Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill

It was really surprising how different the service could be from one night to another. I was there on ²⁄₁₇ and then again on ²⁄₁₈
The line expediter on ²⁄₁₇ was excellent. whereas on the ²⁄₁₈ it was quite different slow and food left to be run while the runner was eating her food at the window

I never got to try the food. Saturday night and it was immediate seating at the bar. He got me a drink and menu and never came back. I left after four people got thier orders taken. I walked over and had the olive garden. The road has tons of restaurants so maybe a bad night, maybe typical.

Our bartender Josh was sub par at best. I still tipped $ 2 on a $ 6 tab. He didn’t ask if we wanted to order and we waited a significantly long amount of time. So we decided to just order apps but it took so long we changed our mind to one more beer and leave.
Much room improvement.

Extremely slow and poor service, food took forever, orders were not correct. Food was ok.

We had an awesome waitress loved our ribs and chicken wings! Definitely would go back!

Great place to grab a bite. The outdoor patio is very nice. The max number of people is 260 seating. 74 standing and 31 sitting at the bar. This place is large but the noise level is not bad due to the open ceiling. The food is just right and the drinks were cold. They offer a nice to go box. They have added a self checkout at the table. You can order drinks or pay your check. Quick and simple. The outside seating looked really nice as the outdoor fireplace even on a rainy day overcast it was pleasant.

We love this place! Always great service and the food is always fresh. We have never had a bad experience and its some of the best BBQ in town! We drive 30 minutes and pass multiple BBQ joints. Stop by. You won’t regret it

Would be nice if the employees would notice us in the foyer waiting to be seated. Several looked at us but did nothing but looked and went back to what they were doing. We left after no service.

While in Dayton for the WGI finals, our bus group stopped in what appears to be a restaurant row with maybe 20 different restaurants, the 12 chaperones decided to try Smokey Bones and we have mixed reviews. We were happy with the speed at which they sat a large party, maybe 15 minutes after we arrived and got drinks at bar, however, it was split between two booths and two separate waitresses. My side of the table was served our food quickly, however, the other side with a different waitress didn’t get their food until we were almost done, despite both orders taken at same time, not good organization. Food was similar in that some was good the ribs & half chicken, however, some was not; too much corn in something one of the other parents had. We had some other parents in our group arrive just as the other half of our table finished and they had the same waitress and were not happy with service or food either. With almost 20 different restaurants to choose from, I think they need to pick up their game and have consistency. One last item, I don’t know what is up with the floor in Smokey Bones, but it is slippery and almost like ice in the restrooms. We had three in our group with feet, ankle & leg issues who couldn’t maintain proper footing.

Smokey Bones smoked wings are great but the service distract you from the quality of food. The servers are young and attractive but have bad attitude, not customer friendly.

Worst ribs I’ve ever had! They were tough & hard to eat. The staff was friendly but did not make up for the horrible food I got!

Food is tired. I do like the large selection of beers. It’s pretty decent if you like craft beers. The bartenders are good.

I’ve been coming to Smokey Bones for a couple of years now, and I’ve never had a bad experience there. The food itself is very good; the brisket is always melt in your mouth tender, and I love the skillet cornbread to start with.
It may not be an «authentic» BBQ place like some people claim, but you should know that coming in. However, it doesnt mean the food isnt any good. On the contrary, it’s very, very good. I like to consider it authentic BBQ with a family setting. Not quite as messy, not quite as rustic, but still worth a sit down from time to time.
The staff is always friendly and super courteous; they make substitutions and handle requests without any problem what-​so-​ever.
I love coming to this place, and will continue visiting long in the future.

There is very little that sticks out in my mind about Smokey Bones. Nothing was done wrong, but it is pretty much forgetable.
The food was decent and the portion sizes definitely fill you up. I had the ribs and a sampling of the sauces they supply on each table (all but the mustard-​based) and they were pretty good. Sides were OK. The beer selection was decent, but the number of drafts was not very expansive; bottles fare better.
Service was good, but not amazing. Both the hostess and our server were affable, friendly and quick to answer questions.
The whole place is very casual and kind of comfortable, like a friend of a friend’s basement where you hung out once but can’t really remember why. Not bad at all, but I don’t think I’d be a regular.

All of the factors are just OK. Nothing bad, but nothing exceptional either.
I had the combo, of ¹⁄₃ slab of Baby Back ribs, ¹⁄₃ slab of Memphis Dry Rub ribs, with sides of Broccoli and Baked Potato.
Baby Back ribs were great, flavorful, with a low level of fat, and no chewy sections. Bones pulled right out, meat fell off the bone.
Memphis ribs, I had NOT had before, so was not sure what to expect. They were much drier and tougher than the baby back ones. There were some tough, grizzle sections.
The loaded backed potato was good, but the size of it suprized me. I was expecting a larger, longer potatoe, but this one could almost fit in the palm of your hand. Tasty, but small.
The broccoli was tasty and prepared well.
Service was good and friendly, but not overbearing.

Smokey Bones is great restraunt. One of those places if something is wrong they will make right. The food is always great, and servers are very friendly. One of my favorites here is the sirloin steak topped with steakhouse butter. And a reminder if your having problems with your server just tell the management team they come around all the time and they will make things right.

I have friends that are die hard fans of this place, and I’ve only been with them. I haven’t had a bad experience. However, it is pretty forgettable. The indoor campfire is neat and my friends rave about one particular bartender at this location. The service I’ve received has been sluggish, but the pretzels stick out in my mind as being pretty great. I am on their mailing list and they offer great deals via email, so I will visit again.

Love the Baby Back Ribs. Sauce is solid. Cold slaw and green beans are good sides. Not a fan of anything fried, for example the donuts taste too much like the french fries. Pass on dessert here and get it at Cold Stone across the street.

Our server Dane was very polite and very quick and accurate. The smoke house chicken was very tasty, and the broccoli was cooked to perfection. We also got for an appetizer the loaded nachos with chicken chilli on it and the pretzels that came with three dipping sauces, but whoa, if you’re on a date stay away from the garlic dip out is pretty potent! My husband got the wings which are now in my top five favorites ever tasted. Overall this place was pretty fabulous!

I visited here in January. I happened to be staying at a hotel on that strip in order to catch a flight out of Dayton the following morning. Decided to eat there because it had been months since I’d had barbeque and the parking lot had a lot of cars, usually indicating people like the place. I had a delicious sampler platter (wings, brisket, ribs, and pulled pork), and the sides were also very good. Couldn’t finish the sides, too much food. They actually smoke all their meats (mesquite and oak I think?) and the flavor was excellent. They provide 4 or 5 sauce options (all on your table already). I enjoyed all but one, a south Tennessee vinegary sauce.
The chicken wings were the standout meat for me among all the meats. I’m not a big fan of chicken wings in general, but great smoke and their poultry dry rub combined did the trick. All the meats were loaded with flavor, with a good char on the ribs and brisket. Note: my brisket was cut too thin, as I see others have also noted; when I return I’ll request a thick-​cut brisket. Beer was ice cold.
Interior was totally inviting and pleasant, lodge-​like with lots of wood from floor to ceiling. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable as well, numerous flat screens at the bar area to view sports. Again, nice bare area. Not too loud, tolerable for sure.
I’m really curious what the reviewers on Unilocal were expecting from this barbeque joint, as I had a first-​class ‘que meal. My experience was far different than the negative reviews. The host and the manager were friendly, as was my server, and I would gladly visit again.
All you people who complained about the meat being served cold should just ask for the manager (!) and I’m pretty confident he/​she would aim to please, and happily, with a do-​over for you. I know that if I get sub-​par product I’ll ask for a replacement.
When I left the restaurant I felt fortunate that I’d picked Smokey Bones out of perhaps 15 or more chain restaurants within a half mile. Seriously looking forward to visiting this place again. No issues whatsoever for good barbeque.