The Best Thanksgiving BBQ Options in NYC
Hill Country Barbecue Market is ready to serve up a feast for Thanksgiving.
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Thanksgiving is going to look a lot different this year due to the pandemic. With large gatherings rightfully discouraged, we’ll instead likely see smaller groups of family and friends eating turkey or having dinner together over Zoom. Regardless of how you celebrate, the food you enjoy during this strange year can still be top quality.
Many New York City area barbecue joints are now taking orders for Thanksgiving specials like smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, stuffing, mac and cheese, and made-from-scratch pies. Two restaurants are even planning to offer eat-in Thanksgiving dinners as well.
Here are all the local BBQ places you can find great smoked turkey and much more for pre-order.
Blue Smoke has offered up great Thanksgiving options for several years.
Blue Smoke - Manhattan, NY
Blue Smoke is offering Thanksgiving packages that include smoked turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and more. Several delicious pies are also being sold a la carte. More info here.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Brooklyn - Brooklyn, Harlem, and Newark
All three local Dinosaur locations are offering Thanksgiving packages, with one of the best deals around: $190 for a package that serves 8 to 12 people. It includes smoked turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pies. More info here.
Fette Sau - Brooklyn, NY
Fette Sau in Williamsburg offers Thanksgiving-focused catering orders, including turkey, mac and cheese, collard greens, and more. Email them at fettesaubbq@gmail.com to place your order or if you have questions. Teaser about the packages here.
Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue - Brooklyn, NY
Fletcher's has been smoking and serving Thanksgiving turkeys for years and this year at it again. On top of turkey, Fletcher's also has the option to buy whole smoked briskets in case you want to change things up. Options for sides include collard greens, mac and cheese, pit-smoked beans, and cornbread. More info here.
Gentle Giant Brewing - Pearl River, NY
Gentle Giant's inventive barbecue menu also extends to Thanksgiving. The operation offers multiple packages that include turkey, stuffing, gravy, pies, and other sides. Plus, they offer a la carte ordering as well. Orders must be picked up the day before Thanksgiving. More info here.
Hamilton Pork - Jersey City, NJ
You can pre-order a 10-12 pound whole smoked turkey for $99 from Jersey City hotshot Hamilton Pork. You can also order many a la carte items from their catering menu as well. More info here.
Hill Country Barbecue Market - Manhattan, NY
Hill Country offers one of the most expansive Thanksgiving menus, and it is one of the rare joints that’s also open on Thanksgiving itself. This year, groups max out at 6 people per table, so only your pod will be allowed a socially distanced table. It costs $75 for adults, kids under 10 are $40, and kids under 5 eat free. Several Thanksgiving packages are available for pick up too. More info here.
Juicy Lucy BBQ - Staten Island, NY
Juicy Lucy BBQ, which is always offering something new and creative, has a Thanksgiving feast this year that runs $250 and serves 18 to 20 people. It includes smoked turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, rolls, and much more. Call 718-979-1888 to place orders.
Kimchi Smoke - Westwood, NJ
Kimchi Smoke in New Jersey will be offering several Thanksgiving specials including smoked turkey breast, brisket, mac and cheese, cornbread, and more for order. Send an email to info@kimchismoke.com if you want full catering options or want to place an order. More info here.
Mable’s Smokehouse - Brooklyn, NY
Mable's in Williamsburg is offering a Thanksgiving Feast that comes with a smoked turkey that feeds 10-12 people, plus sides such as collard greens, mac and cheese, BBQ baked beans, and more. Contact events@mablessmokehouse.com for questions or to place your order. More info here.
Morgan's has a lot of delicious options for Thanksgiving.
Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue - Brooklyn, NY
Morgan's Brooklyn Barbecue in Prospect Heights will be open on Thanksgiving with socially distanced tables, but it is also offering a Thanksgiving-themed package where you can choose between smoked whole turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, and more for $220. Pies cost extra but they are worth it. More info here.
Pig Beach - Brooklyn, NY
Pig Beach in Gowanus has a nice Thanksgiving package for $250 that serves 10 to 12 people, and it includes whole smoked turkey or smoked ham as the main, plus sides and pies. There are also a bunch of delicious a la carte options too. More info here.
Pulkies - Brooklyn, NY
Pulkies, a new Jewish BBQ joint in Brooklyn, is offering two different Thanksgiving packages with smoked turkey and inventive sides. More info here.
Queens Bully - Queens, NY
Queens Bully in Forest Hills has a Thanksgiving-focused takeout menu that offers both smoked and fried turkey, plus sides including mac and cheese, cornbread stuffing, creamed corn, and more. This might be the only joint I’ve seen doing fried turkey, so if you’re anywhere near Forest Hills, do not miss out on this. More info here.
Red White & Que Smokehouse - Kearny, NJ
New Jersey hotshot Red White & Que is offering 12-to-14 pound whole smoked turkey with stuffing, gravy, & fresh cranberry sauce for $100, plus they also have smoked turkey breast, sides, and more available a la carte. Orders should be submitted via their main site or by sending an email to redwhiteandquesmokehouse@gmail.com. More info here.
Virgil's in Times Square won't be open for eat-in service but you can still get a Thanksgiving package for pickup.
Virgil’s Real BBQ - Manhattan, NY
Virgil's offers take-out and delivery catering packages for Thanksgiving. Their $295 package includes an 18-pound whole smoked turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, biscuits, and more. They also have apple or pumpkin pies available for order. NOTE: This year, Virgil’s is available only for takeout and delivery from sister restaurant Carmine’s on the Upper West Side. More info here.
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If you want to place a pre-order from any of these joints, I would highly recommend getting those orders placed in the next week since many of these places will sell out.
Additionally, if you are looking for a place to eat-in at a New York BBQ joint on Thanksgiving itself, Hill Country Barbecue Market in Manhattan and Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue in Brooklyn are the only two options I’ve heard. Please let me know if I missed any great BBQ places for Thanksgiving orders and I’ll add them to this list.
This year, if you’re not making your own food, I hope you’ll consider ordering Thanksgiving items from local joints.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
Ducks Eatery in the East Village, which was known for its brisket, ribs, and barbecue dishes, is closing for good this weekend.
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Sad news: Ducks Eatery, an East Village restaurant known for its creative barbecue and Southern dishes, will close its doors permanently on Saturday, November 7, Eater NY reports. During its eight-year run, the restaurant had been known for its smoked pastrami, brisket, ribs, and goat neck. The restaurant was not able to open outdoor dining and if it opened for indoor dining, it could only fit 10 people at state-mandated 25% capacity. Ducks will have one final brisket night on Friday, November 6.
Just before Election Day, Eater NY critic Robert Sietsema wrote about the barbecue, booze, and dollar pizza slices that have been part of election traditions for many years.
Piggy’s Deli & BBQ, a popular Hackettstown, NJ deli, has permanently closed after 13 years in business. “It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the closing of Piggy’s,” the restaurant posted Sunday on its Facebook page. “We opened our doors on February 1, 2008. Since that day we have met so many wonderful people and had so many wonderful experiences that a goodbye post could not do them justice. It was a privilege to serve our community for the last 13 years and will miss being part of so many people’s lives.”
A few weeks back, Flatiron-based BBQ joint and bar The Hog Pit announced that it had permanently closed on social media. “To our valued customers & friends, after 25 years in business, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors,” the owners wrote on Instagram. “It's been a fun & wild ride full of incredible memories and we hope you remember the great times we had together over the years.”
IRL BBQ EVENTS
The Great Queens Chicken Wing Hunt starts soon, where you can take part in trying the best wings in Queens.
November 8, 2020 - February 8, 2021: The Forest Hills Wings Fest has been canceled but it has turned into The Great Queens Chicken Wing Hunt instead. From 11/8 through 2/8, you can pick up a “Wing Hunting Season Pass” and visit great joints around Queens to try wings. At each participating location, you’ll get four jumbo wings. Buy tickets here.
January 30, 2021: The 11th Annual Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival will be back at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint. The event focuses on bourbon and beer tastings, along with multiple barbecue joints serving up lots of excellent smoked meats. More info here.
April 21, 2021: If you love brisket, you won’t want to miss Brisket King 2021. More than 15 chefs and pitmasters will be there serving up their takes on brisket and pastrami. Read more about the 2019 edition of Brisket King or about the importance of Brisket King to the BBQ community. 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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