It’s no secret that the dining scene in Cambridge has been flourishing lately, with a host of great eateries popping up around the city, but if there’s one new opening that’s really got local foodies talking this summer, it’s Smokeworks. Located just off Bene’t Street (in the building that used to house the Eraina Taverna), the restaurant is the latest offering from Cambscuisine, the group also responsible for the ever-popular Chop Houses, as well as The Tickell Arms in Whittlesford and The Cock at Hemingford Grey.
With a pedigree like that, it’s no wonder that expectations for Smokeworks were sky high prior to it opening its doors at the start of July, especially since this new outpost represents a completely fresh concept for the group: less traditional fine dining and more upmarket fast food, served in a hip, laid-back setting.
Stopping by for a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon, the restaurant was buzzing with diners as we made our way in, admiring the stylish interior as we did. Décor-wise, the vibe is modern industrial-meets-Americana, with exposed brickwork, chipboard seats, scaffolding tables, neon lights dotted around the place and lots of cool little touches, like the big red switch you flip to call for service.
The small but perfectly formed menu is a veritable meat lover’s paradise, offering up a range of no-frills but mouth-watering sounding barbecue dishes and divvied up into ‘wings and things’, ‘buns’ and ‘ribs’. With little hesitation and on the recommendation of numerous friends who’d already paid Smokeworks a visit, I opted for the pulled pork bun accompanied by sweet potato fries and the house slaw, whilst my dining partner selected the smoked beef short ribs with a side of barbecue beans.
The dishes might all sound simple enough, but as soon as we started tucking in it was clear just how much care and precision had gone into every component of our meal. Prior to opening, the chef (who’s also done stints at the Michelin starred Alimentum and Graffiti at Hotel Felix) undertook six months of research; tasting, travelling and honing the recipes for Smokeworks, and there’s no doubt the hard work has paid off.
The pulled pork bun was hands down the best I’ve had, with irresistibly sticky, flavour-packed meat, pickled vegetables and a huge bun – home-made by Cambridge’s brilliant CobsBakery and enriched with caraway and potato for extra doughiness. The sweet potato fries were crispy on the outside and squidgy on the inside and the cabbage, garlic and ginger slaw was fresh and crunchy with just a touch of heat. I consumed it all, slathered in Smokeworks’ own chipotle sauce, with embarrassing speed, and had already started planning my next visit before I’d finished my meal.
Over on the other side of the booth, the ribs were going down equally well: cooked low and slow in an oven specially imported from the barbecue motherland, America, the beef had an incredible smoky flavour and was so tender it fell off the bone.
We were so enamoured with the barbecue beans side that we made a point of asking how they were made, and were again impressed by the level of attention to detail in the kitchen. A cut above your average baked beans, this dish is made using haricot, black turtle and black-eyed beans, soaked overnight and mixed with smoking juices, barbecue sauce and smoked beef dripping butter – along with pulled pork and beef. The result was a thing of wonder and brilliantly sums up what Smokeworks does so well: taking a simple dish, adding their own twist and elevating it to something unbelievably tasty.
Nicely full we ordered a salted caramel milkshake to share, declining the optional bourbon shot but immediately regretting not ordering one of these creamy and utterly heavenly concoctions each when it arrived.
With its brilliant food, prime location and speedy service (they make good on their slogan of Slow Cooked. Fast), Smokeworks is a great spot for a bite to eat before a show or night out, and I’ve no doubt it will be a huge hit on the local foodie circuit. Highly recommended.
Smokeworks, 2 Free School Lane, Cambridge
www.smokeworks.co.uk
