Rub Smokehouse and Bar, Birmingham
I have always been a fan of anything that concerns food, so when I was invited to the media/press night at the new Rub Smokehouse & Bar in Birmingham last week, I was delighted. Created on the site of the former Living Room and above The Soloman Cutler at the bottom of Broad Street, Rub promised to deliver a whole range of food with it’s roots firmly in the American Deep South, with a wide range of cocktails to match.
And deliver it certainly did, being one of the best nights out I’ve had in ages.
The Bloke and I arrived a little early, to the point where we interrupted their staff briefing, but we were immediately given an unbelievable welcome and invited to take a seat at the bar to try out their cocktails. Being awkward as I am, I wanted a Mojito even though I couldn’t see it on the menu, and the mixologist set to work to create one of the best mojito’s I’ve tasted. I was in heaven – the atmosphere was amazing and we relaxed and admired the spectacular view as I worked my way through several more cocktails, including the beautiful ‘Coney Island Cooler’ and a raspberry Mojito.
A Raspberry Mojito
Over the space of the next few hours, about two hundred others joined us, and I discovered that I recognised one or two of them there, including Laura from Full to the Brum, (@FulltotheBrum) who I had met at a blogging conference a few months before, and Aktar Islam, award winning head chef at local restaurant, Lasan.
We were invited to have a seat and were brought lots of different items from the menu to try, as well as being given the option of ordering whatever we wanted. Along with garlic bread, BBQ chicken wings, onion rings, fries and corn dogs, we were treated to a large plate of brisket, and another of pulled pork, complete with corn on the cob and a spicy rice.
It was all beautifully cooked, and tasted just delicious. I helped myself to another Coney Island Cooler (ok, I actually had another three, but who’s counting), and thoroughly enjoyed myself as I watched the other diners equally enjoy the impressive plates put before them, some of them singing along to the eighties soundtrack playing in the background.
As we said our thank you’s at the end, we were invited to try the Brownie Heaven being given out as people were leaving. We both had an Oreo one, and it was the perfect ending to a truly delicious and exciting night.
The food and cocktails were amazing, the staff were incredible and we both had an absolute blast, and we were agreed that the new Rub Smokehouse and Bar is just the thing that Birmingham was missing. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that The Bloke and I are planning on going back over the summer and trying out the rest of the menu!
Garlic Bread
Brisket
Pulled Pork
Want to book at table at the Rub Smokehouse and Bar in Birmingham or Nottingham? Click this link for their website, and you can also find them on Facebook and Twitter @rubyourselfie
Disclosure: I was invited as a guest of Rub Smokehouse and Bar to try their menu. All food and drink was complimentary (I know, it’s a tough life but someone has to do it) but this didn’t mean that I was under any obligation to provide any sort of promotion or review. This review is honest and my own.
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Suzie Speaks 
Corn dogs in the UK! What is the world coming to? Too far for me to travel, but I can get that food here easily, though I am probably not supposed to eat much of it!!!
Haha! I can imagine that you guys are near these sorts of restaurants all the time, but they really don’t have these over here!
Sounds and looks like you had a wonderful evening. The food looks wonderful, and well-presented too 🙂
It was just amazing – such a good night and the food was superb too!
Looks delightful!
It certainly was! I’ve just discovered that they do Nutella calzone too! Definitely have to go back haha!
Skip the meal, just the coolers and the calzones sound like perfection!
Haha! I totally agree – nutella and cocktails, can’t go wrong with that haha!
Both the food and the drinks really look amazing!
They were! I’ve been to american style diners before but they weren’t anything like this!
Sounds like you’ll be going back
haha! Absolutely!
OOH! It looks sooo wonderful! Glad you had a great time. 😀
It was such an amazing night – thanks my lovely!
Sounds like fun. Nice gig! 🙂
It certainly was – I was so lucky! Definitely want to go back again soon!
The food and drinks look great and authentic. If I ever get to Birmingham I’ll definitely stop in. In the meantime you can suggest to them that they open another restaurant in New York.
I certainly will – and if you’re ever in Birmingham I’ll take you myself!
I live in the states and we don’t have this kind of restaurant in my neck of the woods, which is Southern California. Rub sounds wonderful.
It really is – definitely somewhere that me and The Bloke have every intention of going to again! I’m really surprised you don’t have anything – i thought that BBQ was a big deal in all areas of the US? Mind you, isn’t California uber health conscious, which is why I suppose you don’t have it there?
Actually, now that I think about it, we do have a great BBQ place nearby. Your experience sounds so different from ours, but we do enjoy our restaurant.
I’ve always wanted to try a proper one in the deep south – my sister did a three week holiday there and said it was amazing! I can imagine it’s slightly different in California though?
Most of the restaurants are franchises or chains. I think you get an original experience from a one of a kind place, and they are nearly always out of our budget. Frankly, I don’t care for the snobby attitude that usually comes with the menu at those places anyway.
Yeah I totally agree. I always feel a bit out of place…
The food looks great – real food – yumm!!!! No cilantro or avocado anywhere to be seen (seems like everything served in California has one of those two things on it). How cool that you were invited to a media/press night. You are a celebrity!!!!!!
Haha, nope, not an advocacy in sight! It was a brilliant night!
I live in the south of the USA and barbecue is a big deal here. I love “cue” in its pork and beef forms. Sounds like a great place for a great meal.
I watched a ton of Man Vs Food and Guy Fieri and realised how big it is in the south, but they don’t have anything over here really like this, which is why the restaurant is so great!
“cue” is a simple concept that takes some skill and finesse to carry off. It’s great though.
Absolutely! The Bloke loves it in particular!