July 2017 by Aaron S.
Oldham's Smoke Yard is a relatively new place in Oldham, having been in the town centre for about 2 years now, which is still quite new although since then we've seen the conversion of the former town hall building across the way here into an Odeon cinema and many eateries, which could possibly rival Smoke Yard here, and those include Molino Lounge, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Nando's. This store is accessed up two large steps so unless you chose to eat outside, it has no wheelchair access sadly, and the type of steps might be difficult for elderly people to use, which is also a real shame. There was no back entrance etc. I called in to take a look at the menu, I was told they didn't have a gluten free menu but just had an allergen guide, this was frustrating as they had labelled vegetarian on the menu and it would have been so much easier for them to do the same with gluten free, with it being such a common allergen with Coeliac Disease affecting 1 in 100 people in the UK alone, or 1 in 133 in the USA (about 17% know they have it however, the rest are undiagnosed which is a statistic I found interesting having read it) The staff didn't seem to willing to help with the gluten free or step situation which also is a real shame, it felt like they didn't value my custom, they didn't care if I left or stayed which was a real shame, hence I feel this place is worthy of a single one star rating.
June 2017 by Jim W.
I really wanted this to be a 5-star experience, and a place for great BBQ in England near where I occasionally work. But it was not to be. That said, there is a lot of really exceptional things about this restaurant, not least is the wide range of music pumped through the speakers here -- not loud, just perfect in fact. I've been enjoying just sitting here listening to the blues / soul /country / eclectic / 60's / Amy Winehouse / etc. ... The sides were all awesome, something even some of the great BBQ places let slip. I was very happy with the grilled watermelon, the fries (skinny like the U.S.), and the creamed corn. You should be quite happy with any of those. Four-stars is still good, and as always, you may love what I go "meh" to. The atmosphere is funky and clean, with the right touches of kitsch, not overbearing. The menu is broad, and I'd definitely try the beef ribs next time; they sounded very good but I decided to stick with St. Louis style ribs to be able to compare apples with apples. (I usually sample pork ribs to compare BBQ places on the same dish.) They do not offer brisket, which may be understandable, as brisket can be difficult to get right. Service was pretty good, although it wasn't a full restaurant this Saturday afternoon. In short I enjoyed everything except the ribs, which were good, with the following opinions of how they could have been great. First off, the ribs were very meaty, and cannot be faulted for that at all! They seemed to be cooked right, although here is the first point of contention: Either the pork in the British Isles is not marbled like the great BBQ places in the U.S., or they cook the fat out of it. Judging from a previous experience I had in Dublin, I suspect that the pork is just very lean. For me, that equates to less flavor and a dryer texture. The other thing which I would love to see is a fearless addition of smoke to these ribs. To be honest, I couldn't taste it, and the "smoke ring" in the meat was barely denting the surface. I can't give a restaurant with "Smoke" as a predominant part of its name 5-stars unless the meat lives up to it. So if you like a simple but big chunk of meaty, lean pork, that's what you'll get here, and you may have a five-star experience.
September 2016 by Penny L.
This was a impromptu visit. Initially we thought we were headed out to Jacks Smoke house, but when our friends pulled up here we realised we got our wires crossed. Inside was very busy, with a small number of tables, sitting down at the menu I found it a little limited. It entails a couple of hot dogs, a few chicken/meat burgers served with waffles, patties, various fries and a handful of starters. The only fish I spotted was bubba gump shrimp with chorizo. If you were a veggie they had just the one veggie burger option. First off I ordered a caramel milkshake , my friend had the nutella one while others had beer.. Both shakes looked impressive with tons of cream , garnished with tasties..however all the syrup had ran down mine and had just a one dimensional taste to it ....I didn't feel it was worth a sticky mitt. For starters fiery hot wings, pulled pork spring rolls and Shrimp were ordered.. My wings were meaty but just tasted like someone had literally poured a generic hot sauce over them..the spring rolls,,, I did try some and could not help but think the cheese burger spring rolls in Solita were much nicer. ..The shrimp was tasty but there was not a lot of it to justify the cost. Starters and drinks gone I opted for a Death Row cocktail at an average priced £7.50.. This had a cool presentation again with a syringe full of red stuff that you injected into the drink...This tasted like weak lemonade with cherry laced through. I felt stuck what to order for my main, Everyone else opted for Chicken waffle stack with maple syrup and peanut butter?? Mac and cheese burger and a Yard burger full of various meats as well as a pattie, full of onion rings..I decided on the buttermilk chicken... Once again presentation was good however my burger got soggy quickly and I found it uninspiring. Everyone else appeared to enjoy their food...the peppercorn fries were the highlight.. Overall the market is crammed with diners like this i.e American style burgers so for me it has to be innovative and really tasty to stand out. The only thing I remember about the décor were the stairs leading upward to the toilet being old , crooked and needing replacing The service was good however I just found the food to be a let down for the cost. I personally rather try Jacks Smoke House next time. .
May 2016 by Emma C.
Finally- somewhere to go in Oldham for lunch that is decent and a little more modern! Smoke yard has been open since last year, bringing smoked meats, burgers, ribs and fries to Oldham, as well as milkshakes and deserts. It is pretty much another 'dirty burger' restaurant, which seem to be doing really well at the moment. The menu has lots of different burgers from Mac and cheese variations, to buttermilk chicken and veggie options. Lots of pulled pork and bacon toppings too. I went for the Honey Bun- a grilled chicken burger with honey mustard and salad and applewood smoked cheese. I of course upgraded the fries to sweet potato fries too. The fries let the order down a little- very thin and not much actual potato in them. Still tasty, but Iv had better I guess! The burgers however are the selling point- the men who were with us said the beef pattys were really good quality meats, juicy and thick. I genuinely loved my grilled chicken burger; and the honey mustard sauce was incredible. So much good choice on the menu. One of our friends went for the ribs, which again looked amazing. Really wanted to have a dirty milkshake with all the toppings, waffles, biscuits, the lot. Managed to hold off though! Affordable prices and a nice change to see a modern burger place in Oldham
November 2015 by Bethany W.
So, the Smoke Yard is yet another restaurant that has popped up as if from no where, like a daisy in spring. Recently, throughout Oldham and Royton, there has been a sudden urgency to develop previously beaten down and shoddy bars/cafes and you know what? It's working! Smoke Yard is a BBQ/Steakhouse joint on Church Terrace in the centre of town. Now, I know what you're thinking, you're thinking: "why the hell would I want to go into Oldham when I can get to Manchester quite easily" - well I say this: "because it saves time and it's just as good!" This once greasy spoon cafe is now a stylish, and dare I say it, cool, restaurant serving quality food at decent prices. Being my first time here I obviously had to try as much as physically possible (this was helped by the waitress getting my order wrong): Starters: Nachos with chicken: these were actually great! The sauce rather than salsa was a mixed bean concoction and it we couldn't get enough! Plenty of cheese, some jalapeños thrown in there, just top notch! Note: portion was huge and it could have easily been a main meal! Mains: Hanger rump steak AND Rump steak with a side of mac and cheese Yes, that's right! Two mains and two streaks!! I initially ordered the hanger but was brought the rump by mistake so asked to change it for the hanger and instead got both! Both steaks were really well cooked and beautifully rare throughout! I actually preferred the rare steak on its own in the end as the veg on the hanger wasn't cooked through enough which was a shame! Mac and cheese was good - not mind blowing but nice! We finished with a sing song and a piece of birthday cake and all left smiling. What I will say however is that although the food was good the service was slow and the staff seemed more interested in talking to each other than making sure the customers needs were met! I received the wrong order, my friend received the wrong drink twice and there were some complaints around the table (of 7) that the food was cold which was a shame! I see the above as minor as they're still finding their feet! I'll definitely be back to give the pulled pork a try!
