8 Must-Eat BBQ Dishes in NYC
BBQ tends to be more closely associated with other parts of the United States, but pitmasters across the five boroughs would flip the bird to that notion in typical New York fashion. Believe it or not, NYC actually has its own diverse and exciting genre of BBQ. It has become a custom that chefs pioneering the NYC BBQ game bestow flavors from their individual cultures and upbringings to their barbecue. There’s also plenty of pitmasters employing traditional BBQ techniques that could make any transplant from the south or midwest feel right at home again. In any case, our appetites are beginning to scream for brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and the like, so we’re highlighting 8 BBQ dishes in NYC you must eat.
This article is just a small taste of the certified 🔥 BBQ dishes you can find on 8it. Hit the green button at the bottom of this article to explore the 8it app.
Chicharron
Bark Barbecue // Dumbo
📸: @bark_barbecue
This is truly one of the defining BBQ dishes in NYC. Cross-cultural pork belly maximized with a crispy exterior and a melt-in-your-mouth interior. Dominican-influenced chicharron is one item you won’t find on many BBQ menus in the city and that unique flavor profile sets Bark apart from other barbecue vendors. Chef Ruben Santana started Bark Barbecue out of a backyard, then moved to a food stand in Howard Beach, Queens, did pop-ups for a year and a half, and has now landed a brick-and-mortar at Timeout Market in Dumbo while keeping a Saturday pop-up at Smorgasburg in Williamsburg. That’s a strong come up no matter how you cut it.
This dish is recommended by: The Infatuation, 8it NY
BBQ Pigtails
Jase’s BBQ // Prospect Park
📸: @jasebbq
The flavors of Jase Franklyn’s homeland, Trinidad & Tobago, give his barbecue the kind of bite we keep coming back for, and he’s never afraid to pull off something unexpected. His specialty, barbecued pig tails, approved by Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern, made a splash at the New York City Wine & Food Festival back in October. Although some of the best brisket, pulled pork, and ribs the city has to offer was onboard the Intrepid that day, Jase’s pigtails were the morsels on everybody’s tongues both figuratively and literally. This summer, you can find Jase at Smorgasburg Prospect Park on Sundays.
This dish is recommended by: 8it NY
Burnt Ends
John Brown Smokehouse // LIC
📸: @nycbbq
A Michelin Bib Gourmand from 2013-2018, John Brown Smokehouse is famous for Kansas City-style Barbecue and represents its marquee dish, beef burnt ends, extraordinarily well halfway across the country. The tip gets concentrated with more heat than other parts of a brisket in the smoker, creating an intensely rendered bit of meaty goodness encapsulated by sticky bark that becomes a dish of its own. That, my friends, is a burnt end. These bites of midwestern inspiration are essential to your NYC BBQ tour. They sell out quick, so get there early.
This dish is recommended by: New York Magazine
Brisket and Sausage Platter
Mable's Smokehouse & Banquet Hall // Williamsburg
📸: @lifebysydelle
Smoky Oklahoma City-style barbecue reigns king at Mable’s in Williamsburg with recipes passed down to co-owner Jeff Lutonsky from the restaurant’s namesake, his Oklahoman grandmother. This style of barbecue combines Texas-style staples like brisket and sausage links with the tangy tomato-based sauces typical of Kansas City. If you crave heat to match the smoke, go for the hot link sausage on this platter. But if you’re swinging for a heady changeup, try the Polish kielbasa sausage. Better yet, get both. You can’t go wrong.
This dish is recommended by: Eater
Pork Ribs
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que // Harlem, Gowanus
📸: @dinosaur_bbq
One of the first names that comes to mind when you think of BBQ in New York City and the state New York as a whole, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que does BBQ staples right. The marriage of a tobasco-laced sauce and a rub dotted with cayenne pepper gives the bark on their ribs a slight kick that provides a satisfying lip tingle. That punchy exterior leads into a smoky, succulent, fall-off-the-bone interior; the smoke rings don’t lie. Dinosaur uses hickory wood, known for having the richest, strongest flavor profile, in their smokers to ensure that every bite is as smoky as it is sweet and peppery.
This dish is recommended by: Gothamist
Pastrami Bacon
Hometown Bar-B-Que // Red Hook
📸: @hometownbarbque
This epic rasher puts the NYC in NYC BBQ. It’s like taking the best parts of a pastrami sandwich and a BEC and subtracting the bread. A smoked, grilled slab that puts Boar’s Head to shame, you might never buy a pack of supermarket bacon again after trying it. Peppery pastrami spices hug the exterior while buttery fat provides the perfect contrast. Owner Billy Durney’s expertise has brought Hometown to the national spotlight; it’s one of the few NYC BBQ joints that regularly makes national lists. He’s not just copying BBQ from other regions either, and this deli crossover represents the unique spirit of NYC BBQ.
This dish is recommended by: Chef Carl Ruiz
BBQ Nachos
Virgil’s Real BBQ // Midtown, UWS
📸: @virgilsrealbbq
A cheesy amalgamation on par with its Times Square surroundings, these nachos provide an escape from the perpetual hullabaloo on 44th and Broadway. This dish is as outrageous as the naked cowboy and chubby solicitors dressed as Spiderman, but it’s right at home in Times Square. We know that’s probably the last place on Earth you’d associate with BBQ, but you can also enjoy this plate in serenity on the Upper West Side. Pulled chicken, pulled pork, and Texas-style brisket are piled high with cheese, jalapeños, bacon, and scallions atop tortilla chips.
This dish is recommended by: Eater
Brisket
Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue // Battery Park City, West Village, UES, Midtown, Gowanus, Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, Forest Hills
📸: @mightyquinnsbbq
Throw a stone in New York, and you’ll likely hit a plate of brisket from Mighty Quinn’s. By far the most popular dish at this multi-location barbecue success story, this brisket has grown a loyal following from its humble beginnings at Williamsburg’s Smorgasburg. Tender with melting, rendered fat and a salty, nearly sweet bark, it’s smoked over a mild blend of oak, apple, and cherry wood for 22 hours, making the flavor more beefy than smoky. The scientific process Mighty Quinn’s utilizes delivers a product every bit as consistent as it is accessible.
This dish is recommended by: Thrillist
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