Bark Barbecue Takes Huge Step with Move to Brooklyn's Time Out Market
Pitmaster and owner Ruben Santana of Bark Barbecue has attracted acclaim in the NYC area during the past two years. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
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For the past two years, pitmaster Ruben Santana of Bark Barbecue has made a name for himself by slinging some of NYC’s best barbecue at Smorgasburg and other pop-ups around the city. Now he’s taking a big step forward by moving his operation into the Time Out Market in Brooklyn next week, where he’ll be serving ‘cue seven days a week.
“With us increasing capacity and production this summer, trying to keep pop-ups going in the winter wouldn’t cut it. So in mid-summer, I was already thinking about what I was going to do,” Santana told NYC BBQ Weekly. “I wanted more stability. I didn't want to go from location to location in the winter.”
Santana said that Dough Doughnuts co-owner Steve Klein suggested the Time Out Market food hall would be a good spot for Bark to move, and Sanata agreed it would make a lot of sense.
“[Time Out] looked us up … and that we could actually be an asset for them,” Santana said. “And we could actually lift their reputation because it is relatively young still. It opened in 2019, then the pandemic happened. They haven’t hit their peak yet.”
Don't sleep on the excellent ribs from Bark Barbecue. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
The core Bark Barbecue operation (which started gaining buzz about two years ago) will not change drastically with the move. Meats will be smoked offsite in Queens and then transported to Time Out. Then said meats, including brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, pulled pork, and chicharron will be served alongside Dominican-influenced side dishes on a first-come-first-served basis until things sell out.
However, there will be a few notable changes. First, Bark will go from three days a week at Smorgasburg locations to seven days a week at the Time Out Market. Second, it will require more staff to keep the operation running smoothly. Third, the menu will expand with a few new items, including a spicy beef-blend sausage and a pork sausage with fried cheese mixed in. (Both sausages are house-made.)
One of the coolest parts of the Time Out Market in DUMBO is that the roof gives you a great view of the city and the Brooklyn Bridge. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Santana said he intends to bring Bark Barbucue back to Smorgasburg when it returns in the spring, in addition to the Time Out operation. And while the move to Time Out is Bark Barbecue’s first try at a brick-and-mortar operation, Santana looks at it as stepping stone until one day he can open his own restaurant.
“[We want] a brick and mortar where we can have the smokers on site, give pit tours of the smokers, people can smell the aromas when they come early morning,” Sanata said. “I want to have an iconic spot like Katz’s, where people put on their bucket list, ‘like we have to go there and go to New York.’”
One item from Bark Barbecue you must try is the crispy chicharron. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Bark Barbecue’s first official day at Time Out Market is Wednesday, Nov. 16th. It will be open from 11 a.m. to sell out. I hope you all will go check out the new iteration of Bark Barbecue this fall and winter and let me know what you think.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT (NEWS)
The team at Red White and Que Smokehouse in NJ will once again serve free meals to veterans on Veterans Day. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
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After Doug Henri — the pitmaster behind Henri’s Hotts Barbeque in NJ — died in December from COVID, his wife, Ruthie, stepped up to the smoker. New Jersey Monthly has the story. READ MORE.
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Philly Bite has a great list of the best barbecue joints to check out in Monmouth County, NJ. READ MORE.
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