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A sit-down joint from the folks at the North Market.
The owners of the Holy Smoke Barbecue stall in the North Market have opened a sit-down restaurant on Hamilton Road near Gahanna. The place makes a good first impression, thanks in large part to the tempting display of ribs, chicken, brisket, pulled pork and more beckoning from behind glass. The rich aroma of smoked meat doesn’t hurt, either. That combination makes resistance futile.
Located in a newer strip mall, the space doesn’t follow the pattern of other barbecue joints. Instead of rustic, the décor here reminded me, oddly enough, of a sushi bar: modest, comfortable and nicely appointed.
Like the stall at the North Market, you approach the counter to make your request. My orders were whipped together quickly. (Luckily, barbecue doesn’t suffer much from being on display unless it’s kept under heat lamps inordinately long.)
Of the meats, the ribs were my favorite. They were tender (but not too much so) and smoky enough; the rub was mild, but flavorful. There were several sauces, including standard sweet, vinegar-based and a spicy one with habanero peppers. I liked all of them.
The barbecue chicken—with a mild rub and modest amount of smokiness—retained plenty of moisture. The pulled pork was decent, and made for a good sandwich with one of the tasty sauces. Unfortunately, on two samplings, the brisket was dry, disappointingly tough and less than desirably smoky. It also came in big thick slabs rather than slices or shreds. Doing brisket right isn’t easy, and it may be that Holy Smoke didn’t leave it in the smoker long enough or the smoker was too hot. Either way, Holy Smoke might take a lesson from City Barbeque on how to prepare brisket.
The place also offered sausage and wings (both smoked); I did not have capacity on my visits to sample the sausage, but the wings were fine. Side dishes were mostly good. The traditional coleslaw, sporting a well-balanced creamy dressing (sweet, salty and vinegary), was crisp and just right. The greens were sweet with brown sugar and tasty. The baked beans were worth ordering, but those things called “baby” carrots were rendered inedible by being too long in the pot.
You’re not here for your health, so skip those carrots in favor of the housemade kettle chips: crispy and seasoned nicely with a salty barbecue rub mix. Beer, which certainly goes well with this food, was available.
Holy Smoke Barbecue
5251 N. Hamilton Rd.
471-8844
holysmokebbq.biz
Atmosphere: Comfortable strip mall joint.
Recommended dishes: Ribs, chicken, coleslaw, baked beans, greens, kettle chips.
Price range: $5.99 to $18.99; sides $1.99-$2.99.
Hours: Monday through Saturday 11 am to 10 pm, Sunday till 9 pm.
Service: At the counter—and fast.
Reservations: Not accepted.
Rating: ***
