Little Blue Smokehouse, Brighton

I haven't done a food review on here for a long time. But, it would be rude not to share this meat feast with you. 

I'd make a meat pun, but I'd probably butcher it.

No?

At least it wasn't a sausage joke. They're the wurst.

Sorry, I'm pretty terrible when it comes to puns.

The Seven Stars is right in the middle of Brighton, and is a great place to pop in to if you're in need of an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The decor may seem a little on the 'hipster' side, with murals on the wall, caged seating areas and exposed brickwork but, it's a great place and the staff are very friendly and know their stuff. Plus anywhere that plays old school rnb, funk and hip hop gets my vote.

Like most new pubs in Brighton, there’s a craft beer menu which didn't appeal to me but, did to my date. I went straight for the cocktail menu - the team behind the pub have infused Sipsmith gin with various flavours themselves.

But, the main reason why I popped by was to the check out the food. 

This is the place to go if you like all the meat. 

The kitchen is run by the guys behind The Little Blue Smokehouse. Their love for Southern-style, slow-cooked, BBQ food was initially a hobby but just over 2 years ago they decided to give Brighton's first street food market, Street Diner a shot. The queues at their stall every Friday were always the longest, and then last month they took over the kitchen at The Seven Stars. 

A match made in food and drink heaven in my opinion. 

We may have over-ordered, but when everything on the menu sounds delicious (take a look at the menu here) - from small plates perfect for sharing, to dishes that are perfect for a hangover, and a whole section offering a lot of fries in different guises, they've got your back.

To start, we went for the Mac n Cheese bites with bacon Jam and ranch dressing, Smoked Pigs Head Fritters with piccalilli, which I was a little dubious in ordering, as I'd seen the actual pigs head on their Facebook page the morning before my visit (not for the fainthearted!) and the standout for me, the Korean Chicken Wings which had just the right amount of heat in the sauce and didn't leave you with no tastebuds left and chugging water for ages after. 

We both ordered a 'main' which I feel was a little adventurous but, we powered through it -I had the Chargrilled Smoked Belly ribs and honestly, if it hadn't been for all the other dishes we ordered, I could've eaten more than the one that was brought out - tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. So, darn good. My date had the Brisket which, he liked but ended up leaving the bread it was sandwiched between to one side as it felt a little too heavy. Both came with homemade Slaw and pickles, which were a perfect accompaniment to the dishes.

The Kimchi cheese fries are definitely worth a shout - a perfect 'snack' if you don't fancy tucking in to the full menu and I can only imagine, a great hangover cure as well - they're also the manager's favourite dish and she's tried the whole menu! 

I loved the smoked ham hock greens and, will be making my own version of those at home. The flavours were great and they weren't stingy on the meat either.

I finished with (another) Sipsmith cocktail. The Rhub my tini is a concoction of rhubarb and vanilla infused gin, apple juice, lemon and sugar finished off with a shortbread rim (anything featuring shortbread gets my vote every time). I could've drank a bucket of these - not too sweet and sickly and a perfect drink to finish off with. 

All in all, the food was brilliant and the portions very generous. Prices start from around the £3 mark (small plates), and rise to £12.95. It's a great place to go for lunch or dinner - food service times are: Monday – Saturday 12-10pm and Sundays until 9pm.

I'm already planning my next assault on the menu, and will be dragging my little brother along when he next comes down from London. I just better remember to wear an elasticated waistband next time - walking all the way back to Hove with the top button of my jeans undone was a little inappropriate, but totally worth it. 

The Little Blue Smokehouse and Seven Stars pub can be found at: 27 Ship Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AD