Local Smoke BBQ: A NJ Restaurant Review

Local Smoke BBQ: Highlights

If you’re craving authentic, smoky, fall-off-the-bone BBQ in New Jersey, Local Smoke BBQ is where your taste buds need to be. With five New Jersey locations, this spot consistently delivers on flavor, quality, and comfort.

Local Smoke BBQ slow-smokes its meats using a blend of sugar maple and cherry wood, cooking at a low temperature of 170-200 degrees for hours to achieve deep flavor and tenderness. Their signature Uncle Dick’s BBQ Rub and homemade BBQ sauces enhance the rich, smoky flavors. Each cut of meat features a distinctive pink-to-red “smoke ring”—a sign of the low-and-slow cooking process, not undercooking.

They offer three types of gluten-free homemade sauces:

Carolina Style – A tangy, tomato-based vinegar sauce with pepper flakes, perfect for slow-smoked pulled pork.

Original Sweet – A thick, Kansas City-style sweet sauce, served with ribs and chicken.

Brisket Original Spicy – A bold, spicy BBQ sauce with a kick, served on the side.

The restaurant features table seating, a small counter with stools, large windows, and an open kitchen. Walls adorned with BBQ competition awards add to the welcoming, clean atmosphere. Guests place orders at the counter, take a number, and have their meals delivered to the table by friendly and attentive staff.

Service is quick and friendly, and the atmosphere is casual and laid-back, perfect for a relaxed meal with friends or family. They also cater events and have a solid reputation for delivering the same great quality off-site.

Whether you’re a BBQ purist or just someone who appreciates a good meal, Local Smoke BBQ is worth the drive (or detour). It’s the kind of place that’ll have you planning your next visit before you’ve even finished your plate.

Updated April 2025