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Welcome
Located at the historic City Marina
1801 North Roosevelt Blvd, Key West
Located at City Marina
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Water Front Dining
Rooftop View
Yes we are a real boat
Southern style Cole slaw
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About Us
Our Pitmaster and Staff
With 20 years of experience in the restaurant business, our staff is excited to present their vision to you and all our guests. Our caring and committed staff will ensure you have a fantastic experience with us.
Special Events and Catering
Our restaurant is available for private events: weddings, business lunches, dinners, cocktail receptions, and more. We would love to discuss how to be a part of your next event.
Press
Key West Citizen
WHERE THERE’S SMOKE, THERE’S FLAVOR
MANDY MILES Key West Citizen
The savory scent of hickory and slow-smoked pork is an unexpected but entirely welcomed aroma filling the air these days at the end of Key West’s Charterboat Row, home to dozens of the city’s charter fishing boats.
“It’s smelling really good out here,” one marina resident said on Wednesday, taking a deep breath while walking past the floating restaurant that will open later this month as Smoked BBQ.
Mick Reed smiled proudly from inside the houseboat restaurant that until recently had housed Thai Life restaurant, which had replaced the infamous Capt. Runaground Harvey’s restaurant. Reed pulled open the heavy doors of Smoked BBQ’s new rotisserie smoker and peered inside the fragrant interior at the giant slab of pork that had been circling for hours.
“We want our guests to be able to see the smoker in action, so diners will be able to watch me pull out the meat, slice the brisket, and pull the pork that ends up on their plate,” said Reed, an Atlanta native who came to Key West six years ago with the former Johnny Rockets franchise. “I absolutely fell in love with this island. This place has been one of the best decisions I ever made, and I wasn’t in any rush to leave. I don’t think I’ll ever leave.”
When Gas Monkey replaced Johnny Rockets on lower Duval Street, Reed became the new general manager, a position he still holds. He and one of the partners in Gas Monkey, Mike Flaherty, are opening Smoked BBQ on the boulevard with a targeted date of Feb. 28.
“We’re not going to rush things,” Reed said from the houseboat’s kitchen that sometimes lists to port or starboard depending on the breeze and current. “We know how important first impressions are, and we bought the boat outright, so we won’t open until we’re satisfied that everything is ready for our guests.”
Growing up in Georgia, Reed said he’s been around barbecue all his life, but at Smoked BBQ, he’s been careful to combine the Southern flavor with Kansas City-style barbecue, Texas-style and Memphis-style. Reed handles the whole smoking process and makes all the sauces and side dishes in-house.
“I love playing with the combination of spicy and sweet in my sauces,” Reed said, offering a taste of his signature Georgia Sweet sauce that also comes with a spicier version of Blackberry Jalapeno sauce.
“We’ll do pulled pork, chicken, thin-sliced brisket, ribs, a smoked burger, wings and a smoked tuna salad, plus smoked corn on the cob that’s ‘slathered’ with homemade honey chipotle butter, and giant, smoked baked potatoes, weighing more than a pound each, that will be stuffed with pulled pork and topped with smoked gouda and smoked cheddar.”
Reed is also making all the side dishes himself, and is currently perfecting his recipes for Southern-style coleslaw, macaroni salad and baked beans.
When it opens later this month, Smoked BBQ will offer takeout and delivery, off-site catering — and smoking services.
“I’ll smoke anything anyone brings in,” Reed said laughing. “They can bring me their turkey at the holidays, I’ll smoke it for them. And I’ll cook — and smoke — anyone’s catch from the charter boats around here,” he said. “We’re really excited to be able to offer something for the locals, here in New Town, with plenty of parking and accessible prices for big portions. No one’s going to leave here hungry — ever.”
They may leave with that scent of hickory still clinging to their clothes, but Reed doesn’t expect complaints about that.
Smoked BBQ will open at the end of the month at 1801 N. Roosevelt Boulevard at Charterboat Row. Find them on Facebook at Smoked on the Water or online at http://smokedbbqkw.com.
10 Best Restaurants in Key West
Go beyond seafood and Key lime pie with Cuban coffee spots and southern-style barbecue.
July 12, 2021
- When you’re surrounded by water, it can be easy to gravitate toward a fresh helping of seafood at every meal. But the city has got some surprisingly great BBQ, too—and as the name suggests, it comes with a water view. The addictive “back country spring rolls” are a double-rolled and deep-fried mix of pork and collards served with sweet BBQ sauce and spicy mustard that will have your taste buds firing on all cylinders. While a pulled pork sandwich might sound like the most standard thing you can order, this one is anything but ordinary (it’s probably their signature rub, which they sell for you to take home, too). There’s a kid’s menu, which also makes it a great spot for the whole family. While it may put on a no-frills front with its red-and-white checked tablecloth-covered picnic tables, the food says otherwise.
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