Welcome to the Jungle: BBQ in New York City

Here's another roundup of NYC bbq joints. They include a bunch of grilling places in with the bbq and one place has already closed (sadly, Big Lou had to give up his much lauded concession in Queens). Nevertheless, the nice folks at Gridskipper put this out there:

The Sweet Char of Success: NYC's Best BBQ

Due to laws banning smoke pits in the city, it's hard to find authentic BBQ in New York (unless the restaurant buys an expensive smoke diffuser). However, with so many transplants from BBQ capitals in the south and Midwest--not to mention enthusiasts from South America and Asia--we still have a lot to choose from. Just don't expect to stumble onto it.

RUB : Righteous Urban Barbeque--or RUB--has the craziest BBQ pig-out in the city. First of all, they bought a smoke diffuser and have three customized pits. More importantly though, they serve a whole pork butt rubbed with spices and smoked for hours. It'll for you about $90 but when else are you going to eat a whole pork butt? Other highlights are the burnt ends and short ribs.

Kang Suh: Korean and Japanese BBQ places are more focused on grilling than barbeque, since smoke is not usually involved. However, there are over a dozen excellent Korean joints on 32nd St. where you can cook your own meat at the table. A good place to start is Kang Suh, which has excellent bulgogi and a friendly staff.

Big Lou's Breakfast and BBQ: "Big Lou" Elrose recently opened his cart in Ozone park to counteract the shortage of good BBQ in Queens now that infamous Pearson's has closed. He smokes pulled pork, brisket and chicken over fruitwoods and makes his own BBQ sauce and coleslaw.

Dinosaur: Fans of the original BBQ in Syracuse know this is a serious place for BBQ. The pork ribs are smoky and fall right off the bone. Way uptown, it can be a little out of the way and is always packed, but its well worth the trip.

Daisy Mays: DM has been satiating Midtown and Downtown office workers with stellar pulled pork for years. The sandwiches are delicious and sure as hell beat the salads at Cosi. If you go to their restaurant on 11th Ave., the barbequed rack of lamb is the best in the city.

Pies N Thighs: Their fried chicken is perfectly salty, the pulled pork, juicy and slightly spicy. This little kitchen, outfitted with a few stools, serves up the best BBQ and baked goods in Brooklyn.

Yakitori Totto: This is the place to go for excellent grilled chicken on skewers. The chicken is smoked over Bincho-tan, an incredibly expensive charcoal made from bamboo. It is almost smokeless and burns at a high heat. Every dish is great except the chickendoodledoo.

Smoke Joint: This new BBQ spot in Fort Greene is serving up some real barbeque, meaning the meat is cooked over wood at a low temperature for a long time. It's not perfect yet but the beef short ribs are excellent.

Churrascaria Platforma: One of the most well known churrascurias in NYC, you can definitely get your fix for grilled meat here. The deal is you pay about $50 for an all you can eat Brazilian feast of pork ribs, short ribs, rib-eye, sirloin, flank steak, brisket, top round, special top round, pork loin, and lamb.

Ihawan: This large and friendly restaurant in Woodside is the best place for outstanding Filipino BBQ. The recommended dish is the "Pork Belly Meal": two skewers of marinated pork belly with rice for $5. The pork is brushed with a thick sweet syrup and has a slightly smoky flavor. Be adventurous and try some of the other Filipino food while you're there.

[Text: Amanda Kludt Photo: tlmoore/ Flickr]