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!

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Los Hermanos

Where: Los Hermanos, 71 E Center Street, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey + some roommates, then Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Chicken Chimichanga, Pork Enchiladas

What It Cost: ~$9-12/person

What We Thought: 


It's been a while since we've been to Los Hermanos. And honestly, we're not too sad about it. Every time I tell people that I have a website where I write about restaurants I've eaten at, they always ask me, "So where's the best Mexican place around here?" You have no idea how hard this question is to answer! Everyone has super different preferences when it comes to Mexican food, and I actually haven't been to any Mexican places that have blown my mind. To me there are a few requirements for the perfect Mexican restaurant:

1. Chips and salsa. It better be free, come with refills, and have a fantastic salsa that isn't super watery (what is the deal with watery salsa??). The chips should be salted and freshly fried, and you know that the chips and salsa are good if I eat enough that I'm mostly full by the time my food arrives.

2. A menu with things I cannot pronounce on it. If all of the names of the food items have been completely Americanized and nothing seems strange or unfamiliar, it's probably not going to be that great.

3. Big portion sizes and plenty of well-prepared meat. Please don't skimp out on the meat or seasonings, and please don't cook my meat to death.

4. Beans and rice on the side. White rice is a no-no, and it is best if the beans taste like they were prepared at the restaurant, not at Rosarita canning factory.

5. Food that actually tastes good.

Unfortunately, Los Hermanos is not the place for this. For some inexplicable reason, they are always super busy there and you have to wait a long time. Not really my favorite thing to do. They do serve chips and salsa before your food arrives, but it's just alright. The food, forgettable. The service, slow and unsatisfying. Altogether, this is not the good old Mexican place that you are looking for.

What You Should Do: Go if you have to. I felt like the prices were too high, the food too bland, the service too delayed, and haven't really ever wanted to return. However, one time we went to the Los Hermanos restaurant in Lindon, and for some reason, I have better memories of that location instead. The quest for the best Mexican in Utah Valley continues!

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Wallabys Smokehouse

Where: Wallabys Smokehouse, 131 N State Street, Lindon (they also used to have a location in Provo, but it's closed now)

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Beef Brisket, Fresh Garden Salad, Hand Pulled Pork, Smashers

What It Cost: Free (was at a catered event), but would have cost $22.68

What We Thought:


If you're going to only have a few things on the menu, those things better be amazing. Wallabys is known for its smoked meat, especially the shredded beef and pork. We sampled their food at Owen's mission reunion, and I have to say, I was pretty disappointed. Maybe it's because I grew up helping my dad with catering events, but I have pretty high expectations for catered food. Catering events are great advertising -- you want your food to be so good that people are intrigued enough to come to your restaurant in the future. There should be great presentation, helpful customer service, and plenty of food.

Wallabys had none of that.

The food was 35 minutes late, and was sloppily thrown into a few heating dishes on a table. They ran out of their famous "smashers" (mashed potatoes but with a cheesy Australian accent) before everyone was able to make it through the line, and if you forgot to try something on your first sampling, forget about seconds. The worst part was that they made it seem like it was our fault, telling people to take smaller amounts of the food so everyone could have some.

The food was okay...the beef brisket was a little too salty for me (sadly, most beef brisket is), but the pork was pretty juicy and tasted good on top of the smashers (for those who were lucky enough to get some). The fresh garden salad with housemade dressing was acceptable -- the lettuce wasn't too wilted but there wasn't anything interesting or unique about the salad toppings.

What You Should Do: Go if you have to. Now that they aren't located in the Alpine Village apartment complex, I don't think that it is worth the drive, but if you happen to be in Lindon, you'll get full and won't feel like you're getting ripped off. The prices are fairly decent and the portion sizes are large, but....the quest for decent barbecue near BYU continues!