One of NYC’s Best BBQ Events Returns This Spring

Brisket King NYC is returning to Brooklyn in April 2021. One pitmaster who hasn’t competed at Brisket King NYC before and has excellent brisket is Ed Randolph of Handsome Devil BBQ.

Brisket King NYC is returning to Brooklyn in April 2021. One pitmaster who hasn’t competed at Brisket King NYC before and has excellent brisket is Ed Randolph of Handsome Devil BBQ.

This is the web edition of the NYC BBQ Weekly newsletter. If you would like to receive this in your inbox for free each week, subscribe here!

Note: Welcome back to NYC BBQ Weekly, which went on hiatus in early 2021. The newsletter is back but likely will be published every other week unless major news items or events happen. Enjoy the newsletter and let’s hope things are back to “normal” soon. -Sean

Next month, one of the city’s best local barbecue events will return with the 9th annual Brisket King NYC. The event regularly features chefs and pitmasters serving up their best brisket and pastrami creations and the chance to safely mingle with friends and local barbecue talent. (Buy tickets for Brisket King here.)

This year’s event will be hosted on Wednesday, April 21 at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn. Pig Beach has an enormous outdoor space, which means there will be much more room for social distancing and the ability to keep people safe as the pandemic continues.

Pig Beach has hosted many large barbecue events, so expect Brisket King to have a similar and very fun vibe.

Pig Beach has hosted many large barbecue events, so expect Brisket King to have a similar and very fun vibe.

During the event, a selection of judges will try every offering and one pitmaster will be named the Brisket King of NYC for that year. In 2019, Juicy Lucy BBQ in Staten Island took home the top prize.

Brisket King NYC plays a special role for the local barbecue community, and many of the top pitmasters in the city have won the top prize at the event. Past winners include Billy Durney of Hometown Bar-B-Que, Josh Bowen of John Brown Smokehouse, Ari White of Wandering Que, and Sruli Eidelman of Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse.

“An important part of the event this year is re-emphasizing local talent and restaurants,” Jimmy Carbone, owner of Food Karma Projects and long-standing organizer of Brisket King, said. “For the past couple of years, we’ve been a more national event. But with COVID we’ve had a chance to re-focus on New York City restaurants that are passionate about their brisket. … It's a celebration of brisket."

Expect a ton of creative and delicious brisket bites, like this 2019 People's Choice Winner from Robert Cho of Kimchi Smoke.

Expect a ton of creative and delicious brisket bites, like this 2019 People's Choice Winner from Robert Cho of Kimchi Smoke.

The lineup at Brisket King NYC 2021 will include more than 10 chefs and pitmasters, including:

More restaurants and pitmasters may also be added later. Notably, several of the pitmasters featured this year will compete for the first time. These include Ed Randolph of Handsome Devil BBQ (who opened an excellent Hudson Valley restaurant in late 2020), Bret Lunsford of Blue Smoke (who makes very fine brisket at the Battery Park City location of Blue Smoke), and James Cruse of Central City BBQ (the only true out-of-town competitor).

Former Brisket King winners such as Robert Austin Cho (left) of Kimchi Smoke and Richie Holmes of Juicy Lucy BBQ will be back this year.

Former Brisket King winners such as Robert Austin Cho (left) of Kimchi Smoke and Richie Holmes of Juicy Lucy BBQ will be back this year.

While COVID-19 numbers are getting better locally and nationwide, people today generally expect higher standards from event organizers to keep people safe. To do this at Brisket King, organizers will require social distancing, mask-wearing when you are not eating, and enforcing capacity limits. In many ways, the fall 2020 event Pig Island NYC (from the same organizers) showed a safety-focused food event could work in the first place.

“At Pig Island in 2020, people really didn't have a problem and we spread things out,” Carbone said. “The venue we are at this year has expanded their outdoor space, so things can be similar. There will be more than enough room for everyone there.”

Brisket King tickets cost $60 per ticket and include all-you-can-eat barbecue bites and plenty of drinks. VIP tickets run $150 per ticket and they allow you to enter an hour early, meaning more brisket bites and a chance to see some of the judging in action.

I’m greatly looking forward to Brisket King NYC 2021, and I hope to see you all there. If you haven’t already, buy tickets here.

Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ

EAT ALL ABOUT IT

Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse is serving great kosher BBQ at a new location on the Upper West Side.

Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse is serving great kosher BBQ at a new location on the Upper West Side.

Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:

  • Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse, one of the top barbecue joints in all of NYC, has officially opened its second location on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The kosher menu will remain similar to the Crown Heights location, with an emphasis on brisket, pastrami, chicken, and lamb. The new restaurant is currently constructing an outdoor dining structure to take advantage of promising spring weather. READ MORE HERE.

  • One of the most exciting new BBQ joints in all of New York State is Southern Junction in Buffalo, which mixes Texas-style barbecue with Indian cuisine. If you are in or around Buffalo, be sure to stop by. READ MORE HERE.

  • The New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association and DoorDash recently announced the recipients for the COVID-19 relief grant program. The restaurants granted awards included Fink’s BBQ Smokehouse and many more. Restaurants will be awarded $2,500 or $5,000 in funding which can be used to pay rent, purchase cold-weather equipment, PPE, and more. READ MORE HERE.

  • Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque has added Texas chili (no beans!) and freshly baked cornbread to its menus at local NY and NJ locations. READ MORE HERE.

  • I featured the Lamb Belly Bahn Mi sandwich from Brooklyn's Hometown Bar-B-Que in a roundup of the country’s best BBQ sandwiches in a recent issue of The Smoke Sheet newsletter. READ MORE HERE.

IRL BBQ EVENTS

Brisket King 2021 will be the first great BBQ event of the year.

Brisket King 2021 will be the first great BBQ event of the year.

  • 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

If you're not already subscribed to the newsletter, sign up here. You can also follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If you want to write for NYC BBQ Weekly, sponsor the newsletter, or let me know about the best new barbecue you’ve tried, send me an email and let’s talk!

Sean Ludwig