Hometown BBQ | Brooklyn, NY

It's been a hell of a year so far for me. I’ve had the chance to dine at Alinea, Husk, In Situ, Le Coucou and other big name restaurants getting a lot of accolades as of late. So when I tell you that probably one of the top meals I’ve had so far this year came from Hometown, it CANNOT go over looked. Look, I'm all for white linen tables and 12 courses with beef that’s been pampered and fed escargot everyday but sometimes it needs to be simpler than that. One of the biggest misconceptions people have with me is that I have this insanely high standard and that I'm spoiled with fancy food. People second guess or stress where they can take me for dinner or are scared to cook for me in fear that I'll be snooty and rip them apart. You couldn't be more wrong; I love food, all of it. I have no discrimination against eating with linen table clothes or sitting at a picnic table, whether it was cooked by a 4 star chef or my friend’s mom. Good food is good food and that’s all I'm looking for. As a chef I've learned that good food can be found almost anywhere, as long as the ingredients are fresh and the people cooking them are just as authentic. 

Lets not get too off topic, there’s a reason I wanted to review this place. Besides being summer, which is the perfect time for BBQ, Hometown BBQ is one of those places you’ll never wanna leave. I was actually recommended to this place while I was out of state in Nashville a few months ago looking for, ironically, the best BBQ in Tennessee. I was talking to a local trying to get the scoop when he finally asked me where I was from. I told him Brooklyn and he told me if I wanted the best BBQ, I should have never left. So naturally, my first stop back in Brooklyn was at Hometown and from that day forth my view on BBQ was permanently skewed.

Wait, Matt, Brooklyn has the best BBQ? NO WAY! Well believe it or not, we arguably do. Now you can check the many lists that come out every year, but on most of them Hometown is usually in the top 5 (if not top 3). But what does the Northeast know about BBQ? Shouldn't we leave that to the southern cowboys? 

Why is this my go-to spot? 

I get asked on a daily basis "Matt where’s the best place to eat in NYC" and personally I love this question but keep in mind NYC is massive so that’s a lot of ground to cover. Gimme a little more- what are you looking for? Most the time they don't know and say anything so naturally I steer them in the direction of myfavorite restaurant: Hometown BBQ. Now I know what you're thinking, you’re a fancy shmancy chef, why are you sending me to some BBQ joint? And boy, are you in for a surprise. Overall, when I eat at a restaurant there are a few things I look for: consistency, execution, variety and craftsmanship, not just in food but also in reference to everything else. Is the food consistent every time I'm here? Is the service consistent with the food and ambiance or is one overshadowing the other? Are they executing their vision properly? Are people getting it? Is there something here for everyone? Can I comeback and have a completely different meal and experience? If there isn’t much variety, does the food stand strong just on its signatures? Is the craftsmanship good? Meaning, is the food done right and cooked according to promise? I constantly bring people here; friends, dates, even my mother when she’s in town visiting, because they nail every point to a tee.  

So when my editor, the very talented Katelyn Marrone, came to visit me I had already been telling her about this spot for weeks; how I've been going once a week, at least, since I got back from Nashville and how the woman at the counter looks at me like I'm insane every time. Naturally, I had to take her. 

What is New York BBQ? 

People claim the south has the best BBQ; I’d say it’s arguable. I’m not gonna sit here and say New York definitely does, but I am going to defend that we have our own style, and explain how it compares to your classic southern BBQ. When you go down south and order BBQ, every restaurant has the same menu. Classic BBQ with ribs, pulled pork, brisket, smoked sausage and that kind of stuff usually seasoned with the restaurant’s secret blend and smoked on secret wood (that’s what set a spot apart from the others down there). That can get boring pretty quickly, how do you expect me to eat BBQ 3 days a week (which is totally normal) if everything is seasoned and tastes the same? What’s the fun in that? Well at Hometown, Pit Master Will Durney agrees and has decided to do things differently. This is a city with tons of different cultures where over 50 languages are spoken. Often called a melting pot, there’s so much history and diversity in this city it'd be a shame to not recognize it. Every menu item is inspired by a different culture. The brisket is simple; nothing really changes there, just seasoned with salt, heavy black pepper and a little turbinado sugar. You can't really change much on this classic, but everything else for the most part gets a nice makeover. Their sausages are Italian made with red pepper and provolone cheese. The ribs are rubbed with jerk seasoning, to cater to the Jamaican and Creole vibe. Their bacon is thick cut pastrami cured, paying homage to the Jewish population living in half of Brooklyn. One of my favorites, inspired by the Latino culture, is the wood roasted chicken with spicy salsa verde and pickled red onions. Apart from complimenting the wood smoke perfectly, this is one of the best-cooked chickens I have ever tasted; every cut is super juicy and tender, breast or thigh it doesn’t matter. What I also really like about the menu are the sides. There aren’t a ton, and they decided to stick to classic staples like Texas queso Mac N' Cheese and burnt ends baked beans, but they are totally noteworthy.

There are a few do’s and don’ts with the sides, however. First, their cornbread is really something special. Served warm and brushed with honey butter, this moist, toasty cake is everything you can remember from your childhood. It is everything cornbread should be and then some (I think Katelyn actually ended up leaving with 4 extra pieces). The one side I'm not a huge fan of, which I usually gravitate towards, were their baked beans. I like the classic backyard BBQ beans ya know? It's sitting in a sauce, its sweet and its got some spice and it's all baking under a blanket of bacon strips (cause I'm a free American). Where as here they were using burnt ends, still a great call, but have a much heavier and chunkier chili consistency. Maybe you're into that thing, in which case, these are great. Personally, it was a little too rich to be eaten with all of the fatty meat.

Rolling up to Hometown isn't like going to most NYC restaurants. Crammed in any corner you can find, most NYC restaurants are small or crowded or busy or even just a pain in the ass to find. Well, located right near the docks on the water in Red Hook, all by its lonesome lays this prestigious meat mecca. Being one of the most inconvenient places to get to may be part of what makes the venture more worth it. (Local property value should definitely go up just from the smell surrounding this place, by the way). But finally, as you open that door, you're smacked with an aromatic orgasm as you enter Nirvana. 

If you're trying to eat here on a Friday or Saturday you better get there early. Things sell out fast and nobody wants to wait on a 45-60 minute line. I’ve been here over a dozen times so I knew the drill and we got there at a perfect time. I also took the reins for ordering our food. Like most BBQ joints meat is ordered by the pound, which means it can get expensive. Don't let that scare you off though; roasted fatty meats fill you up quick so you won’t need too much. For Kate's first time we had to do it right; some things that just can't be overlooked. 

For three people, we ordered: 

1 1/2 lb Brisket 

1 lb Lamb Belly 

2 Italian Smoked Sausages 

1 Beef Rib 

1/2 Rack Baby Back Jerk Ribs 

Corn Bread 

Texas Queso Mac N' Cheese 

Burnt End Baked Beans 

Collards 

...and of course, lots of beer 

*Minus the beer our total was right around $140 

Cant Miss 

If you’ve never been here you can't leave without trying the lamb belly. HOLY FUCK. One of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth; slow roasted all day the meat just pulls apart like string cheese. Covered in salty fat and the best part, the crisp pepper bark on the outside of the skin, it’s a real game changer. Katelyn was extremely hesitant to eat the belly of an animal but, after trying the lamb belly at Hometown, I believe I’ve created a monster in her. 

The sausages defy everything you know about a sausage; I’ve even had these reheated the next day and they're just as good. They’ve got a perfect snap on the skin and a great bite to them but what I still can't figure out how they get these so juicy. When you bite into these bad boys, no oil or fat or clear liquids leak out, which was interesting to me. All the juices were emulsified with the cheese; the cheese was everywhere adding this perfect texture to the sausage. 

And the last thing you have to order the first time you come, is the brisket. I haven't had brisket anywhere like this, not even Memphis. We’re talking thick cut, fatty, juicy (like bleeding with fat, juicy) meat that you can break in half just using your fingers with the least amount of effort. It’s just so tender.

Now, sidebar, you may have wondered at this point, how come all of your reviews are so positive? Don't you ever disagree with a place? Of course I do! It’s 2017, who is ever really pleased with anything?! But I don't have an agenda or criteria I need to stick to, since I’m freelance I can write about whatever I want. So as users, don't you just want to hear about the good places I go to? If a new spot pops up or someone’s getting a lot of attention, then I'll specially go there and get the full run down and be honest. But if I don't find a place worth writing about, you don't need to know about it. Back to the good stuff. 

Bill Durney, best known as Hometown Bill, doesn't have your normal chef story. He hasn't been doing this all of his life, he didn't grow up in Texas and he certainly didn't go to culinary school. No, Bill was just a regular guy with a passionate addiction for pit cooking. What started out as small catering gigs or just having little parties in his backyard eventually grew and grew until the demand was starting to get serious. Self taught, at 40 years old, Bill opened up Hometown and his life has never been the same. Pushing barbecue passed its comfort zone, after putting his own spin to the classics to help curate NY BBQ, Bill instantly became recognizable across the country. Regardless of how picky you are, as long as you're not a vegetarian, they have something for everyone. I have yet to bring anyone who is disappointed or who doesn’t walk out and go on to dream about eating animals in large quantities. I get the meat sweats just talking about this stuff. It may be one of those things you just have to see to believe. So if you wanna be wowed this summer, grab a handful of friends and some meat and beers at Hometown. You won’t be disappointed.

Tags: review, reviews, BBQ, meat, summer, New York