A Big-Plaid Appetite at a Lexington Smokehouse

A barbecue meal can be a simple matter of pulled pork and a couple of sides, but this Lexington smokehouse gives diners a more entertaining choice: settle in with an individual plate, or make several passes through a Southern buffet that stretches from smoked meat to casseroles, cornbread and banana pudding.

The setting is relaxed and country-leaning, built for the kind of meal where one person wants ribs, another is eyeing fried fish, and somebody at the table insists on trying the sweet potato casserole. There are booths, counter seats, a bar area and a patio, so the room has more than one way to handle a hungry crowd.

Portions tend toward the generous. That is useful information when the table is debating appetizers, deciding between menu orders and buffet plates, or trying to save just enough room for dessert.

The buffet is the easygoing route for a mixed group. Its spread has combined barbecue with fried chicken, baked chicken, fried fish, chicken livers and barbecue hash, plus the long parade of vegetables, starches and baked dishes that can turn a plate into a very personal Southern supper.

The selections can vary, but the range has included collards, cabbage, green beans, butter beans, field peas and sweet corn. Rice and gravy, mashed potatoes, baked beans and potato salad bring in the sturdier side of the table.

Then come the dishes that tend to make a second trip tempting: broccoli casserole, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole and coleslaw. Regular cornbread and sweet cornbread provide two different answers to the same important question of what to use for catching the last bit of gravy.

The buffet works nicely for diners who prefer to sample rather than commit. A little brisket alongside fried chicken and field peas is a perfectly reasonable way to spend an evening, and dessert is already waiting when the savory plate is finished.

For a more focused meal, the menu offers made-to-order barbecue plates and dinners. Pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs and smoked turkey are among the smokehouse staples, with chicken baskets also in the mix.

Ribs arrive as substantial plates with multiple sides, a good arrangement for anyone who treats the side dishes as more than an afterthought. Their flavor runs mildly sweet and smoky, with enough heft to make the plate feel like a proper sit-down meal rather than a quick snack.

Sauce offers a choice of directions. Carolina-style mustard-and-vinegar barbecue sauce brings tang and zip, while a tomato-spice-based sauce offers a more familiar red-sauce path. Having both around is handy at a table where barbecue preferences can become surprisingly firm.

A rib appetizer has also been served with both wet, sauced ribs and dry ribs, making it a useful table order when nobody wants to choose a single style. It is the sort of detail that encourages sharing before the main plates appear.

Pulled pork dinners keep the meal straightforward, while smoked turkey gives the barbecue lineup a lighter alternative without leaving the smokehouse theme behind. The smoked turkey has also found its way onto holiday tables, alongside take-home sweet potato casserole.

The menu does not demand a barbecue-only evening. The Smokehouse Burger gives the table a familiar option, particularly welcome when one diner is not in the mood for a tray of smoked meat.

A chef salad is another notable detour from the heavier side of the menu. Between that, the burger, chicken baskets and the buffet's vegetable dishes, the restaurant has enough range to keep a family meal from becoming an all-or-nothing barbecue vote.

Dessert stays pleasingly old-school. Banana pudding is there for the creamy, familiar finish, while chocolate delight provides the richer alternative. Both fit naturally after a plate crowded with cornbread, beans and smoked pork.

This is a casual place to bring a family, meet friends or gather a larger party around food that does not require much ceremony. The patio has handled a 20-person baby shower while still leaving space for two smaller groups, a useful sign of how comfortably the outdoor area can function beyond a simple two-person dinner.

Inside, booths and counter seating create different moods, while the bar area gives the restaurant another place to pause over a drink. Beer is available on tap, with a half-dozen or so selections in the rotation, and staff can help steer diners through the choices.

The patio has also been used for a meal with a small dog. It is a pleasant extra for an outdoor gathering, though seating arrangements can naturally shift with the day and the crowd.

Dine-in service can go in either direction: buffet grazing or individual menu orders. Takeout is well established too, with a pickup window that makes it easier to bring dinner home without turning the visit into a long stop.

The restaurant has a free lot with ample parking, and a handicap ramp is available. Those are modest conveniences, but they matter when several generations are arriving for the same meal or somebody is carrying a large takeout order.

At busier times, there may be a line for the buffet; benches are available for waiting. Indoor conversation can also get moderately lively when the dining room fills, which suits the restaurant's informal, social character but is worth knowing if a quieter dinner is the goal.