Delaney's Smokehouse is the latest iteration of this long-time, north-end stalwart. This latest incarnation has managed to provide diners with the classics that have been forever associated with the location, such as the fried chicken, as well as new and fun offerings.
If you've never been to Delaney's, you might think you are in the wrong location as it's located in a primarily residential area. This makes sense, as it also doubles as the area's neighborhood bar.
There's not much to the space, but we did note that the new owners put quite a bit of work into improving the place. The floors appeared new as did the roof, and we noted that the HVAC system was a vast improvement from before. Customers enter into the bar area, which has a few high-top tables, and can then proceed into the back space that has a handful of low-tops. The former video gaming area was blocked off, and we forgot to ask what they intended to do with that space.
We did speak to the owner, who kindly answered all of our questions. We learned that Delaney's plans on serving chili made with the owner's own recipe honed from years of competition cooking, and that the fried chicken coating is his own custom recipe as well. When we visited, Delaney's had only been serving food for about three weeks, and the owner told us that more offerings would be rolling out over the coming weeks.
We arrived at 11:30 a.m. and were the first customers of the day. By the time we left, most of the tables were taken and the kitchen was in full swing. Service was friendly and attentive.
The menu contains most of the staples you would expect from a tavern such as burgers, horseshoes and pork tenderloin sandwiches. Some of those are made with house-smoked pork, sausage or beef brisket. There's even a smoked chicken salad sandwich.
We decided to start with an order of smoked chicken wings, especially because dark meat holds up well to a long, slow smoke. These were the whole wing – both the drumette and the wingette, so it was a large portion for $9. They were juicy (we wondered if they had been brined), and definitely smoked, yet the smoke was not overpowering. It was an auspicious start to our lunch.
There were also two daily specials, one of which involved a 1/3 pound burger topped with house smoked pulled pork and coleslaw. My guest and I were tempted but passed, something we noted with regret when we saw it come out to an adjacent table.
I decided to go with the brisket melt plate ($13.75). It was hardwood-smoked, sliced beef brisket covered with melted cheese and sandwiched between two pieces of Texas toast. The brisket was the star of the show; it was juicy, tender and had a nice bark. The seasoning seemed like just salt and pepper, which I believe is the only way to make it. The bread was perfectly prepared in a skillet with butter so that it was crispy and crunchy on the outside with some softness still on the inside. The fries were the one weak spot of the dish. They could have used some more time in the fryer.
The server brought out two barbecue sauces, a Memphis-style and a Carolina-style. The Carolina-style was not tomato-based but rather vinegar-based and slightly thinner than a Midwest sauce. It was delicious, with the sweet and savory notes tickling the tongue. The Memphis-style was equally as good but was made with a tomato base with a nice, sweet finish. I ate half of the sandwich utilizing the two sauces and the other half dry. Either way, the dish was a winner, and each sauce complimented rather than overwhelmed the brisket.
My guest decided to go with the four-piece all dark meat fried chicken ($14). He is a seasoned fried chicken pro, and for him to give praise you know that it was legitimately good stuff. He found it nice and crispy and advised that the balance of flavors in the breading was just about as perfect as you could hope for. The meat was juicy, tender and packed with flavor. He ordered cornbread and green beans as his sides and was pleased with both, noting that the green beans were not out of a can and had just a hint of sweetness to them.
All and all we are glad to see Delaney's open again, and we plan to return.
