

Owner and founder James Woodard established Smokin Woods in 2013 at the encouragement of family and friends. Humbly beginning as a catering and pop-up kitchen, he transformed his passion for pairing good vibes and mouthwatering barbecue. Enlisting the help of his two brothers, James settled in the vibrant neighborhood of North Oakland and opened his flagship restaurant with one goal in mind – create smiles through food.
Relaxed eatery for trays of BBQ smoked meats & poultry alongside hearty sides, beers & cocktails.
Hours
| Thursday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 4307 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
Phone: (510) 423-8634
Website: http://www.smokinwoodsbbq.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: spotapps.co
Order: Order online
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Reviews
The experience: ordered the Everything Smokin platter for carry out. Once home I realized they forgot the brisket and rolls. I called and they left me on hold for 30 minutes then hung up. I went back they checked the order and provided the brisket and rolls without an acknowledgement or apology for wasting over 30 minutes of our time and having us drive back and forth. By the time we were able to eat most of the food was cold.
The Food (we did not reheat because it was already dry): overall DRY and bland. However the smokiness was very good, well balanced and not overpowering.
Brisket (ate warm since we got it last): tender but dry, flavor average. Would not get again due to dryness.
Beef sausage (ate cold): texture was strangely crumbly but flavorful with good spice.
Chicken (ate cold): more moist than expected to be honest but still dry overall. Flavor was fine.
Tri tip (ate cold): Tough, dry and flavorless definitely not worth the extra $6. Was bad honestly.
Pork Ribs ( ate cold): moist and cooked well, only meat not dry. Flavor was fine.
Honey Buns: very dry and crumbly. Seemed like it was sitting under a warmer too long, texture reminiscent of styrofoam.
Sides:
2x Brussel sprouts, green beans (ate cold- were fine, we wanted collard greens, but they were sold out.
Mac & Cheese (ate cold): fantastic honestly the best food item we got. If it wasn’t for the poor experience I would definitely get again.
Bbq sauce: fine but a little on the sweet side, which some people like. They said they gave us a mix, but they were unlabeled so it was hard to tell.
Staff: neutral to friendly
Manager: not apologetic to their mistake or tried to right the situation (wasting our time driving back and forth, keeping me on hold for 30 min then hanging up). She just gave us the food we paid for, but they forgot and told us to reheat our cold food on our own.
And both my brisket plates was mostly fat
They greens was mid at best. Mac and cheese was Not good but I ate it. Totally not worth 50 bucks.
From the moment we walked in, the greeter was super friendly and made us feel welcome. There was plenty of seating both inside and outside, so we didn’t feel crowded even with the game crowd.
The food was delicious with a real Southern vibe. The sides were well seasoned like somebody’s auntie was back there making sure it hit right. The brisket was tender and juicy, not dry at all. And the ribs… thick, meaty, and fall off the bone tender with a nice smoky flavor. The sauce had that perfect sweet and savory kick without drowning the meat.
They also had a DJ which made it feel like more than just “watching the game” it was a whole vibe. The crowd was super diverse, good energy, everybody just there to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves.
Shoutout to the bartender Stunna, she was a whole vibe too. Fast, friendly, and kept the drinks coming. Prices were affordable and the pours were solid. I’ll definitely be back and I’m coming to sit with her again soon.
If you want good BBQ, good music, and a fun game day atmosphere, this spot is it.
The ordering process is odd. You order and pay at the host’s stand and wait for the delivery. The food was okay. The collared greens were undercooked and still bitter. The beans were a tad too sweet, but they were good. The Mac n cheese was a saver- glad they didn’t ruin that. The chicken was good, tender enough. The pulled pork was okay, a bit dry. The hotlink was tasteless and dry, the tri tip was dry, the ribs were tender. The brisket was done nicely. The honey butter buns were delicious.
But for the tri tip, links, and the other meats to not be tasty was not a good experience. The food was okay, but did not win me over. I doubt I would be visiting again. There are better bbq joints in Oakland.