Smoo’s Smokehouse 5 Theatre Square, Swindon, SN1 1QN Tel: 01793 496993

HOWDY pardners! I’m here to tell y’all there’s a new man in town and he goes by the name of Smoo.

Any of y’all cowboys out there lookin’ to take him on, I gotta warn ya: this guy is one helluva smokin’ cook.

Okay, so you’re probably thinking I’ve lost the plot, but the Texan drawl is just my way of telling you about Smoo’s Smokehouse, Swindon’s first American barbeque restaurant.

It’s early days for the venture, which opened at the tail end of last year in the former Ambience Cafe next to the central library, and there are some teething issues. The restaurant itself lacks some ambience and could do with the lights dimmed and some Americana to decorate the stark walls. Simply sticking on a Dolly and Kenny CD is not enough to transport diners to the Lone Star State.

The wobbly tables and wicker chairs have seen better days and still have the stickiness of the former cafe about them. The condiments are presented on a tray - admittedly with an American flag on it - but ours had empty vinegar sachets littering it.

And the place badly needs an alcohol licence, which I was told has been applied for and should be in place by mid-February. At the moment, customers have to settle for a Coke or a root beer to fit with the American theme.

All that said, these things are minor and can be fixed over time. They are also forgotten entirely once your food arrives at the table, because it is truly outstanding.

We all know Americans are famed for their giant portions (and, sadly, the obesity problem that results), but nothing really prepared me for the quality of what was placed in front of us at Smoo’s, especially given the more-than-reasonable prices.

The menu is heavy on breakfasts and lunches because of the cafe hours, but we had chosen from the ‘larger meals’ section as we were visiting on a Friday night. ‘Larger’ turned out to be something of an understatement, however. ‘Gargantuan’ might have been a better description.

My pulled pork plate (£8.95) came as a mountain of the soft shredded meat in its gorgeous smoky sauce, accompanied by my chosen sides of sweet potato chips (amazing) and homemade slaw. There was also a fresh ciabatta roll, which I couldn’t even entertain, and a pile of jalapenos, which I chose not to risk.

My partner had gone for the whole rack of baby back ribs (£12.75) and the waiter literally staggered to the table under its weight. He had chosen chips and onion rings as his sides, and the stack of rings was unlike anything I’ve seen before; huge, fat, crunchy pieces of onion piled high on his platter. This is man-sized food for hungry men, and he slowly and happily worked his way through the lot, even making an impression on the ciabatta roll.

To the eye, the ribs looked dry, with none of the gloopy BBQ sauce we are used to. But I tasted one (just one bite, mind), and the meat was beautifully soft and melted in the mouth. Whoever is in the kitchen at Smoo’s really knows their stuff.

There is also the option of brisket (£10.75) or half a chicken (£12.50) in the larger meals section, or the very brave can choose a two-meat (£15) or three-meat combo (£18). There’s even something called Smoo’s Big Plate (£28.50), which includes pulled pork, brisket, half a chicken and a full rack of ribs - around two kilos of meat - but I’d have to question the sanity of anyone prepared to take it on.

Desserts were out of the question for us, but include Moonshiners chocolate cake (£4.50) and brownies with ice cream (£4.25).

Without any beer to wash the food down, our bill came to a very reasonable £26.90. Terrific value for some of the best food I have tasted in a long time.

God Bless America

MICHELLE TOMPKINS