Indoor Dining Returns to NYC BBQ Restaurants
Hill Country Barbecue Market, one of the city's largest barbecue joints, has created a new spaced-out setup for indoor dining. (Photo via Hill Country Barbecue Market)
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On Wednesday, New York City welcomed back indoor dining, which has not been allowed since mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local restaurants that have been badly hurt by the restrictions were happy to open their doors back up, including several top barbecue joints.
While the thought of returning to indoor dining might sound nice to some, diners thus far have been hesitant throughout the region about returning because of the potential of catching the virus while eating or drinking near strangers. New York and New Jersey were hit so hard at the beginning of the pandemic, the majority of people here are more cautious than in other parts of the county. Outdoor dining, however, remains popular and will continue to be an option for diners before it gets too cold.
To keep NYC diners safe, both New York State and NYC governments have put in place a lot of changes to the indoor dining experience. At Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, for example, customers must wear masks when not at their tables, temperature checks are required for every guest and employee, a member of each dining party must leave contact information for contact tracing purposes, and more. This hasn’t deterred Morgan’s co-owner Penny Glazier.
“We are happy to welcome back the few diners we are permitted to have indoors,” Glazier said. “We’re excited to welcome our guests back inside as we love sharing our passion for barbecue with more of the community.”
Morgan's Brooklyn Barbecue has a great outdoor dining setup but it is glad to be opening up for indoor dining as well.
Given that only 25% capacity is currently allowed for indoor dining, this also means seating is at a premium, and it will be hard for restaurants to operate for long under those conditions. New York State, however, may approve the NYC area for 50% capacity indoor dining as soon as November 1, which would help restaurants as much colder temperatures approach in November and December.
“With the size of my space, that only means 14 seats,” Steve Zera, co-owner of Hudson Smokehouse in the Bronx, said. “Even when it goes to 50%, I can’t add much more than that because of the 6-feet spacing. Hope this weather lasts long.”
Notably, a few popular barbecue joints told me they would not be participating in indoor dining for the time being, including Hometown Bar-B-Que in Red Hook/Industry City, Arrogant Swine in Bushwick, and John Brown Smokehouse in Long Island City. For John Brown specifically, it is moving locations in the next week but even once its move is done on October 8, it will not open indoor dining until restrictions are relaxed further.
“I’m holding off until I’m not having to do temping and tracking,” John Brown Smokehouse partner and pitmaster Josh Bowen said. “BBQ restaurant employees are not trained medical professionals.”
The list of barbecue joints now open with indoor dining in the New York City area includes:
Blue Smoke – Manhattan (Battery Park City) – Open 7 days a week with indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery.
Corner House BBQ – Staten Island – Open 7 days a week with indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (Brooklyn and Harlem) – Manhattan – Open 7 days a week with outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery.
Fette Sau – Brooklyn – Open Wednesday through Saturday with indoor and outdoor seating, plus takeout and delivery.
Gentle Giant Brewing – Rockland County – Open Tuesday through Sunday with indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout.
Hill Country Barbecue Market – Manhattan – Open 7 days a week with indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery.
Hudson Smokehouse – The Bronx – Open Tuesday through Sunday with indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout (order here) and delivery.
Juicy Lucy BBQ – Staten Island – Open Friday through Sunday for indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery. (They also have a drive-in movie theater.)
Mable’s Smokehouse – Brooklyn – Open 7 days a week with indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery.
Main House BBQ – Brooklyn – Open Sunday through Thursday with reservations typically required for outdoor dining.
Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue – Brooklyn – Open 7 days a week with indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery.
Pig Beach – Brooklyn – Open Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays) with indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery.
Queens Bully – Queens – Open 7 days a week for indoor and outdoor dining, plus takeout and delivery.
(NOTE – If I missed a joint, please let me know.)
As the next month progresses, New York restaurants should get more clarity on the situation, whether it’s good news or bad. If the positivity rate of COVID-19 cases holds steady or declines, more people will likely give indoor dining a chance and that would improve the chances of restaurants hoping to survive the winter. If COVID-19 cases spike up, however, indoor dining could potentially be halted, and that would spell doom even more restaurants.
Pig Beach in Brooklyn is one of the restaurants that has opened for indoor dining but they also have a great outdoor dining presence as well.
On a final note, the Pete Wells of the New York Times recently released an easy checklist of what to look for at indoor dining to help you determine if it’s safe. He said you should leave if you notice “stuffy, stale air,” “crowds standing around the host station or anywhere else,” or “tables that are too close together.”
Please stay safe out there everyone. And a reminder that if you’re not comfortable with indoor dining, please think about doing more outdoor dining or consider ordering takeout or delivery from your favorite local restaurants.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Juicy Lucy BBQ on Staten Island announced it has changed its hours for fall and launched a new "pumpkin patch" that will debut this weekend for families.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Juicy Lucy BBQ on Staten Island has changed its hours for the fall to Friday through Sunday only. It is launching a new “Pumpkin Patch” for families that will run on Saturdays and Sundays through Halloween and will continue to operate its drive-in movie theater through at least November as well.
Holy Que Smokehouse, a Texas-style barbecue joint, is heading to Bucks County near the popular Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, PA. It will open up on Oct. 20 and the menu includes brisket, pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and more.
Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs, which dates back to 1977, has opened a new location just outside of Rochester. The restaurant is “best known for its hand-breaded wings with a choice of sticky, sweet sauces. It also offers slow-roasted barbecued ribs as well as several other dinners and sides.”
The long-awaited opening of Oink and Moo BBQ Market will take place this weekend in downtown Somerville, NJ. Not only will you be able to buy fresh smoked meats there, but also the store will sell items for “all BBQ needs including charcoal, wood chips, grill tools and accessories, smokers, BBQ sauces, and BBQ rubs.”
Best of NJ has profiled Brothers Smokehouse, which recently opened a second location in Ramsey, NJ. “We think we’ve found a second home in Ramsey,” the brothers said. “The town is great, and we’re lucky to be here.”
NJ restaurants including Vagabond BBQ in Frenchtown said they are concerned about what happens if COVID-19 cases spike, which could lead to indoor dining from being expanded. “If (coronavirus) cases spike in New Jersey ... I don’t know that we would be able to make it, to be honest with you," said Chris Ventura, co-owner of Vagabond BBQ. “We’re working on every angle that we can, trying to do some marketing and reach out to different groups on Facebook and to do some catering, but it’s tough – especially when you’re new.”
Schwind’s Pork Store, a specialty butcher shop in Rockaway, NJ that first opened in 1935, permanently closed earlier this month.
Finally, in a fun note, New Jersey BBQ hotshot Kimchi Smoke was mentioned by J.C. Reid in the Houston Chronicle for its amazing brisket-doughnut sandwich. Reid said the restaurant “took the trend to a new level with its ‘Chonut’ (named after owner/pitmaster Rob Cho) featuring brisket, kimchi, bacon, cheese, and scallions on a doughnut bun.”
IRL BBQ EVENTS
One of the few upcoming food events on the calendar is the Forest Hill Wings Fest in November.
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.
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. 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 take 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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