We have seen this story play out a few times during the pandemic: food-truck-based business launches brick-and-mortar location (The Flying V, Randevoo) in bustling neighborhood; brick-and-mortar location adds something special we didn't know we needed to the food landscape. So, whether that's imaginative poutine, inventive Asian fusion-fusion or something called Chicago-style barbecue (we'll get to that later), we now have all of those things. And we have them all in Bethlehem.
Owned by husband-and-wife duo Quartez and Veronica Moore, The Taste Smokers started in October 2018 as a food truck operation here in the Valley, with regular stints at breweries such as Hop Hill (whose beer is now on tap at The Taste Smokers). The real roots of the business, however, were laid down in college, when Quartez developed a reputation for smoking meats for his friends and fraternity brothers in Illinois. The business is named after the Windy City's beloved “Taste of Chicago” food festival.
Quartez is from Chicago's South Side area (Veronica's from the West Side) and the pair bonded over their love of food, art and community building when they met. They brought that love to the region in the form of smoked meats, delicious sides and lots of great music, art and community consciousness—and a ton of awesome plants (from The Curious Plantaholic in Nazareth) vying for whatever sunlight comes through. About three years later, in October 2021, thanks to a commercial leasing program presented to them by the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV), they opened in Southside Bethlehem. You'll find them nestled in a row of eateries that also includes Molinari's, Mister Lee's and The Hummus House. But food is at the heart of it. “Smoking meat was always part of our family. You smelled it as you were driving up to the house,” Veronica says.
And that's why The Taste Smokers is different. It's the kind of comfortable, rustic space that looks like what you'd find outside, next to a smokehouse: a picnic-table vibe with lots of long, communal-feeling seating. The menu is written on the requisite chalkboard, making it easy to add specials and subtract items (ribs, brisket, etc.) when they run out. “Barbecue culture is ‘We have what we have until we sell out.' We suggest that people come early [if their plans allow] or order ahead so that we can prioritize their orders over walk-ins,” she says.
With smoked meats, you can't just go back to the kitchen and whip something up really quick. When it's gone, it's gone. That being said, they smoke about 300 pounds of meat for about 30 hours when they're open, with brisket and pulled pork occupying eight to 10 of those hours. “When we're open, something is always on the pit,” she says.
So, if you've heard of Texas, Kansas City and Memphis barbecue, along with North and South Carolina styles, you may be wondering what exactly Chicago-style barbecue is. (After all, we know there's Delta blues and Chicago blues, so does music parallel food here?) Chicago's barbecue identity isn't nearly as deep‚àírooted as the aforementioned styles, perhaps because it can be a medley that stems from the migration of African Americans in the South, to the city's South Side along with Eastern European immigrants to Chicago's North Side.
As Quartez describes it, it's “a hodgepodge of everything—all the influences of barbecue, Memphis, South Carolina, but Chicago, because we do what we wanna do,” he says.
He's not necessarily being flip. Urban environments organically create a confluence of influences and offer an expansive, collaborative approach to the creative process. What this means, in ‘cue-speak, is that you're more likely to encounter dry rubs rather than lots of sauces. They smoke what you'd expect—beef brisket, ribs and pork—but you'll also see smoked salmon loaded with herbs. Salmon is not a requisite item at barbecue joints, at least not how they're usually rendered here in the Northeast.
Another addition that's not your stereotypical side can be found with their iteration of sides. Instead of presenting elote, the popular Mexican street food, on the cob, the corn is sliced off, drizzled with mayo and sprinkled with cojita (or Parmesan) cheese. Slaw is gently vinegar-based, (which is not unusual) but not mayo—along with some oil and, depending on what's available, mango, pineapple or peach, or some combination thereof. Collards, green beans and Walker's beans round out the side dishes, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention mac and cheese. Or, to be more specific: GourMaQ and Cheese: house-made, and topped with a protein of your choice, which includes jerk chicken, brisket, pulled pork, ribs or sausage (Yes, that's right. See also: Chicago).
But back to that brisket. It's fall-apart tender, the way smoked meat should be, if it's done right. And the sauce offers a balance of tangy, sweet and sour flavors. “Sauce is always on the side. You wanna taste it. You spend 12 hours on a brisket,” says Quartez.
In other words, don't be drowning your brisket in sauce before trying it.
The Moores envisioned an event space before they ever even thought about a food truck, “but not a space with food, but now we have both,” says Veronica. Everything is coming full circle. The Taste Smokers can be best described as an artist's salon meets barbecue pit—a place where people meet over great food, live music, local art and any other kind of creative expression that needs to be amplified with the help of a microphone (and maybe backing musicians, too). “We are artists ourselves, and it's important for this element to be a regular part of the ambiance. We want people to experience more than just a restaurant when they enter our space,” she says.
It's clear they're just getting started, too. “The Lehigh Valley is really a small-business incubator, there's great grassroots support here. People are always working on their brand,” says Quartez.
They've already made their mark on the community in just a few short months—don't miss the spoken word events, which pull Quartez from the pit to the stage for hosting duties, food for first responders, and local art and music. When we arrived, Veronica was nestling her small but mighty newborn son in a sling while talking to us. It would be enough to handle a new business and a newborn (and a kindergartner in school), but Veronica has a few side hustles, including an empowerment-based biz called F.E.A.R. and Brown Skin Plant Mama, a plant therapy nonprofit biz that helps teach kids mindfulness—both of which have been featured in these pages. As Veronica describes them, “Before we were restaurateurs, we were community advocates.”
It's hard to go wrong when your heart—and your barbecue pit—are both in the right place.
The Taste Smokers
318 E. 3rd St., Bethlehem | 610.419.0281 | thetastesmokers.com
*Please check their website and/or social media for current operating hours and procedures.
Hours
Wed. & Thurs.: noon–6 p.m.; Fri. & Sat.: noon–8 p.m.
Parking
Street parking, Southside Bethlehem… you know the drill.
Reservations
They take reservations through the Google reservation feature or by calling the restaurant.
What to Order
Well, here's the deal. If you want takeout, you can take your chances, or order ahead and reserve the time you're going to pick it up in order to be guaranteed you'll get what you're craving. They serve what they serve until they run out, a totally normal practice for barbecue joints, as you cannot rush a smoker. Dry-rubbed smoked ribs, brisket that's fall-apart tender, slaw, beans—it's all good. While you're there, you can order a beer on tap from Hop Hill Brewing Company in Lower Saucon.
Specials/Events
They rotate between live music and events on Friday and Saturday nights. Thursdays are still their regular feature of Dinner and a Groovy, which involves a special menu, with live music, spoken word and “any other expressive art,” says Veronica.
Published as "Inside Dish" in the April 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
