MIAReview
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Smoke & Dough
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What is Miami-style barbecue?
You could say it’s cafecito-rubbed brisket or ribs served with guava barbecue sauce, and you’d be partially right. But those are just ingredients. The Miami-ness of Smoke & Dough’s food has just as much to do with how it’s eaten. And this West Kendall spot represents Miami in both taste and nature.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Smoke & Dough knows we don’t like waiting in long lines just to be told by someone in black gloves that the only thing left are pickles. So here, you can make a reservation. And it’s the only barbecue joint we’ve been to with croquetas and tequeños on the menu. This is a restaurant where tapas coexist with boot-slapping smokehouse barbecue.
But Smoke & Dough remains true to Southern American barbecue rules while still being creative enough to cook things like brisket mole and burnt end empanadas. The brisket is, in fact, massaged with a cafecito rub—but it’s also a perfect brisket by anyone’s standards, smoked for 15 hours and dripping in its own juices. Most dishes feel like they’ve been put through more rehearsals than a high school theater kid. And what you’re left with is food that hits its mark every time.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Saturday is the best day to go. Not only is there less traffic, but that’s when you’ll find specials that really showcase how Smoke & Dough fuses U.S. barbecue to Latin American cuisine. For example, the trifongo with green plantains, sweet plantains, and yuca all mixed with pork belly and garlicky broth. It’s served in a wooden pilon and topped with your favorite smoked meat (we like the duck). Another weekend special worth hunting for is the juicy pork belly al pastor with chili, achiote, and smoked pineapple. But if you’re planning on visiting during the weekend, make reservations. The small dining room has a few wooden booths by the entrance and a handful of tables in the back, so seating is limited.
At this point in the review, our word count for the word “smoke” has reached eight. So if you haven’t caught on yet, just about everything here is smoked (nine), including our favorite dessert: the smoked (10) flan. That’s impressive—but Smoke & Dough does something even more remarkable. It appeals to so many Miamians, from the uncle whose only experience with burnt ends is cigarette butts to your neighbor who makes an annual pilgrimage to Franklin Barbecue. And that’s kind of the point of barbecue, isn’t it? It can bring together a community. Looking down at your table, you’ll see so many of Miami’s cultures represented—all under the delicious smoked (12) banner of a term this restaurant has finally defined: Miami-style barbecue.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Pastrami Tequeños
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Brisket Mole
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Burnt Ends Empanadas
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Duck Lunchable
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Beast Croqueta Preparada
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Meat Quattro
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Smoked Flan