Highlands Smokehouse

My wife and I are on a constant hunt for good barbecue places. We saw this place while on vacation and thought we would stop. Boy are we glad we did! They have the best smoked wings hands down! We also had the brisket tacos, fried okra, smokehouse beans and a salad. Everything was great. If you’re in the area and looking for a place to eat look no further.

Love that the staff was upbeat and welcoming. We showed up with a party of seven at lunchtime, and the wait time was minimal. To top it off, the food was amazing! From the brisket plate to the BBQ nachos to the burger, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. We visit the area regularly and always make a point of stopping here.

The food, the seating, and the service were absolutely amazing. They even ask if you want your brisket lean or marbled. There is no fat in the pulled pork, which is a big deal when I eat BBQ 💙. You can tell the ribs were cooked low and slow. The portion size of the burnt ends could be a meal on its own and a Cheerwine sauce that was perfect. All the sides were perfect. Brunswick stew was a favorite at our table. I can't wait to go back.

On a BBQ scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being Red Lobster and 10 being Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous, Highlands Smokehouse comes in a solid 7. I’m super finicky about my que, so the average diner may very well enjoy it much more than I did. The ribs were fantastic without sauce although they fell off the bone a tad too easily, the onion strings were pretty good and the okra was some of the best I’ve ever had. Definitely not pretentious, just a good old down home BBQ place. 4 stars for the entire experience.

Great food but pretty pricey. Definitely Texas-centric bbq and food basis, but had good vinegar pulled pork, and good mustard and white sauces too. I was not a fan of the brussel sprouts -- they tasted really strongly of vinegar. The meat itself though was phenomenal, tender, and moist. Very cool forest service themed branding and interior.

This restaurant is one of the more unique ones I've been to. While many of the restaurants in my reviews are chain restaurants, this one was nice, as it had no big, bold branding, had a very active and homemade atmosphere, and was an overall pleasant experience. The restaurant was busy when we were there, but the staff were still very welcoming and pleasant to be around. Although we did wait about 25 minutes to get our food, the food, which was made fresh, definitely helped make up for it. The atmosphere was also very good, there were good smells, sounds, and nice themed decor all around the restaurant. The staff also employed some clever tactics to help with faster cleanup and service, such as using a paper tablecloth on every table, which allowed them to put all of the leftovers on the middle of the table and lift the edges of the paper in order to take all of the food off at once. Then, they replaced the tablecloth for the next group. The taste of the food was also very authentic. I had just a regular chopped pork sandwich with a side of Smokehouse Beans, and the pork on it's own was amazing, with a slight sweet taste, but still tender and juicy. The beans were not sweet like I expected them to be, but instead were mixed with other ingredients, which made it taste more like chili. Still very good, though. In addition, I had a few pieces of okra, which was salty on the outside, but tasted amazing on the inside. The portion size is definitely catered more towards adults, and the sides are as big as the entrees. I would recommend splitting your meal with someone if you are having a smaller meal. Overall, I had a great lunch at this restaurant, and if you're in the area, I definitely recommend checking it out.