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Sierra Smokehouse BBQ

Jul 01, 2014 02:39PM ● By Style

1/4-Pound Pulled Chicken Sandwich – Photography by Dante Fontana © Style Media Group

Like stumbling upon buried treasure, my husband and I found Sierra Smokehouse BBQ one overcast Saturday at lunchtime—tucked away in an unassuming Cameron Park strip mall just off Highway 50. 

The first giveaway that these boys mean business was the mobile smoker parked out front. The thought of barbecue traveling “to me” is a pleasant one—let’s all say yes to that. Open since 2008, Sierra Smokehouse offers catering, takeout and dine-in, and recently added a new dining area for families and large groups. Basically, the more barbecue, the merrier.

For our Saturday lunch, my mate ordered the 1/2-pound “Big E” barbecue sandwich with chopped brisket on wheat, with a side of coleslaw. I love my slow-cooked meats but I scaled my pulled chicken thigh barbecue sandwich down to a manageable 1/4-pound on a white roll, with a side of cornbread.
In my head I thought pulled thigh might resemble pulled pork, so I was happy to see my huge fresh hoagie roll loaded with chunky strips of tender, juicy meat. Each bite was more addictive than the last. My husband’s sandwich was piled high with enough tender brisket to make any man shed a single tear of joy and maybe call his mom afterward.

But the meat’s not the end of this fairy tale. This is barbecue after all, and what’s barbecue without sauces? Sierra Smokehouse offers an array of homemade ones for diners to experiment with. I chose the sweet and tangy “special sauce” for my pulled thigh meat, and I liked it so much, I took some home with me…smeared on the side of my face, much to my husband’s amusement. (I call it free advertising.) My husband smothered his brisket in the mustard-based sauce and called it a party.

The coleslaw and cornbread sides were simple and tasty—no need for anything fancy when you’re serving up barbecue as good as this. Service is fast and friendly—trust me, there’s no downside here. Bottom line? Sierra Smokehouse BBQ is so good, it’s smokin’!

Sierra Smokehouse BBQ - Cameron Park, CA