Hometown Bar-B-Que

Reviews 3

JI

Jimmy Ho

Amber and I were going to New York City for our fifth wedding anniversary and also to see my sister who lives there. The only time I have been to NYC was when I was eight or so with my family. My wife and I went on a "diet" before the trip so I was limited to how much barbecue I can eat. When we travel, I put a lot of focus on food so we knew our waistline was going to increase. Traveling out of town with me is not easy. I try to hit up as many BBQ joints as I can. I know my wife gets annoyed with how much barbecue we eat so we decided on one stop on this trip. Hometown Bar-B-Que located in the Brooklyn was my choice. Lately, it seems like New York City is a hotbed for barbecue. You would think the two would not go together. A Yankee smoking meat? Where would the smokers go? Texas Monthly BBQ editor Daniel Vaughn caused a stir when he said "The brisket Ive had in NYC lately is better than a lot of places Texas" in this article. I find some truth in that statement. Some of the places I have been to in Texas do not put their heart and passion into the cue and it shows. Hometown Bar-B-Que is owned by Billy Durney. Check out an interview of him here. Hometown just celebrated its one year anniversary. It would have been opened for business earlier, but Hurricane Sandy had other ideas. The first thing you will notice on the menu is the price of the meats. This is New York so it is definitely not cheap. Brisket is 28 bucks per pound. Franklin is charging $20 per pound right now which is the most I have paid. We ordered a quarter pound of moist brisket and pork belly, a link of jalapeño-cheddar sausage, and a half rack of jerk baby back pork ribs. I wanted a beef rib too, but I did not want to break the bank. We also got a side of Texas-style queso macaroni and cheese. The brisket was outstanding. It was very comparable with the stuff you would find at good places in Texas. There was a nice smoke flavor, and the meat was tender. The influence of Wayne Mueller of Louie Mueller showed with the peppery bark. I wish I had ordered more. When I bit into the brisket, I regretted not getting the beef rib. I knew it would have been great. The flavor of the pork belly was superb. The sweet rub played well with the smoke. I have seen pork belly sliced but not pulled before. Every bite was rich and savory. I was disappointed in the house-made jalapeño-cheddar sausage. The grit and pop were on point, but I did not like anything else about it. There was something off about the flavor profile. I expected more heat and to taste more cheese. I gave up after a few bites. Hometown also serves a beef link but was not available today. I normally go with spareribs but went with the baby back ribs instead. It was recommended to me so I could not pass it up. The half rack of the jerk baby back ribs was delicious. The unique Caribbean inspired jerk rub packed a ton of flavor. The spices were not overwhelming and made a great duo with the sweet undertones. The meat was juicy and smoky. We ate every single one. The macaroni and cheese was very cheesy but good. It was essentially macaroni and cheese with queso poured over it. It was worth the hour long subway and bus ride. Daniel Vaughn might be on to something. If Hometown Bar-B-Que was located in Texas, it would absolutely do well. Brisket is king here in Texas, and Billy can smoke a mean one. The highlights of the noteworthy menu included Sriracha hot wings, pork belly tacos, and lamb belly banh mi. I want it all. Maybe next time when I go back. I am thinking of hitting up Delaney Barbecue too. Maybe I should start a crowdfunding so I can do a NYC BBQ tour?

HO

Howard D

My wife and I planned a date night out and read the Google Reviews before heading over to this place. We were excited to get there and the thought of eating their ribs made us more hungry. The site said that the line is usually 60 mins long. I can only assume since it is Memorial Day weekend that it added another 50 mins on top. The Live music heard from outside was very inviting. Their was even a bartender staff member who walked the line who asked everyone if we were interested in buying a drink while we waited. Everyone on line near us was very nice and it was their first time their as well. By the time my wife and I reached the door we could see that the restaurant was extremely packed. We could also see that it was first come first serve seating. Everyone has to seat themselves after you place your order and pay for it. That is definitely something everyone who is attending this restaurant should know up front. No wait staff to serve and take your order, & if you decide to want more food, you would have to go back on the line in order to get it. Which brings me to the food, the Beans were the BEST!! The Spare Ribs ran out. The Lamb ran out. The Pastrami ran out. What???!!!! By the time we got to order, the Beef Ribs ran out. I dont know about you, but my wife & I were not happy. We ordered the Korean Spare Ribs, the Fire Chicken, Brisket & 4 sides. Chicken was cooked well, but needed sauce to assist in the flavor. The Korean Spare Ribs taste was similar to going to a Korean Restaurant. The Brisket had a lot of Fat, but the meat was very tender. As for the sides, the Pit Beans were Amazing! Hearty, Meaty, Perfect. Collard Greens need work. ColeSlaw just needed a little more flavor. The Cornbread was dry. The drinks and the bartender both were Amazing! He made our night better since we were disappointed with the food. We even tried the Cherry Moonshine Shot....Definite Must Have! All in all, we have never been to a Restaurant that ran out of the main dishes...Not a Good look. Think twice before planning to go, especially on a date.

TY

Tyler Lund

Hometown has recently earned a reputation for being the best BBQ in the city, and it is pretty immediately obvious why. It is incredibly authentic to Texas BBQ standards, particularly Austin or Hill Country bbq markets, with lots of wood and a pervasive haze of meat smoke that fills the air. The space is pretty huge, taking up a fairly large warehouse, though there isn’t as much seating as you’d expect, so be prepared for a wait. The bar is big and has a nice selection of Texas beer and some craft choices, but nothing goes better with bbq than a Shiner. The food is decadently wonderful and incredibly succulent. The sriracha wings are a must order for anyone who likes spice. They have a perfect crispness to the skin and the sriracha is perfectly glazed on, not just globbed on top after cooking. The white sauce (is it ranch, or bleu cheese, or yogurt?) is perfect with these to take out some heat as well. The wings nudged out even the amazing brisket (get the moist, not the lean) for favorite dish at our table. The brisket is clearly cooked for eons with love and attention and has an incredible “bark”, or skin surrounding it that is packed with texture and flavor. Slather on some of the delicious “sticky” and hot sauces from the table too as these together create a delicious potion of flavor and heat. The jerk baby back ribs were also solid, but they didn’t compare as well to the other delicious items. These had the same sauce as the wings, though weren’t nearly as heat packed. The skin and seasoning was perfect on them, but I could have used a little more heat or jerk flavor. Still delicious though and I’ll never get sick of tearing ribs apart with my hands like a caveman. Too bad it’s so hard to get here to Red Hook for what is arguably the best bbq in New York. It isn’t far from the Fairway, so the ferry is probably the best option.