Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill is nestled behind a Courtyard By Marriott and a Red Lobster on the South Service Road of the Long Island Expressway in Ronkonkoma.  As you're driving along the service road, you could easily pass it by, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you did, because you would be missing out on a great dining experience.

As you enter Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill, you'll notice right away that this is not your typical restaurant.  While many waiting areas are crowded and tight, the waiting area here is open and inviting.  My family and I happened to arrive when it wasn't crowded, so we were able to be seated right away.  Of course, my son first had to try out the comfortable leather couches in the waiting area.

The restaurant has a very open feel, and the booths are large and comfortable.  Each booth comes equipped with its own volume box, so you can choose which TV you would like to listen to at the privacy of your own table.  My son chose to listen to the baseball game that was on.  Should you decide to forgo the television volume, you can just enjoy the background music that is playing at a level that is loud enough to hear, but not so loud that you have to raise your voice to speak to each other.

Our waiter, Ken, came over immediately and took our drink order, and asked if we were interested in any appetizers.  My wife and I both ordered a cup of the Brunswick Stew, which has a chili-like consistency, but its own unique flavor.  It is a tomato-based combination of slow cooked pork, chicken and beef with corn.  One spoonful of this sweet yet spicy stew, and we knew that this was going to be an enjoyable meal.  Since the kids had no interest in trying the stew, they were kept satisfied with the extra crackers that Ken brought over to us at my wife's request.

The kids menu has a nice variety, and doubles as a fun activity booklet to keep the kids entertained.  My son ordered the macaroni & cheese with a side of toasted corn.  If you're kids are mac & cheese fans, they will certainly appreciate the ample portion of this homemade gooey dish.  

I ordered the Smokehouse Burger (a half pound burger with barbequed onions, BBQ sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion slices and pickles).  It comes with cheddar cheese also, but I ordered mine with no cheese.  The burger was cooked to perfection, and ended up being more than a meal, perhaps because of the two Strawberry Lemonades that I drank (which I highly recommend).

My wife ordered the hand pulled pork sandwich with seasoned fries, but ended up having to eat the corn that my son wouldn't eat once he tasted the fries.  Our waiter, Ken, brought my wife a side of fries anyway at no extra charge.  Her sandwich came on a delicious bun with tender meat.  A splash of Smokey Bones own BBQ sauce was the perfect compliment to the sandwich.

Before the meal even started, we were all looking at the dessert menu and salivating, so we knew that we'd have to save a little room for dessert.  All of the decadent desserts looked appealing, but the portions were so large that we couldn't eat too much more.  We decided to split a bag of donuts.  Prior to eating at Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill, my wife and I always thought of "bag of donuts" as a fictional mob-like character "Joey Bagga Donuts," but it turns out that it's an actual dessert, and it is not to be missed! 

These cinnamon sugar donuts are made fresh for each customer, and arrive at the table in a plain white paper bag.  They truly are made-to-order, as they are too hot to handle right away.  As if the half dozen donuts weren't a decadent enough treat on their own, they also come with two dipping sauces (chocolate and strawberry). 

If you're looking for a family-friendly restaurant with great food, service and atmosphere, you'll want to make sure to check out Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill.  This is a chain restaurant, but this is the only location on Long Island.  According to our outstanding waiter, Ken, the whole menu is about to be revised.  All of the favorite dishes will remain, and about 30 more selections are being added to the menu.  To see the current menu, please click here. 

For driving directions to Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill, please click here.