The Smoking Barrel is a restaurant at 105 High Street in Motueka, Tasman, and its name leaves little doubt about the style of cooking. It is highly regarded, with a 4.7 rating from nearly 2,000 Google reviews and updates shared on its Facebook page.
Cooking over smoke runs on patience: brisket, pork shoulder and ribs need long hours over wood, so good barbecue menus are short, the day's cuts are finite and regulars arrive early to ask what is running low. Care shows on the plate: dark, seasoned bark, meat that pulls apart easily, clean wood smoke rather than acrid char. Sides matter more than newcomers expect, balancing rich, fatty meat. In a holiday town like Motueka, gateway to Abel Tasman, timing your visit around the smoker's output is simply how it is done.
The Smoking Barrel sits right on Motueka's High Street, a strongly reviewed stop before or after a day towards Abel Tasman.