Our Food Philosophy

Hmmmm... Tastes like chicken?

Ever notice that restaurant food pretty much tastes the same?

Most restaurants get the majority of their food from the same suppliers.  Although there are really great exceptions, that is why the food pretty much always tastes the same no matter where you go out to eat. 

It is all cooked the same way, packaged and frozen the same way, seasoned the same, shipped on the same truck, etc.  That is why the chicken in a Mexican restaurant tastes the same as the chicken in an Italian restaurant across town-- same story with salads, desserts, appetizers, etc. etc.  Why would a restaurant want to prepare its own food when it comes pre-prepared and is almost as good?

We go to great pains to make the food at the Smokehouse tastes different.  Why?  Because unless we are being compared to our Pizza and BBQ mentors in New York and the South, I never want to hear "This tastes just like the _______ at _______."    

Whenever possible we get our food from local sources and do the majority of preparation ourselves.  We cook it our way, season it our way, cut it our way, etc.  We actually prepare the food!!!  We only buy top quality ingredients (not pre-prepared products) from our vendors. 

Almost everything at the Smokehouse is made from "scratch" and that is why it tastes different. 

• Our Pizza dough is a recipe we worked on for years and not an "off the shelf" crust.

• The majority of our meat comes from Millford, Utah and is dressed in Payson.  This means that it doesn't sit in a warehouse freezer for months before getting used.

• We make our own BBQ sauces and dressings from scratch

• We get whole heads of select Romaine lettuce and prepare it only hours before you eat it 

• We use "Southern Pride" smokers (the top brand of smokers in the south) and "Marsal" stone deck ovens (the choice of the top Pizzarias in the United States) to cook our food.

The Smokehouse is not a Theme Restaurant

Rough hewn wood beams, real Italian leather chairs, candles, authentic gas lamps, potted plants and trees, real artwork, intricate tile work on the walls, and servers with expensive uniforms are things that you will never find at the Smokehouse! 

Why?  Because if it won't make your food better, quicker, or less expensive, we don't care about it.

Understand, theme restaurants aren't bad, but they are really expensive to set up-- all costs that must be passed on to customers and in most cases, not spent on making the absolute best food. 

Food quality, menu prices, and the speed at which your food arrives usually takes a back seat to "looking good."  Think about the last time you went to a theme restaurant.  How much was the food?  How long did it take to get out to your table? If you were to be eating that same food alone in your kitchen, how good would it really be?

At the Smokehouse the food is the star.  We obsess constantly about how to make the food better and quicker.  Most people from the South say that our BBQ is right on par with the BBQ places back home (if not a little better-- since we don't mix in any 'possum or gristle).  Most people from New York city will tell you that we stand toe to toe with their favorite pizza from back home (makes sense since we use the same cheese, sauce, and ovens).

At the Smokehouse your food will be quick.  You will get your meal in 5-10 minutes (pizza takes a little longer, but is worth it!).  We realize that you have better things to do than sit there starving for a half hour.

Your bill will be a pleasant surprise.  A person can eat some really great food for around $5-$7 if you don't mind drinking water.