Mahogany Smoked Meats

Mahogany Smoked Meats is an exceptional destination. First, it is a mahogany wood smokehouse, which is rare. Mahogany gives bacon and ham a unique, aggressive smoke that imbues the meat with tobacco-like flavor. Second, the smokehouse offers a selection of quality beef and game jerky without equal in the region. Finally, the on-site deli makes abundant sandwiches using high-quality house-smoked meat products. While the sandwich operation is relatively new, the smokehouse dates back to 1922.

The most stunning sandwich is called the Stroke. It’s a jaw-busting portion of corned beef and pastrami served hot on rye with mustard and Swiss. The corned beef has the rich flavor of pickling spices and is juicy and tender. We also like the deli club, which offsets smoked turkey breast with sweet honey ham as well as avocado, lettuce, and tomato: a refreshing summer sandwich.

On the side of a sandwich comes an excellent potato salad, which actually is our favorite thing to eat here. It has a lot of texture from skin-on potatoes and crunchy celery, and its flavor is mostly from bits of world-class mahogany-smoked bacon. Mustard dressing adds refreshing acidity to balance the bacon. Had we known how good this stuff is, we would have ordered larger portions. Sandwiches come with only tiny ramekins.

We liked our sandwiches so much that we returned for a breakfast burrito. We imagined that a combination of the heady bacon and smoked pepper jack cheese would make for a genre-bending package. But the burrito sunk under dry potatoes and mealy eggs. Tasty salsa served alongside wasn’t enough to save it.

We think the deli should take more pride in the great smokehouse bacon. It’s such a beautiful product, but it isn’t cooked to order and doesn’t come out crisp. Perhaps a better way to experience the high-quality meats is to take them home and prepare them yourself. This place is really about self-catering for mountain vacations.

That brings us to the jerky. Do yourself a favor and get more than you think you’ll need. The customer favorite, Western beef, combines teriyaki marinade with lots of black pepper, creating a harmoniously sweet and spicy jerky with rich beef flavor that magnifies as you chew. We like game jerkies even more. Elk jerky has a subtle, juniper-like flavor that evokes the forest. If you like spicy, all the meats are available with habanero marinade. We tried it with buffalo: the strong burn of chile pairs well with mildly gamey meat.