A seriously shitty day ended in a really good night. What a great guy Cleveland is. His ribs are absolutely spectacular and his hospitality was on point. He told us some stories, let us complain about our day and fed us some delicious food. I cannot recommend this place enough. Even the guesthouse owner showed up for a chat. 10/10 will return.
There are not enough stars for how awesome this place is. I have never had such tender or yummy beef or pork ribs! The chips were also amazing. After a hectic week, the meal combined with great friends, amazing food as well as the great hospitality from Cleveland made it the perfect end to the week. I can't wait to return!!
Superb first lunch here today - kids loved their food and we had loads to take home for dinner - very generous portion sizes and so delicious. Great wine and good conversation with Cleveland - will definitely be back.
Absolutely fantastic!! Great food, great service. Our first visit to the Guesthouse and from the first day we felt welcome. You have a great thing going. Keep up the good work. Thanks to the chef at the Rib Shack for the great food!!
Truly the best Ribs I have ever eaten , thank you Cleveland you make the evening/day all worth the drive out to the place
Absolutely amazing food, no matter what Cleveland serves, it has always been fabulous! Lovely relaxed setting, welcoming and friendly company and genuinely tasty food.
Ordered Ribs as a Take-Away yesterday for my hubby & he said they were the best ever. Thanks Cleveland for my delicious Pumpkin pie. We will definitely bring the whole family for a visit & for me to try your Veg Dishes...
What a fantastic place, best ribs ive ever had . Will definitely be back
The food is delicious and encourages you to come back for more! Love the feeling of being a regular from the first moment you walk in! Cleveland you have an amazing personality to match the amazingly good food! We will be back!
To Cleveland, Tom and their team what am awesome experience.
These guys make you feel like family from the moment you walk in.
Then there's the food. The ribs just melt in your mouth and flavour to die for.
If you love ribs then this is the only place in Jhb to have them.
Awesome Fathers Day lunch well done Joe you never disappoint.
awsome place top food lukka chilled out vibe i will most definitly be going there again
So homely. Great fun, great food. Next time I’ll book a room, snooze after lunch then go down for dinner before calling an uber to go Montecasino and back.
We went to Joe's for National Braai day. The ribs are out of this world! I have never tasted ribs that good, they kill all the "specialty rib" places around. Joe's/Cleveland's hospitality was amazing, hes a really great interesting guy and doesn't over intrude. Our waitress was brilliant, she was always around and very hands on. We had a great afternoon there and will definitely go back. The only thing is that no prices are specified for food so when we saw the price of the 800g ribs we were a bit shocked. other than that AMAZING!
Michelle Bluer Flowers
+5
Such a fantastic night tonight. The most incredible ribs, so soft they just fell off the bone! The brisket and the pulled pork sandwich were just as good! I will definitely be back here! :)
What a lovely surprise. Food was incredible. Pork ribs so tender they literally fall off the bone. Try the crispy chips so good! Owner Cleveland was so welcoming and such a superb host. Will definitely be back!
A truly hidden gem! Fantastic food, relaxed atmosphere as if you’re having a braai at a friend’s place. One of my alltime favourites! Thanks Cleveland and Sibusiso!
Truely a hidden gem.
this place is quite unique... not your average restaurant.
you need to make reservations.
environment, not glam, garden area. perfect for summer. Literally feels like the back of someones garden
Honesty bar, you can grab your own drinks. - keep tabs of what you've had.
I ordered a passion fruit and soda, he bought me the whole bottle of passion fruit and say, here help yourself to it, soda is in that fridge, beers are there. Liquor is there. Help yourself.
Ribs (both beef and pork)are amazing. fall off the bone.
Sides
sweet potato fries :So amazing
Coleslaw:..so refreshing
Garlic mash: omg so yum
Dirty fries: tasty
Desserts:
Key lime pie: yum
Carrot cake: so moist and not too sweet
Chef/owner is very casual and friendly, african american. he really makes you feel like u are right at home.
small menu, but its all so awesome! dishes are great for sharing with a bunch of good friends.
Had a absolutely great time. Definitely coming again!
This place is an absolute gem all their food is fantastic never in my life have I tasted beef and pork ribs like this. Mac and Cheese is divine. I cant wait to go back. Southern fried chicken - delicious.
Best Ribs! Served with Macaroni and cheese, chips and coleslaw as a side! Only issue I have is this restaurant keeps closing and moving - it's hard to gain a loyal following if no one knows where you are guy's.
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Never in my life have I had ribs like this. We tried both the beef and the pork ribs. The beef ribs are these massive, chunky delicious hunks of meat (they are quite fatty, but I love fatty) and the pork ribs are tender to the point where you can slide the bones out of the rack of ribs, with no fat (I don't like pork fat, it is as if they read my mind on the cattiness preference of my ribs). Both the pork and beef ribs were so so so delicious. The biggest surprise was the basting - it wasn't a sugary mess! It was flavourful and delicious, without feeling like you are licking the sugar pot. The sides are just as amazing - the dirty fries is incredible, potato salad also delicious. We had the key lime pie for dessert and it was refreshing, tasty and surprisingly light. We each ordered a half rack, which comes with 2 sides, and the portion sizes are massive, so at R360 (including a 20% tip) for the entire meal this felt like a bargain (we didn't have alcohol though).
The setting is strange when you get there - it is literally in the backyard of a house, and I was not sold on it, until Cleveland comes along and have a chat and you receive your food, then the magic and appropriateness of the setting becomes evident.
Gosh, as I am writing this review my mouth is watering for round 2!
Etiennelauren Wilson
+4.5
Tip top food. Go with a big crew and enjoy Cleveland''s stories and amazing ribs.I had the beef ribs and brisket it was amazing.keep up the good work creating jobs
Thank you Jesus! Thank you for the man who cooked these pork ribs. May he forever be blessed! Seriously amazing ribs. I mean so seriously good that after the 1st bite I had to take a moment to reflect & lament all the other garbage ribs I have eaten in my life before this moment. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, shaking my head in wonder at the new lease on life these ribs had just given me.
Even though the mac & cheese left much to be desired, the dirty fries made up for it. For dessert I had the peach cobbler. Oh man! Oh man! I have no words!
Note to self: bring booze as they dont have their liqour license as yet (dated May 28th '16)
After reading the reviews of this place we knew that we HAD to try it out. Driving from the East Rand and in bad weather did not stop us and boy was every bite worth it!! We were a party of 8 but that did not stop Cleveland, Tom and their team from showing us a great time. We all dived in to try the brisket, beef and pork ribs. We also made a special request for smoked chicken ahead of time, which was incredibly seasoned and moist. Our sides were old fashioned mac n cheese and sweet potato fries. The ribs were out of this world! They were so soft, moist and melted in our mouths. The atmosphere was laid back and relaxed. We all felt right at home like we were enjoying an afternoon at a friends place with good food and great company. We all had a great time and will definitely be visiting quite soon to make this our regular hang out spot!
If you're looking for the best beef ribs in jo'burg, look no further than Smokin' Joes. After reading numerous rave reviews we decided to give this place a shot. And It definitely lived up to the hype. The ribs were prepared to order and quite literally fell off the bone. The atmosphere is super relaxed and Clevland and his team make you feel right at home, awesome southern hospitality.
Thumbs up to this place. 👍🏼
If you in the market for a rack of pork or beef ribs this is the place to go !! No frills but boy the ribs are good. Loved the dirty fries and the friendly service and making you feel like you eating at a friend's house
What a gem!!
We were there last night as a group of 10, for our first visit after hearing several great reviews in recent weeks, and we were not not disappointed. The group had a mix of Pork and Beef ribs with some having halves and others smashing the full rack, beautifully smoked food prepared to perfection by Cleveland the chef who is also an awesome host. Together with Tom, Lorraine and Nicky we had an awesome night and will definitely be back - Regularly!!!
If you looking looking for a trendy, overpriced pretentious dining experience, to impress your latest hookup, this is definitely not for you.
At Smokin Joe's Rib Shack, you will have to settle for generous portions, good value for money and the best slow smoked Beef & Pork ribs in Jozi.
Took a bunch of mates to watch the Lions vs Sharks game tonight and had an absolute ball. The vibe was fantastic, feels like you sitting in your mates backyard, only the food is waaaayyyyy better.
Cleveland & Lorraine go out of their way to make you feel like family the way only the good folk from the South know how to.
Give it a try, but only if your expectation is good honest Southern food & hospitality.
#bestribsinjozi — eating ribs at Smokin Joe's Rib Shack
Joe and his team are very personable and great to work with! He grilled on-site for our backyard HS graduation party. His food is delicious and our guests complimented us on everything they ate. Joe is very descriptive on going over the menu you choose, how it’s prepared, and you can substitute if you prefer a certain thing. Definitely would recommend using Smokin’ Joe’s!
These guys never disappoint always a crowd pleaser. There high quality meats are smoked to perfection. From fall off the bone ribs to melt in your mouth brisket and many other smoked delicacies that will keep you coming back for more. I highly recommend you try them for your next event. Keep on Smokin Joe!!!!!
My social club used these guys for the first time for an outside bbq cigar event. The weather was terrific and attendees were all satisfied. There was a slight wind problem that kept blowing out the sternos. Not their fault. Food was amazing with smoked ribs, smoked pull pork and made to order burgers. Hot dogs, salads, smoked Brussels sprouts and dessert. Fuhgetaboutit! Will be using again!!!
Joe is an absolute pleasure to work with. He catered a party for 190 high school graduates and nailed it. Hot dogs, Hamburgers, Pulled Pork, Coleslaw and Max and Cheese was fantastic. Food was delicious. Joe and his staff are complete professional with a ton of experience. Thanks Smokin Joe’s!!
The bbq from Smokin' Joe's is exceptional. I've had ribs, pulled pork, brisket and various sausages...everything has been perfect. It is clear that Joe approaches bbq as an art, giving tremendous attention and time to everything he creates. What makes his food first rate is that he doesn't overpower with rubs and seasoning, allowing the true smoked-kissed flavor of the meat shine through.
WOW! That just about covers the Smokin' Joe's experience! Joe came to the rescue when I was too sick to go out on our 48th anniversary with my husband. Joe smoked a made to order feast (so much food) and was willing to deliver it. The ribs fell off the bones. He used mild spices and very lean meat - extremely delicious! I wish I had taken a photo before digging in. Thank you, Joe, it could not have been better.
We have had Smokin Joe’s cater for us a few times and they nail it every time! Very easy to deal with and always great food.
Smokin Joes is by far one of the best bbq places I have ever had. Their brisket is probably one of the most heavenly foods I have ever tasted. The marinade is absolutely fabulous. Everyone is so incredibly friendly and take so much time to make sure their customers have the most fantastic meal. If today is your last day on earth, you damn well should be heading to Smokin Joes to eat!!!
I look forward to the Smokin Joes booth at my local Piermont Farmers Market.
The fare is consistently delicious , and presented . I’m not a huge meat eater though I can taste and recognize well prepared Bbq .
I usually order the brisket or pulled pork sandwich . Today I tried the incomparable ribs with a side of yummy beans.
Maybe the best part is the convivial group of vendors. They are all so pleasant and knowledgeable. They let me sample some and I was very pleased with everything. If I lived closer to Westwood NJ I’d certainly frequent Smokin Joes.
Ps be SURE to try their homemade old time lemonade 🍋. It’s the real deal !
Smokin Joe’s has the best BBQ. You will not be disappointed with anything you order. My favorites are the brisket and ribs. But give it try and find your favorite.
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