Smokin Betty's

Smokin' Betty's has been open for just over one week. I've been anticipating this place for two reasons: my good friend Brooks is working here. Secondly, I'm always looking for a good BBQ sandwich. My friend Jess and I headed out to check out this new establishment.

Usually I like to talk about food and drink first, but I have to talk about atmosphere. The inside of this place looks excellent. It's just a cool looking spot. It has two levels of seating, with a bar on both floors, and really has the capacity to be a hopping place, in terms of coolness and the sheer numbers I'm sure it will be packing in shortly (after my review is read). I recommend grabbing a seat upstairs, especially a window seat if available. The service is excellent. I'm not just saying this because Brooks was my server; all of the servers tag-team the tables to make sure that everything is taken care of quickly and efficiently.

The menu is impressive. It's much larger than ones I've seen at "real" restaurants in quite some time. There are different sections, with appetizers, small plates, entrees, soups, and salads represented. Lots of choices. There was even a small kids menu with a few choice under $5! Really, it's a great idea and basically unheard of outside of chains. There's an small plate of three sliders featuring three different types of BBQ: great for the indecisive.

I decided to just go for the beef brisquet BBQ. It was a really good sandwich, but not the best I've had. Plus there's enough other great things on the menu that I'd try first before I had this again. One downside was the tiny side of macaroni salad, especially because it was pretty good. I also had a side of onion rings which were standard, but good.

Smokin' Betties boasts sixteen taps which are arranged in order on the bar from dark to light in terms of the color it pours. While this order is a bit arbitrary and has no effect on actual taste, style, or ABV; I like it. It's better than nothing at all. All the beers are American craft brews. While most of the beers are "safe bets" and not very adventurous, there is good diversity and a lot of solid choices. I went with the Yellowtale Pale Ale from Ballast Point, which was good. An easy drinking, light pale ale.

Bottom Line: This place was very slow when I went in, but I suspect it will only be another week or two before it gets busy. It's a cool spot in a good location. The menu is massive and packed with good choices. The prices are decent and there's a few good beers to chose from. It's not perfect, but it's definitely worth a try. I'll check it out again in the future.

Essentials:

116 S 11th St (11th and Sansom)

(215) 922-6500

Avg Ent: 8-16

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Not needed now