Smokehouse 91

Smokehouse 91 opened in March 2025 and is located next to The Village Butcher on SOM Center Road near the intersection with Wilson Mills in the small strip mall next to Heinen’s. Smokehouse 91 and Village Butcher actually share a fairly large kitchen now, which means the menu at Village Butcher is also larger. It features “Texas barbeque” and is the next iteration of Smokin’ Q’s, which closed in January 2024. Smokehouse 91 is operated by Smokin’ Q’s owners Carl Quagliata and Zach Ladner. Smokehouse 91 is a fast-casual concept with several tables if you want to eat in-house.

They focus on the brisket, although other meats are also available. The meat is smoked low and slow, and you can add barbeque sauces, which are made in house. The sauces include sweet chili, hot & spicy, sweet & tangy mustard, Carolina vinegar, Alabama white, sweet & smokey and Texas-style. I liked the mustard and sweet & smokey the best because those are my preferences. The chopped brisket sandwich was pricy at $18, but it contains a ton of delicious brisket and it is high quality. I love that it is lean, because I’m not a huge fan of fatty meat. I got it topped with pickles and coleslaw, which I highly recommend if you enjoy coleslaw on barbecue. The pickles and coleslaw cut through the richness of the brisket and are a great pairing.

I usually don’t enjoy barbeque, because the sides are usually disappointing because they are an after-thought. Not here. Their sides include barbeque classics like mac n cheese, collard greens with pork, coleslaw, seasonal potatoes and more. The mac n cheese can be topped with a garlic crumb mix and is incredibly cheesy (and garlicky with the crumb topping). In fact, I find it to be too cheesy and never thought I’d say that. When I reheated it it was very dense and hard to spoon from the container to the bowl. The cornbread is quite nice and is served with a pot of honey butter. I like cornbread and have made my own for 30 years. This one is right up there. It was moist and had small bits of corn in it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the collard greens, but I rarely find collard greens in a restaurant that I enjoy. I think I’ve only found one or two that I enjoy, but others might find it enjoyable. I like the addition of pork. I usually use a ham hock when I make my favorite recipe at home.

The standout for me was the banana pudding. I don’t think I’ve ever had a more delicious banana pudding – and my gold standard was Walter Hyde’s at Fat Casual. I savored every last bite over the two days I ate it. It is creamy and has the perfect amount of sliced bananas and whipped cream to pudding ratio.

Smokehouse 91 is open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Unless they run out of meat earlier. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area. I’m only a 20 minute drive, which is enough for the food to not cool down too much to enjoy at home. I need to try the smoked turkey next.

Contact info:

Smokehouse 91
822 Som Center Road
Mayfield, OH 44143
(440) 565-7160

Ash Wednesday at Voodoo Brewing Company

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and to kick of the Lenten season I decided to head to Voodoo Brewing Company on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights to try their fried walleye. Voodoo has been on my list of Lenten places to try, because numerous people in the neighborhood groups have raved about the fish. This review differs from my usual reviews, because I usually write about a restaurant after I have visited several times. This was my first visit to Voodoo. It opens at 4 PM on Wednesdays, and I got there shortly after 6 PM.

I parked in the large lot behind the strip and entered through the back entrance. I had done a little research, so I knew I needed to order my food at the bar and pick it up at the kitchen window I walked past as I entered through the back.

I took a seat at the bar and was greeted by a friendly bartender. I ordered a Melon Executioner, which is made with vodka, Liquid Death Convicted Melon (apparently a Voodoo creation) and lime juice. It was a refreshing start. I then ordered my food and was given the above pager that notified me once my order was ready for pick-up.

They started serving the fried walleye dinner and shrimp po’ boys today and will continue to offer them on Fridays (until 4/18) during Lent. The fried walleye is a 1/2 pound walleye and a ton of housemade fries. It was available from 4-6 PM tonight. The shrimp po’ boy special for the week features battered fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato & bayou sauce on a toasted hoagie roll. The po’ boy is served with house-cut Old Bay fries. I have to say that I was happy I ordered the walleye, because Old Bay can be a bit much in my opinion. The slab of walleye was perfect. The batter coating was crisp and not greasy (I forgot to grab a fork, so I ate it by breaking off pieces with my hands and dipping it in the tasty tartar sauce), and the fish was flaky and moist. The fries came with a little container of malt vinegar, but I opted to enjoy ketchup with them. I was extremely pleased with the walleye, which is usually not a go-to fish for me.

Wednesday night is apparently also Trivia Night starting at 6:30 PM, and I didn’t plan on staying for it but ended up talking to two guys next to me at the bar who happily let me join them for the first half. When I asked what they recommend on the menu since they are regulars, they suggested the burgers and sandwiches, not so much the pizzas. Good to know. I gave them a fist bump when I left and we/they were ranked 8th. I may just go back another Wednesday night and seek them out, because I really enjoyed talking to them and playing trivia. Quelle surprise., but I guess it isn’t *that* surprising…

I ordered their MOSA, which is a Belgian ale with orange, after my meal. The bartender gave me a sample of it first because it is too sweet for some people, but I thought it was great. The bill was delivered tucked in the front of a book, which made me chuckle. Definitely a unique delivery option. A lot of previous visitors added notes to it. My only complaint is that my feet didn’t reach the metal supports on either the bar or the tall bar chair, which caused my feet to repeatedly fall asleep. I was afraid I was going to fall on my face walking back to grab my fish. But I didn’t.

I would definitely recommend checking out Voodoo Brewing Company if you want a good slab of fried fish and tasty fries as well as a refreshing beer.

Contact info:

Voodoo Brewing Company
2279 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 331-6775