Today the BBQ Trail hits the road and hunts down Redwood Smoke Shack. This is something new for our trail, they are a food truck/trailer. So this is a first for us. Let’s just see how it goes and what you think.

Where is Redwood Smoke Shack Located?

Well, like I said, Redwood Smoke Shack is a food trailer. I listed them in Portsmouth, VA only because that’s where Bob Roberts, the owner, lives.

Someone suggested that I try them out so I went on a hunt to see where they would be. I found them on Facebook and was able to message Bob to find out where they would be setting up on a specific Saturday. He was very responsive to the message and let me know they would be at Coelacanth Brewing Co. in Norfolk, VA the day I asked about. He also told me the hours they’d be open.

 

 

The Restaurant and Staff:

OK, here’s the tricky part. There is no restaurant. Again, Redwood Smoke Shack is a food trailer. Bob and Lindsey, the young lady helping with the orders were both very friendly. They gave us a brief rundown on how they operate and helped with the menu questions. After we ate I went back and talked with them even more and introduced myself to them. They were eager to know how I rated them compared to some of the restaurants we’ve been to. I did answer their questions but you’re going to have to wait a bit longer. If I tell you now you may not read the rest of the post.

Our Choices at Redwood Smoke Shack:

Now you need to pay attention. I’ll start with Tammy’s order. She ordered their Signature Sammich, “The Woody”. So here’s a description of The Woody. It has Pulled Pork, Sliced Brisket, House BBQ Sauce and Slaw. Get this, it’s served on a warm Krispy Kreme Donut. Yes, he slices the donut in half, warms it on a griddle, and piles the rest on thick. Tammy loved it. I didn’t dare reach her way for fear of losing a couple of fingers. She said Bob is a genius to come up with that idea. Needless to say, Tammy will find Redwood Smoke Shack again even if I didn’t want to.

As for us serious eaters, yes they have a “Meat Sweats Sampler”. Oh yes, Pulled Pork, Sliced Brisket, Ribs, and Pulled Chicken with 1 side. When we ordered they didn’t have any regular dry ribs ready and I guess they were out of chicken, I didn’t get any of it. Here’s how we worked it up. I had Pulled Pork, Sliced Brisket, Peanut Butter and Jelly Ribs and some Burnt Ends. I had no room for complaints. And my side

was Smoked Pulled Pork Baked Beans. Let me just say how wonderful the beans were. They were a mixture of pintos, pork n beans and some black beans in a fantastic sauce. The pulled pork was delicious. It had a great smoke flavor but not overpowering. The brisket was some of the moistest I’ve had anywhere and it also was sporting a nice smoke ring and the smoke flavor. The burnt ends were not a letdown either. The flavor and moistness was right there with the rest of the meats. The peanut butter and jelly ribs were probably my least favorite. They were good, I just could have done without the pbj. To those of you that like to try something different, give them a try. Traditionalists may not be thrilled with them. You decide.

A Little Extra:

When I went back to talk to Bob and Lindsey the dry ribs were ready. They gave me one to try and an ear of Mexican Street Corn. The dry rub rib was

fantastic. I had no complaints with any of the meats. And the Mexican Street Corn was a treat in itself. It was cooked with the husk still on. Once removed from a warmer Bob pulled back the husk and charred the corn on a grill. After that he added a sauce to it that was unique and wonderful. It seemed to have some type of South Western flavor to the sauce. Not too spicy and really good.

Sauces:

Redwood Smoke Shack offers several different homemade sauces. I tried two of them. I sampled the Carolina Red, hailed as Traditional Piedmont Style, and the House BBQ. Both were very good. You can tell that Bob has spent some time experimenting with different flavors. The Carolina is a vinegar base red sauce. Not thick like many expect bbq sauce to be. It had the twang of vinegar with a little kick to it but not hot.

The House BBQ Sauce was a thicker red sauce and was very good. It is more of a traditional red sauce, more like a Memphis style with a little kick. It is not a hot sauce though. Tammy ate it on her sammich and she doesn’t eat anything with heat to it. As good as the meats were I did use the remainder of my little cup of House BBQ Sauce doing some dipping.

Desserts:

We had two wonderful homemade brownies for dessert. I actually saved mine for later that evening with a cup of coffee. So here’s the deal on these brownies. They were a Ghirardelli Double Dark Chocolate Brownie made with Coelacanth Brewing Company’s Imperial Stout. My apologies if I didn’t get that exactly right. The part that is right is that they were killer. Moist brownies with chunks of chocolate on the inside too. Normally dark chocolate is not my favorite but these were wonderful. Yes you need to try them too. They come individually wrapped so you can always do what I did and take it home for later.

 

Final Thoughts:

While talking to Bob and Lindsey I was informed that this was their 4^th time out. Checking out their Facebook page I see a post that puts the grand opening on Feb. 4, 2017. That’s unbelievable. In case I haven’t been clear enough, even if you don’t love bbq but you like it you need to find out when Redwood Smoke Shack will be open again. This is a part-time gig for Bob right now with hopes of going bigger in the future. If he keeps his food quality where it is or even gets better that should be no problem for him in the future. And Lindsey was just a great young lady. She was so nice and just seemed like she’d be a lot of fun to hang out with. One of the fun parts of doing this blog is some of the people we get to meet. Bob and Lindsey are two of those people that make this fun for me and Tammy as we travel all over finding new places.

Now For Your Thoughts:

Well I don’t think I could make it much clearer but I still want to know what others think about Redwood Smoke Shack. If you’ve eaten here let us know what you thought. Tell us about the loaded mac & cheese or the “Tomic Tatter.” I still want to try both of them. Get some comments in so I can get them posted with the review. Be a part of helping them grow their business.

What do you regulars think?

So has anyone started chasing them down yet? I know it takes a little time to build up a list of regulars. However with food this good that list should form fairly quickly. If you’re in that group, let us know. What draws you back for more?

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

I always encourage you to share this review on Facebook and other social media sites. Follow us on Facebook to see where else we go.

 

I did not find a website for Redwood Smoke Shack but you can check them out and get scheduling information on their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/redwoodsmoke/

You owe it to yourself to check this food trailer out. You’ll be glad you did.

 

Enjoy the ride, good eating and thanks for stopping by.