RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT

Smokehouse on Shelby. The name alone makes my mouth water.

I first heard about Smokehouse during Devour Downtown Winterfest 2011. I did some research and as soon as I found out that they had ribs, I was sold. My haughty palate lured me to a high-end steak house during the semi-annual restaurant “menu sale,” but I made a vow to myself that I’d dine at the Fountain Square restaurant one day.

My wish came sooner than I had expected. My sweetheart and I were trying to figure out where to have dinner that night. We had a long day of shopping so I wanted something delicious, but in a restaurant that wasn’t very prim. Smokehouse on Shelby popped into my head and we headed towards downtown.

I had no preconceived notions about the corner restaurant and I was glad. Smokehouse has a very ’50s diner-ish kind of feel to it. The high ceilings, large movie posters and humble seating create the perfect atmosphere for getting down and dirty with some good food.

That night, Smokehouse on Shelby had meals on special, but their prices are always super affordable. My honey and I ordered the chili cheese nachos, which were honestly the best nachos I’d ever tasted. You could tell they smoked the meat before adding the chili goodness. The platter was huge and could have been a meal in itself. (Uh, staff, I will be back for lunch, so be prepared.)

For our entree, I had a half slab of St. Louis style ribs with baked beans and sweet potato fries to round out my dinner. André had a half of chicken (which was smoked too), baked beans and breaded mushrooms.

We both had a vanilla coke. It was so good! We had to take our dessert home because we were filled to the brim.

Smokehouse on Shelby may have a modest menu, but many restaurants can learn a lesson or two from them: create a menu with a fair amount of familiar cuisine and perfect the deliciousness.

The service was wonderful and the food will make you want to smack somebody. I’m definitely going back there.

You can e-mail comments to Jessica Williams-Gibson at Jessica-recorder@indy.rr.com.

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