Smoque wafts into Woden

Kells is the owner of Smoque, the popular southern barbecue restaurant in Civic, and is opening a new branch of the restaurant at the Abode Hotel on the southside.

After spending the weekend doing test runs, the restaurant opens to the public on Tuesday, October 28.

The new restaurant will serve the smoked meats and barbecued ribs that Canberrans have come to expect from Smoque but will also be open for breakfast with American dishes such as the monte cristo sandwich, the cronut, and breakfast burritos.

A separate section of the menu is devoted just to waffles, including the Fat Elvis (banana, peanut butter and bacon drizzled with maple syrup), the "death by chocolate" waffle and the more traditional southern chicken and waffles.

"I was looking around Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne ... I couldn't find a good waffle. A couple of places have started doing them since I've started advertising that I was going to do them," Kells said.

Those who aren't inclined to risk their waistlines with a buttery waffle treat can turn to more-healthy dishes such as a breakfast salad with poached eggs and spinach, and scrambled egg whites.

Kells also wants the new restaurant to become a hub for after-work drinks in Woden, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open out onto a deck for summer sessions.

"Outside we're going to set up a beer garden and there'll be a deck. Because there's nowhere in Woden to get a drink after work that isn't a club. It's clubs or you go home. When I started researching Woden, there isn't a bar. It doesn't exist," he said.

Kells said Smoque went through 1 ton of brisket and pork, 500kg of chicken wings and about 300 racks of ribs every week.

Southern-style barbecue is a huge trend in Australia's restaurants and cafes at the moment and Canberrans still seem to be in love with their pulled pork and ribs.

The new restaurant will do takeaways, deliver food to hotel guests during dinner, and will open seven days.