New Smokeshow BBQ restaurant in downtown Naperville evokes backyard family barbecues, chef says

Customers visiting the new Smokeshow BBQ in downtown Naperville will get the feeling like they’re in their “family’s back yard having a great barbecue and a good time,” chef and pitmaster Dan Moody says.

Smokeshow BBQ at 22 E. Chicago Ave. in the River District dining and shopping center is the latest restaurant from the Scott Harris Hospitality group, joining Fat Rosie’s, La Sorella di Francesca and Vasilli’s and the soon-to-open Davanti Enoteca.

Before launching Smokeshow, Moody said he visited and sampled a lot of area barbecue restaurants to get a feel for the market.

“This place was really good with food; this place had a really good vibe. But no one had that complete package,” he said.

Smokeshow is the best of both worlds, said Moody, who has been the culinary director for Scott Harris Hospitality for more than four years.

Moody’s had an interest in barbecue since he was a child that grew into a hobby as he got older, he said.

“It’s just always been something that’s kind of fascinated me, watching stuff on TV and all the backyard barbecues we did when I was younger. It just kind of stirs like the small passion,” he said.

It wasn’t until he starting talking with Scott Harris Hospitality a few months ago about his ideas that Moody was able to turn that hobby into a business.

His goal is for Smokeshow customers to experience mouthwatering, American barbecue the entire family will enjoy, he said.

The menu features a variety of meats — beef brisket, pastrami, pulled pork, spare ribs, house bacon and chicken — that are smoked anywhere from six to 12 hours.

There’s a big difference between barbecue and grilling, he said.

People often confuse rubbing sauce on grilled chicken as barbecue.

Smokeshow focuses on the rub before the meat is smoked in a blend of hickory, cherry and oak woods.

“When we do it, the barbecue sauce should be an afterthought. You should enjoy the meat for the flavor of that meat or the ribs for the ribs,” Moody said.

“That’s where good Texas barbecue is today. They really want you to focus on the quality of the meat, how tender it is, how juicy it is. And then if you want a little sauce to change up a bite here and there, that’s what it’s there for,” he said.

For vegans, Moody smokes a jackfruit that creates a dish like a pulled pork sandwich.

Fresh jackfruit is processed and tossed with a little bit of oil followed by one of the restaurant’s signature rubs used for barbecue pork.

“Then we smoke it (for two hours) in a separate smoker so that there’s no cross contamination,” he said.

The same wood blend is used, bringing in the flavor and the caramelization that pitmasters get from a smoker.

No meal would be complete without side dishes, and those include coleslaw, baked beans, mac and cheese, waffle fries and house pickles.

The restaurant also will have a kids menu with burger or pulled pork sliders, chicken nuggets, and mac and cheese.

A full bar features cocktails and a variety of draft beers, including Shiner Bock and Lone Star, as well as nonalcoholic options, such as root beer, sweet tea and nitro cold brew.

subaker@tribpub.com