NJ’s Wildwoods BBQ Wins Brisket King NYC 2023

The Wildwoods BBQ team won Brisket King NYC 2023. (Photo by Anthony Scerri / Smoke Sweats)

On Wednesday night, a new Brisket King was crowned. The team behind newcomer Wildwoods BBQ in North Wildwood, NJ, won both the top prize and People’s Choice trophies at Brisket King NYC, beating out several past winners. Held this year at Pig Beach NYC in Queens, Brisket King attracted hundreds of barbecue fans who were able to try a fantastic assortment of smoked brisket, sides, and drinks. 

The winning brisket from Wildwoods BBQ. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Wildwoods BBQ was a frontrunner going into Brisket King based on pedigree. Led by pitmasters David Gill and Joel Romano, Wildwoods BBQ opened in mid-2021 and has since become a Jersey Shore favorite for smoked meats and creative sides. Gill previously ran the pits at renowned Hometown BBQ in Brooklyn, and he had been mentored by previous Brisket King winner Billy Durney. Romano was the executive chef for The Goat’s Beard in Philadelphia for eight years.

Blue Smoke's succulent brisket over mac and cheese propelled the joint to the runner-up position for the night. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

The runner-up trophy was awarded to pitmaster Bret Lunsford of Blue Smoke in Manhattan, who has wowed the crowds in the past with his authentic, tender Texas-style brisket. His brisket was served over gooey, tasty mac and cheese, which was one of the night's best sides. Blue Smoke in Battery Park City is one of the best places to eat brisket in NYC, so the award was well deserved.

Additional awards of the night included: 

This was the 12th edition of Brisket King NYC, and the largest version of the event to date. Having the gathering outdoors at Pig Beach’s huge beer garden/event space helped people spread out more and allowed more folks to mingle with the rockstar pitmasters.

Check out more photos below of Brisket King NYC 2023.

Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ

EAT ALL ABOUT IT (NEWS)

BBQ blogger John Tanner reviewed Pig Beach’s Palm Beach location.

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

  • BBQ blogger and friend John Tanner visited the Pig Beach location in Palm Beach, Florida, and he liked what he found. “Pig Beach welcomes families, and it was a fun lunch. Outside the building, Pig Beach boosts its beach atmosphere with some games out front — the one where you toss bean bags at a hole, for example. Things inside are relaxed, and there’s some delicious food there. Give Pig Beach a try.” READ HERE.

  • Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue closed its doors in 2021, but owner Bill Fletcher is still making top-notch barbecue. His latest project is opening Fletcher’s Barbecue Shop & Steakhouse in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, in early May. READ HERE.

  • Sibling publication The Smoke Sheet published a feature on three new BBQ cookbooks that will help make your summer grilling even better. READ HERE.

IRL BBQ EVENTS

This weekend's Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit is sure to be a lot of fun, with 25+ pitmasters and restaurants serving great food. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:

  • Saturday, April 29, 2023: Jeff Michner was the Executive Chef of Pig Beach BBQ in Brooklyn. He tragically and suddenly passed away in the spring of 2018 at the age of 36. The annual Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit will celebrate Chef Jeff with an epic barbecue at the Pig Beach NYC location in Queens with some of the country’s greatest pitmasters. This year's edition will be hosted by celebrity chef and pitmaster Michael Symon. BUY TICKETS HERE.

  • Saturday, May 13, 2023: The Texas Exes (the University of Texas alumni) is bringing back its famous Texas Exes Chili Cookoff to New York City soon. The group had a stellar turnout in 2022, after a two-year-long hiatus. But for 2023, the group is going to be BIGGER, LOUDER, and TASTIER than last year. The big Chili Cookoff will be taking place at Pig Beach in Queens. Sean Ludwig of NYC BBQ will be one of the judges, so competitors better bring their most creative chili! BUY TICKETS HERE.

  • Saturday, May 27, 2023: The Rib King NYC 2023 event, which will be held for the first time at Industry City in Brooklyn, will be the ultimate Memorial Day barbecue. Not only will attendees get to go hog wild for ribs, but it will also feature awesome live music from Little Feat guitarist Scott Sharrard’s El Dorado Slim playing two sets of jammed-out funk and blues mash-ups. BUY TICKETS HERE.

  • Tuesday, June 13, 2023: BBQ will soon return to Madison Square Park in the form of a fundraiser. The upcoming Celebrate Big Apple Barbecue event on June 13 will host 20+ great BBQ joints from around the NYC metro area. To get a ticket, you have to make a $300 tax-deductible donation to Madison Square Park Conservancy. MORE INFO HERE.

  • Saturday, September 29, 2023: Back for its 14th year, Pig Island NYC is returning to Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens on Staten Island for its third year in a row. More than 20 chefs will come together for this pork-laden festival and compete for the most delicious porcine dishes. There will also be craft beer, hard cider, spirits, and other food offerings – all included with a GA ticket! BUY TICKETS HERE.

SAY HELLO

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