresh cut fries, I go back purely for the service and to support a local business but they genuinely had great food I was impressed read more

Smokin Notes BBQ - This is one of the combo plates for I believe $22. The ribs and the fries were outstanding. That's actually three slabs of brisket. - Barbeque Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

Incredible BBQ!! Top notch service, will return. Very affordable too. The owner even greeted us and asked about our food and experience.

Want to give a shout out to Smokin' Notes BBQ. If you want a great place to eat, great atmosphere and great food, go here. My two friends got brisket and it was a little cold. They weren't going to say anything, but when waitress came and asked how things were, said it was cold. Owner's son was cooking and when he heard, he didn't hesitate and brought them fresh hot brisket. Great service! Thank you Smokin' Notes BBQ read more

Good barbecue side dishes are a little small portions but tasty You know the barbecue is good if you get there early for they will run out of selection Differently a family friendly place The wait staff is efficient and friendly We will be back read more

Excellent atmosphere. Love the classic Jazz music and aesthetic. Food is subtle and could use a touch more bang, but still delicious. read more

Smokin Notes BBQ - Brisket and Tips combo. - Barbeque Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

See all

Overall a pretty good BBQ spot. A little on the pricier side though. Very good barbecue sauce

We're from California. Our relatives brought us here for an evening meal. The food was delicious, for me the sweet potatoes could be a meal by itself ( I ended up ordering a second large side and finished it there). We'll return every time we are in town! read more

We stopped in at this place for dinner after a round of golf, and we were not disappointed. We were greeted and seated immediately, the food came out hot and very quickly. The rib tips were fantastic, loaded fries were great as well. Great choices for side dishes, and we forced down a dessert. Will eat here again if I am ever in the area. read more

Smokin Notes BBQ - Rib tips - Barbeque Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

See all

Enjoyed the food. I really enjoyed the catfish. Husband said the ribs and brisket were pretty good. Onion rings were awesome :) Service was excellent. (Shout out to Olivia!) atmosphere was fun. Good for kids too! We will be back. :) read more

Great experience! The food was delicious and Graciee G was a delight to have a server.

Second time we've been here. The food is spectacular! The pulled pork is by far, the best in the area. Collard greens have a perfect balance of salt (not too much) & spice. My husband loves the Mac & cheese & the sweet potatoes are dessert worthy! The service has been friendly and efficient. Great place! read more

We ordered takeout ribs & brisket But when I picked up the order I was told that in future we couldn't have as ordered this time ( brisket without crust) The food was good but if we can't have the way we like what is the reason for returning read more

server Ashleigh was amazing and the pulled pork is to die for ! Definitely coming back

Food was fantastic with a great staff who you can tell care about the business! Highly recommend!

The vibe is very laid back and the food was great !!! We are from Arkansas and it was so bomb !!! The pulled pork was a 10/10!!!