Cabin Fever Smokehouse & BBQ

Be careful what you ask for.

That's good advice for all of us, but even better advice for those who suggest a review of a restaurant that belongs to a relative, friend, neighbor or whatever. And I have to think that those who recommended Cabin Fever Smokehouse & BBQ were motivated by love or friendship or whatever. Which is very sweet, of course; it's laudable to be supportive of those close to you. But it's also a little risky.

That's because I'm not close to anybody at Cabin Fever -- if I were, I wouldn't have reviewed it -- and it's not my job to be supportive, it's my job to tell readers about restaurants. So here's the good news: Cabin Fever does have potential. And the bad: It hasn't reached it yet.

In a situation that's fairly common in Las Vegas but also pretty much unique to it, Cabin Fever is located inside a poker bar, the Outpost Saloon. While the sign outside points out Cabin Fever's existence, it gets a little confusing once you get inside and there are no other references to it, although the very pleasant barmaid is a great help in that regard.

The menu is fairly limited, which isn't surprising in a barbecue spot or any kind of restaurant that has all the hallmarks of a startup, as Cabin Fever does. The smoked meats, for example, are limited to brisket, pulled pork, ribs and chicken.

Which is how we encountered our first big problem: Ordering a two-item, two-side combo plate ($12.50) of brisket and pulled pork, we also thought we'd try the ribs -- except that they were out of them.

OK then, the chicken.

Nope.

Hmmm. Yes, it was a weeknight -- and a traditionally slow one -- and yes, it does take hours to smoke meat properly. Then again: a barbecue restaurant that's out of two of the four barbecued meats it offers? If you aren't willing or able to have them available every day, maybe it'd be best to close on the days you aren't.

Somewhat at a loss, we opted for a Western BBQ Burger ($6.99), which was basically OK -- a burger with barbecue sauce, like we could get at most any poker bar that didn't house a barbecue joint. Cole slaw with it was OK, too.

Only OK, as well, was the appetizer combo plate ($9.79), which was your average-bar assortment of mozzarella sticks, stuffed potato skins, chicken wings and onion rings. Most of it seemed like it had arrived frozen and just been dropped into the fryer. That especially adversely affected the chicken wings, which had all the allure of fried naked chicken, since the sauce was served on the side to be dipped into later.

The potato salad we had with our barbecue combo plate also tasted as though it came from one of those "purveyors," and not a good one, as there were hard chunks of potato mixed in and the rest wasn't particularly interesting. A side of shredded red cabbage was nice and crisp but needed more moisture and seasoning.

And finally, the barbecued meats: Both the pulled (and chopped) pork and the shredded brisket were succulent, moist and tender, with plenty of smoky flavor. They did leave a considerable film of oil on the plate; we'd suggest the kitchen blot the meats a little. And next time, we'd try a different sauce. From a number of choices that sounded more interesting, we took the BBQ, because we figured it for the house, but ouch. Dipping into it the first time, I was confused, thinking I'd somehow gotten some apple butter by mistake. Tasting it by itself, I did note a vinegar tang, but the texture and fruity overtones were just too weird. We finished the meats plain.

And enjoyed them, the grease notwithstanding, and besides, our frosty glasses of draft Fat Tire helped cut that.

"We're still smokin," reads the Cabin Fever banner, and indeed they are. But for this smokin' place to really catch fire, its owners and staff are going to have to pay a lot more attention to the details.

Las Vegas Review-Journal reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at 383-0474 or e-mail her at hrinella@ reviewjournal.com.