Salt Smoke - Saint Louis

My 1st time in STL and decided to check out Salt Smoke for our first meal, and extremely glad we did! It introduced us to a fun part of town as well. The cocktails were great and honestly more craft than I was expecting. The Smoking Gun tequila, mezcal, lime, pineapple, orgeat, tiki bitters, vanilla, and allspice. It was pretty darn good and a step up from a typical margarita. The hush puppies were served hot out the fryer and were as addicting as ever with that maple butter on the side! I was over the top impressed by the size of their cheddar bacon popovers, and how tasty they were! Perfect airy popover. Also, I 'm more of a vinegar based slaw guy than mayo based, they knocked it out of the park. Their white cheddar cracker Mac was smackin too, I loved the slight crunch texture from the crackers added in there (definitely garnished at the end preparation so not served soggy). Unfortunately, we stopped in a little later in the evening so it 's understandable they ran out of brisket (get there earlier if that 's make/break for you) but we opted for the brisket burnt end which were still amazing (smoked with post oak). I admire how they provide you with a plethora of sauces at your table: My Sweet Bestie sweet heat smokey bbq sauce, HotTangy medium spicy vinegar wash, Mustarolina tangy scratch made mustard bbq sauce, and I Can 't Even De Arbol Chile apricot sauce. I slapped each one on a rib or two as I went (ribs smoked with cherry wood) and they were all DELICIOUS. I was even half expecting the ribs to be dried out since we arrived late in the evening, but they were still tender moist. Kudos Salt Smoke took great care of us and set the vibe for the rest of our time in STL. Don 't let them having multiple locations fool you, it 's still quality food. Highly recommend if you 're unsure where to eat and looking for some BBQ. Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

The food is very good. It tastes like there is time and effort put into the prep, it's always fresh too. The service is great. Friendly servers and professional kitchen staff. The ambiance is good, it is a popular restaurant in St. Louis for a reason perhaps.

Just visited for the first time tonight. Had really high hopes because of all of the hype, but I felt like the food itself was just okay. First of all, the service was great. My server was alright (maybe a little standoffish grumpy, but I'm sure it had been a rough shift for him) but who I assume was the manager stopped by our table twice to ask us if everything was okay, despite it being pretty crowded. That was awesome! Our food also came out within 10 minutes of ordering. Now, the food itself was a little underwhelming. I ordered the bestie combo meal, with the brisket, pulled pork, white cheddar cracker mac cheese, and the baked beans. The meat was room temperature, and maybe I'm just picky but I prefer my food to come out hot. The brisket was okay, but a little dry. The pulled pork also lacked seasoning. The sides were alright, but the Mac was just kinda bland and mushy imo. The overall vibe of the restaurant was great. Really great atmosphere super cute decor. Would be a great place to go for a date night, I just wasn't impressed by the food. Maybe it was just because it was a Saturday night they were crowded. Overall, this place is decent, but I definitely prefer Sugarfire over this.

Fabulous dinner spot! I’m not usually focused on the sides, but this place has both the best coleslaw and Mac and cheese I’ve ever had! The ribs were delicious as well, though they were sadly out of brisket so we were unable to try. Got the burnt ends instead which were pretty meh, honestly. Would skip those next time. But the POPOVERS! YUM! Also tried the old fashioned cocktail, which was very good though a bit on the sweeter side. Their parking lot attached is extremely small, but there was a free lot less than a block away so there was no issue. Have not been to the other locations, but would certainly return to this one next time we are in town! One of my favorite meals I had during a week long road trip south! Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $20–30 Food: 5 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Hush Puppies

Nine of us came to eat at 5:00 PM We got crammed into a table for Eight (maybe) in the corner, We asked our server what the place was known for, and she replied Brisket and Ribs several of us ordered the brisket, and found out that at 5:00 PM they were out of it. My order of a sandwich and one side was wrong. Parking: Fend for yourself Street Parking with broken meters Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $20–30 Food: 2 Service: 3 Atmosphere: 2 Parking space: Difficult to find parking Parking options: Paid street parking