98 replies to this topic

[Rorschach]

I've driven by this a few times wondering if someone actually opened a barbecue place and it's true -- Langford has a BBQ joint!

Review of Smoken Bones Cookshack

I plan to try it soon. Has anyone here already tried it?

[Holden West]

Why Smoken and not Smokin' ?

I'm not expecting restaurant owners to be Rhodes Scholars or anything, but come on.

[gumgum]

Seems a unconscious culmination of spoken and smokin'.

[Rorschach]

Tried it last night and it was pretty good. He's got two custom smokers on the premises and has been in business since last April.

I had the pork ribs with sides of cornbread and bbq beans. There were several things on the menu I wanted to come back for during lunchtime such as the brisket sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich.

Restaurant was busy which I thought was a good sign on a Thursday night. The server was fast and friendly. The layout of the place is pretty standard, nothing fancy but clean and nice. I'm going to return and try other stuff as I have occasion.

Glad to have decent BBQ in Victoria - we needed it.

[Ms. B. Havin]

From Darron Kloster' business roundup in today's T-C:

Ken Hueston, whose Smokin Bones Cook Shack in Langford recently made the top-20 list of best new restaurants in Canada, has been named president of the Island Chef's Collaborative. He replaces David Mincey of Bastion Square's Camille's at the helm of the group promoting Vancouver Island's organic, seasonal and locally farmed food sector. En Route magazine, the in-flight publication of Air Canada, had Smokin Bones 12th on its list of best new restaurants in Canada in October and its been a boon for Hueston, who said he's served more than 8,000 diners in a one-month span. "It's all about standing out and I guess that's what we've done with our little barbecue house," says Hueston, who estimated he's served 150,000 people in his 74-seat place since opening in April 2006. Joining Hueston on Island Chef's executive are vice-president Jeff Keenliside of Oak Bay Marina, Paige Robertson of Camille's and Jacques Forest.
http://www.canada.co...26d5fe0291c&p=2

[duvaroo]

We ate there a few months ago, the food was pretty good and the service was okay. It took a while to get our dinner but the girl was friendly enough. We had one of the platters and shared it between three of us. It was plenty of food, and like I said it was pretty good. But having lived in Vancouver for a few years, I was comparing it to Memphis BBQ, and that, quite simply, is the best "cookshack" I've ever eaten at. But that being said, I will go back to Smoken Bones.

[davek]

I always thought the name was a play on both Smokin' Bones and Broken Bones.

[Rorschach]

I got distracted by easy walking access to the Pig Joint and their $5 sandwiches and have not gone back to Smoken' Bones. I've got to do the brisket and the pulled pork and report back. I still haven't gone to the Mexican place on Yates either.

We have it pretty good in Victoria. My favorite beer (Phillips Blue Buck) even won a gold medal. If we could just clean up the bums and the brutal cops...

[G-Man]

MMMM Blue Buck! It truly is amazing.

[Rorschach]

We're straying off-topic but... The current goodness of Blue Buck developed slowly. The original Blue Truck Ale was good, but I'm fairly certain the recipe was tweaked and optimized because today the Blue Buck Ale is for all intents and purposes "perfect".

It is one of those magical things and I hope the recipe stays consistant from now on. I wish they served it at Smoken' Bones, but the last time I was there they had a Philips brew specifically for the restaurant -- but I didn't like it.

[amor de cosmos]

what's everyone's favourite thing on the smoken bones menu? I've had the ribs, the beef ribs & 1/2 chicken with some sort of honey glaze & I think the pork ribs are the best thing I've had there. The cornbread isn't very "corny" imho & has been very dry every time I ordered it. (I make way better cornbread at home)

[Rorschach]

Pork ribs are always the first thing I try at any BBQ place. Next try the brisket or pulled pork sandwich. These are the staples of any BBQ place and if they do that well, it's a good sign.

[duvaroo]

I agree with Amor about the cornbread...the one I make at home is also much better. But my favourite thing there is the pulled pork. We usually share the BBQ taster and the pulled pork is always the first thing gone off the plate.
But (knock on wood), so far everything I've had has been pretty darn good.

[vandervalk]

We've eaten there a few times and have always been more than happy with the service and quality of food. The pulled pork is what I normally get and I quite like it.

I will try the ribs next time though. I never seem to order ribs when I'm out for some odd reason.

[Ms. B. Havin]

I've gone twice now, and it was excellent both times. I had ribs, as did most of the others in my party, and they were among the best I've ever tried. Someone else had the Creole salmon, which was also perfect. The sides are great -- you get to choose two items from a list that includes 3 kinds of salads as well as the traditional warm sides (like collard greens -- yum!; baked beans, mac&cheese; fries; local vegs, which was yams when I went; garlic potatoes; the list goes on).

Everything was really tasty and, since I don't live out that way, my only gripe is that I have to drive a long way to get there. If they open a place in the city, I'll be there with bells on.

[Nparker]

If they open a place in the city, I'll be there with bells on.

Will the wearing of bells be a requirement in a future city location?

[Caramia]

I never leave home without them, personally.

[Rorschach]

Another good thing about the shack is their choice of beer. All the good local Phillips stuff on tap:

Brewer's Menu

If you go anywhere in Langford for a restaurant burger -- forget it. Get yourself a pulled-pork sandwich at Smoken Bones instead. It's cheaper if you get take-away than sitting down in the restaurant and it's got to be the best sandwich of any type or style anywhere on the island. They have got it exactly right.

Phillips Blue Buck Ale and a Pulled Pork Sandwich. We really have it good here. And they serve a proper 20 oz pint! Good food like this can't help but succeed.

If you haven't made it, make the effort and bring an appetite. Their awards are richly deserved. Good food! Yow!

[zoomer]

Explain to me the evolution of Blue Truck to Blue Buck.. Why did they not keep the original name? I really like Race Rocks, which I find pretty similar to Blue Buck, although I've only had a few Bucks..

[Rorschach]

The Red Truck Brewery claimed the name "Blue Truck" could be confused with their "Red Truck" Ale. Phillips decided not to fight it out in court and held a contest to re-name their Ale. "Blue Buck" was the winning name they selected.

The ale now known as "Blue Buck" - to this taster evolved from a lower alcohol version of their IPA into a smooth, tasty and perfectly balanced ale as the recipe was tweaked and optimized. I think that the Blue Buck ale is for all intents and purposes "perfect." The recipe is just right.

Of course all of this is subjective -- just like my opinion of the Smoken Bones pulled-pork sandwich. Honestly, just drive there and order a sandwich for take-away and enjoy. So good. In Langford if you're having a sandwich for lunch there's no reason to choose anything else.

And as many others have pointed out, the pork ribs here are incredible.