'Smokin' Barrel' brings barbecue bliss to waterfront

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20: A barbecue joint has opened in Hamilton offering tasty ribs, jerk chicken and fish cooked by Bermudians.

The Smokin’ Barrel is located next to the Ferry Terminal on Front Street and serves up Bermudian and Caribbean-style food.

Owner Kemar Maybury started selling his food out of a kitchen on Mills Creek almost two years ago and then branched out to Harbour Nights.

The demand was so great, he had to find a way to get a permanent spot for loyal customers.

He opened briefly last October and then reopened in August, in a truck by the Ferry Terminal.

Codfish

Popular items on his menu include ribs, jerk chicken, sweet jerk, lemon pepper fish and curry chicken.

The Smokin’ Barrel also offers a Caribbean special every day and a codfish and potato breakfast all-day Sunday.

“The idea came about a year and a half ago”, Mr Maybury said.

“We were at Harbour Nights and we started putting our foods in the various shops with food warmers. And we had the kitchen in Mills Creek.

“Within two to three months, people were driving from Somerset to eat our food.

“We started getting calls and doing catering.”

Mr Maybury said the next step was to find a better location to sell his barbecue.

He bought a truck from the US from which to sell his fare.

Since August, he says business is booming.

“Even now, we haven’t officially opened but it’s either busy or too busy.”

“So in a nutshell, it’s great food.” He added all the meats are halal and kosher.

Halal means ‘lawful’ or ‘permitted’ in Arabic and applies to the way in which the animal is killed.

Kosher is the Jewish term for the way in which animals are slaughtered.

Mr Maybury says he uses local produce as much as possible in his food. He employs Bermudian staff.

“One thing that I guess a lot of people complain about but overlook, is that the majority of our staff are local.

“A lot of tourists come here and they want local food and want to be served by people from here.”

The ‘Smokin’ Barrel’ is open daily and also offers late-night snacks.

The barbecue joint is open until 11pm on week days and 2:30am on weekends.

“Everybody is looking for something good to eat late but people have had to rely on fried food.

“We have good food.

“I think one thing that’s great is everybody who calls back, they say, ‘Is this the place that puts the love in the food’.

“I think it’s funny that people use that terminology to describe us.”

The Smokin’ Barrel also offers event catering.

During the winter months, Mr Maybury also aims to offer barbecue delivery service in Hamilton.