Smoked, a new restaurant featuring smoked meats, has opened in Ridgewood. Chef Rob has been perfecting his craft since his children bought him a smoker a number of years ago. So the “in-house caterer” for his family decided to open up a shop on Godwin Avenue.

The mostly takeout joint — though they do have some seats, counter space and outdoor seating (in the warmer weather — smokes meats like their pulled pork, St Louis ribs, sausage and more from a variety of sources — with minimal rubs: low salt and low sugar. The meats do rotate, so be sure to check their website of Facebook page for updates. The all-natural wood used for cooking is a proprietary blend of flavors like hickory or pecan.

The homemade sides include a mac n cheese and corn “puddin'” with many daily rotating specials. Plus we were assured their are plenty of vegetarian choices for those who don’t eat meat. They also serve a special dish named by Rob’s father called Mickey’s: potatoes cooked in the smoker to catch the meat droppings, which are finished in the oven and drizzled with Parmesan cheese.

Oh and the desserts are all homemade too. They are currently open 6 days but expect the hours to change as the days get longer and warmer.

Smoked 2 Godwin Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ Website

[photo source: Smoked]