Up N Smoke Rib Shack

Driven past this place for years, never knew they were even open. The building sits sideways to the road and the operation seems kind of low key.
Tried the ribs, St. Louis style with tips attached. Found them to be a bit chewy, which I’d attribute to a lower grade of meat, versus how they were cooked.
House bbq sauce was great, I think they really have something there with that sauce.
They had no brisket, and seemed to be actively serving hot dogs, BLTs, and wings to area residents, primarily being a carryout business. Lot of deep frying going on.
House slaw was good, as were their greenbeans, which had bits of smoked pork mixed in.
Prices were reasonable.

I’ve been driving by this place for years, and finally decided to stop in and give it a try. This is a small family owned business without any frills. They are very friendly and helpful. Up-​n-​Smoke only has one table, so they are set up for carry out, not for dining in. I built my own sampler, buying a half slab, rib tips, pulled pork and sliced brisket. Each came with two sides, so I selected double portions of fries, coleslaw, greens and green beans. Portions were satisfying, and the quality of the meat products was good.
This is by no means the best BBQ I’ve ever eaten, but it is the best I’ve found in the area. The meat is nicely smoked, but I’d prefer if they seasoned it more prior to smoking. The sauce has a pretty nice balance of sweet and tang, but here it lacks the little bit of heat that I like. Everything comes covered in sauce, so I recommend requesting sauce on the side instead. This gives you the option of eating some bites without the sauce.
The spare ribs were very large with lots of meat and also some fat. Smoked to tender, but not falling off the bone. Rib tips were delightful little chucks of meat, clinging to pieces of cartilage. I enjoyed gnawing on the tips, but my wife didn’t love it. I thought the pulled pork sandwich was tasty, with a nice balance of meat and sauce, and I also enjoyed the sliced brisket.
As for the sides… Coleslaw is creamy style and pretty good. Greens are homemade and tasty. Fries are a typical frozen product, but are nicely fried and lightly seasoned. And, the green beans appear to be canned beans but are seasoned with bits of pork or bacon. They turned out to be pretty good.
If you’re staying at the beach between Michigan City and New Buffalo, and like barbecue, I suggest you give it a try, and form your own opinion.

Ahhh some of the best rib tips ive had in awhile-​its just a small little place but it seems to he pretty popular as i seen a lot of people picking up food. Give it a try