Beginning life in hospitality as a food truck owner, Donal Cahill fitted out a premises in Smithfield in 2015 (beside the Light House Cinema) to bring authentic American-style barbecued food to the masses.
Helped by his friend Cian McHugh in his quest to master barbecueing, the pair undertook a mission to the US visiting Chicago, Memphis, New York, New Orleans and Texas. Back home they installed a specially made Ole Hickory smoker which is used to cook everything from pulled pork to brisket and ribs.
The Meat Wagon ‘smoke joint’ is a pared back upcycled space, all wooden pallets, corrugated iron, cable spool tables, duct piping, bar stools and wall-hung curiosities alongside a good outdoor seating area overlooking Smithfield. Dimly lit, cool tunes fill the air, maybe dub step or reggae, while diners tuck into fuss-free meat feasts prepped by the busy brigade visible through a narrow serving hatch. Bare tables are dressed with tin cans of cutlery, kitchen roll and squeezy bottles of barbecue sauce and garlic mayo.
Staff move about smoothly, explaining the picture-led menu – think silhouettes of cows, pigs and chickens – and offering advice. The menu is split into three: meat in a box, in bread or on a board, with offerings like brisket, chorizo-style sausages, chicken breast pork belly and beef ribs, all Irish. Sides, served in campfire cooking tins, include good coleslaw, skin-on chunky fries (lovely and fluffy), corn on the cob, beans, sausages, mash and a great potato salad made with purple potatoes, chives and chunks of salty bacon.
Orders, from mixed meat trays to an excellent home made burger, are all served with lovely house pickles and a little spicy slaw. Meat arrives piled high on wooden boards, in tin trays or takeout boxes, maybe melt-in-the-mouth ribs, succulent pork belly, juicy chicken breast, piquant chorizo-style sausages or perhaps a special of smoked duck. The burger is a thing of beauty and certainly a contender for Dublin's finest.
A decent list of craft beers and cider has been well chosen to suit the big, smoky flavours and includes international favourites, 8 wines and a homemade lemonade that changes every day. Interesting ice cream flavours are available for dessert but it’s hard to imagine anyone has room for dessert around here (happily they’ll offer you a box to take home your left overs!)
The well-priced food is tasty and filling and the setting is atmospheric and fun. Best of all are the super staff who have been properly trained, know the menu inside out and are there to ensure your experience here is so good you’ll become a regular customer.
