Central Jersey · Monmouth County

Local Smoke BBQ

Neptune City, NJ

Local Smoke BBQ was built by people who won before they ever opened a restaurant. Co-owners Steve Raab and Eric Keating — Keating also serves as pitmaster — cut their teeth on the competitive barbecue circuit, and the techniques that earned them four New Jersey State BBQ Championships are the same ones running the smokers today. The mission has always been straightforward: bring competition-quality, wood-smoked BBQ out of the contest circuit and onto a plate anyone can order. That approach has built a real footprint — Local Smoke now operates across multiple New Jersey locations including Red Bank, Neptune, Sea Girt, and Cookstown/New Hanover, plus a seasonal stand at Monmouth Park, with takeout and full-service catering available everywhere. The menu centers on St. Louis ribs, sliced brisket, pulled pork, and pulled chicken, alongside standouts like the Buffalo Pulled Chicken Sandwich and Chopped Brisket Sandwich. The recognition is hard to overstate for a New Jersey BBQ operation: named among the "75 Best BBQ Joints in America" in 2021, the "50 Best Spots for BBQ in America" in 2019, and featured in "Best Ribs in Every State" the same year. Travel Channel's "50 States of BBQ" gave it a national spotlight, and Local Smoke beat out Mighty Quinn's Barbecue, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and Brother Jimmy's BBQ to win "Top Dog" honors in 2014. NJ.com's Munchmobile Jersey Barbecue Showdown and Consolidated Foodservice's Best BBQ in NJ (2015) are both on the list too, along with a spot on Pete Genovese's "NJ's Best BBQ Joints" roundup on NJ.com. Party Packs, BBQ by the Tray, and full Catering Packages make it easy to bring the competition pedigree to a private event, and the brand's Instagram — over 15,000 followers strong — brands it exactly as it's earned: "National Award-Winning, Wood-Smoked BBQ."