Hot canal action | Smokey Tails, The Container Yard, 119 Wallis Road, Hackney wick, London E9 5LN

I’d cross that bridge when you come to it… Photograph from Smokey Tails

Our comfort zone is usually in or around zone one. It’s not very often that we venture out east, especially on a weekend. But we discovered that Hackney Wick is only a 30 minute drive from our Kent home, quicker that our daily commute into our central London office.

Smokey Tails a new pop up bar and BBQ is the brainchild of Seth Troxler… Who? You probably know who he is, but if like us you where none the wiser, Seth is one of the top DJs on the planet (apparently). And he’s opened up this pop up with some of the Secret Garden Party and Wilderness festival crew and his film industry pals. The lure of smoked meats and an interesting cocktail list was just too hard to resist.

And this is a serious hipster joint, jam-packed with beards, graphic Ts, checked shirts and oh-so skinny jeans. All so new school hippy, even the children have their own style – mini Boden cardigans and Spider-Man PJ bottoms tucked into their wellies, you know the look!

The food and drinks are served from a couple of shipping containers onto a partly covered deck and gravel courtyard. Seating is basic, picnic tables and old sofas, but the view over the canal to the Olympic stadium more than makes up for that.

Pulled pork to rival Pitt Cue. And yes, there was plenty of it hidden underneath the cabbage

BBQ ribs and one of your five a day

The menu by head chef Lyndell Sabine consists of a choice of three smoked meats (chicken wings with choice of sauce, pulled pork in a brioche bun and BBQ ribs) £12 each. They come with two really tasty salads from a choice of three (tomato salad with pickled walnuts, basil and mint, Couscous with toasted almonds and spring onions, Chilli and garlic chargrilled broccoli with toasted almonds). Or all three salads as a main dish for £8.

This tart loved some cream on her raspberries

What a mess. A lovely mess.

There are also two sides, a big bowl of delicious smoky and sweet American style baked beans and a slightly dry ‘classic’ Mac & cheese. Desserts are simple too, a Hackney Mess (the Hackney being a lemon curd sauce) and a rich Chocolate tart, both £4.

Cuban Mule and a Smokey Summer Cup

Drinks (and the playlist) obviously play a very important role at Smokey Tails. Wine is £4/5 a glass, or rather plastic cup. Hobo beer £3.50, soft drinks £1.50 and spirits with mixer £4 single or £8 double. But the real star is the cocktail list, seven drinks from £7 by Soulshakers. My favourite was the Cuban Mule (Havana club, lime, bitters and ginger beer) although the Soul Happiness (basically a watermelon margarita) was a very close second.

Smokey Tails is only around until the end of the summer, with this country’s unreliable weather that could be tomorrow!

www.smokeytails.co.uk
The Container Yard, 119 Wallis Road,
Hackney wick, London E9 5LN

For private hire please email info@smokeytails.co.uk

Opening hours: Thursday — 1pm – midnight. Snacks 1-6pm. Dinner from 6pm.
Friday, Sunday — 11am – 12 midnight

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Nearest station: Hackney Wick