The Best BBQ in Taipei at Bogart’s Smokehouse

Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a new barbeque restaurant in town, and it’s the best we’ve had in Taipei. Newly opened in August, Bogart’s Smokehouse is the real deal as far as authentic American barbeque goes, and that’s not the only reason we love it — the attention to detail in terms of food and service is seriously impressive and makes for an unforgettable dining experience.

The only drawback to visiting Bogart’s Smokehouse is that it’s located quite far out of the way in Nangang, but you shouldn’t let that deter you. We had been put off by the location for a while, which is why it took us months to visit, but we kicked ourselves when we realized how good it was. The restaurant is around an eight-minute walk from the MRT at both Nangang and Nangang Exhibition Centre, and although Nangang is one stop before, we actually recommend staying on until Nangang Exhibition Centre as the walk from there is much nicer. We made the trip on a weekday night and found it to be totally doable, even if it meant staying on the MRT for slightly longer than we normally would.

The first thing that struck us upon entering Bogart’s was how great the service was. Hunter, the American owner, immediately struck up a conversation, introducing the menu and making us feel right at home. We were extremely impressed to discover the smoke pits at Bogart’s were custom-made in the USA and shipped to Taiwan for maximum authenticity — they could have made do with the equipment they found here, but they didn’t. Awesome. We were further impressed to learn that the food at Bogart’s is 100% “clean” — no chemicals or preservatives are used, almost everything is made in-house, and ingredients are all sourced locally, other than the brisket, which is imported directly from the USA.

Choosing what to order from their delicious-looking menu was hard. Unfortunately, there were no ribs left when we arrived — it was thirty minutes before closing time, so this made total sense — but we were still able to snag some sandwiches with every single side available. Next time we’ll remember that everything is first-come-first-serve and this place is deservedly popular.

The first thing we got was the beef brisket sandwich ($290 for a regular, $320 for a large), and it didn’t disappoint. The brisket is imported from the Midwest and is smoked for 23-24 hours, making for some seriously amazing meat. Tender, thin slices of brisket melted in our mouths, made all the better by the soft, slightly-sweet bun. We were in love from the start.

The pulled pork sandwich ($250 for a regular, $280 for a large) was also another winner. The pork at Bogart’s is smoked for up to 27 hours, and was soft and juicy, with the smoky flavour of barbeque in every bite. We liked this even better than the brisket.

The pulled chicken sandwich ($250 for a regular, $280 for a large) took us by surprise: we loved this even more than the others, and we loved the others. We hadn’t set out to order the chicken, but upon recommendation, we decided to give it a try. Thank. Goodness. This baby was right at the top of the barbecue food chain. Smoked for 5-6 hours, the meat was tender, flavourful, and practically fell apart in our hands. This is the dish we still dream of.

Before we get into the side dishes, let’s first discuss one of the best parts of the meal — the sauce. Bogart’s Smokehouse makes all of their own sauces, and pride themselves on the fact that “the only thing that comes out of the can is the ketchup.” Hunter, the owner, came over to us to introduce each sauce, and we all enjoyed mixing and matching to see which one we liked best. If we had to settle on a favourite, it would be between the Voodoo (sweet and spicy) and Mama D’s Original (sweet with a nice tang), but we really liked the Carolina Sweet (sweet mustard) too. The Mississippi Mud (made with vinegar and spices) was a little heavy on the vinegar for our tastes, but it was also quite nice.

Everything we had eaten so far had been fantastic, so we were excited to get cracking on their famous sides ($50 each). We ordered one of each — macaroni and cheese, fire & ice pickles, Missoula slaw, pit beans, and potato salad. The first one we dug into was the mac & cheese, and this was one of our favourites. It was 100% authentic American-style mac & cheese that was so cheesy, made all the better by the bacon crumble it was topped with. We would strongly recommend ordering this.

The fire & ice pickles were also amazing. A little bit sweet, a little bit sour, and with just the right touch of spice, these cold pickles were a great addition to the meat. It goes without saying that if you dislike pickles or don’t appreciate spice you won’t be into these, but we loved the crunch that they added.

Next, we tried the potato salad, which also didn’t disappoint. It was made with devilled eggs and paprika and was extremely satisfying. It was a little less memorable than the other sides, but that says more about the other sides than the potato salad itself, which was great.

The Missoula Slaw was another good choice — not too heavy on the mayo, this added some texture and freshness to an otherwise heavy meal.

Last but definitely not least, we tucked into the pit baked beans. We’ve never been particularly attracted to the idea of baked beans with barbeque, but these blew us away. Slow-cooked to perfection and then topped with their pulled pork, this was a hearty, meaty side that was positively dripping with flavour. You’re darn right we’d order it again!

To finish off an extraordinary meal, we were able to try the lemon icebox cake.  This was basically a cheesecake, and it was phenomenal. Made with fresh lemon and preserved candied lemon with a brandy crumb, it was a zesty, creamy dessert that had us groaning from the start. It was extremely rich, which made it hard to finish, so we recommend ordering one per two people unless you have some serious confidence in yourself.

Check out their full menu:

Overall, we can’t rave enough about Bogart’s Smokehouse. Yes, it’s far away in Nangang, but everything from the service to the attention to detail and the food was spectacular from start to finish. This was American cuisine at its finest, and we’re so glad we’ve discovered it so that we can return with even more people. If you’re hesitating because it’s far away, stop. Just do it. You can thank us later.

What’s the vibe?

Authentic American-style barbecue joint in Nangang. Customers are mostly local, although it’s popular with foreigners too.

Worth it?

100%.

Would you go back?

Count on it!

Last updated December 2019.