Get to Know Bark Barbecue, the Hottest New BBQ Pop-Up in NYC
Ruben Santana is the pitmaster behind exciting Queens-based Bark Barbecue.
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Starting in July 2020, a mysterious new barbecue pop-up in New York started making waves on social media and barbecue circles. Going by the name Bark Barbecue, it offers up the type of legit Central Texas-style barbecue that can only be found at a handful of joints in the NYC area.
But because Bark is only available (for now) on Saturdays in Queens, you’d be forgiven if you didn’t know much about the operation. Bark Barbecue was started by Ruben Santana, a 34-year-old Queens native who calls Ozone Park home. Santana is a relatively new student of Texas barbecue, but’s a fast learner and he now sells out every pop-up he hosts.
I chatted with Santana recently to get the low-down on his backstory, how he cooks his delicious food, and what the future might hold for Bark Barbecue. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Sean Ludwig: Where did you grow up and what’s your life like outside of barbecue?
Bark Barbecue: My name is Ruben, I'm of Dominican descent, and I was born and raised in NYC. I grew up the majority of my life in Jamaica, Queens. My day job is working as a partial owner of an HVAC service company.
SL: How long have you been cooking and smoking barbecue?
BB: I've been cooking barbecue for as long as I could remember. However, smoking meat in a really big way is something I started at the beginning of 2020 right before the pandemic.
SL: What type of smoker are you using and what type of wood?
BB: I'm currently cooking on a Primitive Pits 500-gallon offset smoker. I started off on a Char-Griller offset from Home Depot. I made a lot of good food on the Char-Griller, but with the cold weather, the thin metal made it difficult to manage and maintain temps. So I had to upgrade. I primarily use white oak from Hartsdale Greenhouses. Usually, I look for wood seasoned for about 10 to 16 months so I can have a decent amount of moisture content for flavor.
Bark Barbecue serves up serious Central Texas-style barbecue at its pop-ups.
SL: When did you officially start selling barbecue on the streets of Queens?
BB: I first started selling smoked meats under the Bark Barbecue name in July 2020, and it was actually out of my backyard. It’s grown a lot since then.
SL: How much barbecue are you typically serving up each Saturday these days?
BB: We typically will cook close to 300 pounds, and maybe even more depending on the pre-orders received and how the weather is forecasted.
SL: Where did the name Bark Barbecue come from?
BB: The origin of the Bark Barbecue name is merited to my wife, who actually helps a lot behind the scenes and with service. We were thinking of names and she suggested "How about Bark like the bark on the brisket?” I thought it was spot on and eventually, we added “barbecue” at the end. It’s funny how a lot of people who aren't familiar with smoked barbecue believe it's related to our dog.
SL: When did you host the first Bark Barbecue pop-up out of NYC and how did it go?
BB: Our first out-of-town pop-up was in Fairmount, Philadelphia at a popular bar called Urban Saloon. This pop-up was actually a joint event with my good friend Jordie from Meat Sweats BBQ. Doing this type of pop-up was a totally different experience than when I was cooking and serving in my backyard. We cooked over 250 pounds of meat and sold out in less than 3 hours, so I like to believe it was a success. I learned a lot about timing and follow-through. It’s a whole different animal when you don't have your holders and are trying to align your set-up time and the end of your cook.
Don’t pass on the ribs from Bark Barbecue.
SL: Have any barbecue joints influenced you in your journey?
BB: To be honest, I would have to say every BBQ joint in Texas. If I had to name a few of those that I’ve been influenced by, it would be Franklin Barbecue and Leroy & Lewis.
SL: How do you describe your barbecue style?
BB: Our style is definitely Central Texas-style. It's a style that I believe is truly genuine to the meat. It also puts on a full exhibition of flavors, and it has a melt-in-your-mouth texture on these mammoth cuts. We make a BBQ sauce that everyone loves, however, every time I ask "Would you like sauce?" and get the response "No sauce needed," I grin and say "thank you.” However, a lot of our sides are actually of Dominican influence including the potato salad, cornbread, rice, and maduros. I feel those flavors pair well with the meats perfectly.
Bark Barbecue’s side dishes have a Dominican influence.
SL: What's your favorite cut of meat to cook and why?
BB: I don't have a particular cut that I would only like to cook, and I like everything including brisket, beef ribs, turkey breast, and chicken. I feel they all have their own difficulty levels in rendering fat, setting bark, and pulling at that right point in the cook to make sure you don't go over and keep those delicious juices inside.
SL: What do you think of the barbecue scene in New York today? Any favorite joints that you admire in the NYC area?
BB: Barbecue in NYC is strong. It might not be like other regions. But I'm of the belief that even though we are so diverse culturally and there are so many different flavors and styles of food, BBQ still seems to be that one food that can bring all those different people together. Every Saturday you will see all types of people making a line for our barbecue and I love that.
Hometown Bar-B-Que and Hill Country have both really resonated with me. Hometown is actually a place I admire but not only because of their present status but because of the work it took Billy to first open following Hurricane Sandy. His location was almost destroyed during construction and even with that, he and his team had a cookout to help feed the locals in the area. To me, that's very telling of the mental fortitude that's needed for barbecue. Not everything goes as planned, but you have to be able to move forward.
Definitely order a full platter when you stop by Bark Barbecue.
SL: You're only offering barbecue on Saturday pop-ups in Queens right now. Any intention of expanding to more days or hours or more places around NYC?
BB: Expansion, scaling, growth are all words that have to be associated with you after you've purchased a 500-gallon smoker. But yes, the goal is to eventually be able to offer our BBQ more days of the week and to different locations in NYC. However, a lot goes into that including space, time, and area. Not that we're picky, but what we do takes a lot of work.
SL: Do you have plans to make this a bigger operation in the future, such as a restaurant?
BB: Definitely! Ever since we started each weekend, we asked ourselves, “What can we do better?” Whether it be with the meats, sides, or customer experience, we will always have that drive of wanting to give people not only great food but a great food experience. So for us, the next step is having a brick-and-mortar store where people can come have lunch or dinner and leave with memories of, "Wow, did you see how many smokers they have?" or "Wow, I would just come here for the smell of the wood burning.”
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If you want to check out Bark Barbecue in person, they will be hosting several pop-ups in Queens on Saturdays this month. Keep an eye on Bark Barbecue’s Instagram page for more. Santana will also be assisting another young NYC BBQ hotshot, Jase BBQ, at the Rib King NYC competition at the 5 Boro PicNYC on May 29.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Hometown Bar-B-Que has been included in the new 2021 Michelin Bib Gourmands list for NYC.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Many great NYC restaurants, including Hometown Bar-B-Que and Katz’s Deli, have made the new list of 2021 Michelin Bib Gourmands for New York City. This great list focuses on the more “affordable” but still high-end dining experiences. In theory, the 131 standout restaurants on the list are places where you can order “two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for under $40.” It’s nice to see several barbecue and barbecue-adjacent restaurants on the list. READ HERE.
The team behind Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue has launched an exciting new Mexican restaurant called Tiny’s Cantina. Morgan’s suffered a fire in January, so while it is temporarily closed, the staff and owners cooked up a new concept. Chef and pitmaster Cenobio Canalizo is running the kitchen at Tiny’s and will oversee Morgan’s food program when it reopens as well. I stopped by on the first day and ate some tasty al pastor wings and BLT tacos. I’ll be returning soon so I can check out the new restaurant’s more than 75 mezcals, tequilas, and bourbons. READ HERE.
In a new BBQ-focused data study from BBQ Revolution, New York ranked sixth of cities with the most barbecue restaurants. All the cities ahead of NYC are mostly heavy hitters in barbecue, but it’s nice to see New York in the top 10. READ HERE.
A new USA Today list of the 10 best vegan barbecue restaurants in the United States listed Monk’s Meats of Brooklyn as its number one spot. Monk’s Meats operates out of Starr Bar in Bushwick and offers up excellent vegan barbecue. READ HERE.
Speaking of lists, a new Good Housekeeping list of the best barbecue sauces for summer includes Dinosaur Bar-B-Q’s Sensuous Slathering BBQ Sauce. READ HERE.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
The next big BBQ event of the year will be the Rib King NYC competition during the 5 Boro PicNYC.
May 15, 2021: Who says NJ doesn’t have great BBQ and beer? The Beer BBQ Bacon Showdown in Morris Plains, NJ, is New Jersey’s first festival featuring only New Jersey beer, coupled with restaurants, gourmet food trucks, and more offering BBQ & bacon creations. There will be a competition to showcase their culinary skills, with a panel of judges choosing the best of the best, along with the People’s Choice awards. BUY TICKETS HERE.
May 29, 2021: This Memorial Day weekend, you won’t want to miss the food, drinks, and fun at the 5 Boro PicNYC at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island. This event will feature a new version of the Rib King NYC competition, winners from Sauce King NYC showing off their best sauces, and much more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
July 31 & August 1st, 2021: The 11th Annual Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival will be back at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint for a two-day event. This event focuses on bourbon and beer tastings, along with multiple barbecue joints serving up lots of excellent smoked meats. BUY TICKETS HERE.
September 11, 2021: At the end of the summer, Pig Island NYC will celebrate its 12th year on September 11, 2021, at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. Join in for all-inclusive food and drink, from all-star pitmasters and chefs who will be serving up delicious porky goodness, as well as local breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Top chefs will compete for the best dishes and event-goers reap the benefits. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 16-17, 2021: The 8th Annual Hot Sauce Expo NYC will be back for two days in fall 2021. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint and will feature tons of hot sauce samples, barbecue, and beer to purchase, fun on-stage events, and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19, information concerning events in NYC is subject to change, and events may be rescheduled. CHECK OUT THE FULL EVENTS CALENDAR HERE.
SAY HELLO
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