Three Must-Attend NYC Barbecue Events in Early 2020
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As the new year begins, it’s time to take a look at all of the New York barbecue and food events planned for 2020 so you can start planning your calendars. As of now, there are not a ton of huge barbecue events scheduled in the Northeast in early 2020, but I’ve been hearing rumors we’ll see even more during the late spring and throughout the summer than we had last year, so fingers crossed for that.
However, there are a few New York events that should be on your radar now. Here are three must-attend events happening in the first four months of the year that I’d highly recommend you attend.
The upcoming Beer Bourbon and BBQ Festival in Brooklyn will feature tons of great food and drinks.
Saturday, January 18 - Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival 2020 - Brooklyn, NY
For the past nine years, the Beer Bourbon & Beer Festival has taken place in Manhattan. Now the event, which features copious amounts of smoked meats and drinks, will be taking a spin in Brooklyn for the first time at the Brooklyn Expo Center. The event will feature numerous barbecue vendors and the “NYC BBQ Beast Cage” where you can try exotic smoked meats like alligator, lamb, bison, and longhorn rounds. Additionally, I will also have a booth at the event, so you can come say hi to me as well.
The Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit at Pig Beach will feature amazing food and pitmasters from around the country.
Saturday, April 18 - Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit 2020 - Brooklyn, NY
Following the tragic death of pitmaster Jeff Michner, last year’s benefit in his name raised a lot of money for his family and for charity. The event featured more than 20 pitmasters and big barbecue names cooking up dishes like whole hog sandwiches from 17th Street BBQ, gnocchi with BBQ beef rib ragu from Big Bob Gibson BBQ, and smoked wings from Ubon’s Barbeque of Yazoo. Now Pig Beach will be throwing the second version of this event in Brooklyn on April 18 and you can expect amazing food and drinks, just like last year.
Calling all brisket and beef lovers: you will not want to miss Brisket King 2020.
Wednesday, April 22 - Brisket King 2020 - Brooklyn, NY
One of the most important events for NYC’s BBQ scene is Brisket King. Last year’s event featured a stunning win by Staten Island’s Juicy Lucy BBQ, as well as amazing brisket bites from Ash Fulk of Hill Country Barbecue Market, John Stage of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and Sruli "Izzy" Eidelman of Izzy's Brooklyn Smokehouse. More of the same will be on display this year. Early bird tickets will end soon, so if you’re interested, be sure to get tickets before the prices rise.
Buy tickets here.
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If you’d like to know about the biggest barbecue events happening nationally, my national barbecue newsletter The Smoke Sheet rounds up the largest events and festivals happening all over the U.S. as well.
Also, if you’re involved with any upcoming barbecue events in New York and the Northeast in 2020 that I haven’t listed on my NYC BBQ calendar, I would love to hear about it. Please email me and let’s talk about getting more BBQ events happening in and around New York.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Here are the top BBQ (and related) food news stories you need to know about this week:
The brisket burnt ends at TSTBBQ were highlighted as a top item you need to try in New Jersey in 2020.
Top New Jersey food writer Pete Genovese included many barbecue items on his roundup of 50 dishes you need to eat in N.J. in 2020. The list included the brisket burnt ends (above) at TSTBBQ and Mini Golf in Leonardo; the pulled pork sandwich at The Real Deal BBQ in Clinton Township; the brisket at Local Smoke in Neptune; the brisket sandwich at Bobcat's Texas BBQ in Ramsey; the burger at Carpe Diem in Hoboken; the ribs at Back Alley Barbecue in Pennsauken; and more.
The Upper West Side of Manhattan, a neighborhood without many barbecue options, will soon have a new barbecue joint with Au Jus opening in spring 2020. Au Jus has locations on the Upper East Side, Harlem, and Prospect Heights and focuses on Oklahoma-style barbecue and smoked meats. Its menu includes brisket, spicy sausage, pulled pork, ribs, hickory-smoked chicken, and more, so expect similar items to be available at the new location.
Over in Burlington, Vermont, the owners of successful new joint Mark BBQ have opened a second restaurant next door called Heart n Soul. While Mark BBQ focuses on high-quality Texas barbecue, Heart n Soul focuses on comfort foods like chicken fried steak, fried chicken, ribeye steak, pork chops, and Maryland crab cakes.
In My Central Jersey’s roundup of favorite foods of 2019, barbecue newcomer Vagabond BBQ in Frenchtown was spotlighted for its miso ribs with chile-honey glaze, “which packed an Asian-inspired punch and was full of some of my favorite flavors, culminating in a fun fusion that combined hearty, tender ribs with the perfect mix of sweet and spicy."
If you’re looking for barbecue in Philly in 2020, several new joints are opening soon. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s list of notable openings in 2020 includes Deke’s BBQ, a popular barbecue restaurant opening a second location in Wayne Junction and The Lucky Well, a long-delayed BBQ and bar destination.
IRL BBQ
Here are the top BBQ (and related) food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
Warm yourself up at the 12th edition of the Cassoulet Cook Off in Brooklyn on January 25th.
Saturday, January 18, 2020: The 10th Annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival is leaving Manhattan after a decade of fun and heading to Brooklyn. A ticket buys you access to tasting great local barbecue, hot sauces, and tons of spirits. The “Beast Cage” will be back with exotic smoked meats, including alligator, lamb, bison, longhorn rounds, and much more. There will also be whole hog as well and you won’t want to miss it. Buy tickets here.
Saturday, January 25, 2020: The 12th Annual Cassoulet Cook Off will take place on Jan 25 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Cassoulet is the ultimate winter dish, where French traditions meet New England baked beans, Texas BBQ brisket burnt ends and beans, California vegetarian beans casserole, and many other chef driven styles. There will be 10+ chefs and more food than ever, plus craft beer, hard cider, wine, and spirits. Buy tickets here.
Friday, January 31, 2020: If you like bourbon and whiskey, you won't want to miss the Jersey City Whiskey Fest, which will feature over 100 styles of whiskey and spirits. Ticket holders are able to try their favorite as well as new spirits. Taste an outstanding selection of whiskies and even a variety of craft spirits ranging from the all American Kentucky bourbons to the Mexican Tequila, Russian Vodka, and more. Buy tickets here.
January 26 - February 11, 2020: A musical called Das Barbecü will be performed at Hill Country Barbecue Market in Manhattan this January and February. The performance, a reimagining of Wagner’s Ring Cycle that takes place in Texas, is a musical farce about mismatched lovers who meet during a double shotgun wedding. Five actors play more than 30 characters. This will be the first full production to be performed in the lower-level music space of Hill Country Barbecue. Naturally, BBQ will be served during the production. More info here.
Saturday, April 11, 2020: Don't miss the 2020 NYC Bacon and Beer Classic on April 11. The event, at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, will turn into an foodie paradise filled with decadent bacon dishes, free-flowing craft beer, and games. Cheer on NYC's fiercest foodies as they go head to head in the Hormel Black Label Bacon Eating Contest, challenge your friends in cornhole, ride a bacon seesaw, and more. Buy tickets here.
Saturday, April 18, 2020: Mark your calendars for the Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit 2020 at Pig Beach. Following the successful 2019 version of the event, this will feature many of the top pitmasters from around the country at Pig Beach in Brooklyn. Read about the 2019 Jeff Michner BBQ benefit here and this listing will be updated when tickets are officially available.
April 18 - 19, 2020: The 8th Annual Hot Sauce Expo NYC will be back for two days in 2020. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint and features tons of hot sauce samples, barbecue and beer to purchase, fun on-stage events, and more. Buy tickets here.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020: If you love brisket, you won’t want to miss Brisket King 2020 in April. More than 15 chefs and pitmasters will be there serving up their take on brisket and pastrami. Early bird ticket sales are available now so get them before prices go up! Buy tickets here.
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