Harbercue Smoke House @ The Mash Tun, Charing Cross, Norwich

I've been hearing great things about Harbercue for months. Previously residing in the Ten Bells on weekends only, Harbercue has recently taken up residence in The Mash Tun (formerly the Hog In Armour).

Being particularly busy at work earlier in December, my team had not had the opportunity to celebrate fully, so arranged a 'few' pre-Christmas drinks for Wednesday night. Being a school night, sustenance was essential and I volunteered to find somewhere for us to go.

Thankfully Harbercue popped up on my Facebook feed and I put it forward as a suggestion. Wednesday are Ribs, Wings & Burger Night with a slightly cheaper reduced menu. I was concerned with the variety for vegetarians, but was assured that a veggie burger or some of the sides would be more than adequate, so booked the table.

After a good 2 hours of drinking, we were starving and stumbled into the Mash Tun. The pub has certainly had a bit of a change, with a variety of different beers on tap and a gin palace upstairs. The bar was busy and it wasn't obvious as to where we needed to go for food. I managed to find one of the Harbercue guys and we were shown our table near to the bar.

First thing to order were the Battered Pickles (£3). Every recommendation from friends has included something along the lines of "you must try the pickles". They definitely lived up to the hype. Thick slices of soft pickle deep fried in crispy batter, even the hesitant among us were soon tucking in.

With a smaller menu, I was disappointed not to be able to sample the brisket, but there were 5 burgers available (all priced between £7 and £8.50 with 1 side for £1.50) and I went for the Sticky Barbecue Burger - a double stack burger with barbecue sauce, cheese and crisp onions with a side of Double Cooked Fries and Mac n' Cheese (of course!)

Others in the group went for the other burgers available; the Double Stack Cheese and Bacon burger (exactly what it says on the tin), Southern Fried Chicken (need I say more) and The Cowboy (a homemade smokey bean burger).

Ribs, Wings & Burger Night Menu

We appeared to be the only table dining at 8ish that night and were placed close to the bustling bar, which suited our party perfectly. The food arrived quickly and conversation was paused while we excitedly attacked the food.

My burger was cooked to perfection, with big juicy patties and a delicious barbecue sauce. The crisp exterior of the onions were soft in the middle and I soon devoured it (making a bit of a mess with the bun unable to contain!)

Sticky Barbecue Burger

Burger close-up

The fries were fairly average, nothing wrong with them at all, but not too memorable (maybe I was spoilt by 7 Heaven's offering). The Mac n' Cheese was pretty disappointing - very thick and heavy,the pasta stuck fused together forming lumps.

Mac n' Cheese

There are a selection of sauces available on the table, including a hot sauce, ketchup and barbecue.

Southern Fried Chicken

The meat burgers were a resounding success with our group and I would highly recommend sampling them. Also, trying the Battered Pickles is a definite, they are incredible. Unfortunately my colleague did not rate the veggie burger - it was nicer than many, but the choice is fairly limited for vegetarians (as expected with a smokehouse). The Topped Fries (covered with green chillies and cheese) were much better and I would be keen to try these at another visit.

The Cowboy accompanied by Topped Fries

One point to remember is that as Harbercue is run separately to the bar, it is cash or droplet payment only. Unfortunately I had not been advised of this, so my manager had to come to my rescue and pay! The bill came to around £13 each for all food, which is a great price (drinks purchased separately through the bar).

I am definitely going to return on another night - the regular menu features The beast - pulled pork and brisket in a bun, which I desperate to try! There is now a Sunday Smoke Roast menu too (£10 for meat and £8 for vegetarian). Menus are available on the Facebook page which also includes regular updates on specials. This is a great venue for a group event or casual bite to eat and is perfectly placed in the Mash Tun. The Gin Palace upstairs opened on the night we were there, but we didn't get the opportunity to visit - the Mash Tun really has it all!

Food - 8/10
Service - 9/10
Atmosphere - 8/10
Value for Money - 9/10