Brad Olson
TVWBB Diamond Member
Fort 88 Smokehouse in Fort Atkinson has been around since 2017 but it took me until last month to finally get there, when my wife and I stopped in for lunch on a dreary Sunday. We only live about 30 minutes from Fort (as the locals call it) so I can't claim distance as the reason it took me so long to check it out.
The interior has a sports bar vibe and was surprisingly busy, so I didn't get a photo. And as such, the menu also features burgers, wraps and sandwiches as well as barbecue.
Some sort of combo platter is pretty much a given whenever I'm visiting a barbecue restaurant for the first time, so we selected brisket, pulled pork and ribs. Everything was properly cooked and had good flavor, and the brisket was decently smoky as well.
The rib meat tugged just right! Unfortunately, FOTB is still the norm at the majority of places in this part of the country.
Here's a side you don't see every day: Brussels sprouts with bacon and cheese. They were pretty tasty and gave us a false sense of eating healthy. The corn muffin was cake-y, moist and slightly sweet.
The house mac & cheese with pulled pork was disappointing. It's a great idea and fairly common, but this execution wasn't nearly as good as it could've been because the pasta was badly underseasoned. Put some salt in that water! I also ordered some beans and they were OK, but I would've preferred more savory and less sweet.
While the meal wasn't perfect, overall it was definitely good enough for me to return again. After all, it's just a half hour drive...
Fort 88 Smokehouse & Bar
855 Lexington Blvd.
Fort Atkinson, WI
920/397-7148
The interior has a sports bar vibe and was surprisingly busy, so I didn't get a photo. And as such, the menu also features burgers, wraps and sandwiches as well as barbecue.
Some sort of combo platter is pretty much a given whenever I'm visiting a barbecue restaurant for the first time, so we selected brisket, pulled pork and ribs. Everything was properly cooked and had good flavor, and the brisket was decently smoky as well.
The rib meat tugged just right! Unfortunately, FOTB is still the norm at the majority of places in this part of the country.
Here's a side you don't see every day: Brussels sprouts with bacon and cheese. They were pretty tasty and gave us a false sense of eating healthy. The corn muffin was cake-y, moist and slightly sweet.
The house mac & cheese with pulled pork was disappointing. It's a great idea and fairly common, but this execution wasn't nearly as good as it could've been because the pasta was badly underseasoned. Put some salt in that water! I also ordered some beans and they were OK, but I would've preferred more savory and less sweet.
While the meal wasn't perfect, overall it was definitely good enough for me to return again. After all, it's just a half hour drive...
Fort 88 Smokehouse & Bar
855 Lexington Blvd.
Fort Atkinson, WI
920/397-7148
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