Far from a barbecue shack, Smokestack fills a soaring warehouse in the Dogpatch that’s been dressed up in the manner of a post-Depression bar, with distressed wooden floors and old newspapers pasted on the walls. The patrons work hard at being throwback, their Deadwood-era beards and retro denim establishing a look that verges on self-parody. The barbecue, however, is no joke. Dennis Lee, the chef and co-owner of Namu Gaji, oversees the smokers, producing a classic-modern mix that ranges from Thai sausage and crisp-skinned smoked duck to Wagyu beef brisket in a traditional Texas-style rub. Vinegar- and kimchi-spiked sauces shine, as do sides like housemade slaw and baked beans with burnt ends. It’s all served over the counter, on metal trays lined with butcher paper, just as you enjoyed it in the olden days, before barbecue became so in.
Far from a barbecue shack, Smokestack fills a soaring warehouse in the Dogpatch that’s been dressed up in the manner of a post-Depression bar, with distressed wooden floors and old newspapers pasted on the walls. The patrons work hard at being throwback, their Deadwood-era beards and retro denim establishing a look that verges on self-parody. The barbecue, however, is no joke. Dennis Lee, the chef and co-owner of Namu Gaji, oversees the smokers, producing a classic-modern mix that ranges from Thai sausage and crisp-skinned smoked duck to Wagyu beef brisket in a traditional Texas-style rub. Vinegar- and kimchi-spiked sauces shine, as do sides like housemade slaw and baked beans with burnt ends. It’s all served over the counter, on metal trays lined with butcher paper, just as you enjoyed it in the olden days, before barbecue became so in.
