“Where’s the knife?” I whispered to my husband as we waited for our food at Whiskey Smoke 808 in Kaneohe.

The server had dropped off napkins and forks for us, along with our waters.

“You probably won’t need one; it’ll fall off the bone,” my husband replied.

“Goo,” echoed my daughter, seemingly in agreement with her dad.

Sure enough, when my two-choice entrée plate ($22.36) with pork ribs and lamb chop (add $1.50 for this option) was placed on the table, I didn’t need any utensils to enjoy. The pork rib did indeed fall off the bone; the lamb was easily tearable with my teeth. And, it must have smelled good, too, because my daughter started reaching for whatever I was putting in my mouth. By the time I realized what she was doing, I had finished the pork rib and started on the lamb. The latter is my favorite red meat, and while I wanted to devour all of it, I decided to rip a piece off to share with her. (The sacrifice of parents is real.)

Unsure how she’d tolerate the gaminess of the lamb, we watched intently as she gnawed on it. And, she absolutely loved it! Like mother, like daughter.

What I liked about my pork rib/lamb plate was the quality of the meat, as well as the expert preparation that caused the pieces to be tender (but not chewy) and flavorful (with or without barbecue sauce). And, speaking of sauce, I opted for the coffee bourbon and was not disappointed. In fact, if Whiskey Smoke 808 bottles this sauce, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. It’s savory with a hint of a cup of joe that’s not too overwhelming as to mask the flavor of the meat.

My husband got the pulehu short rib plate ($26) with smoked mac ’n’ cheese and elote as sides, and guava chile pepper barbecue sauce. The pulehu short ribs were fantastic, with the right amount of char on the exterior and loads of juicy flavor in the middle. I wasn’t a fan of the guava chile pepper sauce, as I prefer savory to sweet. However, I did like the elote, essentially stealing it away from my husband. It’s pretty tangy, which is right up my alley, and combined with the sweetness of the corn, it made for a satisfying accompaniment.

Before our meals, we had started things off with the pulled pork small nachos ($10.40), which set the bar pretty high. From the chips, spreadable cheese and pickled veggies to the tender pieces of meat and tasty sauce, this is an all-around winner in terms of texture, flavor and heartiness. Next time, I’ll just get the large nachos with brisket ($18.72) and call that my lunch.

Speaking of which, my only regret is not getting the brisket. A sign stated brisket wouldn’t be ready until 10:45, a.m. but we got there right when they opened at 10. I didn’t want to wait because I could already smell the meat they were smoking out back and it kicked my hunger into overdrive. First world problems, I guess.

Whiskey Smoke 808

Address 45-1118 Kamehameha Hwy., Kaneohe
Phone 808-861-7683
Hours 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays
Instagram @whiskeysmoke_808
Food: 4/5
Price: $$
Ambiance: 3/5
Service: 5/5
Parking: free in the lot (one way in, one way out)

Nicole Monton is the managing editor of Crave and contributing editor for Kaka‘ako VERT magazine. Follow her on social media (@nicmonton).