(由 Google 翻译)Smokey Mug 位于布鲁克兰公园的新店氛围非常独特。装潢偏向“新西部”风格,线条简洁,时尚元素与周边街区的特色相得益彰。感觉这家店的设计更侧重于吸引外来者——尤其是那些寻找时尚、“新潮”聚会场所的千禧一代白人——而非为了迎合这个历史悠久的非裔美国人社区的长期居民。这未必是坏事,但确实造成了明显的反差。
现在来说说食物。我们点了牛腩玉米片,味道非常棒。肉的调味恰到好处,配料均衡,所有食材融合在一起,构成了一口鲜美的口感。如果单单评价味道,我完全可以打8分(满分10分)。可惜的是,玉米片上桌时是冷的——有些食材是冰箱里冷藏的,有些则充其量只是温热的——这让人有点不爽。正因如此,我的总体评分接近6.5分(满分10分)。话虽如此,我相信如果你在节奏慢、不那么混乱的时候去厨房,这些玉米片很容易就能打9分(满分10分)。
然而,最大的问题是服务。
刚进门的时候,这个地方让人感到困惑。没有标识,没有服务员,而且布置也很反传统。我们最终选择酒吧,只是因为它给人一种熟悉的感觉。调酒师们明显不知所措,步调不一,匆匆忙忙,毫无秩序。酒吧本身也很乱,两位工作人员公开互相抱怨(而且是在客人能听到的范围内),抱怨自己准备不足,被迫轮班,而他们并没有预料到这种情况。他们和我们的互动让人感觉很紧张,更像是在熬夜,而不是在提供热情的款待。
点餐系统更是令人困惑。当我要菜单时,他们告诉我不能在吧台点餐,必须绕到“食物区”,像在快餐店一样排队点餐,然后食物还是会送到吧台,并添加到同一个账单里。这感觉不必要地复杂,让用餐体验很不愉快。如果系统统一的话,调酒师应该能够为入座的客人点餐。
基本的服务接触点也缺失——不提供续水、不提供餐巾纸、不办理入住手续。总的来说,团队看起来慌乱得不像有准备。
至于酒水,我们尝试了大部分招牌鸡尾酒。老式鸡尾酒非常棒,无疑是亮点。另一方面,牧场水几乎没法喝,不过这可能取决于个人喜好。
总的来说,我会给这家新的 Smokey Mug 餐厅打 6/10 分。这里的食物很有潜力,酒水单也有一些亮点,而且餐厅本身也很吸引人。但服务秩序混乱,点餐系统不合理,执行力也需要改进。我觉得店主还不是经验丰富的餐饮经营者,但他们显然在边做边学、边积累经验。我打算几个月后再去看看情况——因为如果再改进一下,这家店可能会成为布鲁克兰公园的一大亮点。
(原文)
The new Smokey Mug location in Brookland Park has a very distinct vibe. The décor leans “neo-western,” with clean lines and trendy touches that stand out against the character of the surrounding neighborhood. It feels like the space is designed more to attract people from outside the area—especially white millennials looking for a stylish, “up-and-coming” hangout—than to cater to long-time residents of this historically African-American community. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does create a noticeable contrast.
Now, onto the food. We ordered the brisket nachos, and flavor-wise they were excellent. The meat was well-seasoned, the toppings balanced, and everything came together into a delicious bite. If I were rating flavor alone, they’d be a solid 8/10. Unfortunately, they were served cold—some ingredients were fridge-cold, others lukewarm at best—which was off-putting. Because of that, I’d rate them closer to a 6.5/10 overall. That said, I believe if you catch the kitchen at a slower, less chaotic time, these nachos could easily be a 9/10.
The biggest issue, however, was the service.
The space is confusing when you first enter. There’s no signage, no host, and the setup is nontraditional. We ended up at the bar simply because it felt familiar. The bartenders were visibly overwhelmed and out of sync, rushing around with little organization. The bar itself was messy, and both staff members openly complained to each other (and within earshot of guests) about being unprepared and stuck working shifts they hadn’t expected. Their interactions with us felt strained, more like they were surviving the night than providing hospitality.
The food-ordering system was even more confusing. When I asked for a menu, I was told I couldn’t order food at the bar and had to walk around to the “food side,” order in line like at a fast-casual spot, and then the food would still be delivered to me at the bar and added to the same tab. This felt unnecessarily complicated and made the dining experience frustrating. If the system is unified, bartenders should be able to place food orders for seated guests.
Basic service touchpoints were also missing—no water refills, no napkins offered, no check-ins. Overall, the team looked more panicked than prepared.
As for drinks, we tried most of the signature cocktails. The Old Fashioned was excellent and easily the highlight. On the flip side, the Ranch Water was almost undrinkable, though that may come down to preference.
Overall, I would give this new Smokey Mug location a 6/10. The food has potential, the drinks list has some gems, and the space itself is inviting. But the service was disorganized, the food-ordering system didn’t make sense, and execution needs work. I don’t think the owners are seasoned restaurateurs yet, but they’re clearly learning and building as they go. I plan to return in a few months to see how things develop—because with some improvements, this spot could become a great addition to Brookland Park.