Devour Downtown…BBQ Style at the Smokehouse on Shelby!

This post was written by a Butler University student about their experience at one of 40+ restaurants involved in Devour Downtown – a prix-fixe way to experience some of Indianapolis’ best downtown restaurants twice a year. Check out all the posts written about Devour Downtown on the Indiana Insider Blog

My girlfriend and I recently decided to make a trip down to Fountain Square early Sunday night to visit the restaurant Smokehouse on Shelby. As soon as we stepped out of the car the first thing that caught our eye was the flashing theater sign that read Fountain Square. The sign had an art deco style to it that made it seem as if we had stepped into a different decade.

The Smokehouse itself reminded us of a typical diner, but it had a twist that I still can’t quite put my finger on.  The restaurant was pretty empty but it was very clean and well kept. Since it early and there were not many customers there the service was extremely fast.

a view from outside.

We decided to order the $30 Devour Downtown special. Devour Downtown is an event offering the full experience of various Indianapolis restaurants at a fixed cost. It began January 24^th and runs until February 5^th, 2011.

I was told before going to eat that I better be ready for a feast…and I was not disappointed. There was more than enough food for the both of us. I ordered the ½ Slab of Hickory Smoked St. Louis Ribs while Jessie decided on a ½ Chicken Marinated and Smoked with Apple Wood.

Diner style seating

I found the ribs to be very tasty and the BBQ sauce to be full of flavor. Overall the ribs were very good but not terrific.  Even though they were very tasty, they were a little tough. I prefer ribs that fall off of the bone when I reach to pick them up. The side dishes were excellent and they also came in much larger portions that I had expected. I ordered the baked beans (possibly the best I’ve ever had), and the mac and cheese as my side dishes. By the time our raspberry brownie dessert came we were each way too full to finish.

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys fast service and good BBQ food. I enjoyed visiting Fountain Square and will be back to Smokehouse on Shelby in the future.

Photos courtesy of helloindianapolis.com and flickr.com