My husband and I visited the Midwood Smokehouse today and we were so so so happy. So happy. This is huge. Because I’m not crazy about barbecue. I was trying to be nice when I agreed to go. But lord-have-mercy…it was good.
Inside is pretty hip. Lots of metal pig memorabilia, waitresses wearing “Bacon” socks and general “characters” waiting tables and eating here. I loved just sitting in the booth and looking around. All while smelling that delicious smoky smell.
We started off our meal with a watermelon margarita and a beer. Normally I skip cocktails, but the waiter changed my mind by telling me this one was made with real watermelon (not some mix!). Sure enough, it tasted very refreshing, and not to sweet at all despite the sugar on the rim of the glass.
The Cuban sandwich was the menu item that immediately drew my attention. In fact, once I saw it, I stopped looking. The pressed sandwich is chock full of sliced ham, barbecued pork, Swiss cheese and topped with mustard, lettuce and tomato. I had never had a Cuban with the lettuce and tomato, and next time I’ll leave those off. The bread got so flat and crispy in the pressing, and the barbecue pork taking the place of a sliced pork cutlet lent a smokiness to the sandwich. I chose macaroni and cheese as my side and it was creamy and cheesy topped with a crusty coating of baked cheese. It was the best macaroni and cheese I’d ever had at a restaurant. How about that?
The hubs got the beef brisket plate, mixed. That means it was half lean meat and half fatty meat. I can appreciate that fat is needed to make meat tender, juicy and flavorful, but I’m no fan of fatty meat. That said, he left me have a bite of his lean brisket and it was so tender, so juicy and flavorful…I was thankful for the fatty pieces lying around it. The barbecue sauce is tangy and tomato-y. I also detected a bit of beer in it? He chose the baked beans as his side and they were baked with the same barbecue sauce that came on the plate for dipping. A few candied bits of meat had made their way into the beans, too. Seriously, perfection.
Really love this place. And did you notice the china this meal is served on? Funky, punky décor, cool waiters and staff, and then grandma’s china. I’m in love. Go.
barenakedchefsaidso.com 
