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New York: Southern Comfort, Big City Style

A January 2008 trip to New York by Michael Green

Good old-fashioned Southern cooking in the Big Apple

  • 8 reviews

New York: Southern Comfort, Big City StyleBest of IgoUgo

Overview

Back in the sad old days, Southerners and lovers of southern food in the Big Apple had little or no options for good dry-rubbed brisket, bourbon mashed potatoes, or pork ribs so juicy they stained fingers a deep red. There were really only two options: neon-adorned joints that serve second rate barbecue and massive cocktails, or a plane ticket south. In today’s New York, we’re smack in the middle of a barbecue renaissance. We have at our disposal not only amazing “general” barbecue and Southern food, but also experts in regional barbecue, from St. Louis, Texas, and Mississippi, manning the smokers and helping us to forget about sushi, fusion food, and especially vegetarianism. Following, a blueprint to how to go hog wild on New York City barbecue.

Quick Tips:

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Hill CountryBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

When this outpost of Lockhart, Texas-based Kreuz Market opened up in the summer of 2007, New York was abuzz with the most authentic, richest, and devoutly Texan barbecue this side of the Hudson. Order your dinner by the pound, buffet-style, directly from the staff. Dry-rubbed brisket comes moist (read: much fat) or lean (smokier, lighter, and a bit spicy), along with massive beef ribs, gorgeous beef shoulder, and sausages imported from Hill Country, Texas. Take your feast back to picnic tables and make sure you’ve ordered some unforgettable corn pudding. Wash it all down with a Lone Star beer, and remember the Alamo.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2008

Hill Country
30 West 26th Street New York, New York 10010
(212) 255-4544

Daisy May's BBQ USABest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Pit-master Adam Perry Lang may have discovered the ultimate secret to serving New Yorkers barbecue: Give them all the satisfaction of down-home cooking, but keep them on their toes with constantly changing flavors, ingredients, and ideas. A veteran of Daniel and Le Cirque, Lang brings haute cuisine to barbecue, without sacrificing quantity and casualness. Want a whole pig? Call ahead, it’s no problem. Match that with some sweet tea, bourbon peaches, and Texas-style red bean chili, and you’ve got a meal even the most urbane of diners would gladly eat with their fingers.
http://www.daisymaysbbq.com/
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2008

Daisy May's BBQ USA
623 11th Ave. New York, New York
(212) 977-1500

Bone Lick ParkBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Located in the West Village, Bone Lick Park has much to offer, such as fried okra; great mac and cheese; and beef-and-pulled pork sliders. Where it falls short, however, is on the barbecue, which although sometimes delicious, often seems like an afterthought. Focusing more on offering vegetarian dishes and a “down-home” ambiance, Bone Lick Park will offer the feel of a barbecue spot with the vegetarian options usually not available at real places. Looking for a compromise? You’ve got it.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2008

Bone Lick Park
75 Greenwich Ave. New York, New York 10014
(212) 647-9600

Pies-N-ThighsBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

It’s amazing how what would make a restaurant appear unbearable makes barbecue joints seem charming. The tiny kitchen at this Brooklyn outpost of chic barbecue and baked goods is located in the back of a bar, with only a lunch counter and a back “garden” (read: a gravel-floored, barbwire-fenced parking lot) for dining; it’s a good thing this food is the real deal. With seasoned Brooklyn-restaurant veterans manning the smokers and some of the best pies and bread in town, Pies-N-Thighs is not to be missed. If seeking out a down-South breakfast, the brunch here will quickly transport you back to the land of white gravy and sausage.
http://piesandthighs.com/
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2008

Pies-N-Thighs
351 Kent Ave. Brooklyn, New York 11211
(347) 282-6005

Blue SmokeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

At the second Kansas-City barbecue joint in NYC, restaurateur and Kansas City native Danny Meyer serves childhood favorites at this two-level tribute to his hometown hospitality and flavor. An assortment of ribs, bourbons, and the best fry bread in New York keep Blue Smoke filled every night. Stellar deviled eggs, one of the best burgers in Manhattan, and great jazz music in the downstairs nightclub doesn’t hurt either.
http://bluesmoke.com/
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2008

Blue Smoke
116 E. 27th St. New York, New York 10016

Dinosaur BBQBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This honky-tonk barbecue joint, located in Harlem, looks like a biker bar on a Georgia back road, and tastes the part as well. Award-winning barbecue sauce, food ‘til midnight, raucous country music on weekends, and the best fried green tomatoes in NYC make Dinosaur a must-visit for homesick country guys and gals.
http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2008

Dinosaur BBQ
646 W 131st Street New York, New York 10027
(212) 694-1777

RUB BBQBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "R.U.B."

Smokers filled with hog going 24/7, sports on several TVs, beer in plastic cups, and deep-fried Oreos would all seem out of place in Manhattan’s trendy and upscale Chelsea neighborhood, but locals and visitors alike have been taken by Paul Kirk’s award-winning Kansas City barbecue. Burnt ends (crispy brisket-tips), Kansas City-style ribs, and brisket are stellar—provided you get there when they’ve just emerged from the smoker (ask your server what’s the freshest, time kills this tender yet often-lean barbecue). Two kinds of cole slaw, baked beans, and barbecued sausages never disappoint. For the hungry group, call ahead to reserve an entire smoked pork butt.
http://rubbbq.net/
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2008

RUB BBQ
208 W. 23rd St. New York, New York 10011
(212) 524-4300

About the Writer

Michael Green
Michael Green
New York, New York
  • "As Gourmet magazine's Wine and Spirits Consultant, I travel the world for Gourmet's Promotion Depart..."
  • 8 journals
  • 0 photos
  • 57 reviews

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