Earlier today, recommending restaurant to a colleague, I realized how long it has been since I reviewed one myself. So, here I am. This break does not in any way mean that I have not been eating out much. In fact I have discovered some really nice places to eat in Islamabad, while many still remain on my list. One of the amazing places I have been to lately is Smokin’ Joes.
It is an Italian restaurant in F10 with a really quirky and diner-ish vibe, yet classy. There are aquariums, fountains and really welcoming interior/ lighting. The funny thing is that we’ve been to this place three times now and it has not officially been launched as they are still finalizing the menu and dealing with some legal modalities, but they wouldn’t mind serving you nevertheless.
The food has been consistently pleasing. The lasagna and pasta Alfredo are probably the best in town. The lasagna has a crispy top layer, with a very cheesy and succulent layers underneath. The pasta has also impressed each time. Their grilled chicken cheese sandwich was quite nice too. If you like cheese and chicken, this is the place to be. They call themselves the ‘pizza & grill’ but sadly I didn’t find pizza up to the mark. It was neither thin crust nor a thick one. While it didn’t completely disappoint me, there are definitely better pizzas in town. When asked, we did recommend them to work on it; who knows they might improve it. Every time the service has been great, even at 1.30AM. One of my favorite things about the restaurant is that its open until 2.00AM, so it’s a great place for an untimely snack.
Maryam Sohail 