The Smoking Apple

Where: The Smoking Apple, 70 N State Street, Lindon

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Pulled Pork Sandwich with Green Salad, Macaroni & Cheese, and Mashed Potatoes, Baby Back Ribs with Steamed Vegetables, Coleslaw, and Baked Beans


What It Cost: $17.84


What We Thought:


I've been really hesitant to try this restaurant because lately I've felt like all barbecue restaurants are kind of the same. I know that sounds like a horrible and overgeneralizing statement, but they pretty much all have the same menu items (pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs, potatoes, macaroni & cheese, baked beans), and they are never really do much for me. But I kept hearing more and more good things about The Smoking Apple, so while we were heading back from Herriman one day, we decided to check it out.

The interior of the restaurant is kind of small, but they had some outdoor seating available which we totally took advantage of. I was kind of confused by the way you order - they have kind of a buffet line set up inside the restaurant where you can pick your main dish and three sides, then you pay up at the cash register, find a seat, and they bring you your food a few minutes later when it's all prepared on the plate. Their service was surprisingly fast for a Friday night, though it looked like we lucked out and got there before a big rush - lucky us!

I was impressed with the variety of side options they had - ranging from your classic baked beans & potatoes to some healthier options like salads or vegetables. We went for a variety, and were pleasantly surprised by most of them. The green salad had a great mix of fresh greens, a unique dressing, and cranberries mixed it - much more than your typical side salad. The macaroni and cheese was good, but not outstanding, and we loved the mashed potatoes with the skins still partially on - definitely the most delicious way to have mashed potatoes. Owen completely devoured his pulled pork sandwich. There was a ton of pork piled high between two soft buns, and the meat was robust, tender, and bursting with savory flavor. It tasted even better than it looks! He loved it so much that the only way I could taste any of the meat was when it dropped from the sandwich onto his plate and I had to sneak it while he wasn't looking. Delicious.

Oh man, just looking at those ribs gets my salivary glands going...these were some of the ribs I've ever had from a restaurant! They were smoky, seasoned, coated in a tantalizing rub, and smothered with heavenly apple-infused barbecue sauce. The meat was not dry at all, unlike most other restaurant ribs I've had, and even though there was plenty on here to totally fill me up, I wanted more! The steamed vegetables were boring (but healthy at least), and the coleslaw was average. The baked beans were quite tasty though - they had a nice mix of beans and much more complex flavor than others I've tried. No straight-from-the-can flavor here. All around, well prepared and seasoned, and completely satisfying.

What You Should Do: Definitely check out The Smoking Apple! It totally lived up to all the hype for me, and it's without a doubt our new favorite barbecue restaurant. Next time, I think I want to go for the cornbread as a side - I saw it on other people's plate and it looked absolutely huge and amazing. If you get a sandwich, I would order the coleslaw as one of your sides and put it in the sandwich on top of the meat - it adds a delicious crunch to such a rich and savory sandwich. Oh, and did I mention it's a great deal? A delicious and filling dinner for under $20? We'll certainly be coming here again!

Read other reviews here: