J's Smokehouse

About every six month I like to break down a random restaurant worth noting, good and bad. As a bit of a self proclaimed BBQ critic specifically, I'll say this is currently THE BEST offering you can find for smoked meat in the Omaha, NE area.Location/Environment: very small mom and pop located in a strip mall. Walking in the place is very small (I suspect this place sticks around and grows to a better location) but you take a look around, the place is very busy and it was clearly supported at lunch time by all those hard working tradespeople who value a hearty meal. They aren't wrong. The overall like amd ordering and straight forward. No gimmicks. Service: Not much to evaluate here. Just stopped in for a to-go order. The front lady who took my order was pleasant and payment was with a card. I will say that the food took about 5-10 minutes for a basic meal. Not super fast but not slow either. I'd say considering the other marks, this isn't Terrible but could be improved. Food: I ordered the Full Monty: a pulled pork sandwich with a mix of sausage and brisket because I HAD to test all the meats. Al acarte to try is by the 1/2lb and the sampler is $34! Probably needs a cheaper option.The smoke flavor is fantastic! The smoke ring is definitely pronounced throughout all meats I had. You can definitely tell they smoke their meats and don't cut corners on the cooking, very much appreciated in its core flavor. I will say the bark is there but very thin. I think they could benefit from a bit more pepper or seasoning flavor in my eyes as it's subtle for my tastes but the process is the hardest and the meat is excellently moist (not dry like so many restaurants!). The sausage and pork also mirror this assessment, really good foundation.The house sauce is served on the side as it should and is a hearty mix of vinegar tang yet still sweet. It's different from most and though not needed a unique twist to make their overall flavor their own. Love it.The slaw is a super sweet variety, similar to a sugar KFC creamy consistency but the ingredients are superb and has bit more mustardy tang. I don't like a lot of mustard but this isn't bad. I think its among the better slaws out there. I had to ask for pickles as they did not offer them. It's worth it to add them and they use crispy thick ones, not the afterthought of soggy messy cheap ones.PRICE: always subject to our ever changing economy but I'd say they are above the fast food quality so prices do reflect that. There's no value menu but real BBQ shouldn't and it's appropriately priced. I'd only say they'd benefit by having a cheap option to try them if it's your first time. Overall, Omaha lacks in great BBQ. I miss the old restaurant "Smoke Pitt" but among all offerings in the Omaha metro area, this one is the best I've found. Comparatively, Porky Butts is in their league (they have a more comprehensive menu but it's hit and miss quality), but take the cake over Jim's Rim Haven, Wayne's New Skoo, or Dick's BBQ. I'll definately be going back!

Delicious!!! I have had this restaurant on my list to try and finally made it there... no regrets! Will definitely return! Follow on instagram for awesome daily highlights. I had the grilled cheese with shredded pork special... it was a large sandwich, they didn't skimp on the cheese or meat! It was delicious. I chose the coleslaw for my side, it was fresh and creamy- great flavor. And they serve Coca-Cola, another positive:)It's a clean and comfortable restaurant with good decorations. The staff were pleasant and helpful too.

Great meats!! I've enjoyed their pulled pork, sausages, brisket, and ribs. I love all their sides- so it's hard to choose just two. The street corn is the best! Same with their brisket street corn dish. Hours can be a little tricky, and they do run out of meats, so make sure to make it at a good time!! You will need to order at the counter and then they bring the food to you. You grab your own drinks and silverware. Casual setting with great smells!!

How did I not know about this place till today? Literally a mile from my house. All I can say now is I can't wait for many more Visits! The meat is so good. The ribs are juicy and fall off the bone. The brisket is the perfect meat to fat ration with awesome bark on it. Freaking delicious! All the sides were good. The sausage was amazing. Can't wait to be back .

I finally got a chance to try J's Smokehouse and I was quite impressed. I've had this place on my radar for a while and am glad to have another solid bbq option in Omaha. I had the brisket and ribs and my wife had the pulled pork sandwhich. I ordered the fatty brisket and it was melt in your mouth tender.....not too much smoke flavor unfortunately but did have a solid bark flavor which I enjoyed. The ribs were very smoky which I like and were tender with good seasoning! The bbq sauces were great as well! Very thin sauces the have spicy and original. The spicy is very hot in my opinion (I like heat but this was too much to enjoy for me). The original was excellent and paired well with our meal. My wife absolutely loved her pulled pork sandwich. We will definitely go back!!

My new favorite BBQ spot! Since the departure of Amarillo, I've been at wit's end. There a couple of other good places, but this place is my number one.At 11:20 on Saturday morning, there was a line.The portions are generous. BBQ is always a little more expensive, but the portion size delivers value.The best aspect of this restaurant is that it is authentic. It uses real wood to cook and smoke the meats. See photos.The Texas Twinkies weren't available until noon. I will be back for them and some ribs.

Food was awesome. Brisket was perfectly cooked. Will go back again soon. Sides were great as well.

Really great bbq. We enjoyed everything we tried on our recent visit. The platters come with big portion sizes and are filling. The service was slow, but the food was fresh and worth the wait. Looking forward to visiting again and trying more things!

There's not much about J's that I can say that probably hasn't already been said........but I'll at least give it a shot. I'll start off by saying I'm not a Barbecue and smoked meat expert. My focus is generally steaks and fine dining. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a nice slab of ribs every now and then J's has quickly built an incredible reputation in Omaha as one of the best (if not THE best) BBQ joint in the city. I was a bit skeptical going in, but I can say without a doubt that they've exceeded my expectations. The service sizes were extremely generous - this entire set of grub had me out the door for less than 70 bucks after a tip. The meal was all cooked to perfection, tender, juicy, and extremely flavorful. All the descriptive words you could ever wish to hear at a place like this The baked beans were incredible, and probably some of the best I've tried recently, and the Mac N Cheese tasted great. The house BBQ sauce was simple and delicious - no need for 10 different kinds to try. The one was perfect (although there was a spicy option available too). Service was typical for a barbecue place - order at the window, grab your drink, seat yourself, and everyone working was great. In all, I would 100% return. Does J's take the crown for #1 in the city? You'll have to decide yourself

Brisket Philly was fantastic. The service was quick and friendly. Can't wait to come back and try more of the menu!