*Disclaimer – I ain’t no food critic, just a foodie giving her personal opinions*
This tasty little pop-up (that will hopefully be a permanent fixture in Balham) is somewhere I cannot recommend more if you’re in the South London area. I live dangerously close to this place and have already been twice since discovering it last month.
I actually came across Smoke Daddies when it popped up on my TikTok feed. Although the food that people recommend on TikTok always looks good, this is the first time I actively went out to try some. What I learned is that maybe I should trust TikTok food recommendations more often.
The Food
What I’ve tried from their menu:
- House Burger – £12.00
- Gr8(Inch) Gatsby – £14.00
- Risk It For A Brisket – £11.50
- Karma Gingerella Ginger Ale – £3.50
- Dominion Black Cherry Soda – £3.20
Out of all the food I’ve tried from here, there was nothing that I didn’t enjoy. All of their food is served with some delicious rosemary fries that are to die for!
The House Burger is the beast of burgers, served in a brioche bun with beef bacon and a hash brown. It towered so high, I embarrassingly had to use a knife and fork to tackle it. The Gr8(Inch) Gatsby was also a firm favourite of mine. The steak was tender, the cheese was amazing, and the crispy onions just topped it off. Out of the three things I tried, the Risk It For A Brisket was personally my least favourite. This is purely because I’m not a huge fan of slaw… so if you are, this one’s for you!
I really love how you can tell they’ve taken care to create a mouth-watering menu with exciting options and fun names. Under ‘The Cool Stuff’ in their drinks menu, you will find some funky options that they import from the US. I really enjoyed the Dominion Black Cherry Soda. It made a nice switch up from my regular Coke Zero.
Value For Money
TThe portion sizes and quality of food and service definitely make it good value for money. For this type of food, they are just your typical ‘London’ prices. The fries are also included with your meal so you don’t need to splash out any extras on the side. It’s sometimes off-putting when you have to buy the fries separately, so I really like that they included them in with the price.
Service
The service is both speedy and friendly. First time I went, one of the waiters gave us a breakdown of the menu and told us about the drinks that they import from the US (which we ended up giving a try). It’s always nice to receive personal recommendations from the staff.
Atmosphere
Both times I have been, the weather has been really nice and we’ve eaten at their outside tables. Smoke Daddies is situated on Hildreth Street, which is a little secret South London gem. If you’re a foodie, there are many different brunch spots to try out. It’s also a very lively street with a couple of markets to check out.
As you’re surrounded by many different food spots, the atmosphere eating outside amongst everyone else is both lively and vibrant. When I went it was before covid rules allowed you to eat inside restaurants. I don’t know if you’re now able to eat inside if you choose to or not as they didn’t have any tables set up. But if it’s sunny, it’s definitely nicer to eat outside.
Overall
Just the thought of Smoke Daddies makes my mouth water. I’m already thinking about the next time I can go back to try more things from their menu. The Cuban Reuban is a top priority for my next visit. If you live in South London, or you’re visiting the area, definitely get a bite to eat here!
Check out their Instagram to see more of their delicious food.
Dietary Requirements
All the meat in this restaurant is halal.
If you are vegan or vegetarian, they serve vegan Beyond Meat burgers and add more goodies to the bun which looks like a delicious option.
Location: 14 Hildreth Street, Balham, SW12 9RQ