It’s pretty cool that someone decided one day that smoke could make food taste good. Science rules, and Wood Shop BBQ gets it. Whether we’re grabbing takeout or kicking back on their patio, this food truck-turned-brick-and-mortar in the Central District consistently serves some of the best barbecue in town. If you close your eyes and chaotically point at the menu a few times, you’ll likely end up with a tasty assortment of rubbed brisket, brined chicken thigh, and sandwiches stacked with things like pulled pork or portobello machaca on brioche. Even a terrific kale caesar is in the cards, too. But Wood Shop’s two greatest contributions to the world are as follows: their ribs, and their smoked jalapeño mac and cheese. The ribs are perfectly soft and pink, held in by a crust of spice and crackling, with a level of salt just powerful enough where you could add a healthy drizzle of housemade barbecue sauce—or dive into them as is. Then there’s the mac and cheese. Whether ordered on its own, as a bowl topped with shredded meat, or breaded and fried in a ball, the slightly spicy, effortlessly velvety mac and cheese is the best dish here, and without a doubt the number-one cheesy macaroni in Seattle. Better luck next time, Beecher’s. We love Wood Shop year-round, but come summertime, it’s one of the city’s great happy places. Their gravel patio is lined with picnic tables, games of cornhole are set up, and there’s the occasional live music performance to keep the good vibes coming as you and your friends gnaw on ribs. Pork meeting smoke is indeed a great chemical reaction, but so is dopamine meeting your brain—and you can thankfully experience both at Wood Shop.