They call her big Bertha, and she means business, so stuff a napkin bib into your collar ’cause it’s finger lickin’ good stuff. An inspired decision from James Viles of Biona, Bertha’s Meats has taken over his Bowral fine diner’s former bar space. A dividing wall and a refurb has breathed new life, and an entirely new concept, into the space.

The industrial tavern-style smokehouse has a primal feel, with its big open fireplaces. A succinct meat menu distinguishes between smoked, grilled and fried, along with a selection of hot sandwiches, and American-inspired sides.  Viles knows what he’s doing when it comes to smoking meat, the Bertha’s concept coming to life after an extensive research trip around the US, with head chef Ryan Kovac.

The Bertha’s meat sampler is a great tasting option to try a bit of everything. Slow-cooked beef brisket cooked over redgum wood has melt-in-your-mouth fat and a rich ‘bark’, the thick smoked crust on the outside of the meat. The crunchiest fried chicken wings would put the Colonel to shame – brined wings are coated five times over in a flour mixture seasoned with cardamom and native pepper. The flour coating extracts all the moisture, and when fried transforms into a seriously crispy batter.

Smoked pork sausage is a superior ratio of meat to fat, and served with thick slices of white bread and pickled carrot and gherkin for a DIY sausage sanga. Hot sauces are house made, first with fermented chilli to soften the kick of the spicy peppers, then thickened with local apples.

The sides, like mac and cheese with a quivering egg yolk to mix through the pasta carbonara-style, and cheesy grilled corn showered in a tingling smoked dried chilli, are worth the trip alone.

Wash it all down with a tinny of Viles’ favourite brews, Balter or Young Henry’s, and you’ve got the perfect smokehouse experience.