The Daily News Rounds Up Great NYC Barbecue But Forgets Three Important Restaurants

The New York Daily News took a stab at rounding up some of the best BBQ joints in New York City in today's issue. The authors interviewed several NYC pitmasters and chefs to help show off all the barbecue styles you can find in the city, from Texas to Kansas City to North Carolina, and described the fast-growing scene here.

“When we opened eight years ago, there were probably three other barbecue restaurants,” Charles Grund Jr., pitmaster at Hill Country, told the Daily News. “Now there’s a good place in almost every other neighborhood.”

Grund makes an excellent point and even though he told the News that, the authors still forgot three key Brooklyn BBQ restaurants that are helping to define NYC's barbecue culture.

While I'm happy that the piece includes mentions John Brown Smokehouse, Morgan's Barbecue, Hill Country, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and the relative newcomer Arrogant Swine, three restaurants are missing from the piece. (Be sure to read my Hill Country review and Arrogant Swine review, if you are so inclined.)

The three missing restaurants you should immediately try are:

1) Hometown BBQ - Those who know NYC BBQ know Hometown is a powerful force in the city's barbecue scene. Almost anything you order here is prepared with an uncommon amount of love and care. But be sure to try the beef rib and brisket.

 2) Delaney BBQ: BrisketTown - There's no getting around the fact that the brisket at BrisketTown is the star. That said, many of the other meat and side options will also blow you away. Some might criticize this venue for its lack of BBQ sauce (I don't), but this is a Top 5 venue that knows what it's doing.

3) Fette Sau - One of the most celebrated BBQ restaurants in the city is Fette Sau. The lines are still horrendously long and slow if you show up at the wrong time, but if you come early, you'll be just fine. The pork ribs, baked beans, and specialties like pastrami and lamb are all worth the wait.

Hopefully the Daily News will find room for these three in their next roundup.