Ever had a brisket sandwich? One where the meat spills out from every side and is so tender and juicy that you barely need to chew? Where the sauce hits you like a Tennessee tornado? Where the bun is crusty and firm and the cole slaw is tangy and straight-up delicious?
If not, you might want to get yourself down to Smugglers Smokehouse and revel in the real deal.
Owned and operated by two veteran chefs (the wife and husband team of Shayna and Josh Shulman) and run day to day by another (Damian Mischkinis, better known simply as "DaMo"), Smugglers Smokehouse aims to deliver classic, authentic southern barbecue to the South Okanagan.
They succeed. Oh baby, do they succeed.
The brisket sandwich is, as described above, mouth watering. I paired it with a virgin Bloody Mary that's practically a meal within itself.
The thing is a visual masterstroke - bloody red in colour and topped with no less than a pickled egg, smoked beef jerky, homemade pickles, and smoked cheddar. Inside is a tasty meld of American Bloody Mary and Canadian Caesar, with brisket drippings instead of clam juice for a meaty accent, and Worcestershire sauce, pickle juice, and horseradish to sharpen it to perfection.
It's so artsy you might want to take a few pics first.
Later, co-owner Josh Shulman gave me the lowdown.
"We're one of a kind in town. There's lots of sushi places and lots of pizza places, but there's only one authentic barbecue place," he said.
"We really stress that we do classic southern barbecue, like what you'd find in Mississippi or Texas. This isn't Canadianized barbecue. You won't find French fries on the menu. But you will find hearty homemade stuff like classic potato salad, baked beans, cornbread, creamed corn, and made-from-scratch mac and cheese. When we have customers come through the doors from those regions, it's high-fives and 'Damn, that's the best barbecue I think I've ever had.'"
Smugglers, situated in the same building as "The People's Soda Co," at 215 Winnipeg St, got its start not in Penticton, but Naramata.
"Jason Cox (who runs People's Soda and was a 2018 Penticton mayoral candidate) found this space and wanted someone to do the restaurant aspect so he could focus on his soda," Shayna Shulman explains. "Through a mutual friend he found us, and we recently closed up shop at Legend Distilling in Naramata and were looking for a new space in town. So it worked out perfectly."
The renovation process wasn't easy, say the Shulmans. They still remember the weird yellow walls and the strange arches and other assorted oddities from its earlier years.
Ultimately they launched a Kickstarter campaign to help finish the job, and can't forget the one contributor who basically ate free for a year because she'd chipped in a cool grand.
"We were happy to feed her, because without her we wouldn't have made it," says Shayna.
Today, the place is casual cool and a wee bit rustic, with a high ceiling and a spacious vibe and hand-drawn menus and signage on the walls. And there's a laid-back patio just outside. If you're looking for pretentious, you won't find it here.
But you will find hearty comfort food at fair prices.
DaMo, just a couple years removed from his stint as chef de cuisine at Burrowing Owl's upscale Sonora Room, talks about their Thursday movie nights, their Happy Hour $3 beers, and their rotating soup and sandwich specials (tip: the smoked mushroom soup sounds killer).
He's most enthused about the Saturday Brunch, running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It features variations on the regular menu such as the Texas Breakfast - with homemade bacon - and the BBQ Benny.
"That's our biggest seller. Instead of English muffins, we use our homemade cornbread, instead of ham it's pulled pork, and then the hollandaise gets a special treatment of bourbon and honey to give it a southern touch. The potato mix is a sweet potato and gold potato blend, with red pepper and red onion all roasted together to give a bunch of different textures and flavours."
One other thing. Smugglers now offers delivery. Order anything on the menu, and add six bucks to get it sent anywhere in Penticton. Extra charges may apply for outlying areas.
Even better, delivery is free 'til March if your total is greater than $30.
Smuggler's Smokehouse is a block from the heart of downtown, and a five minute walk from the beach. It's run by a trio of talented chefs who'd love to serve you a sampling of their southern hospitality. Connect with them at their website, or by calling 250-493-0381.
