A Guide To Long Island Barbecue
By Rich Branciforte

Long Island is about to drown in a tidal wave of barbecue sauce. Barbecue joints are springing up from one end of the Island to the other, satisfying the public’s growing lust for all things southern. After being told that what we called barbeque all these years is really grilling, sit back and get ready for a trip to Texas, Memphis, and Carolina via the LIE

Smokin' Al's

When we first reviewed Smokin’ Al’s, (19 W. Main Street, Bay Shore, (631) 206-3000), we called it the gold standard. With more than a dozen new places on the scene since then, we have no reason to change our call. Smokin’ Al’s remains the standard that all other BBQ joints have to be measured by.

The meal known as "The Works" is still our favorite. It’s a Po-Boy hero stuffed with chopped brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken, and smoked sausage. It’s topped with delicious fried onions and melted cheese on top, accompanied by French fries that are golden. This is a monster sandwich and a super bargain.

Other standouts are the Carolina Pulled Pork sandwich, slow cooked and delicious. The Texas sliced brisket is a work of art. Add to all the great food outstanding sauces and colorful pig murals and you have our top choice for barbecue on Long Island.

Eldorado Southern Barbecue

Right behind Al’s on our list is Eldorado Southern Barbecue, a two-location operation (Middle Country Road, Centereach (631) 588-7227, and 4837 Nesconset Highway, Port Jefferson Station, (631) 473-8525). These are much larger establishments, with great appetizer specials from 3 to 6 pm each day. The brisket is mouth-wateringly tender, and the chicken is great. The highlight is the "BBQ Pig Out," over one pound of smoked pulled pork, Texas beef brisket, and a BBQ chicken breast with mashed potatoes and crispy onion straws. Great Margaritas are offered as well.

Three newcomers could be nipping at Al’s heels.

Bobbique (70 West Main Street, Patchogue (631) 447-7744) is serving up some fine fixings. Their two meat combo for $14.95 is a good bet. The pulled pork was tender as hell and the beef brisket melted in your mouth. It comes with two sides, although we were surprised to find that French Fries ($1 extra) was not a choice. BBQ Brisket sandwich at $8.95 is a thriller. Corn bread portions were miniscule; we barely got a taste. Bobbique also has a very impressive beer selection, and it has live blues and music four nights a week. Overall, this is a super-comfortable place with great food.

Big Ed's Barbecue (631 East Park Ave, Long Beach (516) 897-3017) is only open three weeks but they’re getting their hogs in order. Their version of the Pig Out was real fine, a too soft Po’ Boy stuffed with tasty brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken and Texas sausage links, smothered with melted cheese and topped with coleslaw. The combination was delicious but didn’t totally work. The slaw and melted cheese made the roll too soggy to pickup, but then again, that’s why cavemen invented knives and forks. Fries were exceptional, not exactly shoestring, slightly thinner and the best of any joint we tried. Bigger eaters can try the Pig Out Feast, includes 4 sides and a mere $54. They also have a rib sampler of Memphis, St. Louis, and beef ribs. A great variety in their menu, please extremely pleasant wait staff. This is the place to watch in 2007.

Jesse's Lip Smackin' Roadhouse (1810 Merrick Road, Merrick (516) 379-7140) is a comer as well. From the outside, this increasingly popular Merrick BBQ staple looks like an unassuming bar – but once inside, it's as if you've been instantly transported over the Mason-Dixon line. The BBQ offerings here are pleasingly authentic and all of them delicious, with their astounding sweet potato fries unmatched anywhere – even down south, Yankee. From a hellacious hamburger (perfectly cooked and ample) to perfect pulled pork, Jesse's offers great southern style cooking at affordable prices. Live music is also offered on weekends (shockingly, a national blues band was there recently), and jam nights are conducted twice a week as well. For an unpretentious night out with real down-home flavor, Jesse is someone you'll want to meet.

Other Places To Check Out, Or Not:

Smokehouse Grill (296 West Main Street, Sayville (631) 589-9600) is a Newsday favorite but we found it too sanitized. BBQ should be dribblin' down our chins. This is an upscale place with a décor that doesn’t fit the food. The Brisket Sandwich was top notch, really tender and tasty, even without a lot of sauce. Prices are higher than average for sandwiches. Crunchy shoestring potatoes are good.

At Hickory’s (674 Port Washington Boulevard, Port Washington (516) 883-7174), Eddie constantly delivers top-notch barbeque in this small, mainly take-out place with a few tables in the back. Prices are exceptional. A full rack of baby back ribs is only $11.45, and the Beef Brisket Sandwich at $4.95 is a winner, as is the pulled pork sandwich. Fries are only $1.85 extra. The marinated sliced steak is great.

Tennessee Jack’s (148 Carleton Avenue, East Islip, (631) 581-9657): We came, we saw, we ate…Nothing special, dry meat. The meal came slathered in sauce. We asked the waiter if they had other sauces, he said yes but they don’t put them out, people steal the bottles. Enough said.

Famous Dave’s (720 Route 347, Smithtown (631) 360-6490 and 1600 Corporate Drive, Westbury, (516) 832-7300): For a national chain operation, not bad at all. More than reasonable prices, Texas Beef Brisket sandwich for $7.99, with a side of beans, fries, coleslaw, more. Excellent two-meat combo for $13.29 that includes brisket, chopped pork, BBQ or roasted chicken, rib tips or sausage links. Extra meat is only $2.99. Real down home roadhouse atmosphere. A winner on all fronts.

Smokey Bones (5012 Expressway Drive South, Bohemia (631) 580-2675) is the other side of the chain coin. A 45-minute wait to be seated after two attempts to get in, a 45-minute wait for food to arrive (this was during lunch time). A burger ordered medium came well done. Onion rings were very good. Pulled pork was tender but nothing special. Mustard is yellow, which doesn’t go with the meats served. Colorado ski lodge style décor. Beef brisket was dry. Pass on this one. Go for the real thing.

13A (600 West Old Country Road, Hicksville (516) 937-0132): On the site of the old Spare Rib, this place could do nothing right. Clueless wait staff seated you facing a wall, even though dining area was almost empty. Strange vibe. Bar area was margarita and martini crowd, diners looked like mainly Spare Rib regulars. Possibly the worst food I’ve had in a while. Pulled pork was incredibly dry. Brisket was so overcooked it was inedible. Must have had my Swedish grandmother in the kitchen trying to do barbecue. French fries were rubbery. A complaint to the manager brought an offer of half off. Not good enough. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t leave food on my plate but here I left the brisket and fries, and grabbed a quick burger somewhere else afterwards. Prices are higher than warranted, a clear lack of attention in the kitchen.

Smoking Sloe’s (847 Fort Salonga Road, Northport (631) 651-8812): I drove 22 miles to eat at this place at the recommendation of Jim Sabella of Sabella Studios, who has become a bit of a barbeque addict. Never got to try the food though. Their menu is somewhat limited and I wanted to try a two-meat combo. They only offer chicken and ribs for $17.99. Since I don’t consider chicken barbeque, I wanted to try two meats like brisket and pulled pork. The owner refused, simply stating they’re not set up to do this. I was astounded. I just told this guy I drove 22 miles to eat at his restaurant and no go on putting two meats on a plate? I don’t usually tell restaurants I’m doing a review, but figured this might help him be reasonable. No way. He simply stated once again they weren’t set up to do that. I couldn’t understand this. I offered to pay whatever he wanted for the two meats, all he had to do was take a plate, put the brisket and pork on it, and voila, we have a combo platter. The girl at the counter even said people have been asking for combos.This is one place that doesn’t understand it's in the hospitality business.

Bad Bob’s BBQ (3112-3114 Lawson Boulevard, Oceanside) is not open yet, but this is a place to watch. Windows are filled with trophies and awards from national BBQ competitions, including Memphis. Menu looks great with combos, or meats by the pound or rack. A pound of pulled pork is only $10.95. Super friendly owner who took the time out to chat, even though he was trying to get the place fixed up for their opening in three weeks; more on this place in another issue.

So that’s it, fellow porkers … get your motors running and step up to the trough.

ADAM'S RIB
153 West Montauk Hwy., West Babylon (631) 587-4623

OUR READER'S REVIEWS:

"Great ribs - excellent sides, eat in or take out - they catered our New Year's party - the guests raved about the food."
-Carl

SMOKIN' AL'S Famous BBQ Pit

SMOKIN' AL's FAMOUS BBQ JOINT

19 West Main St., Bay Shore (631) 206-3000

Over the years, Long Island has been a vast wasteland when it came to real barbecue. Ten years ago, Tony Roma's and Bobby Rubino's tried to ride the rib craze, only to be closed down by public apathy. Now, two strong contenders have turned the barbecue landscape upside down. Smokin Al's in Bay Shore is the new gold standard that all other barbecue joints have to be measured against. Al' s is an attractive place, with exposed brick walls and great paintings of pigs doing unpiggy things like torch-singing and dancing. St. Louis ribs are good, the baby backs are better. A half-pound hamburger was juicy and delicious, the fries are home-made and outstanding. Cole slaw is fair. Pork is the way to go at Smokin' Al's, the pork sandwich is excellent, but The Works is in a league all its own. It's a gargantuan hoagy roll covered with pulled pork, sausage and brisket. Succulent, tender and mouth-watering. Onion rings and French fries cover the sandwich. Eating it as a sandwich is near impossible, knife and fork are required. Check out some more of the menu at www.smokinals.com

We told you it was the best, now tell us.

ELDORADO in Port Jefferson Station

ELDORADO SOUTHERN BARBECUE
(2 locations)
1980 Middle Country Rd., Centereach
(631) 588-7227
4837 Nesconset Hwy., Port Jefferson Station
(631) 473-8525

While barbecue aficionados are sucking it in at Smokin Al’s on the South Shore, Eldorado Southern BBQ has accepted the gauntlet with two locations on the North Shore, one on Middle Country Rd in Centereach and the other in Port Jefferson Station on Route 347. Eldorado is a big place, and the menu has great items. Chicken fingers were declared to be “from heaven” by our official chicken finger man, Richard. But let’s not beat around the bush, we’re here for barbecue, aren’t we? A great time to go is between 3-6 pm, Monday to Friday, that’s when the appetizers are 1/2 price as are the gargantuan margaritas. Chipotle chicken wings are a great selection, and the Texas onion loaf is a work of art. A platter of riblets is over one pound of tender meat. Highly recommended is the "Pig Out", over 1 pound of Memphis pulled pork, Texas brisket, and bbq chicken breast. It comes with great French fried potatoes, excellent cole slaw and wispy onion straws. At $13.95 it’ s a best bet. Jim, the owner, has owned other restaurants on the Island but his love for this place is obvious. The second location in Port Jeff can hold nearly 200 diners. It is decorated like a Texas Roadhouse and the music is true Texas. This place is great and it’s hard to decide which I like better, this or Smokin’ Al’s, so I try to go to both and give each equal time.

We told you it was the best, now tell us.

ELDORADO'S signature dish "PIG OUT"

CHURRASQUEIRA BAIRRADA RODIZIO
144 Jericho Tpke ., Mineola (516) 739-3856

OUR READER'S REVIEWS: