Size matters. By their own admission, The Smoke Haus is an American diner serving quality food in a great atmosphere, huge portions, masses of meat and challenges not for the faint hearted – following a recent visit, I concur.
My first impression was of pleasant surprise, it’s a large restaurant and as we’d booked for a Monday night I wasn’t expecting a lively scene but I was proved wrong. The restaurant was packed with happy diners and the staff were super friendly, combined with the cool authentic decor that wouldn’t look out of place in ‘the dirty South’ we knew we had ourselves in for a good night.
My dining partner (a beer enthusiast) was particularly impressed with the craft ale and bottled beer selection which you can enjoy at the quirky stand-alone bar if you don’t fancy a sit down meal; the wine selection wasn’t too bad either.
To start we ordered the nachos, deep fried cheese basket and garlic bread, classic dishes done well - the cheese oozed from the piping hot cheese dippers which were complimented with a side salad and a sweet chilli dipping sauce, whilst the fresh and crispy nachos were suitably smothered in cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
For the main event I ordered the 10oz striploin with a bourbon glaze and swapped the basket of fries for the sweet potato kind, my dining partner opted for the butterflied chicken coated in the Smoke Haus signature crispy Kansas herbs and spices. Both dishes were deeply satisfying in the dirty sense and the portions were absolutely huge, not the kind of place to go if you’re on a health kick but perfect if you fancy a guilty treat, need to cure a hangover or you’re celebrating a special occasion and you want to go wild! I’d also highly recommend the Smoke Haus as the ideal destination for group bookings, it strikes me as the perfect place to dine for Christmas parties, stags and hens. If size with quality matters then The Smoke Haus has hit the nail on the head.
The Smoke Haus, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff CF10 2EN
Tel: 029 2022 0777