We drove passed Dick’s Smokehouse a couple of times before clocking it. It looks like an end of terrace house although perhaps the giant star-spangled banner out front should have been a giveaway.

There’s no dedicated parking but if you’re driving, the huge train station car park is a short walk.

The food is billed as classic American style BBQ cooked over natural coal and wood. Cooking is low ‘n’ slow resulting in tender, smoky meat. There are a couple of veggie options, but the focus is meat as you’d expect.

We found the starters and accompaniments suited us better than the main courses. For instance, sticky, zingy chicken wings were delicious and devoured by everyone at the table. Cauliflower bites – deep fried florets with a yoghurty ranch dressing were also superb.

The main courses were a bit large for us which we know is a positive for a lot of people. We left so much food that the waitress came over to ask if something was wrong. It wasn’t – all the food was perfectly tasty. The pulled pork and the shredded beef were both tender and smoky while pickles and sauces were top notch. Hot dogs were somewhere between a frankfurter and a ‘normal’ sausage and had a nice bit of heat served with crispy onions and mustard in a brioche bun.

As an American inspired restaurant, it works a treat and does what it says on the tin. It’s not fine dining but it’s a lot of fun. There are plenty of cocktails and mocktails to whet your whistle too. If you love this kind of food, and lots of it, Dick’s will hit the spot. We might go back and work our way through the starters like a US-style tapas. That would be great.