There’s nothing better than some good barbeque food. Imagine you’re really craving some brisket, but you’re in the city, surrounded by fine dining and hotels. Just across Brooklyn Bridge, you will find some fantastic restaurants, including barbeque joints.
There’s excellent southern food on the east coast, and Brooklyn is a hotspot for some good meat and quality smoking. In this article, we’ll give you some of the best barbeque spots in Brooklyn, along with a menu debrief for each restaurant.
Hometown Bar-B-Que
454 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY, 11231
Hometown Bar-B-Que is exactly as it says in the name; homely. It’s a cozy barbeque restaurant, with wood paneling and 120 seats. The Red Hook joint is not the only joint in Brooklyn, with another Hometown Bar-B-Que location in Industry City, Brooklyn. The restaurant opened in 2013 and specializes in authentic pit-smoked meats.
The restaurant promotes the classic southern way of smoking on oak wood. Billy Durney is the self-taught pitmaster of Hometown and has used classic barbecue style with global influences. The restaurant serves classic brisket in a sesame roll with pickles and onion, along with pulled pork, turkey, and ribs!
The restaurant has global-inspired dishes too, such as Vietnamese hot wings, tacos and lamb banh mi. The sides at Hometown Bar-B-Que are authentic and southern, from cornbread, to collard greens or Texan mac and cheese.
Hometown Bar-B-Que is notorious and has been awarded a Michelin star, which is phenomenal for a restaurant that is not fine dining! The restaurant is ranked the 16th best restaurant out of 3,500 in Brooklyn.
Fette Sau
354 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Fette Sau has quietly nestled away in a renovated garage in Brooklyn and is a hidden treat. The restaurant is Michelin star-awarded and is gleefully cosmopolitan. The restaurant serves its food on parchment paper on trays, and is ordered by weight. The restaurant is passionate about meat, with big trays of smoked meats and charred brisket being replenished constantly.
Fette Sau is modern and was one of the first BBQ restaurants on the scene in Brooklyn after the BBQ rush in the early noughties. Fette Sau was founded in 2007 by Joe Carroll. The name Fette Sau means ‘Fat Pig’ in German, hence the meaty dishes and German influence in the menu. Joe focused the BBQ restaurant on local craft beer and a menu focusing on heritage bred meats of the best quality.
The barbeque restaurant has been described as part texas and part new york neighborhood deli. Fette Sau is rustic and homely and proudly serves traditional barbeque cuts such as brisket and pulled pork and exciting dishes such as beef tongue pastrami and pork belly. The menu includes pulled pork, pork belly, spicy sausage, chicken wings, and brisket, along with sides such as German potato salad, sauerkraut, broccoli salad and burnt end beans.
Mable’s Smokehouse
44 Berry St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Mable’s Smokehouse is an American roadside BBQ restaurant in Brooklyn. Mable’s is highly regarded, with nothing good reviews. Mable’s is popular for an inexpensive restaurant, with excellent food, quality service, and a convivial atmosphere. Mable’s was founded in 2010 by a couple, Meghan and Jeff.
The name of the restaurant commemorates Jeff’s grandma, Mable. Mable’s smokehouse is a slice of southern familial hospitality, which offers good old-fashioned BBQ made fresh with a friendly atmosphere.
Mable’s Smokehouse has a classic menu, including BBQ dishes such as bbq or buffalo wings, beef brisket, pulled pork/chicken, kielbasa sausage, ribs, country stew, beef chili as well as classics such as potato salad and candied yams.
Pig Beach
480 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Pig Beach is a cult BBQ classic, with a relaxed atmosphere and great food. Pig Beach is popular, and its menu is concise and full of flavorful meat. The restaurant has an eccentric, fun flair and an industrial warehouse, youthful feel in their indoor dining space. They have a huge outside seating area, which is friendly and familiar.
The restaurant resembles that of beach living, but in the middle of a city. Their menu consists of classic barbeque dishes such as pork shoulder with vinegar sauce, peach and honey glazed ribs, brisket with a salt and pepper crust, along with Yankee red hot sausage.
They also serve a selection of dishes from the grill, such as BBQ buffalo chicken wings, hot dogs with pulled pork, classic barbeque sandwiches, collard greens, cornbread and coleslaw. Pig Beach is one of the busiest and vibrant restaurants in Brooklyn, and their menu is worth the hype.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
604 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is another popular barbeque joint, a block away from Pig Beach. It is somewhat of a competitor among hungry groups of people, and the restaurant has an industrial and millennial feel to it. Dinosaur has six locations around New York: Brooklyn, Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Harlem and Troy.
It is popular and has had to increase its demand. The joint in Brooklyn is ranked as the 19th best restaurant in Brooklyn, among 3,500 other restaurants. 604 Union St was previously a motor freight company, as well as a steel corporation. The industrial feel has remained but works for Dinosaur.
They have been serving barbeque science 2013, and they have a fun team of staff who serve up delicious food and service, every time. The restaurant encourages dogs, and has extensive outside seating and even merchandise. The menu includes Cajun shrimp, BBQ sliders, poutine, ribs, combo plates, brisket, cajun catfish, jerk salmon and burgers.
They also serve different pork sandwiches such as Cuban sandwiches, Memphis, and chicken sandwiches. The menu is so extensive that it may be challenging to choose a dish! Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is definitely a restaurant worth visiting if you enjoy chilled and carnivorous environments!
Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbeque
433 Third Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbeque is a laid-back, friendly barbeque in Brooklyn. The restaurant smokes their barbeque brisket over a live fire, with regular rib carving right in front of you. It’s a popular place for gatherings, whether it’s after work or a family gathering. It has 50 seats, so it is more intimate than other barbeque places.
Fletcher’s honors the tradition of a pit-smoked barbeque. The restaurant uses a pit-smoked barbeque with sugar maple and red oak wood to enhance dishes. This gives their meat a unique, memorable flavor. They are passionate about humane practices within the attainment of their meat and are encouraging a sustainable environment.
They were founded in 2012 and are expanding with market stalls in other areas of Brooklyn. All of their meat is hormone and correctly raised, meaning that their prices can be a little steeper. Fletcher’s understands that barbeque is vital to the average American, and they want to do it right.
They smoke their meat 24/7 in three two-ton barbeque pits. Their menu includes brisket, pork ribs, pulled/char siu pork, and chicken, along with sides such as mac and cheese, collard greens, smoked beans, and waffle fries.
Dallas BBQ
180 Livingston St, Brooklyn, 11201
Dallas BBQ is a barbecue joint in downtown Brooklyn. There are 10 Dallas BBQ joints in New York City, and they are renowned for their reliability and good food. Dallas BBQ is a New York BBQ chain and is rated in the top 400 restaurants in Brooklyn. Dallas BBQ is not an independent or fine-dining restaurant, yet it is always there and is always good.
The servings are huge, and the drink selection is great, especially their signature cocktails. Its service is exceptionally fast, and the restaurant attracts a lot of locals. The menu includes dishes such as crispy shrimp, crab cakes, a range of wings (including Hennessy and hot wings), BBQ ribs, steak, burgers, and classic sides.
Insa
328 Douglass St, Brooklyn, NY, 11217
Insa is a highly-rated neighborhood Korean BBQ situated in central Brooklyn. Although this is not what you’d think of as a classic ‘American BBQ’, Korean BBQ’s are popular for their fresh dishes and the novelty of diners cooking meat at the table. Insa serves classic barbeque, as well as Korean and Asian dishes.
They have indoor seating as well as ample outdoor seating on their patio. Insa also holds karaoke, which is not a necessity for a barbeque restaurant, but it livens up the night! Insa is run by Korean national Sohui and her husband Ben. The menu has a great selection of Korean barbeque dishes as well as authentic Korean recipes.
The menu includes dishes such as marinated short rib, pork belly, gulf shrimp, double-fried chicken and dwaeji gogi smoked pork with steamed buns. Insa is one of the more expensive choices, but it is worth it for the decadence of the sweet Korean barbeque flavors.
Kimchi Grill
766 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Kimchi Grill is another Korean barbeque restaurant in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The restaurant was born from Phillip Lee and his love for Korean food. Kimchi Grill also operates a taco truck which is famous around New York City.
Phillip Lee wanted to make Korean food accessible, and memorable. Kimchi grill was born in 2011, in the diverse and unique neighborhood of Prospect Heights. They also operate a popup in Jersey City, as well as seasonal market stalls.
The food inspiration was a mix of street grill classics such as tacos, burritos, and burgers, along with the polished flavors of Korean food. Dishes include Korean BBQ short ribs, Korean fried chicken, fried wings, loaded fries, Korean dried dumplings and grilled chicken tacos.
Brooklyn Icehouse
318 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Brooklyn Icehouse is a dive bar, not specifically a barbeque joint, but they serve excellent pulled pork. Icehouse is a relaxed and cheap establishment and has a large selection of beers and craft ales. The icehouse has a huge patio, where eating barbeque bar food among friends is encouraged.
Their menu includes succulent pulled pork and classic onion rings, burgers, mashed potatoes, hot dogs, and slaw. Icehouse is a favorite amongst younger, hip diners, where the quirkiness and ease of the joint are appreciated.
David’s Brisket House
533 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216
David’s Brisket House is a great deli specializing in pastrami. The deli also allows anyone in the States to order meat from the restaurant to the door. It’s a small eatery but has all the barbeque classics. It is a staple in the community, as the old-school Jewish deli is now owned and operated by Muslims and has been passed through owners from different backgrounds for half a century.
David’s Brisket House has a lot of history, and the quality of their food is constantly good, with regular customers coming far just to get the famous brisket and pastrami.
Some popular menu items include their pastrami sandwich, the juicy beef brisket sandwich, and the corned beef sandwich. They have been making their brisket and pastrami the same way for years, and it has proven to be a great choice, with the eatery proving very popular.
Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse
- 397 Troy Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213-5325
Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse is an award-winning cookhouse and smokehouse in the Crown Heights area in Brooklyn. Pit-master and smoke master Izzy Eidelman beautifully replicates southern tradition along with high-quality produce and meat to give a great barbeque experience for everyone in Brooklyn.
The smokehouse also has a catering service, as well as a food truck. The restaurant is modern and eye-catching, with excellent marketing and an elaborate menu.
Dishes are unique, with a global twist on classic American BBQ. Some dishes include pulled beef egg rolls, Korean chicken, hot wings, smoked brisket, pulled beef, burnt ends, BBQ chicken, smoked chimichurri chicken, a variety of ribs, sandwiches, and sides. The smokehouse is worth visiting, with the totally unique menu and quirky atmosphere.
Final Thoughts
There are evidently tons of barbeque restaurants in Brooklyn, and this is just a handful. As you can see, each and every establishment on this list is unique, serving classic barbeque dishes such as brisket, ribs, and cornbread, yet each restaurant has its own unique twist within its menu.
New York City is a dream come true for food lovers, but barbeque is not the first cuisine you may think of. So, if you enjoy ribs that fall off the bone, and rich, charred brisket, some of Brooklyn’s establishments may be of interest to you.
