The Best New BBQ Joint in the Bronx Hopes to Survive 2020
Hudson Smokehouse opened in the Bronx earlier this year. (Photo via Hudson Smokehouse)
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When Hudson Smokehouse, a BBQ joint in the Bronx, opened its doors in the first week of March, the owners had no idea the dining room would be shut down just two weeks later by COVID-19. But despite the pandemic, the restaurant is still humming along, with robust takeout and delivery orders.
Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, I haven’t been able to go try the restaurant myself yet. But it does already has a lot of fans, who have fallen in love with the restaurant's Texas-style brisket, smoked wings, spare ribs, pork belly burnt ends, and smash burgers.
Owners Steve Zera, Kenny McPartlan, and Ana McPartlan have been doing all they can to keep the restaurant going, and they are looking forward to opening up for more outdoor dining and limited indoor dining. I spoke with Zaro about what is happening with the restaurant now, what things were like when they had to close the dining room, and more to get a sense of how they are surviving.
Sean Ludwig: When did you get started on making Hudson Smokehouse a reality?
Steve Zera: We started construction in January 2019 with a target opening date of June. Then, with problems with the city and everything else, it ended up being March 2020. It had to do with permits, having to change architects, and we were waiting for a liquor license — which we still don't even have yet because of the city.
SL: What barbecue work had you done before starting Hudson Smokehouse?
SZ: I've done a lot of barbecue vending and catering at festivals up and down the east coast and competed in a lot of KCBS barbecue competitions. I started with KCBS competitions and it grew from there. Then I partnered with the owners of the Glen Roy Tavern on 149th St in the Bronx, who have been successful locally.
Brisket is the top seller at Hudson Smokehouse. (Photo via Hudson Smokehouse)
SL: Why did you set up shop in the Bronx?
SZ: There's basically no barbecue in the Bronx. I took [Kenny from the Glen Roy Tavern] to Fette Sau and a few other places in Brooklyn and he was shocked at how good some of the food was. And he agreed we needed to bring that to the Bronx.
SL: There's a lot of Southern and Soul Food joints in the Bronx. Do you consider that barbecue and what makes yours different?
SZ: It's a little different. I think the biggest thing is smoke. None of them are using a smoker and very few places, if any, have brisket on the menu.
SL: What changes has the business had to make since opening to make things work since the pandemic started and how is business now?
SZ: When we started, we had just dine-in, but we had to pivot quickly so we added Grubhub, UberEats, and DoorDash. And it's actually been steady ever since. ... While that part has been pretty good, one thing that really kept us going is partnering with World Central Kitchen to make meals for them. We make about 1,800 meals a week on average to feed seniors and at-risk people. I'm not sure we would have been able to make it without them. If that didn't happen, we would have been better off just closing the door and then waiting to reopen.
Hudson Smokehouse has been working with World Central Kitchen to make 300 meals a day to feed people in need. (Photo via Hudson Smokehouse)
SL: Were you impacted by the recent meat shortage?
SZ: Yes, our cost of brisket went up to $7 to $8 a pound for Prime. But I wasn't going to jack up my prices for a short amount of time, so we actually ate that cost. Thankfully now it's almost back to normal. It's close to $4 a pound now, but I am on my sixth meat supplier.
SL: Did you consider taking brisket off the menu temporarily?
SZ: No, it's my biggest seller so I couldn't do it. It's my most popular item. Thankfully we also sell a lot of smoked-and-fried wings, ribs, and a ton of smash burgers.
SL: On top of the difficulties you had with the restaurant, I heard you had a very rough April on a personal level.
SZ: Yeah, I actually got coronavirus in early April and I was at home for five weeks. I got it pretty bad and it was even in my lungs. I decided to stay at home instead of going to the hospital and did my best to do exercises and keep moving even though I was tired. We closed the restaurant for a day to give it a deep clean after I was confirmed, but the funny thing was not a single person besides me ended up getting sick.
SL: What's the rest of 2020 looking like?
SZ: We've got tables outside and we are looking forward to using them more. We are waiting on a liquor license and hoping to get that soon, so we can sell to-go cocktails. And by the end of the summer, I hope we are able to have a lot more dine-in service. I also want to build up our catering, and we've already had some people starting to make requests.
Ribs are another popular item at Hudson Smokehouse. (Photo via Hudson Smokehouse)
Thank you to the team from Hudson Smokehouse for sharing their story, and I can't wait to visit as soon as things open up again.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
A new barbecue restaurant called Pulkies has just opened in Chelsea Market. (Photo via Pulkies/Facebook)
The operating team behind Manhattan hamburger joint Creamline has just opened a new self-described “Jewish barbecue” restaurant called Pulkies inside Chelsea Market on West 16th Street. The joint has a diverse menu that includes brisket, turkey, vegetarian mains, and various sides. It has a special emphasis on turkey, with pulled BBQ turkey, pastrami turkey breast, confit turkey wings, and turkey salad.
Staten Island joint Juicy Lucy BBQ is close to launching its new drive-in movie theater concept on Friday, June 26. Limited tickets will be available for the first showings, so be sure to go online when tickets become available on Monday, June 22 at noon at juicylucybbq.com to grab tickets.
Classic New York steakhouse Keens has quietly reopened for takeout and delivery orders, the first time in its 135-year history, Eater NY reports. One of its specials it the “legendary” mutton chop, which is available for $62. It also has a 16-ounce Prime New York Sirloin for $56, boneless braised beef short ribs for $29, and more.
Hill Country Barbecue Market will soon open a new kiosk inside the renovated Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport. This BBQ-on-the-go option will be the best barbecue choice for those flying in and out of LGA, while Blue Smoke to-go is the best barbecue option for JFK Airport travelers.
IRL BBQ
NOTE: Given the coronavirus crisis, we will be leaving this section blank until things get back to normal. Many events continue to be up in the air, but I’ll be doing my best to keep the website up to date with events and dates that have been confirmed.
Check out the full up-to-date NYC BBQ calendar here.
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