Barbecue by the Bay: Saltbox Smokehouse Serving Standout Food in Sodus

By Jacob Pucci

The Saltbox Smokehouse

6152 Barclay Road, Sodus, NY, 14451

315-553-2663

Hours: Thursday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. To see current food truck hours, visit their website, thesaltboxsmokehouse.com

Sodus Bay, with its picturesque bluffs, sandy beaches and views of Lake Ontario that span as far as the eye can see, is rightfully heralded as one of the area’s top summer destinations. And while there are plenty of waterfront dining options to choose from, there’s a gem a few miles inland waiting to be discovered.

The Saltbox Smokehouse opened in 2018, so this spot located just off Route 104 isn’t new, but tucked in a largely residential area, it’s easy to zip on by without noticing it’s there. Once you slow down and roll down your window, the unmistakably smoky smell of barbecue will let you know you’re in the right place.

Located in an unassuming brown, wooden house, Saltbox Smokehouse is only open Thursday to Saturday, though they also own a food truck that operates at events across the Finger Lakes on other days of the week. Not to mention that even the most amateur of pitmasters know that many hours of work go into the meal long before the restaurant doors open.

As barbecue restaurants have become increasingly prevalent across Upstate New York, the establishments are beginning to stand out for certain specialties. Saltbox Smokehouse’s specialty is undoubtedly the bacon. During our late Saturday morning visit (get there early so they don’t run out!), they had more than 10 varieties of housemade bacon available, ranging from original hickory and black pepper, to stunnin’ onion and drunken Casper, a spicy bacon flavored with bourbon.

You’ll find the bacon in the steakhouse sandwich ($13.99), where it joins sliced brisket, choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on a roll, served with a side of chips. The vegetables should be a sign that this sandwich, despite the presence of two forms of smoked meat, eats more like a deli sandwich than some kind of over-the-top, meat sweat-inducing barbecue behemoth. It’s served with a side of barbecue or horseradish garlic sauce, the latter of which was creamy with a mild zip that didn’t overwhelm the sandwich.

Smoked kielbasa ($18.99) — available in either garlic cheddar or jalapeno cheddar — is served simply on a roll. I do wish the sausage was topped with sautéed onions and peppers or something of the like; it’s a testament to the kielbasa that it was enjoyable on its own, the melting cheddar cheese oozing out with each bite.

For the barbecue purists, the brisket platter ($21.99) is just that — meat, with a choice of two sides. The meat was tender with the right amount of smoke, though a bit lean and not as unctuously rich as other, fattier briskets. The accompanying barbecue sauce, a tomato-based sauce heavy on the black pepper with just a bit of spice, was not too sweet and served as a solid all-around pairing for the whole meal.

The salt potatoes at Saltbox Smokehouse are dressed in garlic butter instead of regular melted butter. It’s incredible the difference one ingredient can make. These fork-tender spuds, livened with added garlic and a scattering of chopped chives, were an exceptional version of this Central New York barbecue side staple.

You don’t often find pickled green beans, or dilly beans, as a side dish on restaurant menus, which is a shame, because these crisp, briny beans are the perfect complement to barbecue’s inherent richness. While great on their own, I found that dipping the dilly beans in the house-made horseradish sauce brought these humble legumes to another level.

Little smoky nuggets of bacon graced both the macaroni and cheese and baked beans., providing a nice punch to an otherwise creamy, mild mac and cheese.  The beans were also smoked, because if you have the giant smoker, you might as well use it. The beans were in the smoker just long enough to pick up flavor without being overwhelmed by smoke or dried out from the heat. Just like everything in barbecue, finesse is key.

Perhaps nowhere are chicken wings taken as seriously as they are here in Upstate New York and Saltbox, with its smoked-then-fried wings ($14.99 for 10) that have the taste of barbecue with the crispy exterior of a classic wing, was up for the challenge. Despite the two-pronged cooking approach, the wings themselves were plump and juicy. Wings can be tossed in one of nine sauces, ranging from your classic Buffalo to my choice, Alabama white sauce, a creamy, mayo-based sauce with a sharp vinegary tang and black pepper bite. Diners are offered blue cheese or ranch for dipping, the latter of which would be sacrilegious for Buffalo wings, of course, but smoked wings tossed in barbecue sauce might get a pass. Not wanting to risk it, I still opted for blue cheese.

Saltbox Smokehouse has a small indoor dining area, as well as several picnic tables on the lawn outside, but it’s largely a takeout restaurant, which fits the menu they’re serving and the kind of restaurant they’re aiming to be. There’s an entire deli section on the menu, where diners can get all the bacons, smoked meats by the pound to go, as well as beef jerky, sausages, smoked cheese-filled meatballs, bacon jam, all the housemade sauces, and other items. They even sell smoked dog bones to take home for your pup. You definitely won’t find that at most other barbecue restaurants.

Whether you’re dining in with a meal alongside a local beer or wine, taking your sandwich out to the beach or onto the boat, or just grabbing a pound of bacon for the next day’s breakfast, it’s hard to go wrong here.