Smoke Ring

The ribs tasted pretty good but were way too fatty. Mashed potatoes, very good. Mac and cheese was okay, kind of like an elevated Kraft mac and cheese. The rolls were… Rolls. BBQ sauce was super thin.
Nothing special.
The place is pretty nice but they need to work ok their food.

The old saying ‘When in Rome’ is all about doing things like the italians (maybe, I have no clue) and usually thats a-​ok. Eating pizzas, pasta, dolci and drinking italian wine is great, there’s no denying that. But once in a while, even when in the very centre of the Italian food empire, you just feel like something different!
Smoke Ring is a new trendy american styled dinner with rustic interior and food court-​ish styling. They play great american rock (Bruce Springsteen ‘the Boss’ is all over the place) and serve authentic pork and chicken BBQ with sides of coleslaw, baked beans and/​or different sides of potato. You can get yourself a great local beer or the imported stuff, it’s up to you to find your favorite amongst a decent selection.
Give ‘when in Rome’ a nuance, try this

My husband and I were craving some American BBQ after spending over 2 weeks in Europe, so on the last night of our trip, we walked the 20 minutes to try out Smoke Ring. We definitely weren’t disappointed with our choice. We were greeted in a friendly matter and were shown how to order. We pretty much tried a bit of everything and it definitely measured up to southern bbq from back home. The meats were amazing, the sides were tasty. We couldn’t get enough. After talking to a few of the gentlemen working about how it compared to bbq from the U.S., they came out with 2 shots of their homemade vodka, on the house. It was so nice to feel at home! Thank you for a wonderful meal!

As Americans on an extended trip in Italy, we eventually began craving some of our hometown foods and found Smoke Ring through a few review sites. We are from Texas, so maybe our taste for bbq is a bit more particular than other reviewers. Our experience was not good at all. We got the sampler so we received each type of meat and side. The brisket was completely dried out, the pork had no flavor and was pretty dry. One of the ribs was an end piece and I couldn’t even bite into it. The 5 – 6 sauces at the table we’re so similar and watery, not thick and bold like expected with bbq. Except the Tennessee Whiskey one– that had a kick!
Sadly, a few short minutes later, the locals sitting next to us received a plate of juicy beautiful brisket that made our mouths water. Guess we didn’t warrant the good cuts of meat. My grandmother ran a café and would never have served someone the portions we received.
Brightside– the chicken was actually juicy and cooked well. Wish I just would have ordered that.
The place looked awesome, the drink selection was good, the service was very friendly. We really wanted to like this place but in the end it’s about the food and this was our experience.

If you love American southern-​style pulled pork, slow smoked and dripping with juice, on a bun with slaw on top, served with a side of baked beans or mac’n’cheese, (made perfectly as well), then eat at the Smoke Ring! Great beer, great food (my friend had the brisket, and reported that it’s good as well) and a awesome environment in a gritty (but in no way dangerous) neighborhood south of Porta Portese. I had one of my favorite food and beer experiences here in Rome, and the owner Alex has spent a lot of time in the States and knows his BBQ! (I was raised in TN, live in Louisiana, so I have strong opinions on smoked meats!).