The Smoke House in Cardiff

This is a fantastic food location with a lovely atmosphere. The road on which it is located has a lot of strong contenders for great food with a wonderful welcome, but we can confirm that the breakfast and coffee are superb. We will be back, both for more breakfast but also to try the lunch and dinner menus, the latter of which is a Texan BBQ focus 🤤

Nipped in for breakfast and we were not disappointed. Both had the classic breakfast and the bacon was properly cooked (without having to request it like a lot of places), the BBQ beans cracking and the hash browns properly crispy as they should be. Very decent coffee as well. (They were also good enough to sneak me a side from the lunch menu even though we arrived around 11) Really lovely staff - have already recommended it to numerous social circles and will 100% be back for dinner once they're back on the 12th Jan after Xmas shut down.

Just wow, such lovely service, food in significant portions and taste. I had the wings to start, ribs and mac n cheese as main and cheesecake for dessert - some friends rolled me back home. 100% will be back!

i was here last night for food had cheese bacon burger chips very nice enjoyed it staff superb to. all that changed after my visit this evening ok 1 of which i should have said about but didnt want to worry staff members as they were busy had a wobbley table and the girl came over to see if everything was ok it was but then i was still eating my chips and she must have thought id finished with them and i hadent so wasent to happy with that plus that table was right near where people have to go to the toilet and every time people back and fore was disturbing me as i was trying to have my meal in piece.

What a place!!!! Awesome food and atmosphere and extremely accommodating. I would def recommend and will most definitely be returning.

Really enjoyed first time for me had the beef omg was so tender food service was good food really nice only downfall for me my coffee was cold but the waiter went and got me fresh on pipping hot

Fantastic food and service - Jaz and her team made us very welcome. Highly recommend. Thank you we will be back every week 😂

I booked for 29 people on 25th November for my partner’s 30th Birthday. I am aware that a large group like this can be tricky to deal with for a small venue but I can’t fault how well organized it was. Everybody was greeted and taken to their tables as they arrived. Food was really nice and we all enjoyed every single bit of it. However, when the bills were made they were really confusing. There was one bill per table as we agreed but the numbers did not add up as everybody seemed to be paying more than they should have. Deposit was £30 per person which we happily paid, but for our surprise this £30 were only taken off from the food. People whose food did not cost a total of £30 and had some credit left still had to cover the full amount for their drinks. If I would have been informed that the minimum spent of £30 was for FOOD ONLY I would have never agreed to it, as I can’t expect everyone to spend £30 in only starter and main (there were no desserts because I was bringing my own cake). For example, my partner ordered wings and ribeye with ribs, this was making his food cost £46, plus 2 cocktails which made the total of his bill £65. £65 minus £30 already paid stands for £35, but somehow he ended up paying £50. (??????) Many of the guests payed extra (including 10% service charge) and balance was still due on the bills. Also, the bill stated “food”. I have never before seen a bill that does not show every single thing ordered and how much it costs. Surely it was much easier to show the total bill so people could work it out for themselves. If I would have been informed that my guests had to spend £30 min in only food and their deposits would not be discounted also for their drinks I would have never agreed to it as this made me feel like I have been scammed and lied to. My partner’s 30th Birthday was incredibly important to me, so having his family and group of friends left feeling ripped off has left a very very bitter taste on my mouth. As a big group we brought enough money to the place and I even happily payed £7 to bring my own cake which I never got to try as I was too busy dealing with all this confusing situation. People ended up paying whatever they were asked to pay because did not want to start an argument and create drama in such an important day. They just wanted to get it over with and go. But definitely most of them ended up paying more than they should have payed. We could say the venue had a great tip from us. (Merry Christmas?) As an ex manager myself I have dealt with large groups like this before and I have never seen a system such like this! I still can’t wrap my head around it. As I stated earlier, this is a real shame because the food was really amazing and organization of tables was great. Unfortunately not a single one of us is ever coming back. Marta

I booked for 29 people on 25th November for my partner’s 30th Birthday. I am aware that a large group like this can be tricky to deal with for a small venue but I can’t fault how well organized it was. Everybody was greeted and taken to their tables as they arrived. Food was really nice and we all enjoyed every single bit of it. However, when the bills were made they were really confusing. There was one bill per table as we agreed but the numbers did not add up as everybody seemed to be paying more than they should have. Deposit was £30 per person which we happily paid, but for our surprise this £30 were only taken off from the food. People whose food did not cost a total of £30 and had some credit left still had to cover the full amount for their drinks. If I would have been informed that the minimum spent of £30 was for FOOD ONLY I would have never agreed to it, as I can’t expect everyone to spend £30 in only starter and main (there were no desserts because I was bringing my own cake). For example, my partner ordered wings and ribeye with ribs, this was making his food cost £46, plus 2 cocktails which made the total of his bill £65. £65 minus £30 already paid stands for £35, but somehow he ended up paying £50. (??????) Many of the guests payed extra (including 10% service charge) and balance was still due on the bills. Also, the bill stated “food”. I have never before seen a bill that does not show every single thing ordered and how much it costs. Surely it was much easier to show the total bill so people could work it out for themselves. If I would have been informed that my guests had to spend £30 min in only food and their deposits would not be discounted also for their drinks I would have never agreed to it as this made me feel like I have been scammed and lied to. My partner’s 30th Birthday was incredibly important to me, so having his family and group of friends left feeling ripped off has left a very very bitter taste on my mouth. As a big group we brought enough money to the place and I even happily payed £7 to bring my own cake which I never got to try as I was too busy dealing with all this confusing situation. People ended up paying whatever they were asked to pay because did not want to start an argument and create drama in such an important day. They just wanted to get it over with and go. But definitely most of them ended up paying more than they should have payed. We could say the venue had a great tip from us. (Merry Christmas?) As an ex manager myself I have dealt with large groups like this before and I have never seen a system such like this! I still can’t wrap my head around it. As I stated earlier, this is a real shame because the food was really amazing and organization of tables was great. Unfortunately not a single one of us is ever coming back.

Nice sit-down restaurant. We asked if they offered take out and they arranged it. Thank you ! Food was very nice and price was reasonable. An excellent choice,

Been to many Smoke Houses and this is quite honestly one of the best we've ever been to. The food was outstanding, the service was spot on and being a small place, the atmosphere was perfect. We'll be back!!

Thank you very much for such great hospitality and food. We were running quite late due to traffic. They were extremely understanding and accommodating. The food was amazing great servings compared to other places I have been. The brisket was like butter, the burgers were perfect all in all great experience and we will 100% be back soon for the ribs. Thank you again much appreciated

Super busy for a Wednesday night, only one Server and one chef. Great food and service nonetheless. We had the smoked trilogy sharer. Thanks!!

Stunning! We are huge lovers of smoked meat. This exceeded our expectations. Jaz and her staff were super friendly and attentive! The food was out of this world and the drinks was delicious. They accommodated my gluten intolerance. And super patient waiting for us to finish our drinks with a friendly chat!

Visited for the first time today after pre-booking as advised online. Small, quaint little restaurant, slightly crammed but at the same time, a cosy atmosphere. Food was excellent and served quickly, no draught alcohol, so bottles and cans of beer. Menu not too large but the food was excellent, the type you’d expect at a smoke house. Brisket portion could have been larger for £19, otherwise enjoyed and would recommend.

Lovely food, staff and the atmosphere.

Food was absolutely banging and reasonably priced , staff were really nice

Great food and very friendly staff - definitely worth a visit if you like BBQ!

Great food, nice place, and really friendly staff/owner. Came here to jointly celebrate a Birthday & Wedding Anniversary and was not disappointed. Sharing platter for two was huge and meat & sides were amazing. Definitely returning next time we are in town.

Best burger I've ever had. 100% returning to try more of the menu.

Absolutely amazing food. The smoke house comes highly recommended for food quality, service and price. We will be coming back next time we are in Cardiff.

Craving for grills. Found this place by chance. Luckily I went early as it was fully booked. Have to leave before 7.15pm as they have the next guest. Ordered the ribs. Unfortunately they do not do half a rack. Nice smoky grill. Meat a bit dry, but it is good.. well marinated.

Good food in a small local restaurant with great staff.

The food here is amazing! Everything was cooked perfectly & presented well. The Gower brownie for desert was incredible! The service was great. Everyone we spoke to was very nice. Booking is essential as seating is pretty limited but this makes for a great atmosphere & better service. Highly recommended!!!

Really awesome independent restaurant in a wonderful area. Service is fantastic, the portion sizes are generous and the food is very good. Particularly loved the brisket.

We've been to Smoke House couple of times and as always food was amazing, Brilliant service from Jazz , she was really friendly and caring. Definitely recommend this place.

The food here was absolutely outstanding, very rarely have I eaten out and been truly happy with the quality and taste of the food that's been served. This is an absolute gem of a bistro. Do yourself a favor and eat here!

Our server/manager Tami ( I think that is her name) was absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Compliments to the Chef and his brigade.

We had an amazing time. Nothing was too much trouble. The staff were excellent and the food and service was second to none

Loads of food and it was brilliant. Only issue we had was people always left the front door open and it was cold, so a weighted door would be better

Quiet, great service and excellent food 10/10. Seems expensive, but portions are generous and the ingredient quality seems excellent.

Amazing. Atmosphere, service and food all outstanding 🌟

Really good food and lovely drinks selection. If you do go parking in the area a bit of a problem so give yourself extra time or get a taxi / Über

Great food, great service! We often come for special occasions 😆 and they do doggy bags for the doggies! Fab.

When in Cardiff nowhere else I would want to eat Food is outstanding great value Staff go the extra mile to make sure you feel welcome

Been coming here for years. The only smoke House to go

Highly recommend! Wonderful food, exceptional service, a must try!

This is the third time we have eaten at the Smoke House and I have to say every time we've eaten there the quality of the food, service and ambience has all been excellent, this place never fails to please. Last night we shared the Calimari as a starter, Calimari was perfectly cooked and came with the most delicious garlic sauce. The food was piping hot which is also a pleaser on a frosty January evening. For mains, we both chose the pork ribs which just melted in our mouths and the BBQ sauce accompanying it was really tangy, the only downside was I was too full to finish it all off. I would highly recommend this restaurant we will definitely be returning.

The best burger I've had in years, was so amazing, felt so gourmet and fresh, will definitely be coming again

We had the Holy trinity combo for two, it was fantastic

Great food, exceeded my expectations for the meat. Very friendly service. Good value.

Ordered before arrival. Excellent service. Food was to die for! So much had to take a doggy bag home!

Amazing food ..atmosphere and service very good also

A lovely restaurant, serving by far the best BBQ I've had in Cardiff at very reasonable prices. Everything we ordered was amazing, and the portions were really impressive, even the veggie options were very good. It took a little longer than we would have liked to get our order taken, but understandable as it was extremely busy, and the food more than made up for it when it arrived.

I’m a vegetarian and found I had enough to choose from on the menu, and the food itself was delicious! The atmosphere at The Smoke House is so cosy and the waiting staff were very friendly. No complaints.

Amazing food!!! Amazing service!!!

Always awesome food with a cosy atmosphere.

Smokehouse food is amazing u won't be disappointed u need to book in advance u won't be disappointed amazing!

Really glad we tried this place out, the food was incredible.

What a lovely little place. Locally sourced meat smoked and cooked to perfection. The platter for one was plentiful, the house BBQ sauce was tremendous, I had to get another portion! We had the barnyard burger which was spot on. Highly recommended

Amazing evening, food outstanding! Recommended by someone in a local hotel and it did not disappoint - a small issue which was dealt with- service outstanding! Will definately be going back !!

Fantastic food and impeccable service

Fabulous pre-cricket food, service good.

Food delicious 😋 staff friendly but a bit on the expensive side so would only be for a special occasion 😀

Great beetroot burger! Best vegetarian meal I've had!

Does not provide a paper menu. Yet their website is so terribly designed that is basically a total mess. Food is alright, only if is priced £15 but not £25. At the end of the day it's either their menu very limited or their website so confusing that nobody could find it.

Wij waren in Cardiff voor een concert van Ed Sheeran maar de volgende keer gaan we terug voor dit restaurant! Heerlijk eten, zo smaakvol van de slowcooker, vriendelijke bediening! Wij hadden de holy trinity sharer, genieten van het begin tot het einde!

Absolutely superb meal of meat here - so much that we had to take a doggy bag home which is unheard of. Staff were also great and very welcoming. Can't recommend enough

Fantastic food & fantastic service. Can't wait to go back there again

Absolutely incredible! The Holy Trinity is complete perfection - the wife and I were arguing over what was better, the ribs or the brisket. The answer was obviously, both. 10/10 will be heading back very very soon.

Food fantastic.Went on a Thursday not busy .Service needs attention..

Amazing food. Personal touch. Can't recommend enough.

Dry. Tasteless. Slow service. Get me back to Newcastle.

Wonderful staff and amazing food.

Welcomed back here after some time away. My wife and I actually got engaged here around 6 years ago! We have had so many great times here, from birthday parties with large groups to more intimate dinners. Each time has been brilliant. Returned here with our little one and it was great to be welcomed back so warmly. Jaz and the staff are so welcoming and the food is always great. Highly recommend you try this little gem. We have just arrived home (we now travel from England to visit the restaurant!) and already cannot wait to return.

What a wonderful little restaurant this is. Extremely helpful and friendly staff and the food was delicious. We struggle to find decent places that combine vegetarian for my partner and meat options for me, I had the holy trinity which is a combination of all the different smoked meats and my partner had a bean and beetroot burger. Both were extremely tasty and plenty of them both. Would definitely recommend.

Great beer selection, nice place and good ambiance. I chose the brisket which was quite fatty and half for me was inedible. People I doned with had the ribs and loved them.

Don’t confuse this with the awful place in Cardiff Centre. The food and experience here is a million times superior. Best BBQ in Wales

Very nice food and drink was good staff very friendly and helpful

Amazing food here and great service. We had to pre order the food which was good . Its reasonable priced here.

Very nice, I actually rolled out of here cos I could not stop eating the food 🤣

Oh my gooooooood the food.is.amazing

Real nice food and the service was excellent by all staff

Food was delicious and plentiful and the service was second to none

Amazing place, the best onion rings ever, I usually only rate places I would give four or five stars, but I would give this more than 5 if I could. Love it.

Stunning food and friendly service. St. Louis ribs to die for. If you want the real bbq stuff, book in advance and preorder - you won't regret it

I visited The Smoke House for my 60th birthday meal. It is a lovely place with a great atmosphere and friendly, helpful staff. Our waitress Stephanie was amazing and couldn't have made our visit any more pleasurable. She even put a candle in my brisket and sang me Happy Birthday 😍 The food was very good but I wouldn't say it was brilliant. I had the Brisket which I found a tad dry. The flavours were above average although a little more smoke would have lifted it to another level. My wife and friend had the Holy Trinity sharing platter. Again the brisket was over cooked and dry, as was the pulled pork and chicken wings. The ribs were cooked to perfection butt overly sweet for my liking. The chips were perfect, the Jerk corn on the cob carried way too much seasoning which totally overpowered the taste of the corn. The slaw was uninspiring but the house pickles were second to none. All in all I have no real complaints and will definitely be returning.

I thought the food was nice but I'm giving a low score because they don't let you have a steak anything below a medium. Might as well just make my own steak at home, at least that way I can have it how I want.

Absolutely amazing food. Thae staff are so friendly and welcoming.

Really bad service, the table next to us had to tell us there were no menus and nothing but burgers left, other tables getting served before us. When we finally got served they messed up our order but we didn't dare mention it as simply ordering took the best part of an hour, then I got guilted into paying a service charge of all things. Food ok, overdone though

Amazing and great value for money best BBQ we have had this side of the pond!

They did not let us choose table although most tables were empty, The beer was not cool enough and they add service fee by default. Also, they do not use the standard NHS app.

The most amazing food ive had in cardiff. I had the holy trianity and even met the chef to say thank you.

Some of the best Brisket I have eaten. Great little find off the beaten track in Cardiff. Well worth the visit though. Steph our waitress was lovely and couldnt have helped us any more. Will be back when we are next in Cardiff.

I love this place, the food is divine! Always cooked to perfection. A great choice on the menu and a lovely atmosphere in the restaurant. Service is friendly and relaxed. Well worth a visit.

Excellent takeaway burgers and hand cut chips very nicely packaged in recyclable cartons. Good value, too.

The Missus and I had the Yard Bird and the Triple B and must say they were awesome will definitely be going back for more!!

Fantastic food!! I placed my order and it was ready bang on time, brilliant service. My burger and fries were superb and absolutely delicious. Brilliant value for money, looking forward to my next visit/collection.

Great burgers and great service

Visited for the first time for my daughter’s birthday. First impressions were good - asked to sanitise hands and then shown to a table sectioned off by Perspex.Service was excellent - the menu was explained and we were asked to download information to Track and Trace. The food was to die for. We variously ordered pulled pork, brisket, ribs and a burger. The portions were substantial and the meat was cooked to perfection.We were lucky to visit as the restaurant was closing that evening in accordance with Welsh Government guidelines. We will definitely visit again when it reopens.

We went there on a Saturday night and it was a great experience. Our waiter was lovely and the food was even better! They told us that the food was running a bit late but we only had to wait 10 minutes.If you want to come here, I recommend reserving your meats a couple of days before to ensure you get what you want! We had the holy trinity for two and it was plenty enough we had to take it home in a doggy bag!

Every time I come here I can totally understand why people love this restaurant. We pre ordered online so we the food came out so quick which was great. The staff and service were excellent, and the restaurant felt Covid-safe. With the plastic screens, face masks, social distancing and sanitisers on each table. Our waitress Stephanie was lovely very bubbly and sweet. I had the bbq pulled pork and halloumi burger it's definitely my go to burger which I've had before and it just gets better an better!!

Arrived 10 mins early but table not ready and nowhere to wait inside which was fine, however table still wasn’t ready when we went back. We were asked to wait in the corridor at back that leads to toilets. It was very cold! Some confusion over whether we had pre ordered but they did find order.Ordered wine, wasn’t uncorked but we got other waitress to open for us.Waitress said they only had one plate for us to eat starters off, three of us so one had plate, two attempted to eat off serviettes on table. Waitress did manage to find two more plates as she said she could see we were struggling.Two of the meals, steaks, were cold when they arrived. The waitress said something about not having a heat lamp? Was hard to hear her as music a bit loud. Taken away, mine came back hot but my friends was still cold as evidenced by the butter on top flatly refusing to melt. Waitress did offer to cook a fresh steak but think we had lost faith at this point.Actual food was lovely but overall it was all a bit stressful and disappointing. Waitress said they had not added service charge to bill.

Great service and exceptional ribs. Best ribs I've had.

Just popped in for lunch as we are new to Pontcanna and I think we’ve just found our new favourite place to eat! I had the smoke house burger and loved every bite! Will definitely be coming back to try the steaks! Good service, Amazing Food, good selection of Beer!

Decided to visit The Smoke House after being recommend by my work mate. Safe to say I wasn’t disappointed! Booked a table for me and my partner in advance. Upon arrival we had to sanitise our hands and scan the Track & Trace, our table was very clean, tidy and had hand sanitiser. Staff were friendly, joyful and fully equipped with PPE. For starters we had chicken wings and halloumi both were amazing. If you like spicy food I highly recommend their Vulcan hot sauce with the wings (you won’t be disappointed) for mains we had ‘The Smoke House’ and ‘Pulled pork with added halloumi’ with sweet potato fries. Both burgers came well presented and tasted perfect! Can’t wait to visit again soon! Thank you for your hospitality!

We had some of the new lunchtime dishes and they were great! Very happy with the covid safety measures, and the service is brilliant.

I came with my husband on a Thursday Lunch time, the lunch menu which is new was very varied offering a great selection of food. I thoroughly enjoyed my beef brisket sandwich. The service was great friendly and professional. Do not hesitate booking for a lunch, dinner or take away we have tried all! Lovely independent restaurant offering fantastic food. Thank you smoke House for a great dining experience. Will be back soon.

Amazing food, amazing service, my family’s favourite go to place... we love you 🥰

Firstly, I must start by saying this was not our first visit to the Smoke House. We had visited several years ago and enjoyed it so much this was my main reason for returning.Having not eaten out since the start of lockdown, it was difficult to decide which restaurant to visit to celebrate my husbands 53rd birthday this weekend. I decided to surprise him and our 16 year old son with a return visit to the Smoke House and contacted the restaurant via phone and Facebook Messenger to check availability following the 'Firebreak' lockdown. The gentleman I spoke to on the phone initially was extremely helpful, taking my booking for a lunchtime table and informing me that I would be contacted on the Wednesday prior to our booking to pay deposits.The next day, I decided to change our booking for an evening table so we could eat from the dinner menu and contacted The Smoke House via FB messenger - the reply I received confirmed this change would not be a problem - this was a great start!The Wednesday prior to the booking I had not been called for a booking so out of courtesy, on the Friday afternoon (13 November) I rang and offered to pay our deposit of £20 per head as initially requested. I received an apology at this point from the gentleman who answered and was informed that the manager had over-looked 4 tables when ringing on the Wednesday and thanked me for calling. It is safe to say I had had more than the usual contact with the restaurant prior to our arrival on the night.Upon arrival at 5.10pm on Saturday 14 November, we were greeted by a young and what appeared to be fairly inexperienced waitress who showed us to a table without asking if we had booked or taking our names. We were then apologised to by the same waitress for the restaurant not having paper menus and the fact that we had to look at their 'cool coasters' at the menu online. My husband and son had been looking at the online menu earlier in the day and were disappointed at this point to see a much reduced choice with no steaks available. It was at this point I over-heard the waitress informing the one other table of 4 that there was not brisket available and only possibly two portions of pulled pork. Bearing in mind this restaurant is advertised as a BBQ / grill house and the main dishes incorporate these ingredients, I started to become concerned as to what we had arrived to.Our drinks order was taken and at this point I enquired as to whether we had full choice of the 'reduced' menu as we had booked over a week in advance and paid deposits. The waitress said she would speak to the manager (which took close to 10 minutes), she then returned with our drinks and informed us that we could not order any dishes containing brisket or pulled pork as these had been pre-ordered by customers dining later that night. Realising we now only had the choice of burgers or chicken with a side of.....chicken and an extra chicken wing, we asked to speak to the manager who had not intervened at this point as you would have expected.I requested a refund of our deposit and the manager informed me that ALL customers had been asked to pre-order food. ALL customers except us it seems. No attempt was made to rectify the situation or apologise for this immense mistake on their part. In light of the current situation and our attempts to support local businesses we left shocked and appalled by the distinct lack of good management and customer service needed to run a successful business in the hospitality industry. All this bearing in mind that when I first phoned to make the booking I was told I was the first person to book on that day. At NO POINT was I asked to or informed I would be required to pre-book meals. There is no reason we would not have done this had it been requested. The attitude I was met with was shocking and unacceptable.Next time you want to eat out in this area of Cardiff, do yourself a favour, walk two doors past The Smoke House and you will discover 'The Brava Cafe', we were welcomed with excellent customer service, an amazing menu and the most delicious choice of stonebaked artisan pizzas for a fraction of the price. I would not hesitate to visit The Brava Cafe frequently and will be giving it a five-star review following this diabolical experience.