Today the BBQ Trail leads us to Small’s Smokehouse and Oyster Bar. My years of protesting the tolls on the tunnels finally came to an end. I broke down and bought an EZPass. Oh did that pain me. But once I received it we headed to Norfolk to check this place out.

Where is Small’s Smokehouse Located?

Small’s Smokehouse is located on Hampton Blvd. in Norfolk, VA. They are a stone’s throw away from Old Dominion University. So for us to leave Suffolk and go there it was just too far to go all the way around I-64 to avoid the toll at the Mid-town Tunnel. That’s why we haven’t been there before now. They are in a pretty convenient location and have plenty of parking around them.

The Restaurant and Staff:

We were greeted and seated as soon as we walked in. We were ahead of their dinner rush so they let us pick our seats. Both the hostess and our waiter were very friendly. The dining room is medium size. They also have tall tables that go back around the bar area and a patio out back as well. So they do have different options for you to choose a table. From what I could figure out, Small’s Smokehouse and Oyster Bar opened in 2013. They have renovated an old store near the Ghent area of Norfolk and turned it into a restaurant and bar. One thing that amazed me was how well insulated the building is. You could barely hear the rush hour traffic going past the building on Hampton Blvd. They say that their seafood is fresh from the Eastern Shore markets. I didn’t try any on this trip.

Our Choices at Small’s Smokehouse:

The Farmhouse at Small’s Smokehouse, Norfolk, VA

I chose what Small’s Smokehouse calls The Farmhouse. It’s Chicken, Pulled Pork and Sliced Brisket. I ordered Baked Beans and Onion Rings for my sides. I’d have to say that the sides were good but not great. The beans just didn’t have a lot of seasoning and the onion rings were too heavy on the batter. I also didn’t get many of them with my order. So they have to get a good, average rating.

Probably my least favorite was the brisket. It was thin sliced and didn’t have a lot of smoke flavor. Also if

Burnt Ends at Small’s Smokehouse

there was a smoke ring I had a hard time seeing it. It was much better with their KC Sauce. The pork had a good smoke flavor. I enjoyed it much more than the brisket. The pork also had some nice bark mixed in. It was good with or without sauce. The chicken was very good. It tasted like chicken cooked on a grill with bbq sauce on it, not really like it was smoked. I actually liked it a lot.

Tammy went for the Burnt Ends. That was the main reason she wanted to get over there to start with. Her sides were Onion Rings and Slaw. They have a good mayo based slaw.

Her burnt ends had a really good flavor although they just weren’t cooked long enough to get good and “burnt”. They were served with sauce already on them. Overall they were very good but could very easily be even better by smoking them longer.

Dessert Anyone?

Smokehouse Sundae

Chocolate Cherry Cheese Cake.

Yes we had to try out a couple of their desserts. I had a Smokehouse Sundae. That was vanilla ice cream and whipped cream with pieces of bacon sprinkled on it. It was good but I really should have ordered the same thing that Tammy did. She had a Chocolate Cherry Cheese Cake. It was wonderful. The cherries were cooked into the bottom of the cheese cake. I’d go for that next time.

Final Thoughts:

We did enjoy our visit to Small’s Smokehouse. I think that their portions are a little small for the prices on the smoked side of the menu. There were some really nice looking burgers and sandwiches being served while we were there. So, the bottom line is that I probably will go back. I’d also like to try some of the other items on the menu.

Now For Your Thoughts:

So how do you feel about Small’s Smokehouse and Oyster Bar? I tried to be fair and honest with my opinion, let me know what you think about them. You can agree or disagree with me. This is your chance to be part of this post. Send in your comments and I’ll get them added to the story.

What do you regulars think?

I know that there are regulars out there. Fill us in on more of the story about Small’s Smokehouse. You can tell us even more about them. What keeps you going back? Get me those comments.

I really look forward to hearing from you. I love posting your comments to the blog. They add a lot of extra information that we can’t cover in one visit.

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.

You can check out their website at: www.smallsodu.com

They are also on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/SmallsSmokehouse/?fref=ts

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