Knoxville Cuban Quest: Barrelhouse BBQ Smokehouse by Gypsy Circus
- Jared Hagemann
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
Let's face it, Knoxville isn't really known for any particular food items, though you can make a argument for steamed sandwiches from Nixon's or perhaps even Petro's.
That being said, there's a wide variety of delicious food from around the country and the globe that has a home here, and the Cuban sandwich is no different.
Whether you believe the sandwich's origin lies in Tampa or Miami or somewhere else, the basic components usually remain the same: ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread and pressed.
This is a first part in our quest to find the best Cuban sandwich in Knoxville.
Barrelhouse BBQ Smokehouse by Gypsy Circus
The first stop on our journey is the Barrelhouse BBQ Smokehouse by Gypsy Circus, located on Lamar Street in the 4th & Gill neighborhood of North Knoxville, right around the corner from the Central & Broadway intersection.
The Barrelhouse features a wide variety of craft ciders and meads (including a delicious key lime one I tried today) and is home to weekly live music and other events, with more than 40 drafts available, and when the weather is nice, their patio is also excellent.
They also have food and smoke meat their own meat, which is where we find our Cuban sandwich. (The bartender who helped me out said their brisket is amazing, so check that out if you don't want a Cuban)
Just looking at the sandwich, everything seems like a pretty normal Cuban sandwich with pork being the only meat, except for the use of a French roll vs Cuban bread, but what can ya do.
I went with french fries for the side, though the bartender said their fried okra & fried brussel sprouts are crowd favorites and mac & cheese, which features beer cheese, is another great choice.
Biting into the sandwich, this sandwich already gains points for avoiding a problem with many Cuban sandwiches - it's not dry.
The smoked pork is cooked with their Queen of Swords cider, and that flavor comes through with delicious subtlety, present but not overwhelming.
Overall, a great sandwich, not sure what else to say but man it was good.
As a bonus, with any meal you get a side of their colorful house pickles, which are a delicious mix of tangy, sweet, and spice. Definitely don't skip these. (Supposedly Kool Aid is involved in some way)
The fries were classic and delicious, and I dipped them in their tasty "The Blaze" spicy BBQ sauce. The other sauces, Applewood Smoked Pepper and Sweet Molasses, were also great.
So, yeah, strong start to the Knoxville Cuban Quest: where do you think we should try next? Let us know in the comments!
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