Handsome Devil Brings Central Texas BBQ to NY's Hudson Valley
After a long wait, Ed Randolph is opening Handsome Devil in Newburgh, NY this weekend.
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For pitmaster Ed Randolph, opening his Handsome Devil barbecue restaurant in New York’s Hudson Valley has been a long time coming. After many delays, his restaurant will officially open this Saturday, November 21 in Newburgh, New York, about an hour north of NYC.
“I’ve been trying to find a place for us for over two years now,” Randolph said. “This is our eighth place that I put an offer on that we actually closed on. All along I’ve been acquiring equipment and putting it in storage to get ready for this day.”
Handsome Devil, which was originally slated to open this summer, focuses mostly on authentic Central Texas-style BBQ. The meats are smoked on a Randolph’s prized Mill Scale Metalworks smoker that is housed outside or on two J&R Oyler smokers inside the kitchen.
Handsome Devil focuses on authentic Central Texas-style barbecue.
The smoked meats menu includes brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, wood-fired chicken, Texas hot links, and jalapeno cheddar sausages. Sides include mac and cheese, collard greens with pork shoulder, sweet baked beans, coleslaw, crispy cauliflower, and honey butter cornbread.
“There is a Central Texas barbecue joint now in the Hudson Valley of New York,” Randolph said. “It’s all wood all the time. To steal a quote from my friend Anthony D at Swig and Swine in South Carolina, ‘We are cooking all smoke.’”
Randolph has a Mill Scale Metalworks smoker, a treasured real-deal Texas smoker.
Randolph and his team have also put special emphasis on the bar and drinks menu as well. The bar selection will lean heavily toward bourbon, including some high-end craft options.
“A lot of people here are used to your usual Jim Beams and Jack Daniels, but I want to offer them a Michters or a Basil Hayden's,” Randolph said. “It’s in the same price range but maybe something they haven’t had before."
The restaurant features a 5,400-square-foot dining space with social distancing, as well as takeout and delivery options that will be ramping up as the joint gets going. As of now, the restaurant is allowed to have 50% capacity indoor dining with 90 seats. But Randolph is ready to roll with whatever happens this year, even a potential pause on indoor dining if need be.
“The good thing about barbecue is that everybody likes it and takeout could be awesome too,” Randolph said. “So I think we have a good demographic here to do takeout. All of our stuff is cooked all night and we can have it ready for you the next day.”
Another platter of delicious Handsome Devil barbecue.
Randolph, who is the author of BBQ cookbooks Smoked and Showstopping BBQ with Your Traeger Grill and a Chopped champion, has had a lot of success prior to opening the restaurant. But the restaurant, to him, was always the goal and there’s still a lot of pressure to deliver.
“About a week or two ago, it felt awesome and I felt elated,” Randolph said. “Now there’s a lot of pressure. There’s a lot of people who believe in us and I don’t want to screw it up. Everything about this place is community. There’s family, and there’s people that donated their time. I can’t let them down.”
Handsome Devil will also feature top-notch cocktails as well, including this bourbon smash.
The new Handsome Devil restaurant is located at 3 Corwin Court in Newburgh, NY. Once the restaurant opens Saturday, its regular hours will be Wednesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. or until food is sold out.
“We’re stoked and happy to finally have a place to call home,” Randolph said.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
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IRL BBQ EVENTS
The Great Queens Chicken Wing Hunt is happening now and you can take part in trying the best wings in Queens.
November 8, 2020 - February 8, 2021: Throughout November, December, and January, The Great Queens Chicken Wing Hunt is being hosted around Queens. From 11/8 through 2/8, you can pick up a “Wing Hunting Season Pass” at Tap House in Forest Hills and then visit great bars/joints around Queens to try wings. At each participating location, you’ll get four jumbo wings. Buy tickets 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
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