If you’re anywhere near Marion, Illinois, and even thinking about food, do yourself a favor and stop by Smokin K’s BBQ & Cajun Cuisine on Carbon Street, right behind the old Hardee’s.
And when I say come hungry, I don’t mean “I skipped lunch” hungry.
I mean “I haven’t eaten since sometime last Tuesday” hungry.
But we’ll get to that.
Smokin K’s is located in a strip mall, which means there’s plenty of parking. No circling the block, no trying to squeeze the truck into a parking spot designed for a golf cart, and no hiking three blocks just to get dinner.
That’s already a win in my book.
A Little Blues With Your BBQ
When you walk inside, one of the first things you notice is the smooth blues music playing quietly in the background.
It fits the place perfectly.
It’s loud enough to give the restaurant some atmosphere, but not so loud that Dawn and I had to yell across the table at each other. I’m getting too old to have dinner someplace where I need ear protection just to order baked beans.
Ordering is done at a walk-up window, with the menu boards displayed on the wall behind it.
My advice?
Take your time.
There are a lot of choices, and just about everything sounds good.
I finally went with the ½ Yard Bird with two sides, choosing French fries and baked beans.
Dawn ordered the fish platter with two sides and a drink, going with baked beans and potato salad.
Once you place your order, you slide over to the drink window on the right. Nearby is a small table loaded with just about every sauce you could imagine.
If you can’t find a sauce you like on that table, I’m not sure the problem is the sauce.
Plenty of Room to Sit
There’s a good amount of seating inside.
They have smaller two-person tables, regular four-tops, and several larger tables that could easily handle groups of eight to ten people. So whether it’s just the two of you or you’re bringing half the campground along, you should be in pretty good shape.
After a short wait, a friendly young lady came out, called our name, and brought our food directly to the table.
And that is when we realized we had made a serious tactical error.
WARNING: COME HUNGRY
Listen carefully.
Do NOT — and I repeat, DO NOT — go to Smokin K’s unless you are seriously hungry.
When they set those plates down in front of us, my first thought was:
Apparently, these people think we haven’t eaten in two weeks.
The portions are HUGE.
I’m not exaggerating when I say either plate could easily make two meals. If you’re a lighter eater, you might get three out of it.
Then came the most important question:
Does it taste as good as it looks?
Absolutely.
My chicken was cooked perfectly — juicy and tender with a really good smoke flavor. It wasn’t dried out, which can happen pretty easily with smoked chicken.
The baked beans were outstanding and loaded with pieces of brisket. These weren’t beans where somebody waved a piece of meat over the pot and called it barbecue. There was plenty of brisket in them.
And the fries?
I’m pretty sure somebody in the kitchen looked at my plate and said, “You know what this needs? About another quarter-pound of French fries.”
Dawn’s fish was cooked just right, and her potato salad was very good as well.
Between the two of us, we gave it everything we had.
We failed.
Tomorrow’s Lunch Is Taken Care Of
Since Dawn and I had not actually been on a two-week hunger strike, there was no way we were finishing everything.
That meant plenty of leftovers went home with us.
And I’m never going to complain about having good barbecue waiting in the refrigerator the next day.
Our total bill came in at right around $40 plus tip, which I thought was an excellent value considering both the quality of the food and the amount they give you.
You definitely aren’t walking out wondering where your money went.
Final Verdict: 5 Stars
This one is easy.
⭐ 5 out of 5 stars.
Good food.
Huge portions.
Friendly service.
Plenty of parking.
A relaxed atmosphere.
And baked beans with enough brisket in them to qualify as their own meal.
What more do you need?
We’ll definitely be going back to Smokin K’s BBQ & Cajun Cuisine.
So, the next time you’re in Marion and your stomach starts reminding you that it’s lunchtime, head over to Carbon Street and give Smokin K’s a try.
Just remember my warning:
Come hungry. Very hungry.
Because you may walk in looking for supper…
…but you’re probably walking back out carrying tomorrow’s lunch too.
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