Embers & Ashes is a barbecue restaurant where the smoker is part of both the cooking and the character of the Show Place venue. Diners can settle into an open plan interior or the outdoor courtyard, while pickup and delivery take the same smokehouse style beyond the dining room. Event catering adds another side to the operation, but the everyday restaurant menu is substantial in its own right.
Burgers are built around very different expressions of barbecue. Smoked brisket is paired with slaw, pickles, chipotle garlic mayonnaise, Carolina mustard and barbecue sauce, while smash patties provide the classic beef option. Buttermilk fried chicken can lean mild or Nashville hot, and pork belly, pulled lamb and jackfruit give the burger list useful variety rather than simply repeating the same toppings across several proteins.
The smoker's output reappears in formats made for sharing. Pork ribs can anchor a table, while loaded fries pile brisket, pork, lamb or a mix of meats over cheese sauce and a combination of barbecue, mustard and chipotle flavours. Brisket nachos offer another generous plate, and crisp tortillas carry smoked brisket, pulled pork or lamb as compact tacos with slaw, pickles and house sauces.
House pies take the slow cooked meats in a more distinctly local direction, with fillings such as brisket with jalapeño and cheddar, beef cheek with merlot, and lamb shoulder with rosemary and mint. Dinner plates including pork belly bites, lamb shoulder arancini and beef tataki give seated diners alternatives to burgers and fries. Together, those choices show a kitchen using barbecue as a technique rather than treating it as a single dish.
Address: 12 Show Place, Christchurch, Canterbury Region 8024, New Zealand
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