Smoky Boys (Watford) – A Review
When I was asked to try out a restaurant called Smoky Boys Watford it was a perfect fit for when we were going to London for a few days. Watford was very much on the way back so a great place for us to stop off.
Smoky Boys provided all our families food and drinks and I had a brief look at the menu before going however did not read any reviews or look at the location etc before putting it in the Sat Nav and arriving.
Smoky Boys Watford – The Menu Choices
The menu provided an extensive list of starters, and main courses including steaks, burgers, hot dogs, salads and Chicken amongst other things.
It was not immediately obvious that the meals didn’t come with chips or any other sides and they all had to be purchased separately. The waitress easily answered that though so it was no problem.
The range of food was great with an emphasis on burgers with a huge variety of toppings. There was even the option to create your own which I loved.
They didn’t just have “cheese” there was a selection of cheeses available and you really could create the burger you wanted.
The menu also covered drinks which included everything from cocktails to milkshakes and wine to spirits.
The only thing they do not do is draft products, either alcoholic or soft drinks. There was even a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails.
Orders were taken from the table and the waitress was very knowledgeable about what each item was like and quick to put all of our requests into her tablet for the order.
Smoky Boys Watford – What did we order?
Starters
For Starters, Stuart chose the jalapeno cheese poppers. I had the grilled halloumi skewers. Ryan (Stuart’s Nephew who had joined us for the weekend) chose corn on the cob. Ben fancied something different and chose the smoky beef brisket.
Ryan’s corn looked so tasty and clearly cooked properly rather than just boiled or microwaved corn with butter like elsewhere.
Ben’s beef brisket was served with slaw and Ben really enjoyed it. He says it had a great smoky BBQ flavour.
My halloumi skewers were served with a few fried onions and some salad leaves. They were absolutely delicious but I couldn’t help but feel like it was a little small compared to Ben’s starter!
Stuart’s jalapeno cheese poppers were unfortunately late to the table and we had all pretty much finished our starters when they arrived. He did however enjoy them but I forgot to take a photo!
The Main Courses
For our main courses, Stuart, Ben and I all chose burgers, and Ryan had Chicken Wings.
Unfortunately, the restaurant seemed to have a timing issue here as whilst we were waiting for Stuart’s starter we noticed that our burgers were all made and being kept warm in the kitchen.
Ryan’s chicken wings were actually brought out with the starters and before Stuart’s Starter.
Ryan really enjoyed his chicken wings despite having to start them with his starter before we had our main courses.
The restaurant had a variety of flavours available for the wings however Ryan is a little picky and preferred them plain. An additional bowl was offered for the bones which was helpful.
He had a side order of chips to go with them which was the same as those below.
Ben had the smoky beast burger which consisted of two beef patties, oak-smoked turkey bacon, cheddar and American cheese, rocket, gherkins and grilled onion all served with smoky boys’ sauce in a brioche bun.
The chips he chose have rosemary salt which he absolutely loved. The burger was a great size as you can see and he was thoroughly impressed with it. He did note that it was slightly cold however was happy to eat it.
Stuart chose the smoky bbq burger which consisted of a beef patty topped with slow-cooked beef brisket, coleslaw, caramelised onions, dill pickles, and bbq sauce and served in a brioche bun. Stuart found his to be quite cold too.
He did mention this to the waitress and she offered to have another one made however as we all had our meals he didn’t do this. Stuart chose onion rings as a side order for his and we were very impressed when they arrived.
Clearly homemade they were tasty and huge so looked great. Stuart said his meal was tasty with great flavour just a shame about it not being too hot.
For my meal, I chose to create my own burger with a falafel base, Monterey jack cheese, grilled red peppers and grilled onions with mango ketchup.
It was absolutely delicious but I forgot to take a photo! I must have been enjoying it too much. I decided on some onion rings and sweet potato fries topped with cheese for the sides. Both were really tasty and it all went together perfectly.
The Desserts and Coffee
Whilst we were all stuffed we decided it wouldn’t seem right to not review the desserts on offer so tried those too. Ben and Ryan both chose the homemade chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream.
Stuart and I shared the apple and blackberry crumble with custard. We also had a coffee each to finish off.
As you can see the chocolate brownies looked so good. They apparently tasted great too but I didn’t get to try it as the boys were enjoying it too much to share!
Stuart and I really enjoyed the crumble we shared. The only slight criticism I could make is that until we ate some of the crumble there was not really anywhere to pour the custard as it was too full. It tasted great and was a lovely end to the meal.
The coffees were lovely and as you can see came with a nice choice of sugar which of course the boys wanted to try!
The Drinks
Throughout our visit between us, we had a selection of drinks. We all tried a bit of each other’s and all were great. The choice was fantastic and definitely one of the selling points of Smoky Boys.
This was the smoky colada, a non-alcoholic cocktail which contained fresh pineapple, coconut and greek yoghurt all blended together with roasted coconut. It was lovely and such a great way of serving it too.
The shakes looked amazing. This was the Smoky Boys salted caramel shake and wow it tasted so good. At £5 each they aren’t cheap but a large serving so last well and are so worth it.
I can imagine if we lived closer Ben would be constantly wanting to pop in for a shake! The boys also had a coke each. Altogether our drinks were 3 shakes, the cocktail, 2 cokes and the above 2 coffees.
Smoky Boys – First impressions and facilities
When we arrived at the restaurant we were surprised to find it on what appeared to be the high street of Watford next door to an accident compensation specialist.
From the outside, I did wonder if this would be no more than a glorified takeaway but I was pleasantly surprised.
The inside was lovely and really welcoming. Whilst they do take away food and the layout meant the kitchen visible from the dining area it really was lovely.
There was no dedicated parking at the restaurant. There was however a public car park across the road which was only 50p per hour and free after 5 pm so it really didn’t seem a problem that there was no parking specific to the restaurant.
We went on a Monday and arrived at 4.30 pm and left at 6.30 pm and throughout there was plenty of space in the car park. I am not sure if this is the same throughout the week and weekend.
The restaurant was small and seated around 28 however throughout our visit we were the only customers dining there. The tables were well set out and the décor was unique and stylish.
The whole venue was clean and fresh feeling. The toilets were limited with only one for each gender however they were nice and clean but very small.
Overall Experience and Prices
Despite the few issues we had with the timing of meals being cooked and served we enjoyed our visit. The food was full of flavour and excellent quality.
The service was brilliant and with a little work on the timing of cooking and serving the food, it would be a lovely place to eat whether it be for a romantic meal for two or a family meal like ours.
The food was priced clearly on the menu however a little more than I would usually pay and the fact you order the sides separately offers flexibility but adds to the initial cost you see for the meal.
In total, our three-course meal for 4 including the drinks would have cost £120. Obviously different areas do have huge variations in costs for eating out so I am not sure how this will be in your area.
Seeing the prices here and on their website and knowing the food is lovely it really is up to you to decide if you would visit.
We would really recommend the food and such a unique and friendly restaurant. If you are in the area or want to check out which other restaurants and takeaway shops they have then pop to the Smoky Boys website.
What would you have chosen on their menu? Do you love steak? The new Steaks menu section offers juicy Angus dry-aged beef with a selection of cuts, including char-grilled 8oz Sirloin, 8oz Rib-Eye and the 14oz Fillet. If this has made your mouth water I do apologise but it was tasty so I had to share!
Please note whilst we were given the food and drinks in return for a review of Smoky Boys Watford I am always honest and all views shared here are my own and those of my family.
