Smoke on the Water Swanage

Featured reviews

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  Gareth Hudson

  ·1 month ago

  “We visited this place this evening, and was pretty underwhelmed by the food, we all had pit trays and they were disappointing the brisket was terrible! The mac and cheese was ok but not great, the staff were nice and the service was good they had a small sign on the table saying welcome hand written with my name that was a nice touch. I feel like they need to focus on getting the food right.”

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  Lottie

  ·2 months ago

  “First time dining here. Friendly welcoming staff, fairly fast service and delicious food. There is such a large variety of dishes to choose from at this restaurant. I will definatly be back to try more in future.”

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  Josh Clowes

  ·2 months ago

  “Wow, where to start, this is a family run restaurant, brother and sister. The quality of the bbq is second to none. The brisket was my highlight, a very hard meat to get right in the UK but these guys smashed it!!! The service was excellent and they have a great selection of drinks even Hawkstone. And then the bill arrived, we couldn’t believe how cheap this was. The quality was excellent and I would’ve been happy to pay double for the meal. I would’ve highly recommend this to anyone who lives here and visiting. Try something different, eat BBQ food.”

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  Liam Lowey

  ·4 months ago

  “This place could be amazing, but it isn’t. The location is excellent and the outlook over the waterfront and pier is stunning — ideal for a cold drink and a casual bite — yet the food and service don’t match the setting. There’s no children’s menu, so families with young children will find the choices limited. We stayed because the smoked dishes sounded tempting: our two children shared half of a full-sized brunch burger each, my wife also had a burger and we switched the hash browns for fries on both. I ordered the brisket melt. That arrangement worked for us, but it won’t suit everyone. For a smokehouse the food was underwhelming. The brisket was dry and the burgers were dry too; both lacked the flavour and juiciness you’d expect, and the burgers would have benefited from a proper sauce. The bill left a sour taste. After swapping hash browns for fries we were charged £4 for each of two “full” sides of chips, even though the portions served were noticeably smaller than a full side — an extra £8 on the bill. By comparison, the evening burger (which comes with fries and coleslaw) is £16; we paid £17 (£13 + £4) for a dry burger and a small portion of fries, which felt like poor value. Service was slow and a little forgetful: several requests were missed and we waited so long for the bill that I went to pay at the bar. That waiting game is especially frustrating when you have young children. This place has all the right ingredients — location, concept and potential — but it needs a children’s menu, more thought on pricing or consistent portioning, and more attention in the kitchen and front of house to deliver on the promise. Definitely must try harder.”

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  Grahame Wells

  ·5 months ago

  “Lovely, helpful staff - changed a side order with no fuss. Food , pulled pork good with interesting and tasty sides (2) + sauce on offer. Can be a lowish carb meal. Reasonably priced (£17) for sea front - less than a burger in many pubs. Great view. Good experience.”

• K

  Katt Wade

  ·5 months ago

  “In the area for a short break and had my eye on this place. Atmosphere is lovely and views to die for. Staff were all fab, really friendly and attentive. The food was kind of hit and miss - the barbecue meats were delicious, really enjoyed what we had - partner and I each got a 2 meat tray and we split everything - highly recommend the brisket and we enjoyed the ribs and Cumberland sausage special too. The let down is on the sides as they felt a bit lacklustre. Chips tasty, potato salad tasty, the rest all just seemed quite underseasoned. I was excited for the cornbread but it was quite stodgy and not what I expected. The portions of the sides were also a bit off - the mac and cheese was massive but the cornbread was barely a couple of inches in size. I think if they do some work on the sides this place would be knock out. I also think the menu is crying out for some kind of bigger sharing/tasting platter. I’m glad we shared two trays to effectively get 4 meats and 4 sides each in smaller amounts, but a 2 or 4 person sharer to get a good sampling and to try the different sauces would be brilliant. Would come back for sure and just stick to the sides we felt were better.”

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  George Collen

  ·6 months ago

  “Had a really good brunch at Smoke on the Water. We took our two kids along and it was really family-friendly, which made it even more enjoyable. The smashed avocado on sourdough was fresh and nicely balanced, with proper crispy bread and really good flavour. The Big Smoke was a standout—really hearty, packed with flavour, and definitely fills you up. The Veggie Smoke was just as good, loads going on and didn’t feel like a “lesser” option at all. Also tried the bacon bap, which was simple but spot on—great bacon, soft bread, and exactly what you want from it. Overall, a really solid brunch spot—good food, generous portions, great with kids, and a lovely setting by the water.”

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  Jake Walker

  ·1 year ago

  “The best costal restaurant I have visited, staff were very attentive and interested in providing me and my boyfriend with the best service on our date night. Food was so flavoursome with the sausage excreting smoky tones and juicy goodness. An amazing view with ceiling to floor windows that look out on the exquisite coast of Swanage, with the pier off to the angle.”

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  der kohlgruber

  ·1 year ago

  “Great view and great food! The restaurant is close to the sea and it's directly in view from most seats. The food is amazing the platters have something for everybody, and even the normal menu items are great. I had the platter with pulled beef, pulled pork, and wings, with sides of salad, mac and cheese, and seasoned chips (fries for non-Brits), and it was all great. My girlfriend had the roast chicken, and it, too, was very good. Also, try the different sauces/dips, they are all great.”

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  Tia Louise

  ·1 year ago

  “Easily one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. The food was absolutely awful — and ridiculously overpriced for what you get. We ordered two pit trays. Mine consisted of chips, brisket and coleslaw and my husband ordered brisket, pulled pork and wings with chips, sweetcorn and mac and cheese. The brisket? Disgusting. It was soggy, flavourless, and had the texture of something that had been sitting out way too long. If I’m being completely honest, I wouldn’t even feed it to my dog. They couldn’t even get a simple coleslaw right. It was watery and bland. Not to mention the entire meal just looked inedible and thrown on a tray. As for the mac and cheese… I don’t even know where to start. What they served were dry, breaded balls that barely resembled mac and cheese in flavour or texture. The only redeeming quality of this restaurant is the lovely view across the bay and the nice interior decor — but unfortunately, no amount of scenery can make up for the terrible food. They offered me a refund for my meal, which I appreciated, but it was only because the food was genuinely inedible. I cannot recommend this place.”

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