There’s a moment of pure, unadulterated joy that happens when you take your first bite of properly smoked brisket – that perfect marriage of smoky bark, rendered fat, and tender beef that practically dissolves on your tongue.
At Federal Hill Smokehouse in Erie, Pennsylvania, that moment happens hundreds of times daily as locals and travelers alike make the pilgrimage to this unassuming brick building on West 26th Street.
You might drive past it if you weren’t looking – a modest two-story brick structure with a small sign and an aroma that should be classified as an official Pennsylvania landmark.
The line forms early here, and for good reason…