Surprises in the Entertainment Book
Beyond Powdrells: A Meaty Find in Rio Rancho
By Alan Kleinfeld, 1-12-06
You know those “entertainment books,� the ones with all the dining coupons? Well, we have one. We bought it for no other reason than to support my nephew’s middle school fundraising efforts. I think we’ve gotten our $35 out of it, but it’s still been sort of a disappointment.
Many of the restaurants make their homes in hotels and we feel too much like don’t-know-any-better-tourists when we dine there. And let’s face it, not many of the hotel restaurants in Albuquerque are all that great to begin with. They’re not awful, but not since The Rancher’s Club inside the Albuquerque Hilton have we had a really good hotel restaurant (and even now the Rancher’s Club is a bit tired).
In addition, we’ve run into about a half dozen restaurants listed in the book that have already closed up shop. It’s a bummer, dude, when you finally reach you destination, your chops watering, only to glance up and find that Pasta Galore has turned into Noreen’s Nail and Beauty. Or worse, an empty building as dark as the soul of Karl Rove.
However, it was the book’s shortcomings that led to our discovery of the Smokehouse BBQ in Rio Rancho. We started for an Italian eatery. It was closed for the night. We figured since we drove all the way to Rio Rancho that we’d exhaust all the RR options in the entertainment book. The next place was not only closed for the night. It was closed, period. Before heading back home, we noticed one other coupon for dining in that area. Bar-B-Que.
We were looking for a nice sit down place to relax and unwind. What we got was college-hangout plainness and plastic chairs. But the food was tasty and there was plenty of it. Simply walk up to the counter, place your order with the friendly staff and carry your food to a table or get it to go.
The menu is Texas-style bar-b-que, which, according to the Smokehouse Web site, means the flavor of the meat rules supreme and the sauce is secondary. You can choose from 10 varieties of meat, including sliced beef brisket (which must be popular because it was sold out that day) and smoked carne adovada.
Your choice of side dishes is a toughie, too, with 11 treats to pick from, including mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and Greek pasta salad. Between two of us, we sampled five kinds of meat and four side dishes. All of it flavorful, especially the chopped brisket and the smoked turkey. It made me wish to sample the sliced brisket, to see if it’s anything like my Jewish grandmother’s version.
If you like what you eat, larger quantities are available for take out or catering. Family and party packs come in sizes from “Small Flock� to “Pure Pigout� to “the Ponderosa,� serving parties from three to 16 hungry appetites.
Price-wise, Smokehouse is a pleaser. You can stuff your face easily in one sitting. The Small Plate, with one meat and two sides, runs less than $6.50. The Combo Plate, with three meat choices and two sides, is less than $10.
It’s a local joint that’s been around for almost two decades. Simple, with about 10 tables inside and another 12 in an enclosed patio, each with a roll of paper towels on a wooden spindle. Its biggest claim to fame may be its mention on Jay Leno’s Headlines on The Tonight Show. Smokehouse got a mention when it ran a gag coupon for a breakfast burrito. Original cost, $200. Instant rebate, $199. Total cost at time of purchase, $1.
Regardless of what Leno may have said, we walked out sated, with money in our pocket and that bar-b-que taste on our fingertips. What a nice surprise.
The 411 on Smokehouse BBQ
Hwy. 528 & Barbara Loop
505.892.1914
Hours: Monday – Thursday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
www.smokehouse-rr.com
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