Smokin J's Market And Deli - Marlboro

First, if you are a BBQ snob, it 's not going to be the best 'que you 've ever had. It 's Marlboro Vermont. But, it 's solid. I stopped in the other night on my way home from a speaking gig in NY state on my way back to NH. I pulled in right as they are closing for the night, and a friendly woman invited me in anyway and said they 'd make me a plate. I ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich which came with 2 sides (I got collards and black eyed peas) and cornbread. Of note, the vibe is decidedly laid back. Sort of like a Dead Show parking lot scene, in a good way. So the cornbread may not have made it into my container. That 's cool, I 'm doing the keto thing and wasn 't planning on eating it anyway. I was also talking with the owner as she prepared my meal, so it was partly on me. That said, the pulled pork was great, with real pit flavor, not the liquid smoke or pellet taste that some pass off as authentic. The collards were some of the best I 've ever had, and the black eyed peas (from the few spoonfuls I had as a treat) were basic but tasty. Cole slaw was delicious. I brought home a chocolate chip cookie for my daughter. She had a piece just a little bit ago and said it 's great, but have you ever met a 4 year old who didn 't like chocolate chip cookies? I 'm giving them 5 stars. If I went in and judged food alone, it might have been slightly lower, but the owners are great people who value feeding those in the community. They made sure I didn 't leave the parking lot hungry, and far too often in todays world, a restaurant owner wouldn 't even be there at closing to say Come on in, we 'll feed you! Swing by if you 're passing through, grab a bite to eat, and share some great conversation with the family who owns it. Places like this are few and far between in todays world.

We just had a rack of ribs with beans and mac and chesse. The sides were great and the ribs were amazing. Fell off the bones, no fat and so tender and tasty.

Gotta say, not super impressed, not super disappointed either. Real BBQ lovers will not enjoy this place, casual BBQ eaters won't mind it. I can tell there is some local people that support them and that's all well and good. Strange place though. Looks like it once was a really small and old diner. Now it's got a bunch of book shelves and board games, ping pong table, corn setup for a live band, display cool case were they keep a bunch of their ingredients, maple syrup for sale, candles for sale, random chess boards with Anya Taylor Joy in Queens Gambit photo attached to it ... I don't know what's going on here but whatever I'm here for the food. First off they don't have Brisket here. Not a deal breaker for me but its one of the few places I've ever been to that doesn't have it. But especially from a place that says it's Memphis style BBQ. I mean .. it's not like Memphis doesn't have Brisket but, whatever. Got the Ribs and Chicken combo. Ribs fell right off the bone, no pre cut, slathered, a little too greasy, had to dunk it in the sauce, sauce was sweet baby rays. Chicken was a lot of dark meat and a lot more boney than I've ever had. It was a half chicken and smokey but I don't know what was going on, little bits of bone in almost every bite. Skin was okay but I like that traditional smokey chicken rub and this was more bbq sauce style. Mac and cheese was boiled pasta and cheese goop but surprisingly not as bad as other bland mac and cheeses. I have no idea why it was better but it had some flavor to it. Like a step above Annie's mac and cheese. Bean were pretty good. Nice apple and brown sugar flavor. Regular navy beans and pulled pork but just a real nice texture and flavor. Corn Bread was warm and wrapped in tin foil. Always a good sign but actually kinda of suprising they put in that kind of love to the corn bread. The bread itself was nice and sweet and gritty. Still not what I would personally call real authentic corn bread but a great touch. Strange place, real small kitchen. Obviously run by just the family. Good sized menu. Nice little outdoor seating area but can't eat inside at the moment. Feels like they are trying to get to a comfortable spot.

Absolutely deliriously good BBQ. We've known them from when they were in Wilmington, but the new digs are excellent. We had 2 whole slabs, a BBQ chicken, and pulled pork that we used for sandwiches well after our visit. Great from start to finish! So glad you are back!

Awesome food! Pulled pork dinner was a big portion with 2 sides and cornbread, yum! We also got to play ping-pong while waiting for our food. Highly recommend