The Smoke Shop Brings Barbecue to Fort Point This Fall

As the days get shorter, at least there’s a bit of good news on the horizon: A lot of potentially great restaurants are poised to open this fall. Here’s another for the list — a second location of Kendall Square’s Smoke Shop. Andy Husbands’ barbecue joint is crossing the river to take over the space of the recently shuttered Tavern Road (343 Congress St., Fort Point, Boston), reports Boston Magazine.

The original location of the Smoke Shop has been open a little over a year, a passion project for barbecue enthusiast Husbands, who also owns Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel in Boston’s South End. In addition to running his restaurants and writing cookbooks, not to mention making appearances on Hell’s Kitchen way back in 2009 and Chopped this summer, Husbands has also been involved in the competitive barbecue circuit for the past two decades; he’s part of a team called IQUE BBQ that has picked up a number of accolades over the years, including a 2009 win at the Jack Daniels World BBQ Championships.

At the Smoke Shop, Husbands and his team serve ribs, burnt ends, hot links, and lots more; don’t miss the aptly named “best bar wings,” served smothered in agave and pit spices. The restaurant also features a substantial whiskey selection.

The new location will have a similar look to the original, Husbands tells Boston Magazine, including the distinctive panel of R. Murphy knife cutouts. Other features will include an Ole Hickory smoker, plenty of brown liquors, and draft beer (which former tenant Tavern Road didn’t have), as well as a party room in the former TR Street Food space, which was just to the left of Tavern Road’s main entrance. The new Smoke Shop will have also have a similar menu to the original, although Husbands tells Boston Magazine that there will be “a few surprises...[that] will be fun for that area.”

As the Smoke Shop expands, it’s adding to a small but growing barbecue scene in the Boston area. Boston proper itself doesn’t currently have too many options, although Larry J’s BBQ Cafe, located right by the Lawn on D, is not too far away from the forthcoming Fort Point Smoke Shop.

Stay tuned for updates leading up to a potential November 2017 opening.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

• The Smoke Shop Is Taking Over the Tavern Road Space [BM]
• The Smoke Shop BBQ in Cambridge's Kendall Square to Open Second Location; More on the Way [BRT]
• Smoke Shop Coverage on Eater [EBOS]