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All 96 Launceston Restaurants »

Smokey Joe's

Lawrence St, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia
Ranked #13 of 96 restaurants in Launceston
4.0 of 5 stars 64 Reviews
Price range: 9 AUD - 27 AUD
Cuisines: South American
Good for: Child-friendly, Romantic, Groups, Business, Outdoor seating, Special Occasion Dining, Entertaining clients, Cheap Eats
Dining options: Lunch Spot, Dinner, Reservations, Takeout, After-hours, Dessert
Restaurant details
Good for: Child-friendly, Romantic, Groups, Business, Outdoor seating, Special Occasion Dining, Entertaining clients, Cheap Eats
Dining options: Lunch Spot, Dinner, Reservations, Takeout, After-hours, Dessert
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64 reviews from our community

73% Recommend
    36
    11
    11
    2
    4
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Australia
1 review
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 May 2012

I could not fault the food, it was amazing, very tasty and so delicious however I could fault the waiting staff, which unfortunatley is the undoing as to why I did not comfortable eating in this restaurant. To argue with customers is definitley not the key to success. Before leaving, the waitress did make an apology to a lady from... More

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Jon Peterson, Owner at Smokey Joe's, responded to this review
8 May 2012

I am glad you found our offerings amazing. I am unsure as to the source of the conflict with your waitress, as she is well liked, efficient, and friendly. She did forget to bring a drink, but did bring it out a short time later, and the night you visited was extremely busy, and even though your party turned up... More

Brisbane
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 April 2012

My partner and I had a superb meal here. We had the dry spice rubbed ribs and brisket - both of which were excellent. The ribs were particularly good – tender meat that fell off the bone with a powerful, spicy (but not overly so) taste – very addictive indeed. The owner was very friendly and although the restaurant could... More

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Jon Peterson, Owner at Smokey Joe's, responded to this review
8 May 2012

Thank you for your review. We take pride in the free-range Tasmanian pork ribs that we offer and make sure that every meal we serve is as good as it can be. I'm glad you appreciated the old house, I think it would be right at home back in the states, and even here we are just next to the... More

Surrey
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 April 2012

If you like spicy/smoked New Orleans style this is great - the smoked brisket was unique..BBQ chicken was beautifully cooked but not quite spicy enough for my wife- however she pepped it up with an extra portion of BBQ sauce supplied cheerfully by our waitress. The bananas Foster was to die for! The proprietor/chef came around to check if all... More

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Jon Peterson, Owner at Smokey Joe's, responded to this review
8 May 2012

Thank you for your review. We try to insure that every meal we serve is the best it can be and it is especially nice to be appreciated! More

Georgetown, Texas
Top Contributor
66 reviews 66 reviews
Reviews in 46 cities Reviews in 46 cities
64 helpful votes 64 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 April 2012

We ate here for our one night in Launceston. Being from Texas we thought it might be good to try. The chicken was not good at all but the ribs were really good with some spice. The brisket was just okay. I would probably recommend going somewhere else if in Launceston. More

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Jon Peterson, Owner at Smokey Joe's, responded to this review
8 May 2012

I'm sorry you didn't like the BBQ chicken, but I am glad your husband told me that he loved the food. More

Launceston
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 April 2012

We had a fantastic night at this lovely restaurant and can't believe it took us so long to try it. I certainly wouldn't rely on any negative opinion of others and would recommend trying yourself. We have dined in many restaurants around the world and can say this is a stand out. We had the ribs, crocodile, chilli fries and... More

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Jon Peterson, Owner at Smokey Joe's, responded to this review
8 May 2012

Thanks for sharing your experience with us! Its true that we are all quite passionate about what we do here, from kitchen to table. All our waitstaff know the food, and that is a real help when some of the items on offer may be new to the customers. While we take equal care with every dish we prepare (hence... More

Adelaide, Australia
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 March 2012

A great little place with loads of charm. My husband had the chilli fries that lloked innocent enough but were hot hot hot, not that he complained..he loved them! We had popcorn chicken (that sounded like a basic choice!), spanish rice, beans, a burrito and a Margarita. All fab and yummy. The service was good and the prices reasonable. Would... More

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See 4 more reviews by Gypsies3 for Launceston
Jon Peterson, Owner at Smokey Joe's, responded to this review
8 May 2012

I'm glad you enjoyed your visit! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us. All our customers are important to us but it is always nice to hear when people have enjoyed what we do here! More

Parkdale, Australia
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 March 2012

I was on a holiday with my 2.5 year old and wife and we decided to do a bit of a food tour of Tasmania. One of the restaurants we had heard about was Smokey Joe's Creole Cafe so we thought we would give it a try. It was a very casual atmosphere and doesn't stand out from the street.... More

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Jon Peterson, Owner at Smokey Joe's, responded to this review
8 May 2012

Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to write a review! It is gratifying when people enjoy a visit to Smokey Joe's, but it is always especially nice when people who have traveled to the southern US and experienced the food there too. We are passionate about what we do here, from the preparation by myself and... More

Launceston, Australia
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 February 2012
2
people found this review helpful

Tucked away inconspicuously in a little house, you'd have to be looking for this place to find it. Appropriate and attractive décor for a creole restaurant, the atmosphere was lively and warm. Sadly though, this wasn't complimented by warm service. Since our table was seated we felt a certain tension between us and the wait staff. They were prompt with... More

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See 3 more reviews by BigCatUnit for Launceston
jon peterson, Owner at Smokey Joe's, responded to this review
24 February 2012

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your visit. Our waitstaff are normally quite friendly and as accommodating as possible. if it was a very busy night they may have been struggling a bit to keep up and that could account for the lack of a smile, but there is no way any of the staff would have made intentionally "snide" comments... More

Launceston
Senior Contributor
29 reviews 29 reviews
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 February 2012

A small limited menu and food was OK. Not the place for a long dining out experience. Drop in for a quick meal and go. More

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See 28 more reviews by Judith K for Launceston
Hobart
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 February 2012

Smokey Joe's has a well deserved reputation for its excellent food, however many people are unaware that you can also get their food to take away. A couple of years ago my husband was working in Launceson during the weeks and coming home to Hobart on Friday nights. He got in the habit of picking up food from Smokey Joe's... More

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