Joker's Cajun Smokehouse

Was running late to a first run showing of Mad Max Furiosa but needed some grub so we hit this spot. Didn't realize Fat Willy's closed but since this was so close decided to give it a go. The restaurant was empty. I will add that that night had a bad storm. But an empty BBQ joint on a Friday night is a bad sign. The next bad sign came when we were told they were out of some mixers and spirits, so drink options were limited. People are too nice with reviews or maybe Joker's is on the tail end of existence. At this point they should be calling John Tapper or Gordon Ramsey cause this spot needs a shock of new funds & kitchen H-E-L-P.Seeing a microwave on the counter was another bad sign. Corn bread was definitely microwaved and dry. Even with sauce, naw. Burnt ends were decent but smoked wings were lousy. I've had great smoked wings lots of places, the meat was stuck to the bone and tough. I am glad I did not try a slab of ribs. This meal was disappointing and to spend more $$ would have been an irritation. All in all, wouldn't return unless I hear the menu or kitchen preparation has been revamped.

On my second visitbut this time I was disappointed but it wasn't the service or the food. I asked the bartender/waiter for I he said we're out so Iced Tea. How about Lemonaid? Sorry, but we're out of Lemonade too! I ordered water. Now for my food order. I ordered Blackened catfish Po'Boy but I already had Thea Plan "B" just in case they don't have catfish. The waiter had to check and see if they had catfish so I said if you don't have catfish I'll take the pulled pork sandwich sandwich sandwich, he came right back and said we have catfish. The sandwiches come with fries, and a good amount of fish, nice and tender they give you a generous amount. visit the food was good, warm bread, spicy sauce.I liked the Charred shrimp Po'Boy better than the catfish that I got last time. .

We have eaten here several times when attending movies across the street at The Regal Theater. Each time has been a very laid back and chilled visit, with three of those visits sitting at the bar.Let me start off by saying that they do have a sparkling wine, Caposaldo Prosecco, so you know they already have a hook in me. Standout dish for me when I go there is the Mac and Cheese with brisket and a piece of that corn bread they make. The corn bread reminds me of Jiffy corn bread mix in terms of the sweetness. It is almost like you are eating a corn cake. That corn bread is delish and I love to crumble it up into the mac and cheese. The first time I got this dish and crumbled up the corn bread into the mac and cheese, the server was floored. He said he had never seen anyone do that before, but that it looked pretty tasty. He was not wrong.The Queen likes the Jambalaya a lot and The Doctor the pulled pork and brisket. We have had the burnt ends and those were surprisingly good. I threw some of those in the red beans and rice and that was great. The servers and bartenders are great. I have had some interesting conversations with them and they are always on top of things. If I had a complaint about this joint is that they sometimes run our of certain foods later in the day, like the corn bread or brisket. Not a deal breaker to stop me from coming back. But you know when you have your mouth fixed for a certain food and don't get it, it leaves you all kinds of hangry.There is street parking on Western, which is what I always do and never had a problem with it.

I'm torn. Based on both Yelp and Google reviews, I was thinking more. I had it noted for BBQ but Google referenced it for its gumbo and I was in the mood for that. I ordered some tenders for the kiddo and a order of gumbo and cornbread for me. Let me just say out of 5 I would give the gumbo a 3. It was flavorful, the roux was a great color and base. Plenty of chicken and andouille. So what happened? The rice. The rice which is key to any gumbo was undercooked. It was Saturday night after a snow storm and headed into below 0 temps. I was not about to go back out and drive to find something else. So I just combed through. Before someone says it's just rice. Let me clear I love rice and rice is quintessential to gumbo just like most creole dishes. Rice not good. Food not gonna be go. More upsetting was the cornbread. I actually jumped into this first and honey let's call it corn sponge. There was nothing to embrace. I had to pull a corner off and it was a struggle. Cornbread though harder crust is should almost remind you of a cake inside. A dab of butter or not. Not sure what was happening. The server was kind. There were a few tables filled but it was not that busy of a night. I would love to try the bbq but after sharing this experience, it's too much of a risk. Maybe they rock on bbq and Cajun is secondary. U try and let me know.

While looking for some restaurants in my neighborhood that I haven't tried yet, Jokers turned up in my search. It's not on a main stretch and is on a block that doesn't allow for close parking. But I ordered takeaway. I noted the parking situation just in case I'd return for a sit-down.Nevertheless, I ordered blackened catfish, red beans and rice, and cornbread. The catfish hit the spot. The red beans and rice could use a little more seasoning. The cornbread is more sweet than savory.The restaurant was not as busy as I would have expected. I have a feeling it's because of location and the parking situation. Unless you're taking public transit or a rideshare option (e.g., Uber or Lyft), having to scout for a parking space that won't result in getting a ticket may be a concern. As good as the food may be, Chicago's parking can be a deterrent.

Came here today with the wife,had the full slab.place was crickets,but expected seeings that it's memorial weekend.my wife ordered the sausage.and the waiter said there's no coleslaw ?then she said fine.ill take the cornbread.sorry it's going to be 30-45 min to make ?so she ordered just the sausage.I ordered the full rack,and macaroni and cheese, it came out dry and burned, I didn't eat it all took the rest to give to my dog. I remember coming here when it was fat willies this place is fat willies terrible food, terrible vibe just not good quality product.. very disappointed

WOW - this is *really good* bbq. Joker's was actually a restaurant that was talked about on an Avondale community group on Facebook, and I screenshot the post for next time I was craving bbq. Fast forward to a Sunday afternoon with no plans and my partner and I stopped in for lunch. There is street parking and the garage for the movie theater, so parking is no issue here. There is a really artistic mural outside, plus patio seating for warmer weather. This place is a little divey, but in a really special way where I walked in and was transported from Chicago to a bar in the French Quarter. It's an awkward shaped space with a bar and a dining area. There's a small stage and today had a great guitar duo with well known covers. The singer was incredible and while it was loud, it was a fun environment. It's almost like you're getting table service for a counter service type meal/environment here, and is not formal. Today we started with the burnt ends, which were absolutely incredible. I could eat a bowl of these every day forever and die happy. They melt in your mouth and are cooked perfectly. I ordered the brisket po boy, which was no frills, but really satisfying. The bread was fresh and soft and toasted perfect. The brisket of course was delicious. My partner had the pulled pork sandwich, which comes on a bun and dressed with slaw. They both came with these skinny little French fries (that I smothered in sauce and enjoyed like there's no tomorrow). I love the food here. My only struggles with were the music being so loud that we could barely have any conversation, or engage with our server, and also our server seemed overwhelmed or uninterested, although wasn't unkind. We will definitely be back and I'm so excited to have a go to bbq spot in the city now!

This place is small but so worth stopping by. Our go to is the burnt ends, combo plate (1/2 brisket, 1/2 spare ribs), Mac and cheese and the dirty rice (seasoned rice with liver). The burnt ends we take home because it is a lot of fat to eat the brisket and burnt ends. They reheat fanatically. Service is friendly and helpful and the food comes relevantly quickly. Both times we came I've been quiet and chill. I'll stop by anytime I'm close for the brisket. It is the best rub and super juicy.This is walking distance to Maplewood Brewery and Revolution brewery.

Came here for dinner before heading to the movie. Heard of this place and pass by it multiple times. So we decided to come. We sat by the bar and we immediately got the menu. We order the combination plate where you pick four meats and we also order half smoke chicken with two side: corn bread and Mac and cheese. There street parking.

Been following this Joker's Smokehouse for awhile on FB. I finally made it out to their location. I like how it is located right next door to theater. Decided to grab food here after our movie night. We came on Fat Tuesday which probably wasn't the best idea but it turned out great anyway. We started off with two hurricanes. It was busy because Fat Tuesday so we opted to leave and come back later. Staff was trying to keep up with the to-go orders, the bar, the restaurant. Seemed to be overwhelming for them but they did it with a smile. The owner also came by and hung out with us. It was very nice to hear about how the business got started and the love her husband has for New Orleans cuisine.I have been to New Orleans on three different occasions. My family is also from Louisiana so I take this cuisine very seriously. I would love to come back to try more dishes. Since it was Fat Tuesday and they were slammed, we opted for quicker meals. Plus we had too many drinks and needed quick food to survive Ash Wednesday. lol For food we got the Shrimp Po Boy and husband grabbed Catfish meal. I really enjoyed the Po'Boy and the fries. My husband liked the flavoring on the greens and catfish. We were both underwhelmed on the mac and cheese. Enjoyed that they had right hot sauce. They did not have any tartar sauce. Our hurricanes were just as good as Pat O'Briens. Would love to hear next Fat Tuesday playing music: blues, jazz, zydeco, bounce of the region. Tip: Go see a movie, get $2.00 parking and then eat here before or after.