I don’t know about you, but when that commanding wood structure went up on U.S. 31-W By-Pass a few months ago, I was at first curious, then intrigued, when I heard it was a restaurant. It was like a vortex calling me in every time I passed, but I had to wait six weeks to review, taking me to the last day of 2006, when I finally gave into the lure of Smokehouse Bar-B-Q.

It’s as commanding on the inside as it is on the outside. The customer enters into a separate sunroom with palms trees, pink flamingos and fire pits. It makes a striking first impression and would be an enjoyable atmosphere to eat in – except that four of the tables are smoking tables, and there’s no partition. The non-smoking section, however, is completely separate, which is nice. It was well-lit and clean as well, with as much wood on the inside as outside.

The quantity, quality and organization of the buffet offered an appetizing presentation. On the meat side was pulled pork, of course, but also ribs, chicken (both fried and slow-cooked), catfish, beef brisket and smoked ham. At the other end of the buffet was a cold salad bar with macaroni salad, potato salad, coleslaw and a standard amount of vegetables to make a green salad.

Hot vegetables, in the middle of the two, included sweet potatoes, green beans, baked beans, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. Rounding out the buffet were two soups that are special Smokehouse recipes: Smokehouse gumbo and vegetable beef.

I was surprised to learn the dinner buffet is $10.95 (beverage not included), which makes it (as far as I know) one of the most expensive buffets in town. That means if you want a soft drink, plus tax and tip, you’ll pay around $15.

If a restaurant is going to be the most expensive in its genre, then it needs to be the best.

I would definitely stay away from the macaroni and cheese and the green beans. My dining companions agreed both were watery and flavorless. We were split on the mashed potatoes: They were thick and gummy for my taste, and I could barely get them off the serving spoon. The taste wasn’t bad, but the texture was alarming. The sweet potatoes, however, stood out as some of the best I’ve ever had – not too sweet, but the large marshmallows were just enough to boost the flavor of the sweet potato.

All three cold salads were delightful. Each had their own flavor combinations that made me want to keep eating them even though I was full, especially the potato salad. The cole slaw had a slight sweetness that cole slaw should have, as did the macaroni salad; the potato salad was that fine balance of mayonnaise, mustard and spices that enhance the plainness of cold, boiled potatoes.

As far as the meat dishes, each was cooked well, from the fried catfish and chicken to the slow-smoked and cured. The ribs, while tender, lacked any barbecue sauce or enough seasoning. Yet the fried chicken and fried catfish were excellent. The catfish breading had more than a hint of cornmeal with other seasonings was delicious; the fried chicken was not greasy, yet was crispy and flavorful, while the roasted chicken was tender but run-of-the-mill in flavor.

The soups were original and fresh, but you had to look closely to notice any difference between the two. Except for a spicyness to the gumbo, they tasted very similar.

The beans and slaw were some of the best I’ve had, but not the pulled pork. It was dry and overpulled to the point of mush. The flavor of the sauce was a genuine culinary accomplishment, but overall it was disappointing.

The lunch buffet is only $7.95, and the menu does include reasonably priced dinner plates served with only slaw and beans (no substitutions).

Smokehouse Bar-B-Q

1039 U.S. 31-W By-Pass

781-2330

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sun.-Thur., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri. and Sat.

Cuisine: American

Specialties: Buffet

Price range for dinner: $6.99 to $10.95

Smoking: Yes

Libation situation: None