Again, so much promise from the outside. Logs piled high. Wood smoke lingering. Cool vibe. And once again I am betrayed by my nose (and my eyes - that's one ugly mess of a sandwich).
Sad to say that Noble Smoke is just another hipster wannabe in a long list of restaurants on the “west” side of the state. Throughout images on the walls they pay reverent homage to the great-great granddaddies of Southern ‘cue, yet they fail to follow any of their tried and true methods.
When I ordered, I asked for my slaw to be on the side and instead, the spicy red chopped cabbage smothered the meat and really “soggied” (yes - that's a word) up the toasted bun. The pork was chunky and cubed with only a few delicate strands of meat among the quarter-sized pieces. The cook was good and quite tender, but there was surprisingly little smokiness considering they actually cook over wood. The ‘cue was slightly dry and in need of some saucing. The vinegar-based version was the best of the three BBQ sauces offered.
I also got some ribs. They were much better than the sandwich, with a perfect smoke ring and just the right amount of tenderness. No need for a sauce as their rub hit all the right notes. I would get the ribs again, but pass on their ‘cue sandwich. I am far from impressed with any of the Charlotte BBQ joints I have tried and Noble Smoke did nothing to sway my opinion.
Sandwich: 4/10 Ribs: 8.5/10
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