OK, OK, OK. I am told this joint’s been open for at least a couple years. But I don’t go to Northwoods Mall all that much anymore, so I never learned about it.
But I was hungry, and none of my usual haunts appealed to me today. I ended up at the Mall, intending to eat at the steak sandwich place at the food court, only to discover that IT WAS NO LONGER THERE.
I swear to God, a press release needs to be issued every time an eatery in Peoria closes its doors.
So I wandered over the Waldenbooks (where I picked up a Carl Hiaasen novel that I had somehow missed) and saw a banner advertising this joint.
So I wandered all the way to the other end of the mall and found the Smo-King Pit. It’s located at the end of a little used corridor next to Sears, inside a space that has held many different eateries over the year (NOT the cursed Skewer Inn, however).
It’s not a large place at all. There’s maybe 12 tables and/or booths on the upper level, and maybe a four to six on the small balcony area off in the corner.
They’s got the menu posted on the door, and and I was impressed at the modest prices on the sandwiches. Most of the sandwiches hored around a six and a half bucks, and this includes one side order. I ordered the beef brisket sandwich with a side of fries. My drink (an iced tea, probably instant) was separate. They also serve a strawberry flavored version, on which I took a pass.
The meat was tender and juicy. It wasn’t overly smothered with BBQ sauce, but there was enough sauce to matter. There was plenty of beef, too, as it overflowed the regular-sized bun. I ate with with a fork, ’cause it was too much to pick up and still keep my shirt clean.
The fries weren’t anything special.
The service was friendly, but not obsequious. I paid about $8.50 or so for a decent, tasty lunch that satisfied my appetite.
The menu includes various chicken and fish sandwiches as well as burgers. Their dinner menus includes Pulled pork and beef brisket and grilled chicken. They also offer rib tips, ribs and chicken wings — all sucker bets for diners who want to get their money’s worth.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:13 am
We’ve always had excellent food and good service at the Smo-King Pit. Heck, that place has brought us into the mall more than anything else for the last few years.