Smokeworks Ltd in Cambridge

Our server was nice, but so disappointed with the food. While the food is somewhat made to “look” like American BBQ, its flavors were just odd and bland. It is definitely not authentic American BBQ. For example, Alabama white sauce with beef (as opposed to smoked chicken), the corn dog breading wasn’t sweet, the “carolina” pulled pork tasted more like a sloppy Joe. Also, the wings were more akin to fried chicken poppers than actual American chicken wings. The “iced tea” is not even close to southern American sweet tea — a stable at American BBQ joints. The Mac n’cheese was very flavorless. We wanted to like it, but unfortunately they just don’t have good quality American BBQ.

Loved visiting whilst in cambridge. The pulled pork mac and cheese was excellent

Really enjoyed the curried chicken burger and sweet potato fries. Great service too!

Absolutely loved this place! The staff is amazing – such lovely people who make you feel genuinely welcomed from the moment you walk in. I had the hotdog and it did not disappoint – juicy, hot, and absolutely delicious. I went during happy hour, and the bartender was on point, bringing my next cocktail as soon as I finished the last one. I haven’t experienced service this good in a long time. Will definitely be stopping by again!

First time to dine here. They didn't disappoint. Staff are friendly and accommodating. We ordered platter for two and it was delicious. Worth the money.

Good atmosphere, good beer, great service. Great choice of food! Had the platter for one and the spicy nachos. They were both nicely hot when served, something other restaurants could learn from. Why a 4 and not a 5? My baby back ribs were a bit chewy towards the end, I personally like them cooked longer. The wings were perfect! It's a place you must visit!

Great place to eat grilled ribs or breaded chicken wings! Warm welcome, nice atmosphere, the food is simple, good and generous. Great choice of beers (the restaurant is coupled with the pub next door). Special mention for the music: only rock hits (70s and 80s) from the UK!

I was a solo traveller and only had one day in Cambridge. I picked this place because it looked warm from the outside and I asked the bartender to recommend a local beer saying I was a tourist. I don't remember the name of the beer but it was really great, I had 2 pints. Staff were also very friendly it was my first day in Cambridge but it won't be the last. I'll come again. Thank you! Their playlists are also great, I recommend this pub/restaurant. See you soon🍻

Amazing food and really lovely staff. Really good atmosphere, we will definitely be coming back.

Simply great, suitable for celiacs, super friendly and funny staff. The food is quite filling, difficult to find a restaurant like this nearby.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Smokeworks in Cambridge, and I must say, it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The food was simply outstanding—each dish was a delightful burst of flavour and perfectly cooked. Whether you're a fan of succulent ribs, juicy pulled pork, or their delicious sides, Smokeworks has something to satisfy every craving. To top things off, the service was nothing short of phenomenal. A special mention goes to a young lady named Pilar, whose attentiveness and warm hospitality truly enhanced our dining experience. Jemma and Phlie friendly demeanor and impeccable service made us feel right at home and added a personal touch that is often hard to come by. Overall, Smokeworks not only excels in serving great food but also provides an unforgettable dining experience, thanks to their remarkable staff. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a fantastic meal in Cambridge.

One of our favourite places in Cambridge!

A place to enjoy different drinks, and eat, good service

Sept '24 - Very nice BBQ ribs, nutella milkshake was excellent. Visited again Feb '25 and had the St Louis 2 ribs. Very fatty. Also met with Harry and bartered my new drawing of the building.

Excellent food, meat cooked and presented beautifully. Brilliant atmosphere and welcoming staff. Outstanding service by Claudia. Thank you, will be back!

Some of the best BBQ in the country and absolutely in Cambridge.

Had a brilliant meal at Smokeworks last night. Walked in to Linkin Park (they play music but not at a background level and it didn't impede conversation). Served promptly by Harry who looked after us for the evening. Food and drink was delicious, portions were big. Can't wait to go again!

Friendly prompt service- the call buttons are a great idea. Food tasty especially the Mac and cheese.

Although, the food and the service were excellent, I have been charged extra than the amount that it should be… I order ribs & chicken wings..but I replaced the pork ribs with the beef ones..however, they charged me extra for that… I tried to have an explanation for this..they told me the menu prices being updated, but I believe it is not especially when I visited their website as well as google map.

Delicious ribs and perfect fries, the sauce on the ribs tasted amazing and service was superb. Food came quickly and the restaurant has a nice, welcoming atmosphere! Will come again.

What a disappointing experience! Place seems to have really gone downhill. The usually dependable ribs were dry and tough. The Mac-n-Cheese sauce was watery, soupy and kinda gross. Service was spotty. Our greeting when we entered was actually kind of surly. The drinks were okay but expensive! This used to be our go-to place for good ribs but don’t think we’ll be returning anytime soon. Bleh.

A lot of thought has been put into this restaurant. Pre-food experience was good - great mechanism to request service. Food was fun to share and excellent. Went again today, so good that we just can't help but keep on returning! Family favourite.

What a cool little restaurant. Service was great food was great have a lovely time. Even Bella our assistance pup got lots of attention

Unless you book a month in advance, don’t bother trying to throw a dart or get a pint here. Very formal and stiff.

Is a pub restaurant exactly to my taste. It's been a while since my visit. But I remember him well. Food was excellent, service too. Socializing works very well here. You get to talk to locals and the bartender sings along to one or two songs.

The food was all so delicious and they were so friendly! The chicken was so much better than I expected, so I'll try it again next time. Merry Christmas!

Food was ok. Nothing special unfortunately. Hoped for more from them seeing as it's BBQ'd in house. Too much sauce on ribs overpowered the meat. Wings were good but they buy those in. Pulled pork not much flavour and bun dry. Service was good.

Excellent value for money. Great staff and fab food. Definitely recommend.

Should be zero stars, horrible tourist trap, rancid tasting food, awful service too - avoid at all costs. There are much better options in Cambs now. Do yourself a favour and cross the street and go into Bread & Meat for honest quality food. Ignore the 'management' response on here..

Great food, with a smokey flavour 😋 yummy!!!!!!!! There is a nice list of beverages as well. Go try it out when your swanning around the city centre 😎 you won't be disappointed.

El lugar es desaliñado - en necesidad de una lamida o tres de pintura; dejaron la puerta abierta en un día frío. La mesa se tambaleaba tanto que no podías ponerle una pinta. Las papas fritas estaban crujientes en lugar de crujientes. Y luego añaden un cargo por servicio opcional.

Can't wait to come back here as the food is out of this world. I would highly recommend the sharing platter. The milkshake is one of the best I’ve ever had too. But nothing beats how tender the ribs are as they fall apart! The only thing that comes close is the lovely staff members who work there.

Absolutely love this place, we have eaten there both times I have visited Cambridge in recent years and I will definitely return again - fantastic food and a great range of drinks. On top of that, they are a really lovely friendly bunch, even offering to post a favourite scarf free of charge when I left it under a table there (thanks Ben!) 110% recommended :-)

Lovely food, great service from staff and good music in background.

Good food - mostly for carnivores but some rrasonable options for herbivores too.

Delicious BBQ. I had one of their pork buns and it was great. Also had the Cajun onion rings, which were also yummy. Would suggest for sure.

Beautiful place. Food is amazing,

Brilliant good, very attentive staff, great atmosphere

A really nice BBQ restaurant. We were sat in one of the smoker tables which was really cool. The food was very tasty and the service impeccable. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for some BBQ food

American Barbeque Food delivered quickly without delay. The food was hot, I assume the restaurant prepared fresh for every order. The taste of the pork rib reminded me of sweet and sour pork(a traditional Chinese style dish). The hotdog was nice. A German style sausage in a brioche bun is always a good combo. The fries and wings were hot and well seasoned, therefore I forgot the dipping sauce. Good quality fries no need to use dipping sauce to finish afterall. The dipping sauce tasted rich. The clawslaw had seeds inside the dressing, I assume it was mustard seeds. Looked pretty homemade to me. The portion was massive and generous. No customer will get hungry. The design of the restaurant reminds me of the American restaurants in Man vs Food. Very American style.

Burger didn’t have enough meat on it. Tasted good other than that, they were just a it stingy. Ribs were dry and overcooked, also didn’t have enough sauce. Not that impressed. Overhyped.

Food was absolutely excellent. Would recommend the St Louis ribs and staff were very attentive to my gluten intolerance and so catering towards me.

Went for dinner the other night to one of my favourite restaurant’s in town & found out it now has a shuffleboard room! My friends & I decided to try out a few games before dinner & it was great fun. We were all a bit rubbish tbh, but that doesn’t matter as it’s such a laugh anyway. It’s addictive too. It was a great addition to our meal out & I’d highly recommend it. You could also play beer pong, but we’ll save that for another time. It’s easy to book on the website & good value for a night out with friends. A great new addition.

This is a meat lovers paradise! With a strong industrial aesthetic, the darkened rooms add to the smokey vibe, along with some very friendly and approachable staff who clearly enjoy working here. And the food, damn these guys can cook with some of the best flavours in the city. Couldn't recommend Smoke works more, you have to try it...

Beer bars with bbq in the center of the city. The one star is lost because it had a small selection of vegetarian dishes (but it is also a bbq restaurant, so that makes sense). Potatoes with vegetables and guacamole hell!! Also, one of the best lagers I've had lately. The staff is kind and pleasant.

lovely meal in here today, our first time visiting, will definitely be back! mario is a great member of staff ☺️

Awesome little gem! Food was flavourful. Staff was friendly. Didn't have to wait long after ordering for the food to come out.

The food was amazing the chicken wings the ribs and the chips too and the blue cheese sauce is my favorite there the milkshakes are a cherry on top of a cake they’re so good. The service was good as well and i go there a lot so i can assure you it’s worth the visit and the mone. The atmosphere is also really good comfortable so loved it !!

Food was fine, the spicy margaritas are INSANELY GOOD and the music was absolutely amazing throughout. Cheers to whomever chose the playlist!

We had a meal yesterday at The Smokeworks best meal in Cambridge on our weekend away for sure. The ribs and the beef brisket loaded fries where unreal so much so we had to order another portion of the beef loaded fries. Staff were so friendly really helpful but we didn't get told about the ordering system (we quickly worked it out) and we were given the wrong bill in which we paid but worked out before leaving at it was more. (Very apologetic but fine)

Such a lovely place. Food was amazing and service out of this world, would definitely recommend ♥️

Great urban vibe and ambience. Good selection of drinks. We opted for cocktails which were excellent. Really good menu too.I had beef bun which was pulled brisket. Cooked so well - absolutely delicious. Came with a generous side of house slaw and we shared a small Caesar salad. My husband had ribs and fries. We sat inside but there were outside tables as well. Friendly and helpful staff provided excellent service. A really good place to eat.

It's worth going to dinner. We were served by a very attentive and professional waitress. I highlight the Caesar salad and the chicken wings. It has a terrace

Charismatic servers, food excellent atmosphere brilliant well worth the visit.

I’ve been there a few times solo trips and for my birthday a couple of times mouth watering food great service I always try and get in when I go to Cambridge

Best milkshakes we ever tried !!!!!

First off, the staff is awesome. Second, as soon as I ordered the beef bun and fries, it was about 2 minutes later it was on my table. Lastly, the food I ordered was EXCELLENT! I would definitely recommend Smokeworks for eats or drink.

Employee was so helpful and enthusiastic especially thr lady that wait on us today. We had an amazing lunch here. Highly recommended here. Baby pork ribs was so good and the buffalo sauce that come with wings is one of the best buffalo sauce I have in a while ( You don’t find this in London )

We very much enjoyed our experience at smokeworks. All the staff were very friendly, attentive and helpful. The food really hit the spot. Four of us had great mix from the menu from the share plate to the macaroni to a salad and sides and everyone ended up sharing their meals around. Good list of drink which also flowed. We will happily return for another meal in the future.

If you want to eat really delicious BBQ, you've come to the right place.😊

This is like my dream restaurant. Delicious smoked ribs and sauces, the best wings I've ever had, great beer and a cheeky syrupy Pecan pie to finish. If I come back to Cambridge, I will come again, anything else would be madness !

Wow : great food, excellent service and location There were so many options and all very tasty We had chicken wings, onion rings with 2 sauces and loaded chips Thank you folks

Good food really good service told the waiter I needed to be out quick and got my beers , food and bill paid dead quickly . Proper Friday night pre gig atmos too ! Love you all

Amazing food with nice staff and quick service

Old-fashioned pub with 2 locations (2 entrances next to each other) and several levels. Very good meats and beers. Excellent rock music. Service with clever button to call. In a very lively restaurant district in the evening.

Love the food here it is just filled with lots of meat cooked to fall off the bone as well as burgers and wings and all sorts. I love the baby back pork ribs here and often pair them with pulled pork and chilli loaded fries. They have a unique system where you turn on a switch at your table which will light up the number and someone will come over. They have some pints which are nice and sections on the menu of normal cocktails, slushie cocktails and milkshake cocktails.

Wow wow wow! Randomly stopped here for lunch! Oh my god! The food is unreal! & The staff so friendly I asked them to move to Huntingdon, because this place would be a gold mined anywhere it went! Very impressed & nice my new favourite restaurant in Cambridge! Espresso martini is on our Ranking Page as a S Tier! Well done guys!!!

The service was impeccable, I believe I got served by Aysh. He made me feel very welcome.

We had the most amazing time here tonight! The staff were unbelievable and the manager was so chill and lovely proper made us feel at home it was such a relaxed atmosphere and the food was incredible!! It was my brothers first time and now is his favourite restaurant! Everyone needs to go here

Sadly I didn’t take any pictures Visited on a day out with a couple of mates. Rocked up about 7:30 with no booking. Immediately offered a table. I’m an electric wheelchair user without any prompt the delightful Italian waitress got the ramp and selected a suitable table for us. The specials were explained, menu explained and during order we were offered upgrades. Service was quick. Food was banging. 4 different menu items selected. Wheelchair accessible toilet is very spacious. Overall was really impressed. In an old building it’s difficult to create access. Top tip if visiting as a wheelchair user ask to sit at front separate restaurant as access is best and this is where accessible loo is.

A great "smoke house" in the heart of Cambridge. Nice restaurant, with a mix of new and old furniture. It feels like being in a diner, but with a British twist. The meat is great, I didn't like the quality of the chicken (felt a bit too fatty), but everything else was lovely.

If I could give 0 i won't give 1 star. The rudest bar tender and restaurant waiters told a guy in front of us saying no table but actually lots of tables there and when we asking for tables He said I'm not gonna serve you first I'm going do some cleaning. This guy just very rude from his face. Dont go to this restaurant ever and I hope this restaurant get bankruptcy. Worst wishes. Never seen Such a cringe restaurant which is in the Cambridge.

Lucas and Harry were extremely kind and helpful and friendly in the pub today. It was a delight to be there.

Very friendly and helpful service, delicious food and big portions. The playlist was also 5⭐️

Brought my toddler son to Cambridge for 3 days. We visited Many restaurants around the city but the experience by far was SMOKEWORKS because of our servers Elisa and Ciaran, they went above and beyond making sure our dinner was special and even giving extra sprinkles for my son when he said he liked them. The food was also great if you are looking for ribs and wings, the coleslaw could have been better though.

We went here for lunch. Food was very good and was cooked perfectly, but the bbq sauce was in the sweeter side for me and also for the others who were accompanied. The service was really nice. And they have an interesting button pressing system to call the service personnel. We took the basement, it was dark and a bit stuffy, there was no mobile coverage. Nonetheless a good place.

Had a great morning drink and relax at this wonderful spot on the corner..Good beer, Good shots. Thanka for the fun on my birthday 🍻😀

A feast for the eyes and the stomach, best ribs in Cambridge #loveit extremely inspiring menu! Reminds me of America, can’t wait to come back #americanbbq #beautiful #greatmusic

We left after 5 minutes. It was either the cold temperature, or possibly the freezing atmosphere. Then again it could have been the noise from the kitchen, or the deafening music. I suppose the cramped table in the corner, perhaps even the uninspiring menu didn't help. As we left, a customer who had eaten, caught up to us in the street and told us the food was terrible, so maybe my son's birthday meal wasn't ruined here.

Discovered this place by chance on our first trip to Cambridge and very impressed by how tasty the food was. We also liked the system of calling the waiters and how friendly they were to us. Great atmosphere and will definitely visit again.

I visited for the first time on Saturday, and our waiter, Mario, could not have been any better. I had friends visiting two days later and decided to bring them here based on my previous experience, but it could not have been more opposite. I don't know the name of the waiter this time, but he made it very clear that our group of six was an inconvenience to him, so we decided to leave and find somewhere else.

I have a specific complaint about the toilets which ruined my whole experience. When entering the toilets, the gender distinguished entrances were not made obvious. When going in to the women’s, I opened the already open door, and found a man going for a wee with his pants pulled down. Without stating the obvious, I think it’s pretty appalling that women cannot have a safe space separate from drunken men to go to the loo in peace. I also felt incredibly uncomfortable and awkward after this and it ruined the rest of ,y dining experience. I cannot say I would recommend this place to families, as allowing your children to go to the toilet alone would be an unsafe option. I still feel uncomfortable.

Good food and atmosphere. Beers could easily be better

Amazing local small business that deserves your time to visit, great staff amazing food and some locally brewed beers

Went out for lunch, the nice girl working at the bar, let us taste the beer and was very kind overall. I had the chicken burger, which was amazing, and the mac and cheese on the side, I would recommend this place

I had a great experience on my first visit to Cambridge. Smokeworks on Free school lane was definitely a highlight and I really really enjoyed my St Louis belly rib. Lots of intense flavours, soft tender meat and the slaw was the perfect accompaniment due to its crunch and freshness. Our sides were the Mac ‘n cheese and the Cajun spiced onion rings, both were probably the best I’ve ever had. My partner ordered the baby back ribs but this was the only item which unfortunately wasn’t on par with everything else. The ribs were tender but didn’t have much flavour. I also got the apple crumble handshake which was so good I had to grab one to go. You’re missing a trick by not offering a strawberry cheesecake version! Staff were brilliant from start to finish and if you’re reading this then know that I appreciate you.

I had a great experience on my first visit to Cambridge. Smokeworks on Free school lane was definitely a highlight and I really really enjoyed my St Louis belly rib. Lots of intense flavours, soft tender meat and the slaw was the perfect accompaniment due to its crunch and freshness. Our sides were the Mac ‘n cheese and the Cajun spiced onion rings, both were probably the best I’ve ever had. My partner ordered the baby back ribs but this was the only item which unfortunately wasn’t on par with everything else. The ribs were tender but didn’t have much flavour. I also got the apple crumble handshake which was so good I had to grab one to go. You’re missing a trick by not offering a strawberry cheesecake version! Staff were brilliant from start to finish and if you’re reading this then know that I appreciate you.

Really nice and cozy place! The food was tasty and the service very friendly and fast!

Amazing food, tasty ribs very well cooked Friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommended

Nice little BBQ restaurant with great food. Service and ambience are good.

Want chicken and ribs, soft and fall off the bone, plus then a button for service them this is the place. Great staff and lovely food. Snug but comfortable we had a platter which is good for the money, the mac and cheese is a must add on too. Lovely food not a big vill. Recommended.

The food was rather good, unfortunately the music was so loud we could barely hear each other, despite asking for the music to be turned down, they seemed more interested in ignoring my request, really disappointed and spoilt a lovely day with our son.

Got a table with no reservation on a Saturday which was nice. Drinks and food arrived fast and I like the switch on the wall if you want service. Now the food, I ordered the ribs and rings combo and it was a bit of a let down tbh. The ribs were not tender and was very tough chewy. I questioned this and was told that’s how they are meant to be, with a bite I believe he said. I have not had ribs like this before, the bbq sauce just tasted a bit generic nothing special. The wings were pretty good best part of the meal but I came for the ribs glad I didn’t order a full rack. My friend got the special pork and Mac burger. This again was a let down. Two small bits of pork was not enough for the big bun it was served in. The loaded fries were not good. Hardly any meat and came with chillis even thou we asked for no chillis

Our 3rd time here and never disappoints

Had a sharing platter for 2 with the short ribs. The beef rib was really soft. I’d give it a 10/10. Customer Service was really good 😊

Fantastic buffalo wings. Amazing service. I came here the second day in line!

Great little place, atmosphere was lovely, the food very tasty and the cocktails amazing! The basil mescalita was so good! Service was also excellent! Thank you!

Delicious food. Definitely recommended when it comes to BBQ and meat dishes. The interior is small and cozy.

Food not nice, service wasn’t nice, loud music

This place is awesome! The food was absolutely outstanding! And we was served by an awesome waitress! Attentive and with great hunour. The whole experience was great. The portion sizes was huge! Definitely a challenge for any food lover!