Smiley’s Bar-B-Q

Recommended by a fellow work associate. So far I’ve had the chopped bbq sandwhich, beef brisket sandwhich, ohhhooo the chicken, mac & cheese (w/​the crumb top), baked beans, broccoli & rice casserole… And I seemingly seem to stop here each time I come thru this side od Va. You know the food is good when they are open 24hrs, people of all ethnicities eat & chat, the truckers order large meals, or the locals are always in & out! C’mon folks… we all have to eat something that is ‘finger lickin’ good… And enjoy it!!!

Didn’t have high hopes but my husband insisted we try it while getting gas. And damn, the Texas pulled pork is SO good. Oh my goodness. We got the potato wedges and coleslaw too, but honestlu those were pretty forgettable. But definitely stop here for the pulled pork.

Not impressed at all! Brisket has no flavor, the ribs over treated with sage, the coleslaw tastes like rotten milk! Workers are rude towards Mexicans!
I will never stop here again!

Great spot to pick up a brisket sandwich when traveling on I-​81

Billboards leading up to highway exit advertise it as the «Best Dang BBQ in VA». My inner BBQ snob’s curiosity was peaked. Located in a somewhat sketchy truck stop just off the highway. Ordered brisket sandwich and sweet potatoe fries. The fries were crispy and tasty. The brisket was on the way too greasy side, but had really good flavor to it. No sauce needed. Not sure the soft bun could have handled it anyway. All in all, surprisingly worth the stop.

I actually liked it. Of course I had the fried chicken with 2 sides. I enjoyed it. My friends got pulled pork sandwiches and they on the other hand didn’t like it so much they said I fed isn’t the best dang bbq in VA.
It’s right off he highway and quick if you want something real quick and easy though.

Eh. I’ve been trying a lot of different BBQ places on the east coast over the last few years. This one is nothing to write home about. Besides the food, my experience wasn’t great (i.e. they were out of green beans, no tap water, forks were hidden, tables weren’t wiped down, they forgot one of my sides).

Stopped here for gas on a 6 hour drive home was hungry decided to grab a sandwich, Let me just start by saying the service is super friendly and fast to make every sandwich to order. I got the pork Texas bbq sandwich & it was delicious ! I also indulged in some cookies too. I got chocolate chip, oatmeal, & rocky road which was definitely my favorite ! Not sure when I’ll be back but great fast & delicious road trip food ! Yum

Their highway advertising definitely does the trick. The staff is nice, but the bbq just isn’t good enough to justify the location.

Gas station bbq at its finest. Considering its location along the veritable food desert that is the I-​81 corridor, Smiley’s might just be the best food you can hope to find for a couple hours in either direction.

I was in the middle of a road trip. My goal was to find a quick bite to eat. This is not the place for such a thing. They were out of their brisket, hamburgers, pork chop sandwiches… basically everything except pulled pork (there was a «meal deal» advertised for their cheeseburger meal that drew me in initially). There were two people in line ahead of me and it took more than 5 minutes for them to order because everything they wanted they didn’t have. One lady ended up ordering only mac & cheese and when she ordered the employee asked her if she wanted to double it for $ 4.95. She exasperatedly said «for mac & cheese??? Hell naw!» and got a single order. I finally got to order and after a few minutes I realized on my own that I had to pay at the main gas counter before I could get my order. There was one person at the gas register at a busy truck stop and after waiting 5 minutes to pay for my food and another 3 to get my mac & cheese (because they had to make it), I got my food. The dining area was filthy — I don’t think that anyone was assigned to clean it up during the day — I had to return to the counter to get ketchup and silverware because there were none available nor were they offered to me with my food. Four ketchup bottles around me we’re bone dry not to mention my messy, greasy table didn’t even have ketchup bottles on it. The meat was good but the cleanliness, ordering process, time, and value for the money was tremendously lacking and sub-​par. You’re all on your own here. Good luck. I’ll be going to the Iron Skillet across the street from now — no questions asked. Even the ice maker for the fountain drinks was empty. I am kicking myself for even stopping there. Not what I wanted or expected at all! I give it two stars because the pork was good but nothing else about the experience was worth the pain or price.

Like most people I fell for the sign. Needless to say, it is nowhere near the best BBQ in Virginia. Food was mediocre and staff was unattentive. But again, it is in a gas station. Avoid unless you are stranded on I-​81 and have not eaten in days.

I had brisket and sweet potato fries. Fries were good. Brisket was tender but had a bit of an acrid taste to the smoke flavor. And the sandwich was really small for the price. Wasn’t super busy but it was really slow. Biggest issue though was that the place could use a good scrubbing.

I think this place is honestly over-​hyped. All these signs say «Best dang BBQ in Virginia» when honestly it’s pretty mediocre. The meat is tender and juicy on the outside but once you start working your way into the middle of the sandwich, it starts to get dry. The sauces definitely help but it would be nice if the sandwich could be moist without it. The side dishes are pretty good but nothing spectacular.

It was okay. The BBQ wasn’t bad, and it hit the spot. What I’d like to point out, is that they’re paying for Unilocal reviews. So be wary.

Traveling with my team back from a training trip, and my bus stopped here to refuel. The attendant came out, and, while standing next to the gas pump, he lit a cigarette.
Seriously? Haven’t you ever seen Zoolander?

I had the BBQ sandwich, Texas style, and the potato wedges. The sandwich was very greasy (the white bag was leaking with orange grease), but had a LOT of flavor! It was very good! The potato wedges were hot and seasoned. Very good!

Yeah, I fell for the sign too. «Best Dang BBQ in VA»? Well, the fact that Smiley’s was located inside of a GAS STATION didn’t scare me off, I was hungry and wanted to see if the BBQ lived up to that sign. And as far as I was concerned, it did.
Ordered the half-​rack of ribs platter (which I considered to be a FULL rack, more then I thought I was going to receive). Meat was moist and fell off the bone, very good. The Cattleman sauce was very good also. I liked the sides too — the Sweet Potato Fries and the Mac & Cheese — both were excellent.
So if you’re looking to sit down in a nice restaurant, then Smiley’s is not your place. But they do serve up some outstanding BBQ. Just be prepared to wait in line behind people pre-​paying for their gas when you pay for your food. The place is filled with Truckers, but I’ve come to find out that they know where the best food can be found when exiting the highway.

Stay away. Hubs and I ordered BBQ sandwiches. Both Texas style and NC style. No BBQ sauce n verrrry vinegary. Potato salad was inedible. Dogs enjoyed Mac and cheese. Deviled eggs were decent.
So obviously we didn’t eat much. Went to Petro across the way and enjoyed beef ribs with mashed potatoes and corn.

Right off the highway 81, in a truck stop gas station. The sign says its the best dang BBQ in Virginia– big promise.
I had the Carolina style sandwich. They offer a texans style too – and as I’ve Unilocaled before, the very best BBQ places don’t offer you a choice. They do what they do and if it’s not your thing then tough &#%@ and go eat somewhere else. At Smileys this held true – they should stick to doing one thing well.
The sandwich was good – and given what was around – Wendy’s etc. this is the pace to eat. I was also not looking to wander too far off the freeway. Even so, I was hoping it would be much better. The reality is that a BBQ joint that sells fried chicken and pizza is degrading itself.
The bun was the standard 99 cent — 8 pack grocery store variety. Too thin to really hold up. The pork was really soaked in the Carolina style vinegar sauce and for me was too much for the meat. It was kind of hard to tell what I was eating.
The meat was a little mushy, almost like it had not been «pulled» but chopped up in a blender. And their fountain soda machine needed to be adjusted – too much carbonation.
I’ve had much better, and I don’t think it is a stretch to say that in this part of the country a lot is expected in barbecue.
As I was leaving, a lady went up to the counterman and said this was the best anywhere, and she had come from such and such a place X miles a way to try it. So, maybe it’s what you are looking for…