Pop’s Smoke Shed here in Key West is a food Truck that has made some fame with their smoked BBQ. Originally opened in Big Pine Key by mile marker 31 the father and son team Danny and Hunter were inspired by their “Pop” and decided to share the culinary skills they learned from him with the local Florida Keys community. The Pop’s brand has been growing, and locations can now be found in the middle Florida Keys up in Marathon also in the lower Florida Keys on Ramrod Key and of course Key West! So, today, my husband and I decided to give the food a try for lunch.
While there is seating here, nice shaded picnic tables behind the food truck, we opted to get everything to go and eat at our office. The food took about 7 minutes, so not a long wait time. And we chatted with Allie while she put our order together, cooked, and was basically a one woman machine!
When we got back to our office with the food I was amazed at how much food was in the to go boxes. We actually have a lot of pulled pork and chicken left, so looks like BBQ for dinner tonight too. Oh darn!
Pops Location
I knew that the Key West location was near the Doubletree Grand Key Resort. We turned in there and looked around until we saw a sign pointing us in the right direction. It was a bit tricky to find, but we found it and were easily able to find a parking spot.
The Meats
We wanted to try a bunch of different things, so we decided to go with two combo plates. Between the, we tried brisket, chicken, ribs, and pulled pork. And for sides we went with the baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, and mac and cheese. My husband and I both like a sweeter BBQ sauce, so we went with the Memphis sweet which is also their most popular.
My husband is a big fan of ribs, and these looked amazing. They tasted amazing as well, with or without the sauce. What I personally did not like about them were that they were very fatty, and I like a much leaner option. With that said, I would not order the ribs for me. But for most people that I know, they would love these as the taste was on point.
The pulled pork was so plentiful, and tasty. Again, no sauce was needed to enhance the flavor. I think that this would make an amazing sandwich, so pulled pork sandwiches will be our dinner tonight.
The chicken was juicy which I was pleasantly surprised by as so many times smoked chicken is like eating leather. But, it was plain, so the sauce really enhanced out the flavor. Now, I did go with white meat, so keep that in mind.
The brisket was my absolute favorite, and even my husband who is not really a brisket fan really liked it. It was juicy and tasty and had very little fat. Again, no sauce needed as it was so good on its own.
The Sides
I wanted to try the potato salad which is not a side I personally typically associate with BBQ. However, it did go nicely with the food and it was really good. A little sweet and a little savory, just like I like it!
The macaroni and cheese was one of my husband’s picks. He liked it a lot. It was a bit plain and not over the top like some places try and make it. And it went well with the food.
Baked beans are not my favorite side typically, but my husband loves them. This was the only thing that we ordered that he didn’t love. I thought they were fine, a little tangy. But, they just didn’t have anything to make them stand out. (They need bacon!)
The cole slaw was good. It was actually a refreshing side item to the richness of the rest of the BBQ.
The only side we did not try were the crinkle cut fries, so I cannot speak to those, but next time they are on my list!
More About Key West
Pop’s Smoke Shed Key West is open daily from 11am until 7pm. You can order online for pick up or you can eat there if you prefer. Our meal was $50, which was not cheap, but for the amount offload and the quality of the food I think it was a great deal. We will definitely be back for more Pop’s! Plus, Allie was wonderful and I was truly amazed at how she handles everything on her own!
Before deciding where you are going to eat while visiting Key West or the rest of the Florida Keys, be sure to read my other restaurant reviews; check out our restaurant review sectionof this blog.
And to see what is happening on Key West during your visit, check out our Key West Events Calendar to see other upcoming special events. For more information about the fun side of Key West… things to do and see in our island city, go to our Key West Web Site.
Feel free to Email Me if you have any questions about Key West!!
Island Genn
Key West Concierge
