Smokestack

Name: Smokestack
Address: The Bay by Social, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +971527545472

Dubai Festival City

Restaurant 0 527 545 472

Smokestack is a Texas-inspired barbecue restaurant in Dubai Festival City, focused on slow-smoked meats and relaxed dining. Reviews point to the Sliced Brisket and Dinosaur Beef Short Ribs as standout orders, with smoked chicken wings and burgers giving groups plenty of ways to build a meal.

Reputation Score

4.5

★★★★★

775 ratings

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The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 6

Tender brisket

The sliced brisket is praised for being exceptionally soft, with one reviewer saying it melted in their mouth.

Dinosaur ribs

The Dinosaur Beef Short Ribs are repeatedly highlighted for their tenderness, generous size and satisfying flavour.

Let's go!

What to Eat at Smokestack

Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Smokestack, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.

Food 4

Smoked dinosaur rib Net +6

“And interesting new place for us! Definitely have the Dino Ribs & the Mojito’s.”
Beef briskets Net +5

“The food was so delicious specially the beef briskets and the service was really great too.”
Fries Net +3

“For some reason, I really liked the fries that came with the steak. they had very nice seasoning.”
Smashed cheeseburger Net +2

“Ordered the Wings, Smoked Hot Dog, Smashed Cheeseburger, Fried Chicken Sandwich and the Brisket Pizza. I would definitely recommend the Cheeseburger first.”

Honorable mentions (28)

Baby back ribs Net +1

“Overall experience was great, coleslaw was delicious, pizza dough was soft and toppings were generous. The baby back ribs were great too”
Beef #brisket Net +1

“The best beef #brisket and loaded fries in town, hands down!”
Big platter Net +1

“We recommend the big platter so you can try most of the meats.”
Cheeseburger Net +1

“The cheeseburger is good, but the buns were cold when it was served.”
Chopped brisket bowl Net +1

“Spinach and artichoke dip-35 Chopped brisket bowl-60 Dinosaur beef short ribs-95 Smoked hot dog-60 Smashed cheeseburger-75 Passion fruit mojito-30 Chocolate shake-35 Design ur sunday-40 All were so good and must trys especially the brisket were pure as air”
Design ur sunday Net +1

“Spinach and artichoke dip-35 Chopped brisket bowl-60 Dinosaur beef short ribs-95 Smoked hot dog-60 Smashed cheeseburger-75 Passion fruit mojito-30 Chocolate shake-35 Design ur sunday-40 All were so good and must trys especially the brisket were pure as air”
Double patty cheeseburger Net +1

“i had the double patty cheeseburger and my partner had the black truffle one. both were good. we loved the fries as well.”
Eat all you can chicken wing Net +1

“The unlimited chicken wings are so delicious and tasty. Worth the price.”
Juicy grilled chicken Net +1

“Mouthwatering burgers! Juicy Grilled Chicken! And the best pizza by far we ever tasted! That’s how so good it is! Thank you Michelle for recommending to us all we have ordered. We will definitely be back to try the others in the menu 😅😋 Kudos to the team and the management.”
Loaded fries Net +1

“The best beef #brisket and loaded fries in town, hands down!”
Omani lobster Net +1

“the dinasaur beef huge chunk of meat smoked sweet flavor and the smoke Omani Lobster was the best of all. God forgive me but i ate everymeat of that lobster. i dug in to that lobster shell like i have not eaten for a while. it taste so good i cant help my self. lol!”
Pastrami Net +1

“One of the great places for some mouth watering brisket, pastrami and grilled meats.”
Pastrami reuben sanswich Net +1

“Pastrami Reuben Sanswich 4/5”
Ribeye steak Net +1

“I ordered the 300 grams Ribeye steak. It comes with french fries, vegetables, and coleslaw. The Steak was cooked well and tasted very good. Recommend.”
Ribs Net +1

“The bread bun was excellent, the sausage is great too. The ribs was smackingly good too.”
Slice pastrami Net +1

“slice pastrami. flavored for 5 days the meat gave no resistance when i bite into it”
Sliced beef brisket Net +1

“sliced beef brisket so soft it melt in my mouth!”
Sliced brisket Net +1

“The other must order from the menu is the Sliced Brisket (Dh 95). The pink meat is layered with a thin glisten of fat and topped with dark seasoned bark. The perfectly cooked meat is a flavour bomb on your tastebuds.”
Sliced brisket sandwich Net +1

“The Sliced Brisket sandwich at Smokestack is a lip smacking & a really delicious one!”
Smoked chicken wings Net +1

“I also tried the smoked chicken wings. They did not disappoint as well 😋”
Smoked hot dog Net +1

“Spinach and artichoke dip-35 Chopped brisket bowl-60 Dinosaur beef short ribs-95 Smoked hot dog-60 Smashed cheeseburger-75 Passion fruit mojito-30 Chocolate shake-35 Design ur sunday-40 All were so good and must trys especially the brisket were pure as air”
Smoky wings Net +1

“I had the smoky wings for the starter and it was absolutely delicious.”
Smores skillet dessert Net +1

“However, not everything was a letdown during my visit. The smores skillet dessert was a pleasant surprise and definitely the highlight of the meal.”
Summer bbq tray Net +1

“Must try the summer BBQ tray . Highly recommended.”
Texas sausage Net +1

“The Texas Sausage (Dh 85) turned out to be much better than expected. A smoky flavour mixed with spices gave it a chilli kick that's a pleasant surprise.”
Seabass Net 0

Mixed feedback

“Also tried the seabass and beef brisket. A must try too.”
Spinach artichoke dip Net 0

Mixed feedback

“Spinach and artichoke dip-35 Chopped brisket bowl-60 Dinosaur beef short ribs-95 Smoked hot dog-60 Smashed cheeseburger-75 Passion fruit mojito-30 Chocolate shake-35 Design ur sunday-40 All were so good and must trys especially the brisket were pure as air”
Brisket mac n cheese Net 0

Only neutral feedback

“Brisket Mac n Cheese 3/5”

Drinks 2

Chocolate shake Net +1

“Spinach and artichoke dip-35 Chopped brisket bowl-60 Dinosaur beef short ribs-95 Smoked hot dog-60 Smashed cheeseburger-75 Passion fruit mojito-30 Chocolate shake-35 Design ur sunday-40 All were so good and must trys especially the brisket were pure as air”
Passion fruit mocktail Net +1

“I also ordered the passion fruit mocktail 9/10”

What to Avoid (13)

Food 12

Chicken wings Net −1

“The briskets are dry, the chicken wings are dry and not juicy.”
Sausage Net −1

“The sausage was equally disappointing—bland, rubbery, and in no way resembling anything that should be called a sausage. It was honestly baffling.”
Brisket Net −1

“The brisket was served cold and completely inedible. I almost threw up after tasting it, as it was far from the tender, smoky flavor you'd expect from a place specializing in barbecue.”
Brisket pizza Net −1

“Skip the Brisket Pizza since there’s honestly a very disappointing amount of brisket on top (may be good for some) - refer to the picture.”
Cheese macaroni Net −1

“Cheese macaroni should be called as mayonnaise macaroni and the texture just dry and soggy.”
Mac & cheese Net −1

“Even the side dish, the mac & cheese, was nowhere close to what you’d expect; it was flavorless and didn’t resemble a proper mac & cheese in texture or taste.”
Machboos rice Net −1

“I didn't like it. Mandi rice very dry and actually it's Machboos rice.”
Mandi rice Net −1

“I didn't like it. Mandi rice very dry and actually it's Machboos rice.”
Sharing platter Net −1

“Had the sharing platter for lunch and it was definitely a good portion for 2 people. We had leftover. The meat was kinda bland though and there were no other sauces available (that I knew of since nothing else was offered) except for ketchup.”
Smoked chicken Net −1

“We got one smoked chicken with blood so didn't like it”
Summer sharing platter Net −1

“Went there last night as attracted by their aed99 summer sharing platter. Honestly, I can understand why the shops next door are having more customers than them.”
Veggie burger Net −1

“Tried the veggie burger again. Service here is fast. I think that's why the bottom bun was cold, and the taste is not memorable. But I was in a hurry to a session at the cinema and didn’t return. Burger served without sides.”

Drinks 1

Iced tea Net −2

“Service was generally okay, though I took some umbridge with the small iced tea served that was promised as "very large"... but it was way too sweet anyway so stick to water or the usual sodas, they will complement the amazing meats on offer better.”

Tips for a Better Visit

Showing 2 of 6

Ask about sauces. Ask about sauce availability before ordering; a reviewer found there was no sauce beyond ketchup to lift bland meat.

Share platters. For groups of two, the sharing platter may be generous enough to leave leftovers, making it a practical way to sample several meats.

Plan the visit

Practical details

The Bay by Social

Dubai Festival City, Dubai

0 527 545 472

Get directions

Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

Inconsistent cooking

Several reviews report brisket, ribs or wings arriving dry, bland or cold, so execution appears to vary between visits.

Weak seasoning

Some diners found the meat tasteless or lacking the smoky flavour expected from barbecue.

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Smokestack is a Texas-inspired barbecue restaurant in Dubai Festival City, centred on smoked meats and casual dining. The strongest reasons to consider it are the Sliced Brisket, Dinosaur Beef Short Ribs and smoked chicken wings: reviews describe the brisket as soft and juicy, while the ribs are repeatedly praised for tenderness. Unlimited chicken wings, including a honey BBQ version, are another recurring draw.

There is useful variety beyond plated barbecue. Customers mention the Pastrami Reuben, brisket mac and cheese, burgers, steak and pizza, so a group can mix orders. Sharing platters are described as large enough for two, with one reviewer taking leftovers, and the modern seating was called comfortable and quiet enough for conversation.

A review also notes the restaurant is close to the cinema, making it convenient around a film. Quality is not completely consistent. Several visits found brisket, ribs or wings bland, dry or cold, while potato salad and mac and cheese drew sharper criticism.

Sauces may not be offered beyond ketchup, so ask before ordering if extra flavour matters. Prices can feel high when sides are separate, although Entertainer discounts and an AED99 summer sharing platter were mentioned. Check availability and serving temperature on arrival, especially for a special trip.