Today we’re going to follow the trail back into North Carolina for a visit to Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse in Swannanoa. Many may ask where in the world is that. Well, Swannanoa is a little east of Ashville and right on I-40. We found Swannanoa many years ago while doing family research. I had a lot of ancestors in that area. I stumbled across Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse while planning our trip to the mountains. Once I read up on them and saw the location, I had to work in a visit to them.
We were coming in from the west so Exit 55 got us off the Interstate and then we headed East on Highway 70. Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse was very simple to find. They’re located on Hwy. 70. For anyone traveling on I-40 this is a super easy stop to make. Let’s see how it goes.
The Restaurant and Staff:
Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse has a very nice spot. The dining room is medium size and they also have seating outside on their deck. We found a spot inside. Everything was really clean. As soon as someone would leave they would clean the table and around the table so it would be ready for someone else. This worked very well since the crowd seemed to come in behind us. I hope I got our waitress’ name right, Ksena. She did an outstanding job waiting on us and making sure our visit went well. She was very friendly and helpful. It takes a good waitress to help us out at times when we’re trying to figure out a menu and how to get as many different items as we can. Ksena hung in there with us. Even with the crowd coming in she did a wonderful job keeping up with her tables and checking on all her customers. Everyone we met was friendly.
There’s nothing fancy in this spot. Everything was pretty basic sit down and enjoy your meal. Everything was comfortable and relaxing. They were doing a hopping take-out business while we were there also. They have the front sectioned off with railing so the people getting to go orders weren’t standing on top of people sitting at tables. It looks like they put a lot of thought into their design. The only drawback was at the register. With so many people picking up and paying for orders things bottlenecked there a little. It wasn’t too long. The waitresses helped out there too.
So how about the food?
Our Choices at Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse:
Pulled Pork and Chopped Brisket with Mac & Cheese and Black-eyed Peas.
Tammy ordered a Two Meat Platter with Pulled Pork and Chopped Brisket. She chose Mac & Cheese and Black-eyed Peas for her sides. Just let me say that I have never seen Tammy order Black-eyed peas, anywhere. She just doesn’t usually eat them. Well she loved these. I tried them. They were very good and seasoned really well. The mac & cheese was homemade and outstanding also. It was thick and tasty. Tammy also chose the sweet hushpuppies to go with her meal. They were good but mine were better.
The pork was great. We both loved it. It had a really good smoke flavor. It was also very moist and fresh tasting. But the chopped brisket was even better in Tammy’s opinion. I was shocked she really loved the brisket as much as she did. Normally brisket has to be sliced for her to rate it so highly. I thought it was really good and had a wonderful flavor but I preferred the pork.
Pulled Pork and Ribs with Fried Okra and Baked Beans.
I also ordered a Two Meat Platter. I chose Pulled Pork and Ribs. My sides were Fried Okra and Baked Beans. The beans were fantastic. They were packed with good flavor and a lot of meat cooked in for seasoning. The okra was really good too. They gave me some type of Southwestern dip and it was awesome with the okra. And remember Tammy’s sweet hushpuppies? Well I had Jalapeno Hushpuppies. No they did not set you on fire but they were very flavorful. I preferred mine over her sweet ones. So the hushpuppies just come down to personal preference.
Again I will say that the pork was wonderful. But the ribs were awesome. They were falling off the bone, tender and had a great flavor. I could have sat and ate a whole rack of them. But then I wouldn’t have had the pork. I also ordered a cup of Brunswick Stew. The stew was different here. There were not a lot of veggies. It did have tomatoes, potatoes and meat. It also had a touch of pepper kicking in. I enjoyed it very much.
Brunswick Stew at Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse.
Swannanoa, NC.
Final Thoughts:
Let me just say that Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse was a fantastic stop for Patrick’s BBQ Trail. Everyone was very friendly. The restaurant was comfortable and clean. The food was outstanding. What more can you ask for at any restaurant? I love the location. Since we do visit the Marion, Black Mtn., Swannanoa area periodically it was awesome to find another choice for bbq. We will definitely add them to our list to stop at again. I would recommend that anyone traveling out on I-40 stop in and check them out. Maybe next time we can stop in when it’s not so busy and meet the owner. They were just too busy this visit.
Now For Your Thoughts:
Here’s your chance to voice your opinion about Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse. Have you been there? How did your visit go? Scroll down to the comment box and let us know what you thought.
We’d also love to hear from some of you regulars out there. Do you want to tell others about your bbq joint? Here’s the chance. Let the people at Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse know how you feel about them and show them your support. Drop your comments in the box below to fill us in on your thoughts. What keeps you coming back? What’s your favorite? Get your comments in and become part of this story as well as helping to spread the word.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I encourage you to share this review on Facebook and other social media sites. Follow us on Facebook to see where else we go.
You can check out their website at: http://okiedokiesbbq.com/
You can also find them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Okie-Dokies-Smokehouse-60338436967/
No Comments