Cedar River Smokehouse

I went to this place based on a referral from my nieces and was very dissapointed. I live in FEDWAY and went out of my way to try this place. I could not believe how bad it was, I got home and tasted the ribs and thought I make better ribs than this, they had more bone than meat and the beef brisket was over cooked. I will never try them again. Buyers beware you will waste your money going here.

Almost too scared to tell you how amazing this place is. It is little in size & mighty in flavor. LOVE IT!!! Get there early for a seat.

I really wanted to like this place as I've been meaning to try it for a long time. I finally found it, and ordered a half pound of the ""rich and meaty St Louis pork ribs"" to go. I know ribs, and these are the smallest ""St Louis"" ribs that I've ever seen. Unfortunately they were also dried out - must have been reheated once too often, and there was a lingering acrid, oily taste, like lighter fluid or maybe green wood was used in smoking. I didn't use any sauce, as I wanted to taste the meat - which besides the aftertaste, was remarkably bland.
The sweet girl working the register also got my order wrong, but corrected it right away, and the young guy working in the kitchen didn't call out my number when he put the order up in the window.
Like I said, I really wanted to like this place but.............

I will tell you that I frequent Cedar River BBQ as much as possible. I work in Auburn but I will drive to Renton just to get a plate of that Beef Brisket. I only wish they would be open later since I get off work at 9pm. I always go there and some of the workers know what I am getting because I am there all time. Great staff , wonderful food and the BEST BEEF BRISKET BY FAR!!!!!!

Highly recommend anybody to this place.

THANK YOU CEDAR RIVER

Found this place with a coupon in the Entertainment book.
Very tasty bbq, awesome chili with chunks of steak, and a pulled pork/sausage sandwich to die for. Very reasonable prices too. Try the hot sauce!

I've been to many, many bbq joints in this area and most of them are terrible. This place has really great food- lean brisket & moist smoked chicken, and the people are friendly, the place is clean, and the price is right. I've spent much more $$ on bbq that I had to throw away.

I haven't been to all the bbq's in seattle, but this one is my favorite. Large portions of fresh, very tasty food. Ribs fall off the bones and the chopped pork is delicious. Three sauces to choose from, and plenty of veggies, including a great side salad. Wish they had fries, though. You order at the counter and within minutes your food is served.

Environment: nothing fancy very mom and pops, small with booths along the wall
Process: Order at the counter and pick your food up at the window
Staff: Very little interaction since this is more like the way you get your lunch in grade school
Food: the food was sub par, the meats looked like they were steamed and had no bark to them. The BBQ sauce is served on the side tasted delicious but the food was hike inhaling a huge cloud of smoke. Not a fan.

This is the first time i have ever written a review, but after tasting this BBQ i had to talk about it!!! Where do i start, the service is fast, and the meat is so good its out of this world. i had some brisket, and a pork sandwich. My food was out in the pick up window before i even got done getting my soda, and just by the look at this tray of food i couldent wait to dig in. the sauce is on the side, giving you the choice on how much you want on your food. And to me that is great because you get to choose how much you want and not somebody else. The sauce is also a perfect combo of spices and flavors. I had corn bread wich was GREAT. I would do anything to find out how that corn bread is made because it was amazing. the parking is in the street and sometimes a little full, but if i need to walk one block or one mile it doesent matter because it is all worth it in the end!!!!

I tried this restuarant for the first time, location was easy to find, parking was good (street parking) interior of the restuaruant was clean and inviting.

I ordered the chicken sandwich. The smoked chicken was very moist, but lacked alot in spices or rub, kinda looked like it was smoked without any spices. The bbq sauce is on the side, it was tasty but not very much better then an average sauce in my mind. I had a side of mac & chs which was just ok, and the peach cobbler was probably the best out of all of it.

Highly recommended. The food is great and the atmosphere is great. The owners really take pride in their business.

We used to visit Cedar River on a regular basis until new BBQ joints came to town. We went back last night for take out. The service was terrible and we were treated rudely by the person working the kitchen. She couldn't get our order right to save her life and then once we got home we find one of orders was incorrect. The ribs were fatty and had absolutely no flavor, the sauce was more vinegar and less flavor (not what I remember from previous visits), and the mild sauce was anything but.

The BBQ Chicken I had was very moist and tender and the sauce was nice and spicy. The service was fast; once you place in your order the food comes out of the kitchen.

Being from the Midwest, I am no stranger to Barbeque. This is the best BBQ that I have found out here. The meat is tender and moist with a light smoke taste. Never have I had a sandwich with some grissel in it. The sauce is sweet and tangy. I drive an extra 30 minutes just to have their pork. Also, the people are always friendly and the service is top notch. Go...you will not regret it!

What keeps me coming back? It's delicious+juicy BBQ pork, hotlink, and chicken sandwiches! Their zesty, mouth-tingling hot sauce is also great to drown your meal in. The menu selection is pretty standard for a BBQ restaurant. The sides are just decent, but the meat dishes are in the spotlight. Take out orders are fairly fast considering the very small staff. The restaurant is medium sized for a ""small timer"", and is usually not overcrowded (but avoid the lunch line). Finding close parking in these streets of downtown Renton may be a hassle, but a few blocks walk is worth the treat! I've been to few places that have this good of a quality/price ratio. Also with takeout this quick, you'll have a much tastier option over ""fast food"".

This was the best BBQ I have had in WA, the meats are awesome, the place is really clean and the service is very friendly and lightning quick. I live in North Seattle and the drive is worth it.

One last thing about the meats, you will not find those little surprise fat chubbies, the meat is awesome!

Wonderful barbequed pork, chicken and beef sandwiches, mild or hot. Not much variety but what they have is good. Either come in and sit down or take-out. Won't be crowded. Prices are very reasonable. Must park on street.