The Smokehouse

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2025-03-05

Food is great. Nothing fancy, but if you're in the mood for a good burger and chili cheese fries then this joint hits the spot. Pretty cheap too, considering how much nearby places cost. Service isn't special but it gets the job done; you get the impression they just care about serving customers good food. The atmosphere is so-so. They're definitely going after the young person/young family vibe, aka some sports in the background with wooden tables and chairs outside and inside the restaurant. It doesn't stand out to me but I don't really care about that stuff very much anyways. Still a 5/5 for me. Here's a pic I took of my food; see how glorious it is?

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2024-12-21

It’s rare to find a burger under $10 in the Bay, but a DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER under $10? That alone warrants this classic Berkeley joint a standing ovation. The burger was excellent, and I would have been okay paying double the price for it — patty made-to-order with fresh pickles, shredded lettuce, and crisp tomato. They go heavy on the mustard which I welcomed (but yellow sauce haters be wary). The giant soda machines in the back were a welcome respite from the Diet-Coke-only fast food restaurants everywhere (why does no one seem to stock Coke Zero?!) and the back opens up to ample indoor and outdoor seating. The only downsides were the fries — they were just okay — and the wait time was longer than I expected. Though, I suppose waiting awhile is the price we pay for a fresh, cheap burger, and I’d gladly pay the cost again. This place is undoubtedly a CLASSIC Berkeley spot and one of the few places a family could feed everyone without breaking the bank. Perhaps that’s why it’s been an East Bay staple for over 70 years — I’d highly recommend taking the extra 15 minutes to opt for Smokehouse over a trip to Jack-in-the-Box or McDonalds.

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2025-02-21

Food is good, wish that the cheese would melt more on the burgers though. Even if you order a small bag of fries, you’re still going to get a lot! I would recommend ordering and eating in person even though there might be of a wait rather than ordering online. They messed up my order and wouldn’t refund me since it was through a “third party.” I directly ordered from THEIR website but somehow I wouldn’t get my money back.