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Individual User Reviews |
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Smokin Joe's is a really good bar but they cater to the over-priced IPA crowd. The owner makes a ton of money so in that sense he knows what he's doing. And to his credit he does carry some top-notch beers as well. The only major drawback is the manager who is pretentiously nicknamed "Lama". There are locals all over town who call first to see if he's there. They won't come in if he's there.
The kitchen staff does a very good job. But the menu never changes and the owner just cha-chings along.
Try to get there when Tom is bartending. He's one of the best in town and knows how to treat the customers.
Sage Lenny Carnegie
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Len Garber,
Carnegie, PA
(07/18/2010) |
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Great
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Awesome!
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N/A
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Lousy
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I used to like going to this place until I went last night. There was a group of about 10 of us out for a friend's birthday. We migrated upstairs because it was quieter (at first) Our bartender was a black guy named Nate, and he was awful. He was not very attentive to customers at all (unless you were a chick he found attractive). He completely ignored several of the people in our party--One girl was trying to get a drink for our friend for his birthday. She kept calling to Nate, but he totally ignored her, and she ended up leaving. He also ignored two of the girls in our party. We were the first ones up in this room, and had been sitting there for awhile. These two girls were at the end of the bar, waiting to be served. When other girls started coming up to the bar, he would help them, ignoring the girls who had been sitting at the bar first. When one of the girls Nate ignored pointed out that they had been sitting there for awhile, he told her that she would be waiting a lot longer if she was going to be a b#&$*. Definitely not cool to call your customers names. Don't know if I'll be going back there any time soon, at least not as long as Nate is working there.
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Pittsburgh, PA
(03/03/2007) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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This place is HIGHLY recommended.. the atmoshere is great.. just like a neighborhood bar should be.. excellent selection of beer.. and the bartenders, Tommy and Llama are the BEST.. they know their beer and can assist anyone from a beer expert to a novice in finding the right beer for them.
Will visit whenever I am back in town and encourage others to stop in, have a great beer and say hi to Tommy and Llama.
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Rachel,
Ormond Beach, FL
(10/07/2006) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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N/A
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Great
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This is one of our favorite watering holes to frequent when visiting the 'Burgh. Smokin' Joes beer taps are among the very best in the city. This visit I was able to turn my brother on to a pitcher of the Lagunitas IPA for $14.25. I hadn't drank this beer since my last trip to CA. It's a nicely balanced hoppy choice, which did not disappoint either of us.
As usual, the bar area was jam packed and we had to wait along the wall until some seats were vacated. We were lucky enough to score the hitop table by the front window, which afforded us a great view of the action on Carson St.
Although the beer is a bit pricey by the pitcher, the diverse selection makes it well worth the visit. We'll be back in June!
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Janet Schryver,
Genoa, OH
(03/31/2006) |
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Awesome!
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Lousy
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Great
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Been here many times over the years and most recently on Thursday 10/27 after the Penguins game. Got into the Mojo IPA and ended up closing the place a few hours later. Nice tap selection with pretty much all styles represented. Even larger bottle selection nicely displayed in the massive cooler behind bar. Fun to sit at the bar and stare at all the bottles counting how many I've had in the past. Favorite spot is the single table in the front window to people watch on Carson St. Bartenders are for the most part efficient. Many have worked here for a while. Ordered wings a few years back and received them undercooked and flabby even though ordered extra crispy. Would never order the food again. Could do without the loud blaring hiphop "music" if thats what you call it. Love the beer and will continue stopping in for that reason.
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Jim S.,
Wayland, NY
(11/03/2005) |
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N/A
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Awesome!
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So So
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Great
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I stopped at Smokin Joe's on one of the recent cold/rainy days during lunchtime.
There were 2-3 people catching lunch while I was. I had the veggie sub and fries which was fresh, but somewhat bland - not giving Fathead's sandwichs a run for their money anytime soon. I had a salad too which was mostly just white lettuce crammed into a small bowl with cherry tomatoes that seemed to have grown a few extra layers of skin.
Food aside, Smokin Joes has a huge selection of beer... Most of the bar area is just coolers functioning as bar back.
Definitely a place to catch drinks with friends after work or on weekend nights out.
Maybe the other food is better- maybe other cooks there make more inspired food. That aside, a good place for beer and that is what we are about here on PubCrawler.
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paris lundis,
Pittsburgh, PA
(10/27/2005) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Not much has changed in the six years since I last stopped into and reviewed Smokin' Joe's. The things that have remained the same, for better or worse, are the excellent selection, pleasantly affordable drafts, and a solid sea of loud, boisterous, quintessential Carson Street pub crowd. There were times when I literally could not move because people were packed that tightly around me. Clausterphobia, thy name is Smokin' Joe. I knew I should have stopped here during the afternoon instead, but I decided to battle the throng knowing it may be years before I get to step foot in here again.) Things that have changed: about 20 more lines for a total now of 47. Some quick math yielded a bottle selection of approximately 300. Selection runs the spectrum from Bud Lite to high-end Trappist beers, though generally biased toward American craft beers with Belgian and other European favorites for good measure. Service was overwhelmed even though there were about 92 waitstaff trying to meet the sardine-packed crowd's beer needs. The wait was sometimes longer than I would have cared for but they always got back to me just in time to keep me from becoming grumpy. This place has something for everyone, depending on time of day and/or day of the week. If you like wall-to-wall, fake-bake trixies, fratboy alumni, and Guns & Roses from the jukebox, this is your Friday Night place. If you want to spend some time quietly pondering the extensive beer selection, afternoons would definitely work better.
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The Enemy,
Chicago, IL
(04/20/2005) |
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Great
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Great
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This place used to have the best bartenders in the 'burgh. Times, they are a changin'. It seems as if they may have put a fry cook in charge of the bar. I imagine it is still a cool place to hang out but I no longer go there.
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John Cord,
Pittsburgh, PA
(03/20/2005) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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BEST PLACE FOR BEER ANYWHERE I HAVE BEEN TO. I have travelled the East Coast and the West Coast many pubs and bars included. HANDS DOWN the best anywhere!!!!! 37 Taps, over 250 bottled beers daily. Can't beat the service the bartenders are mostly women who are hot as well, and the cost and specials can't be beat!
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Rick,
Pittsburgh, PA
(02/07/2004) |
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Great
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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This is a great bar, especially after you have gone a few times. There is not a lot of turnover with bar staff and they remember you. Wings are possibly the best in Pittsburgh and you will never run out of beer selection. Whomever does the hiring, hires only the best looking women, however they don't have attitudes. Overall, a great place to booze!!!
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Spectrum Faithfull,
Pittsburgh, PA
(12/19/2003) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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I travel throughout the Midwest and East coast. I have visited over 30 different Microbreweries and Beer Pubs this past year. Hands down - Smokin' Joes is by far the best pub I have ever come across! 47 Beers on Tap, 200+ in bottles. Very knowledgeable bar staff (unfortunately they know Penguin hockey too, but that is another story) and the best wings you can find this side of Buffalo.
This was my 3rd trip to Smokin' Joes and it gets better every time. I had the Red Seal Pale Ale along with several other IPAs. This place is a must for every beer lover! To top it off, there are actually babes in this place. A rarity for most brew pubs!
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New York Rich,
Rochester, MI
(10/17/2003) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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N/A
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I would suggest going to Fat Head's first, then heading down to Smokin' Joe's. While Fathead's tap selection is very good, Smokin' Joe's is excellent! They have 30-40 taps, plus well over 100 bottles available. I didn't eat there, I just quaffed a few pints. I will say that the time that I was in there, the place was far from being spotless, but I was not repulsed by the sanitary conditions. It was Saturday night at 9:30, and the table was a bit sticky, but the beer glasses were clean, and the ales were plentiful!
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Jay Schill,
Middletown, MD
(07/03/1999) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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It looks like a corner bar from the outside, but INSIDE (!) they have perhaps 20 beers on tap including some of my favorites such as Guiness and Youngs Oatmeal Stout. Smokin' Joes also carries many (over a hundred?) bottle beers including three Chimays. The Wing specials and homemade cheese sticks are tasty. The bartenders are friendly, patient, helpful and knowledgable. This is the place in Pittsburgh to try new beers.
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Steve Holowach,
Uniontown, PA
(06/17/1999) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Good
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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This place is simply the greatest! My first encounter with Smokin' Joes was an otherworldly experience. It is rare indeed to have such a great selection of GREAT beers!
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Darryl W. Jones,
Gettysburg, PA
(02/08/1999) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Great
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Awesome!
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Smokin' Joes is hands down the all-around best bar in Pittsburgh. Its tap and bottle selection are both mind-boggling, especially since PA's restrictive alcohol laws make it difficult to find a good selection anywhere in the state. There is also a separate distillery room upstairs (which is usually much quieter and less crowded than the main room downstairs) where you can sample one of countless varieties of whiskey from any of the 4 primary whiskey-producing countries. What's more, they are committed to keeping their drink prices as low as possible even though they are located in one of the city's primary bar districts where they can charge as much as they want and people would still pay. It gets crowded on weekends so if you want elbow room, come early.
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The Enemy,
Pittsburgh, PA
(01/27/1999) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Good
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Great
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This establishment has by far the best selection of bottled beer in the city and awesome beers on tap. They also have great deals on Sunday and Thursday. The food is good and the service is great. If you play pool, it is easy to pick up a game here and the clientele can be pretty good.
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Christofer Catterson,
Philadelphia, PA
(11/01/1998) |
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