6 NYC BBQ Joints with Outstanding Brisket
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One of my favorite barbecue items ever is brisket. In fact, it’s one of the items I most frequently judge a barbecue joint by, because of the difficulty of getting it just right. Brisket can take up to 20 hours of smoking time if it's large enough and there's a lot of ways to make mistakes.
While New York may not be the best-known city for barbecue in the country, there are at least 20 joints in the area serving great BBQ, whether it's for takeout or for outdoor dining. I've been to nearly all of them, with an especially careful eye for the brisket.
Here are six NYC-area BBQ joints where you really need to try the brisket.
Hill Country Barbecue Market serves up tasty Texas-style brisket.
Hill Country Barbecue Market — Manhattan
Hill Country Barbecue Market has been serving great Central Texas-style brisket in Manhattan since 2007 and it continues to do so to this day. The restaurant continues to innovate, and it even hosted a "barbecue musical" in early 2020. Place orders online here.
Hometown Bar-B-Que's brisket is worth waiting in line for.
Hometown Bar-B-Que — Brooklyn
Hometown Bar-B-Que's locations in Red Hook and Industry City are worth stopping in for, especially for the brisket. But you could honestly get almost anything on the menu and be happy. Place online orders here.
Juicy Lucy BBQ won Brisket King NYC 2019 for its mouth-watering brisket.
Juicy Lucy BBQ — Staten Island
Juicy Lucy BBQ, which recently opened a cool drive-in movie theater, has been known for its brisket since it won the Brisket King NYC 2019 competition. The joint has only been open for a year but has attracted a lot of fans, especially on Staten Island. Place online orders here.
Kimchi Smoke serves up great brisket, at the restaurant and at events.
Kimchi Smoke — New Jersey
Westwood, NJ's Kimchi Smoke, long a staple of NYC-area barbecue events, has also been known for its excellent brisket for years. The restaurant has had serious ups and downs this year, but it continues to put out a top-notch product and lots of creative specials. Place online orders here.
Morgan's brisket is great, especially on a sandwich.
Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue — Brooklyn
Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, which has one of the best outdoor spaces in Brooklyn, has very good brisket to offer its customers. If you're in the mood for more than brisket, be sure to order the Holy Trinity platter. Place online orders here.
Pig Beach's brisket sandwich, which I ate recently, is epic.
Pig Beach NYC — Brooklyn
Pig Beach NYC recently reopened with big changes to account for safety and social distancing. One of their top items remains the brisket, whether it's in sandwich form or by the half-pound. The joint also recently started offering deliveries to Westchester, Greenwich, and The Hamptons. Place online orders here.
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A few honorable mentions I have to add here include Red White and Que Smokehouse in New Jersey, Izzy's Brooklyn Smokehouse in Brooklyn, Mable's Brooklyn Smokehouse in Brooklyn, the original Mighty Quinn's Barbeque in the East Village, and Gentle Giant Brewing in Rockland County.
I’m sure my list is missing a few other great places to get excellent brisket, but these are a few standouts I can wholeheartedly recommend. If you find some excellent brisket in NYC and don’t see it listed here, please let me know.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Tribeca’s Holy Ground NYC hosted great popups before opening its barbecue speakeasy but has returned to popups for at least the rest of the summer in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Tribeca-based barbecue speakeasy Holy Ground NYC is back in business with a series of new pop-ups in Manhattan and Brooklyn. On Wednesdays, the team will be set-up at Nolita bar Ray’s; from Thursday to Sunday, they are at Elsewhere in East Williamsburg; from Friday to Sunday, they are at Joe’s Auto Repair in Williamsburg; and on Sunday, they’ll be at the bar Donna in South Williamsburg. Keep an eye on its Instagram Stories to keep up with their popup schedule and menus.
Popular New York BBQ chain Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque has just opened a new franchise location in Garden City, NY (on Long Island) after the pandemic delayed its originally scheduled spring opening.
If you like to order groceries for delivery in NYC, you can now order pre-made barbecue that you only have to heat up as part of your delivery from Hill Country Barbecue Market. The joint has multiple meal kits that can be ordered from Baldor Foods.
The American Royal World Series of Barbecue, held annually in Kansas City each fall, has canceled its 2020 edition. The event is the largest barbecue competition held in the U.S. each year and attracts teams from all over the world, including many from the Tri-State area.
NYC-based Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque and Russ & Daughters were both shouted out by Buzzfeed for their delicious delivery options on Goldbelly. A few non-NYC barbecue joints made this list as well.
A much-buzzed-about Korean BBQ popup called Char Kol has opened up in nearby Philadelphia. “Char Kol invites guests to cook their own marinated meats over charcoal grills planted at each outdoor table,” writes Eater Philadelphia.
Finally, before you go to your next barbecue or group outing, here’s one thoughtful way to consider the risk of COVID-19 via the Philadelphia Inquirer.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
Pig Island NYC is returning in September as a fun “socially distanced picnic” that will be more spaced out but still have awesome food.
Every Saturday through August 29: Green Hill Kitchen & Que in Greenport, NY (on Long Island) is hosting a Pitmaster Series, where each Saturday a big BBQ name will come and cook. Guests will feature Pig Beach, Gotham Burger Social Club, The BBQ Ninja, and Memphis Barbecue Company. More info here.
September 12, 2020: At Pig Island NYC 2020, this year’s event will be a socially distanced picnic at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden on Staten Island. Come enjoy food and drinks at this 84-acre outdoor space. Buy tickets here.
September 12, 2020: This year’s NYC Hot Sauce Expo will take place at the Brooklyn Expo Center. This event was rescheduled from April due to COVID-19 but is currently planned for September. The Hot Sauce Expo typically features tons of vendors you can buy hot sauces and BBQ sauces from Buy tickets here.
November 7, 2020: The Forest Hills Wings Fest, perfect for anyone who loves chicken wings and beer, is scheduled for November at Cobblestones Pub & Biergarten in Forest Hills, Queens. Lots of wings will be available to try and more. Buy tickets here.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19, information concerning events in NYC is subject to change and events may be rescheduled. Click the button below to see the latest up-to-date information. CHECK OUT THE FULL EVENTS CALENDAR HERE
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