When it comes to reviewing restaurants, I tend to divide subjects into two categories: the known quantities and the wildcards.

With the former you are going in with a certain expectation that you’re in for a decent meal. Maybe the place has already been drawing praise from reliable sources – I’m thinking of somewhere like Harbour Street Tapas in Whitstable – or you’ve had a tip from someone in the know when it comes to the best spots.

The latter, on the other hand, tend to be either obscure backstreet joints with little or no profile, or venues that have only recently opened their doors and may still be finding their feet.

In cases like this, the fear is always that you are going to stumble across something terrible.

Contrary to what some readers might think, no one goes into a review eager for a disastrous meal that will provide an excuse for putting the boot in.

We all know that running a successful restaurant is tough, so you don’t want to have to pan something that people have poured their heart and soul into. And ultimately life is too short to be wasted on bad food.

All of which is to say that we were feeling somewhat trepidatious as we rolled up to DJB Smokehouse, a recently opened barbecue joint on Park Street in Ashford, on a chilly Saturday afternoon.

We arrived about half an hour after opening to find we were presumably the first diners of the day. The restaurant is on the ground floor of the building which once housed the Downtown Diner, and the room is done out in a very utilitarian fashion with little in the way of unnecessary decorative touches.

Invited to “take a seat anywhere” – and rarely is that offer quite as literal as it was on this occasion – we slid ourselves into a booth and were presented with a menu.

Initially we were a bit crestfallen because, despite the festival of romance being celebrated the day previous, the only thing on offer was the special Valentine’s Day menu. The intriguingly-named Texas Twinkies that had caught our eye on the website would have to wait for another time.

We decided to take up the offer of two courses for £70, which for us would mean a mix of smoked pork ribs and barbecue chicken wings to start, followed by the mixed Pitmaster Platter.

To wash it all down we opted for pints of Brixton Brewery’s Low Voltage session IPA, priced at what these days seemed a rather reasonable £5 a throw.

Soon our starter appeared at the table and the ribs in particular looked the real deal, the rub blackened on the outside and the meat itself still showing just a hint of pink.

After just a couple of mouthfuls we were convinced that the kitchen here knows what it is doing when it comes to grilling and smoking.

The ribs were thick cut and generous, still properly juicy, with the smokiness and the seasoning in fine balance. The wings were similarly good, crispy skin giving way to moist meat that fell away from the bone with ease.

Our earlier disappointment at not being able to select from the full menu was banished by the arrival of the Pitmaster Platter, because now it was clear we were getting a chance to sample the smokehouse’s full meaty repertoire.

We were presented with a selection of beef brisket, smoked turkey, pork belly bites and hot-link sausage, all accompanied by slaw, seasoned fries, cornbread and house-made pickles. It was quite the feast, and, just like the starters, all the meat was excellently done.

The turkey in particular was a far cry from the dry old Christmas Day roast that has done so much to give this bird a bad name on these shores, sliced in thick slabs that retained plenty of moisture.

My wife, who hails from the States but not from the heartlands of barbecue, was a little unsure about the cornbread and the ranch dressing we opted for with the fries, but they were the only bits of the whole meal that didn’t quite hit the spot. You’re coming to a smokehouse for meat and on that front everything we tried was bang on the money.

By the time we pushed back our plates (and asked for a doggy bag to take the last of the platter away) a few other families had arrived and more staff had clocked on for what I imagine would have been a busier evening service.

It’s still early days for DJB Smokehouse, but if they can maintain this quality of cooking then there’s every chance of success. We’ll be back for those Texas Twinkies.

Ratings out of five:

Food: We got a chance to try a bit of everything and were not disappointed. This is very decent barbecue ****

Drink: A relatively streamlined offering, but you can’t really argue with a £5 pint these days ***

Decor: Basic to the point of almost being bland, but an extra mark for the excellent country soundtrack ***

Staff: Our server was bright and chatty and made us feel extremely welcome ****

Price: Since it was a special menu it is hard to judge the value on a normal day, but for £35 a head we were left stuffed ****