A Little Atlanta Yelp Elite Holiday Cheer Found At Smoke Ring

Many a slogan has found it’s way along the walls of Smoke Ring in Castleberry Hill – Of which the most memorable is “We smoke big butts and we cannot lie.” They sure do make a good point as this latest addition to the Downtown area is serving up a mean plate of GA-style BBQ and all the fixins with a hefty smattering of tasty cocktails. Our festive Elite Squad gathered for a bit of holiday cheer, merriment, and warm company. Chamberlaine B said it best: “ The owner mentioned that they are striving to make customers feel "at home" when they dine at Smoke Ring, and I think that they did a wonderful job of creating a cozy atmosphere that I was instantly comfortable in.”

The cuisine at Smoke Ring, dreamt up and executed by Owner/Chef Jordan Wakefield, is a force to be reckoned with. “Each item we prepare here may be familiar to you, but we’ve added a little Smoke Ring twist to everything,” noted Chef Jordan as he addressed the Elites. The evening’s crew got to check out a few signature items from the menu – BBQ Deviled Eggs, Fried Green Tomatoes,  Smoked Wings, Pulled Pork, served in the cozy, wood-laden dining room. Daniel B gives some detail — “The deviled eggs had BBQ seasoning, bacon and bourbon marmalade, and green onion.  The fried green tomatoes came with goat cheese, chow-chow pickled relish, and red pepper jam.  The wings and pulled pork were very tasty.  The best part, though, was the addicting appetizing *white* BBQ sauce.”

Lead bartender, Erin Wakefield, owned the evening with her signature beverages – The Mule and The Boozy Blues, both prepared with Tito’s Hand Made Vodka.  Check out Lena N’s shot of each here.

Elites even got a little gift from their Santa-esque CM – Elite Socks. Ben even adorned himself in a Santa hat as he passed out the gift bags. Ho ho ho….

We also hosted a food drive for the local Atlanta Ronald McDonald House!

Atlanta Elite donated over 75 boxes of granola bars, mixed nuts, fruit snacks, and breakfast items — enough to fill the back of Ben G's car! Way to go, Yelpers! We have been so thrilled to partner across the country with Ronald McDonald House this holiday season. Other CMs across the US have held drives for all types of needs to serve their local RMH branch and we are so thrilled to be a part of the effort. Here's to a happy holiday season in the ATL.

Huge props go out to our friends at Smoke Ring and especially the leadership and creativity of Chef Jordan Wakefield and head bartender Erin Wakefield. Many thanks go out to Tito’s Hand Made Vodka for helping all make all of those tasty cocktails, and of course, all of our illustrious Elites.

Read the reviews here.

Check out the photos, courtesy of Brittany Wages Photography, here.

Wondering what this crazy awesome Elite Squad is all about? Read up!

Happy Holidays and SYOY!

Ben G – Yelp Atlanta Community Manager