FORMER SEATTLE SEAHAWKS player Sam McCullum may have had Super Bowl Sunday in mind when he took over the previously established Seattle Super Smoke two years ago. Serving good barbecue?tangy and not too sweet?is no small accomplishment. Yet barbecue’s not all this eatery and smokehouse has to offer. The focal point is a deli with old-fashioned butcher-style counter service. Black chalkboards hanging overhead dictate the menu and daily specials. Nearly all the meat at SSS is smoked onsite.
Smoked turkey is a point of pride for SSS. The turkey club ($6.95) is huge, made with three slices of bread, the cheese on the turkey-cream cheese sandwich ($5.75) is cranberry-flavored. The SSS barbecue turkey sandwich is served on a New York-style hoagie roll ($6.95). The smoked turkey chili ($3.95), a daily fixture, is a hearty, fiery treat.
The meatloaf ($6.95) won’t remind you of your mother’s?it’s better. Firm like a paté but seasoned home-style, it produces little involuntary “mmmms” of pleasure with each tender bite.
The barbecued pork sandwich was a hit at the Seattle Weekly office during a recent trial lunch. The barbecue sauce was complexly tangy, smoky, and barely sweet. The pork was so tender that it must have literally fallen off the bone. (In fact, it’s so luscious it’s almost a shame to drown it in barbecue sauce; try it instead on sourdough bread with mayo and just a dab of mustard.)
Daily specials tend to feature a research-and-development product; recently the smoked chicken salad sandwich ($6.95) was up for trial and won over the jury unanimously. Housemade soups ($3.95) are available fresh daily in addition to the chili. The salads, smoked chicken Caesar, and a gourmet chef salad (both $7.95), are filling but nothing to write home about. Opt instead for the more exciting sandwiches, all of which come with a choice of potato salad?original or a to-die-for curried red potato salad with brown sugar, vinegar, and bacon?chips, or barbecued baked beans.
Should you prefer to bypass the pre-made dishes and buy some meat to take home, the staff has some useful cooking ideas to offer. The deli also sells specialty culinary items from around the world?including oils, vinegars, rubs, nuts, beans, and lentils?as well as SSS specialties?the barbecue sauce comes bottled?and products from other local companies (try the sun dried tomato pesto). There are some dine-in tables, but a SSS meal would be best enjoyed in a La-Z-Boy while watching the game?in high def., of course?with a group of first-rate friends.
