☞ Smoking Joe’s Comes to Town
Living in Jakarta, I thought the arrival of Fat Burger would be the pinnacle for satisfying those cravings for great food, from the homeland, that arise now and again. And I was happy with that. Fat Burger is awesome.
So, imagine my unabashed delight when I heard that Smoking Joe’s BBQ was opening its first overseas franchise, right here in Jakarta. But, my joy was quickly tempered by thoughts of halal restrictions and pork substitutes adulterating what is basically a legitimate food group where I come from (you know, dairy, fruit, veggies, grains and BBQ…everyone can appreciate that, right?).
Thus I went to Smoking Joe’s Grand Opening at The East Building in Mega Kuningan filled with optimism, and, trepidation…those who has been deprived of their native sustenance can relate to the roller coaster of emotion that such hope can trigger.
As we arrived pretty waitresses with trays of appetizers were making their way through the crowd of hungry and curious Jakartans that had also come out to give the new venue a fair shake. Smoking Joe’s did not disappoint. I tried the Flour Tortilla Pizza (although I didn’t want to waste my appetite’s bandwidth on this one, but to preserve my journalistic integrity I figured I should give it a try. It was delicious, but this is a city where great pizza is easy to find…) and it was good, the BBQ Chicken Wings were also a tasty find, but the BBQ Slider was the clear champion in the appetizer category. The tangy and sweet BBQ sauce smothered on tender BBQ chicken in a soft bun, was heavenly. The flavor took me right back to backyard BBQs and family picnics, the likes of which I haven’t experienced since moving overseas. Yes, it was that good.
Soon the place was packed and the queue for the BBQ buffet was long. Having filled up on the appetizers I tried my best to find space to accommodate the BBQ ribs, which were tender and delicious, but alas, I am only one person. I did my best. Budweiser too, was a friend at the party I hadn’t seen for a while. Cold and refreshing it was definitely a sight for sore eyes.
Overall I am happy to report that Smoking Joe’s fulfilled my BBQ fantasy. With a promise of more live music and uncompromising standards, I am looking forward to filling those nutritional deficits with copious amounts of smoked BBQ and ice-cold beer.
☞ Smoking Joe’s BBQ & Lounge
The East * Mega Kuningan
wanderlust and wonder 
Nice post with your beautiful photos!!! Budweiser! I haven’t seen that in a while. :) Flour Tortilla Pizza sounds good to me! Smoked BBQ. Yum!
Thanks Kaho! You guys have to try this place, I know you’ll love it ;)
This article, the restaurant and owner, Joel Rozelle, are a joke. How can Smoking Joe’s be a “sensation” when it subsisted the entire time it existed in St. Louis? The staff actively ran blocker for the owner, Joel Rozelle, to avoid paying vendors. The restaurant didn’t pay its bills and left other small business vendors on the hook for start-up costs and then closed its doors in its home town only to transplant across the globe to avoid collections efforts. This is the image of success we laud. Sad.