We used Up In Smoke for our wedding last weekend 09.20.25, and we have nothing but good to say! The beans were great, the Mac n cheese is to die for, the pork was mine and my husband’s favorite. The cost blew everyone else out of the water, they left Togo boxes- brought utensils, sauces and great attitudes! Highly recommend and will continue to recommend them! Thank you Up In Smoke for catering us and treating us very well!
Shane Paustian
Great BBQ!!! Why didn't I know about Up In Smoke sooner!! A must try and gluten free. I ordered takeout for my wife, 5yo son and I to try. Very friendly and accommodating on the phone and at pick up. Due to an allergy we needed gluten free and they were very helpful. When I got home with our prize we were not prepared. My son is a picky eater and he tried and liked it all and my wife and I agreed. The pulled pork was tender with just the right chew, seasoned perfectly to bring out the meats flavor while not overpowering it. The brisket was similar but left with just the right amount of fat to keep it moist and fill the mouth to overflowing with delectable umami. Then the ribs, oh Lord the ribs. Perfect tenderness so it just stays on the bone enough to still eat from the bone, seasoning was perfection, flavor overflowing. However, even on these devine cuts of perfectly cooked meat, that really needed nothing more, the house bbq sauce brings each to new near mind-blowing heights. Staying on a balance of slightly spicy, not too sweet, full flavor yet complimenting, not overpowering the meats, this sauce even captured my sauce ambivalent wife. The experience of those flavors awakens a primal need to devour it. We were not prepared 😁
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ, BBQ Sauce
Nina Elliott
I just love the brisket and pulled pork. The potato salad is one of my favs, however the cornbread and smokey beans are also 5 star!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ, Baked Beans, BBQ Sauce, Potato Salad, Cornbread with Jam
Desiree Rieger
1st time checking this bbq out. The wings were good flavor but over cooked & the mac & cheese was horrible. Don’t know that I’ll ever try it again.
Chad Knipfer
Prices were excellent. I always feel I need to take out a loan for BBQ but you don't here. Great food for a reasonable price. I had the wings and when I say these are the best wings I've ever had (and I've had a lot), I mean they are by far. Dry rub is on-point and crispy. Holds whatever sauce you want to put on it. Just amazing! Staff was polite and helpful. Overall great experience. (family said brisket was a bit dry, hence the 1 knock on the star).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Pablo Morgan
Delicious
Stephen Stanton Jr
Went in for lunch the other day. Waited 35 min for a small takeout order! Once it got the food it was meh. Wasn't even that busy. Counters especially where you sauce up were filthy and sticky. Honestly there's better BBQ places in cedar rapids
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Jaxin Stancombe
We where looking for a local place to eat and rounded a corner just to see this place walking in we where instantly sat and greeted very kindly by our server and host you can tell it was a family owned resteraunt the service was absolutely outstanding and the food was amazing, extremely tender brisket amazing cheesy potatoes, perfectly made macaroni and cheese, and soft and fluffy cornbread, would absolutely recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sophia Smith
Grabbed some brisket for lunch it was very good I also definitely recommend the cheesy potatoes
I don’t recommend the BBQ catering service. Despite placing and confirming my order weeks in advance, the staff had no record of it when I arrived. They were out of chicken, the pulled pork wasn’t ready, and I waited 45 minutes past the pickup time. I ended up leaving with the only the pulled pork (which was very good). While the staff was polite and apologetic, poor communication by management ruined the experience and ended up delaying food for my event.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
John Cover
Incredible BBQ
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melinda
The dry rub and smoke on the ribs was good--they were also decently moist. The brisket which was chopped small and served in a crock was dry and seemingly flavorless. The chicken quarter which had a good smoke was slathered with an unnecessary BBQ sauce. We weren't a fan of any of the sauces. They were all too sweet, and there was no dimension to any of them. Service was pretty quick considering how busy and understaffed they were. The server was also the food runner, cashier, and bartender. Kudos to her for her amazing hustle! The ambience was pretty underwhelming which honestly doesn't even register with me if the food blows me away. But alas, it was pretty average. The sides were good 🤷🏻♀️ But, I seek out BBQ for the meat. The prices were fair for the amount of food we got. We must have just come on an off-day.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Mark Jackson (Mark Jackson)
Great bbq joint, mellow vibe. Always friendly and caring staff!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ, BBQ Sauce
Ellie Adams
Was shopping Czech Village and just followed the smell of delicious food in the air! Our group tried the foot long hotdogs, brisket, Mac and cheese, baked beans, cornbread bites and the 1/2 order of pulled pork nachos. Everything was fantastic! Portions were big! Definitely recommend!
We used Up In Smoke for our wedding last weekend 09.20.25, and we have nothing but good to say! The beans were great, the Mac n cheese is to die for, the pork was mine and my husband’s favorite. The cost blew everyone else out of the water, they left Togo boxes- brought utensils, sauces and great attitudes! Highly recommend and will continue to recommend them! Thank you Up In Smoke for catering us and treating us very well!
Great BBQ!!! Why didn't I know about Up In Smoke sooner!! A must try and gluten free. I ordered takeout for my wife, 5yo son and I to try. Very friendly and accommodating on the phone and at pick up. Due to an allergy we needed gluten free and they were very helpful. When I got home with our prize we were not prepared. My son is a picky eater and he tried and liked it all and my wife and I agreed. The pulled pork was tender with just the right chew, seasoned perfectly to bring out the meats flavor while not overpowering it. The brisket was similar but left with just the right amount of fat to keep it moist and fill the mouth to overflowing with delectable umami. Then the ribs, oh Lord the ribs. Perfect tenderness so it just stays on the bone enough to still eat from the bone, seasoning was perfection, flavor overflowing. However, even on these devine cuts of perfectly cooked meat, that really needed nothing more, the house bbq sauce brings each to new near mind-blowing heights. Staying on a balance of slightly spicy, not too sweet, full flavor yet complimenting, not overpowering the meats, this sauce even captured my sauce ambivalent wife. The experience of those flavors awakens a primal need to devour it. We were not prepared 😁
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ, BBQ Sauce
I just love the brisket and pulled pork. The potato salad is one of my favs, however the cornbread and smokey beans are also 5 star!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ, Baked Beans, BBQ Sauce, Potato Salad, Cornbread with Jam
1st time checking this bbq out. The wings were good flavor but over cooked & the mac & cheese was horrible. Don’t know that I’ll ever try it again.
Prices were excellent. I always feel I need to take out a loan for BBQ but you don't here. Great food for a reasonable price. I had the wings and when I say these are the best wings I've ever had (and I've had a lot), I mean they are by far. Dry rub is on-point and crispy. Holds whatever sauce you want to put on it. Just amazing! Staff was polite and helpful. Overall great experience. (family said brisket was a bit dry, hence the 1 knock on the star).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Delicious
Went in for lunch the other day. Waited 35 min for a small takeout order! Once it got the food it was meh. Wasn't even that busy. Counters especially where you sauce up were filthy and sticky. Honestly there's better BBQ places in cedar rapids
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
We where looking for a local place to eat and rounded a corner just to see this place walking in we where instantly sat and greeted very kindly by our server and host you can tell it was a family owned resteraunt the service was absolutely outstanding and the food was amazing, extremely tender brisket amazing cheesy potatoes, perfectly made macaroni and cheese, and soft and fluffy cornbread, would absolutely recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Grabbed some brisket for lunch it was very good I also definitely recommend the cheesy potatoes
Good ribs, little slow but all barbecue is.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I don’t recommend the BBQ catering service. Despite placing and confirming my order weeks in advance, the staff had no record of it when I arrived. They were out of chicken, the pulled pork wasn’t ready, and I waited 45 minutes past the pickup time. I ended up leaving with the only the pulled pork (which was very good). While the staff was polite and apologetic, poor communication by management ruined the experience and ended up delaying food for my event.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Incredible BBQ
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The dry rub and smoke on the ribs was good--they were also decently moist. The brisket which was chopped small and served in a crock was dry and seemingly flavorless. The chicken quarter which had a good smoke was slathered with an unnecessary BBQ sauce. We weren't a fan of any of the sauces. They were all too sweet, and there was no dimension to any of them. Service was pretty quick considering how busy and understaffed they were. The server was also the food runner, cashier, and bartender. Kudos to her for her amazing hustle! The ambience was pretty underwhelming which honestly doesn't even register with me if the food blows me away. But alas, it was pretty average. The sides were good 🤷🏻♀️ But, I seek out BBQ for the meat. The prices were fair for the amount of food we got. We must have just come on an off-day.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Great bbq joint, mellow vibe. Always friendly and caring staff!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ, BBQ Sauce
Was shopping Czech Village and just followed the smell of delicious food in the air! Our group tried the foot long hotdogs, brisket, Mac and cheese, baked beans, cornbread bites and the 1/2 order of pulled pork nachos. Everything was fantastic! Portions were big! Definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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