Smoked meat in Somerville is rarely a casual affair. It is a civic investigation.
Skip the tourist traps downtown and follow the charcoal haze to Union Square, where Redbones Barbecue refolds your napkin with unsettling precision while the tangerine sour beer works its citrus magic. Across town, The Smoke Shop BBQ answers a different question entirely, one about speed, with beans so smoky they threaten to upstage the ribs.
Between obsessive cleanliness and benevolent managerial hawks, the contrast is stark. The search for the best rack here demands fieldwork.
Read on.
Redbones Barbecue
☎️ +1617-628-2200
🌐 Website
| Highlights |
|---|
| Genuinely friendly, spotless service |
| Authentic, welcoming neighborhood atmosphere |
| Delicious tangerine sour beer |
| Generous portions, kind staff |
| Affordable drinks after work |
Redbones Barbecue operates with a cleanliness that borders on the obsessive. My napkin was refolded before I could finish my first bite. The tangerine sour beer arrives like a small, citrusy miracle, and it pairs with the portions as if they were arranged by a bureaucratic committee. Service is genuinely friendly, almost suspiciously so. I waited for a catch. None came. The neighborhood atmosphere feels authentic, a place where regulars nod and newcomers are welcomed without ceremony. Drinks are affordable after work, which is a relief, because the bill could otherwise cause a quiet panic. This is barbecue that respects your time and your wallet. Strange, but true.
You might also want to check out the best restaurant in Cambridge.
The Smoke Shop BBQ
☎️ +1617-623-7427
🌐 Website
| Highlights |
|---|
| Fast, flavorful, satisfying BBQ |
| Attentive manager, proactive service |
| Comfortable seating, indoor and outdoor |
| Generous sides, notably beans |
| Welcoming, hardworking staff throughout |
The Smoke Shop BBQ delivers speed with a wink. My order arrived before I could finish checking my phone, which felt either efficient or accusatory. The manager circled the room like a benevolent hawk, ensuring no glass sat empty too long. Indoor and outdoor seating both proved comfortable, though I suspect the outdoor chairs are conspiring against my posture. The beans deserve a paragraph of their own; they are generous, smoky, and almost dangerously good. Staff members were welcoming without hovering, a rare balance. This is fast, flavorful, satisfying barbecue. It does not pretend to be art. It simply works. And sometimes, that is enough to make a grown person weep quietly into a rib. Almost.
You might also want to check out the best restaurant in Somerville.
