FOOD: Big Apple BBQ Block Party [NYC]

New York City may have some great barbeque restaurants, but one weekend a year the best barbecue in the country comes to Madison Square Park to showcase just what the rest of the country has to offer. For the twelfth year in a row, the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party took over the Park with over fifteen pitmasters serving up their award winning brisket, ribs sausage and pulled pork to hundreds of people each day.

The food offering was spread across the pitmasters so there were a variety of barbecue to choose from. Pitmasters from Nashville, the Carolinas, Illinois and others offered pulled pork, turkey, ribs and whole hogs to taste, with the pigs on display before being cooked. This allowed event goers to see exactly what the cooks have to do to prepare the meat for the smokers and how the pig is broken down once it’s done cooking.

Lines started early for the booths with people willing to wait for the award winning barbecue that they would otherwise never be able to try. This was most evident with the line for Salt Lick BBQ, which stretched an entire city block length. Salt Lick BBQ is widely known as the best barbecue in the country, and with its location in Texas, this was the chance for New Yorkers to taste their highly revered brisket. The plate came with pieces of tender brisket that was charred perfectly, along with sweet sausage served over white bread. Their famous barbecue sauces were on hand to top it off, and gave that added flavoring that complemented the brisket without overpowering the meat. The line may have been an hour long, but the brisket was most definitely worth it.

One of the restaurants featuring their famous ribs was 17th Street Ribs, who have been crowned Grand World Champions at the “Super Bowl of Swine” in Memphis drew long lines to try their award winning ribs. Their plate showcased the ribs, along with a side of baked beans that featured their secret barbecue sauce. The ribs themselves fell right off of the bone and the spiced rub blended into the smoky flavoring from the cooking process. It’s no surprise their ribs have won so many accolades, because they were cooked to perfection.

Restaurants representing New York’s barbecue included Blue Smoke, Dinosaur BBQ, Hill Country, Delaney Barbecue and Hometown BBQ, and they all drew big crowds to their booths. Even Hill Country whose actual store was right down the block had long lines to try their brisket which is a favorite among Manhattanites.

The Block Party is one of those summer events that can’t be missed. It’s the only time that New Yorkers can sample the best barbecue from around the country without having to leave the island. Madison Square Park may have Shake Shack all year round, but barbecue only comes once a year.