Wyndhurst BBQ worth the drive
By Jon Busdeker on Jul. 26, 2007
Upon entering Schmokies Smokehouse & BBQ, that tangy, tomato-based sauce smell greets the nostrils before the hostess can even say hello.
Schmokies, located on Tradewynd Drive in Wyndhurst, is one of Lynchburg’s newest joints that serves down-home favorites like baked beans, macaroni and cheese, hush puppies, collard greens and chopped selections of slow-cooked meats.
“(The owners) love barbecue,” said the operations manager of Schmokies, Manny Castellon.
Inside the restaurant, televisions of all sizes hang on the walls, with each one tuned to a different sports program. Country music plays on the radio. And on one wall, there’s a half-dozen framed pictures of football stadiums. The owners, and Castellon, love football.
As the restaurant’s manager, Castellon is in charge of pumping out plates of flavorful food combined with friendly service.
“We like to have quality,” Castellon said.
Schmokies has typical barbecue fare like slabs of spare ribs, barbecued chicken and pulled barbecue sandwiches. And, for the eater looking for something different, Schmokies has barbecue salmon and lemon peppered smoked chicken.
But if you want to try a little bit of everything, get the classic combo. The dinner comes with two sides and two “schmoked” meats of your choice, including Virginia pulled pork, Carolina-style pork, smoked turkey, smoked sausage, pulled chicken or barbecue brisket.
Schmokies doesn’t mess with fancy place settings. At the barbecue pit, plastic plates are lined with paper. And, each part of the meal gets its own section on the plate.
The tender, slow-cooked chopped meats are separated into piles. The creamy macaroni and cheese gets a bowl. The freshly fried, onion-flavored hush puppies stay on their side of the plate. And the slice of moist cornbread is front and center — waiting to be topped with homemade honey butter.
But the best part about Schmokies is the barbecue sauce, or rather, sauces.
Each one — five in all — has a unique flavor that will add a little kick to the meats. With names like Georgia Kiss, Carolina Pucker and Southwest Scream, half of the fun of eating at Schmokies is trying to mix ‘n’ match the sauces with the different kinds of meat.
And none of the sauces come from the grocery store.
“We make our own sauces,” Castellon said.
One sauce to watch out for is the Buffalo Bang; it’s a tongue sizzler.
To wash it down, Schmokies’ beers come in frosty glasses that keep the hops cold and the barley even colder.
Despite the sports bar appearance, Schmokies is a restaurant. Parents looking to feed the kids don’t have to worry about rowdy college students swearing like sailors and second-hand smoke in the air. Schmokies also has a kid’s menu.
“We wanted to have a more family-oriented sports place,” Castellon said.
And, although Wyndhurst may seem like the other side of the world for some Lynchburg residents, Castellon said the trip to get quality barbecue is worth it.
“Why not drive 20 minutes?” Castellon said.
COMMENTS
The television has become our favorite attraction in restaurants and bars. There isn’t any cheap restaurant to serve quality food but without having a TV. I have to eat in high-class places just to avoid everyone staring at a tv.