Back in the Tasman region visiting my good friends that I had to make another mission to The Smoking Barrel. They have been getting a lot of media coverage recently and the popularity has increased. We went just after 9.30 and just managed to get a table. At 9.45 the lines grew all the way to the door and people started getting takeaway because there were no more seats or they waited. Just be aware this is normal with people lining up to try the doughnuts.

We got table service, which was awesome with other people ordering at the counter. However, before my friends arrived, I got the Hamburger Doughnut at the counter. It really intrigued me. It looked like a doughnut but with sesame seeds sprinkled on top and a small dollop of cheese. They heat it in the microwave for you so it is served warm. Inside was a piece of meat patty, cheese, and some gherkin. The cheese had melted inside and when you taste it, it tastes exactly like a hamburger but with a fried bread bun. A really interesting concept and is very popular at the moment

When my friends arrived, I ordered another doughnut and the brisket cheeseburger. The Apple fritter was really nice. It had fresh apple and not the caned stuff and was not overly sweet. It had a nice flavour but I have had this before in America and they manage to keep the fritter crisp and I wonder now how they do that. The cheeseburger had their Smoked Brisket instead of a patty and the burger was so good. The bacon had a good smokey flavour to it and everything in the burger worked really well. I was also surprised to see how big the burger was. Thankfully there were no fries as I couldn’t eat any more.

Service here is stop notch. For a place that is so busy the staff are very effective and the wait for food is very reasonable. In my previous visits, the BBQ meat is good and if I go from the brisket I had in the Cheese Burger it is still a winner. Also, a nice place to sit is the courtyard.

Address: 105 High Street, Motueka 7120

Facebook Page: The Smoking Barrel