SAN ANTONIO – Smoke Ring King BBQ wowed me with its amazing barbecue and stunned the health inspector by earning perfect scores during a recent inspection.
Smoke Ring King BBQ, a futuristic takeout-style establishment in the Lombrano Food Hall, operates one of the cleanest kitchens I've ever set foot inside.
Smoke Ring King BBQ head chef, pitmaster and co-owner Anthony Cubitt is a local student at St. Philip's Culinary School who has an incredible attention to detail and delicious flavors. His wife, Tanya Clay Cubitt, who is also co-owner, greeted me with a big smile as I approached the door. The pair have run Smoke Ring King BBQ for the past five years.
Anthony has been cooking all his life, growing up his grandmother cooked and brought the family together, which sparked his passion in the kitchen.
“One year I hosted a barbecue for my grandmother and that was it. My family really encouraged me to pursue my dream of culinary career,” Anthony said.
He and Tanya have been together since high school and have worked hard towards their culinary goals while raising multiple children.
The family is also no stranger to giving back to the community. During the pandemic, they cooked brisket and other dishes to feed the homeless. Many customers tried to buy food from them during that time, but they were focused on feeding those who couldn't feed themselves.
Their kitchen was super clean, everything was labeled, clean utensils and gloves were used for each task, they used separate fryers for each food item, they use a whole cow for their meat every day, and all the brisket and burgers are ground by hand.
The highlight of the menu is just that – everything. Anthony was kind enough to let us take some delicious food home with us. I mean it when I say there's nothing I'd change on the menu. All the ingredients are fresh and Anthony even chops his own firewood.
Tanya raved about the smash burger here. She said it was the best burger she'd ever had in her life, and she wasn't wrong. When I saw how Anthony slathered the smash burger generously with seasoning and how the meat was perfectly oily as it slid off the grill, I knew I was in for a treat. It was one of the most amazing, delicious tasting burgers I've ever had.
Their brisket had the perfect lean to fat ratio and the sweet BBQ sauce on the brisket sandwich easily puts it at the top of my list for San Antonio BBQ. The ribs were tender enough to fall off the bone easily and paired well with the beans.
The highlight of the sides were the beans, which were incredibly flavorful and perfect for dipping the leftover brisket and bread in. The potato salad may be omitted by some, but I think it's an essential side for good Texas BBQ. Anthony's was excellent. Finally, the mac and cheese, but customers can add brisket (I didn't).
It's been a while since I've been truly impressed with Texas BBQ, but Smoke Ring King really surprised me. The Cupid family puts their heart and soul into their product, and it shows in every bite.
They hope to continue expanding their business by booking catering events and exploring other locations to grow, but for now they're working hard to make sure their barbecue is the best in San Antonio.
“It's been a long journey, but a blessed one, and we're so grateful to be here now,” the couple said.
Anthony wanted to emphasize that he wouldn't have made it this far without the drive and inspiration of chef Marcel Brady and Eat With Your Eyes, another local business located in Lombrano Food Hall.
Customers can order in person at Lombrano Food Hall, order from their mobile phone at lombranofoodhall.com or through third-party apps such as Uber Eats and Door Dash.
Smoke Ring King BBQ is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm to 11pm. For more information, visit their website at SRKBBQ.com.
