“We are taking a new school approach to barbecue.” said Jason Johnson, co-owner of The Smoking Boar, as we walked around the newly renovated space where Mamaveca formerly served massive amounts of delicious ceviche. “Over there we’ll have our aging and pickling wall” he said, gesturing to a large blank space overlooking the restaurant. Not only is The Smoking Boar putting their spin on classic barbecue fare, they’ll also be barrel aging their own cocktails and selling their own pickles.
Walking around the restaurant with Jason you could feel the excitement as the staff was busy learning every detail about the menu and contractors were putting the finishing touches on the dining room. Where dingy maroon carpet once soaked up spilled salsa and queso there is now beautiful glossy concrete topped with rustic wooden tables and chairs.
A large bar sits near the center of the room and its stacked, sporting bottles of Buffalo Trace, Angel’s Envy, Booker’s, and Weller 107 just to name a few. The cocktail list is legit as well, which is no surprise as it was curated by one of our favorite people in OKC, Barkeep’s Julia McLish. The Forrest and Ginny is a bright and fruity cocktail reminiscent of Hawaiian Punch and the Smoking Old Boar (S.O.B) is a fantastic riff on an Old Fashioned that paired with the food nicely as it featured cinnamon demerara syrup and smoked orange bitters.
As I was speaking with Johnson regarding the restaurant’s menu, one word kept coming up over and over: Salmon. While I wouldn’t really tend to go with fish at a place like this, I figured I had to try it since there was so much hype. It did not disappoint and deserves every ounce of hype it gets. The hot smoked salmon was incredibly tender and buttery with the perfect amount of smoke. It was obviously handled with great care in the way it was prepared, cooked, and presented. Having been gently smoked, the albumin wasn’t given a chance to ruin the filets appearance. Instead the garnish of fresh herbs and a lemon wedge helped it stand out as the centerpiece of our meal.
The brisket was incredibly moist and perfectly fatty with a great bark and a richness that left me glad I only ordered a quarter pound. The smoked turkey was juicy with a rub that was full of baking spices like nutmeg lending that new school style on an old school favorite. The house made sauces complemented the meats in a way that made me very happy, with the mustard-y South Carolina-inspired sauce being my go to.
All of the sides we had were spot on with the “Burnt End Brussel Sprouts” being the star of the show. We couldn’t eat those things fast enough. The fried okra was a delightful take on one of my favorite sides. Instead of little nuggets of goodness The Smoking Boar uses a flavorful batter on a whole okra, resulting in something closer to a tiny corn dog. Trust me, it works. The mac and cheese was also delightful with little bits of brisket mixed throughout.
Lastly, we come to the sausage. The Smoking Boar will be making all their sausages in house and will have a rotating sausage-of-the-day. For us it was the spicy chicken sausage which, after the salmon, was my favorite meat on the menu.
The restaurant will also have a to-go counter that should be available in the next month or so which will allow customers to grab some smoked salmon and sausage for preparation at home. Given The Smoking Boar’s proximity to my office I’m betting I’ll be taking advantage of this on numerous occasions for some quick weeknight dinners.
The Smoking Boar opens July 5th and is located near May and Britton, across the street from the Ranch Steakhouse. Be sure to swing by, eat some meat, and grab a cocktail or three and as always, let us know what you think!
