Here is the best barbecue in New Jersey
Looking for great barbecue in New Jersey? Warning: You just might come across the following sentiments:
"Best and BBQ are not words typically used together in NJ."
"It's slim pickings in New Jersey."
"New Jersey is a barbecue wasteland."
Nonsense, says Sean Ludwig, a recent Jersey City resident who founded The Smoke Sheet, the leading national BBQ newsletter, and NYC BBQ, a site dedicated to barbecue culture in the Northeast. A proud barbecue fanatic, Ludwig hails from barbecue-obsessed Kansas City, Missouri, a food-loving Midwestern city considered to be the barbecue capital of the world. He is also a certified barbecue judge.
"BBQ in New Jersey is underrated," Ludwig said. "Barbecue in New Jersey is a lot more exciting than people think it is. If you know where to go, you can find fantastic barbecue in NJ."
As Ludwig put it, you can get mediocre BBQ in Austin, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; and St. Louis, Missouri, if, that is, you just randomly go into any joint. If, however, you "listen to barbecue experts," the zealots who suss out the most juicy, most tender, most delicious smoked eats, you're pretty much guaranteed to get your mitts around some fine, finger-licking, lip-smacking barbecue.
So I did the asking for you. Among the experts I consulted in addition to Ludwig are cookbook author Ray Sheehan, a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society judge and a member of the National Barbecue Association, who hails from New Egypt; Veronique Deblois, a certified barbecue judge who resided in North Jersey but today lives in North Carolina; and Tom Fornicola, a food blogger based in Oakhurst who specializes in pizzerias and barbecue places (check out his 73.5K Facebook page What's on Your Plate and his nascent 2.3K Jersey Food Warriors FB account).
Here are the places the barbecue cognoscenti of New Jersey say have the best 'cue in the Garden State.
Boots & Bones joins three other barbecues that I know of in Jersey City and Hoboken, both exceedingly easy to get to from NYC. Two of the three (Hamilton Pork and Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster Barbeque) are well worth visiting, meaning these NYC-adjacent Hudson River towns are becoming a bonafide barbecue destination. And we’ll be returning to Boots & Bones to see how the barbecue evolves — I, for one, can’t wait to try the brisket. EATER NY
Kimchi Smoke, Ridgewood
Sean Ludwig is not the only fan of Kimchi Smoke, a 7-year-old Southern-style Korean barbecue joint owned by award-winning pitmaster Robert Austin Cho. We at The Record/northjersey.com are too; in a restaurant review, we declared his chow "worth the drive from anywhere in North Jersey" and then fell even more deeply infatuated with Cho's eats on a subsequent gut-stretching, carnivore's-dream-come-true BBQ food crawl.
Ludwig declared Kimchi Smoke "one of the best BBQ spots in the state." Adding: "Robert's been making his food better and better every day," giving a special shout-out to Kimchi Smoke's award-winning brisket that is smoked over oak for 12 hours and its "awesome ribs." May we add our own shout-out to his crazy and indulgent Chonut, a sloppy mess of a sandwich consisting of smoked brisket, crisp bacon, smoked kimchi, tangy cheese and Cho's signature Fatboy bourbon-chipotle sauce on — what else — a sweet glazed doughnut, as well as his "cholander fries," a pile of fries buried under a mound of smoked kimchi and pulled pork.
Go: 2 Godwin Ave., Ridgewood; 201-447-6653, kimchismokepopup.com.
Red White and Que Smokehouse, Green Brook
When Red White and Que Smokehouse moved from Kearney to Green Brook last year, we barbecue lovers wondered if the store's dishes would remain as delicious. We needn't have worried. "The food," Ludwig said, "remains very, very good."
The same tender Texas-style brisket, the same succulent pork ribs, the same flavor-packed pulled pork, the same scrumptious house-made sausages. They're all produced by Dan Misuraca, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Katie. Plus, as a bonus, the shop offers a number of house-made fermented items such as sauerkraut, sauerkraut, pickles, vinegar and kombucha tea, "Give me some of their brisket pastrami and fermented vegetables and I'm a happy camper," Ludwig said.
However, the restaurant is not known only for its delicious food. Red White & Que also is known for its work supporting and helping veterans; Misuraca is a former Marine who served in Kuwait during the Gulf War. That —break on prices, free meals, holiday feasts and more — remains the same as well.
What has changed: there's no seating in the Kearny location. So grab your smoked eats and enjoy it with loved ones and friends at home.
Go: 150 Route 22, Green Brook; 732-200-5998, redwhiteandquesmokehouse.com.
Hamilton Pork, Jersey City
Sean Ludwig called Hamilton Pork, a Texas BBQ restaurant with a bit of Mexican flare, "the quintessential Jersey City establishment." The reason? It's robust and diverse, like the city that it calls home. Yes, you can get smoked ribs and brisket and lamb belly, but at Hamilton Pork you can also get BBQ tacos, smoked meats mixed with traditional taco filling. "It's Tex-Mex on steroids," Ludwig said.
Try the beef rib taco — not only because beef ribs are a rarity on menus but cause it's huge, "as big as your head," said Ludwig. Share it with your table mates. Also terrific are the pork belly burnt-end taco and the smoked belly taco.
Brought along a vegetarian? No problem. There's a tasty avocado taco fashioned with salsa verde and a spicy mayonnaise. And if any carnivore or vegetarian at your table is still hungry, let them eat pudding, that is a maple pecan bread pudding topped with dulche de leche ice cream. After all, there's always room for dessert.
Go: 247 10th St., Jersey City; 201-957-7245, hamiltonpork.com.
Mutiny BBQ Company, Asbury Park
Mutiny BBQ doesn't discriminate when it comes to what style of BBQ it serves: it creates small-batch barbecue "in the southern tradition, incorporating flavors and methods of Texas, the Carolinas, Memphis, Kansas City and Louisiana," its web declares. At Mutiny, you can get yourself a dish of excellent ribs, smoked fried wings and juicy links or a tub of housemade pimiento cheese and an impossibly overstuffed "The Beast" sandwich that features a quarter pound of pulled pork, a quarter pound of chopped brisket, a whole Texas sausage link, cole slaw, pickles pickled red onion, slathered with homemade BBQ sauce on a seeded Martin's potato Roll. You won't need a side.
"You can order almost anything on the menu and you will be happy," Ludwig said.
Ray Sheehan, who besides being a certified BBQ judge has won multiple awards for his BBQ sauces, concurs.
"I love love the brisket, tender pulled pork, amazing ribs also, and the the house-made pickles and onions along with the Texas BBQ sauce sealed the deal."
What's more, Mutiny changes things up. For St. Patrick's one year, it offered smoked chicken pot pie, brisket shepherd's pie and bangers and mash.
"I love a place that is not just serving the same thing every day," Ludwig said. "I love a place that keeps bringing you back, keeps surprising you."
And a place with scrumptious sides. Take the flavor-packed, rich mac 'n cheese that and the super-moist, butter-rich cornbread casserole that Ludwig said is so satisfying "you can eat it as a meal." One with a side of brisket, of course.
BTW: Owner and pitmaster Tom Dunphy brought in a wood-fired pit from Texas. Choose an outdoor seat and watch it do its magic.
Go: 808 Fifth Ave., Asbury Park; 732-366-9985, mutinybbq.com.
More Than Q, Lambertville and Princeton
Founded in Lambertville by pitmaster Matt Martin in 2014, More Than Q, a high-quality, 49-seat Texas-style barbecue spot, now has two other locations: one in Princeton and another in Easton, Pennsylvania. The reason for the name? The restaurant offers BBQ fusion dishes and tries to add new twists on smoked meats. It even offers salads: kale and Brussels sprouts and a chopped salad with buttermilk-chive dressing. There's also a cornmeal-encrusted fried chicken sandwich with sriracha mayo.
But of course the big draw is the smoked meats — from pork spare ribs to chicken thighs to brisket. The sides have a strong pull too, including the five-cheese mac 'n cheese and the cornbread with honey butter.
Ray Sheehan is a big fan, saying that "subtle smoke seasons the perfectly tender proteins at More Than Q accompanied by a stunning array of house-made sauces. Adding: "Loved the brisket, but the smoked wings with Alabama white BBQ sauce stole the show."
Go: 3 Klines Court, Lambertville, 610-829-2777 and 3524 Route 1 North, Princeton, 609-642-4770; morethanq.com.
Local Smoke BBQ, Cookstown, Neptune City, Red Bank, Sea Girt, Highland and Monmouth Park
Local Smoke started in 2007 as a competition barbecue team. It won awards and went on first to open a full-service catering company and then two full-fledged restaurants. Now there are seven.
The team has collected more than 135 awards and won five New Jersey State Championship titles and one World Championship Turkey Title in 2020.
On the menu: Korean fried barbecue wings, Buffalo pulled chicken sandwich, smoked hot dogs, BBQ baked beans and collard greens.
Sheehan, who describes Local Smoke's eats as "slow-smoked delights," is especially fond of the Smokehouse salad made with pulled chicken, chopped beef brisket or pulled pork on a bed of mixed greens with cheddar cheese; tender pulled pork; and the bacon-wrapped smoked jalapeno poppers.
Go: localsmokebbq.com.
Ma & Pa's Tex Mex BBQ, Mount Laurel
What started out as a food truck today is a near four-year-old full-fledged restaurant housed in a funky log cabin in Mount Laurel. One with a sense of humor.
A sign outside reads: "Make Tacos Great Again."
Its owner and pitmaster Alex Martinez told the Courier Post that he has a standard answer for an oft-asked question: Are you a chef? His answer: “I didn’t go to culinary school. I’m just a fat guy that can cook.”
And, judging from the many fans Ma & Pa's has, he can indeed cook.
Ma & Pa's is not your typical barbecue establishment. We're talking Tex-Mex food with succulent smoked meat. Martinez slow cooks his meats, then stuffs them into tacos or rolls them into burritos. Or plunks 'em into bowls. Or even adds em to his crisp Tex-Mex nachos, crunchy house-fried tortilla chips topped by smoked brisket.
Sheehan loves the place. "This is a great, small business," he said. "Awesome brisket tacos, chicken bowls." And of course, he, like so many, loves the idea of a log cabin in Mount Laurel.
Go: 116 Creek Road, Mount Laurel; 956-592-1494, .mapastexmexbbq.com.
Boss Hog Barbecue, South Plainfield.
Brothers Mark and Jeff Johnson, owners and pitmasters of Boss Hog Barbecue, give credit for the deliciousness of their southern-style barbecue to their smoker, which they christened Goliath. The smoker was hand-made in Georgia and uses hardwood as its only source of heat and smoke.
"We don’t use any gadgets or shortcuts when we’re cooking either," the brothers assure on their website. "Just good old-fashioned BBQ knowledge and know-how."
But beware: Boss Hog is easy to miss. "It is one of the most unassuming BBQ joints in New Jersey," said Ludwig. It's easy to pass right by. But don't stop in for true, smoky Texas-style barbecue: help yourself to some brisket, tender pulled pork and amazing ribs. And don't pass up the the house-made pickles and onions or the Texas BBQ sauce.
Go: 13 South Plainfield Ave., South Plainfield; 908-991-2255, .bosshogbarbecue.com.
Daddy Matty's BBQ, Madison
Don't be fooled by Datty Matty's appearance. It looks like someone's house on a residential street with a backyard where, now and then, you can hear live music playing.
It's a community hub, one that serves unique barbecue. Think stuffed jalapenos, grilled cheese sporting barbecue meat, smoked pork belly with homemade pickles and melted Havarti cheese, Southwestern white bean chicken chili and Colorado-style burrito served with a side of pork green chili and refried beans and something you don't see often, chimichanga, deep fried burrito accompanied by pork green chili.
"It's such a fun, unique place," said Ludwig. "I wish I lived around the corner from it."
If you don't live in Madison, you can get Daddy Matty's eats shipped to you via Daddy Matty's Air BBQ. How log will it take? It depends on the carrier and when you place your order.
Go: 6 Elmer St., Madison; 973-295-6996, .daddymattysbbq.com.
Berg's Smoked Meat & Poutine, Belmar
New Jersey barbecue lovers don't have to trek across our northern border to get their mitts on smoky, fatty, luscious Montreal smoked meats — or Canada's national dish, poutine. Just head to Berg's Smoked Meat in Belmar. It is the only spot in New Jersey selling authentic Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and poutine.
Berg's dry cures its beef brisket with 12 different spices for 21 days, smokes it over oak wood for eight hours and then steams it for three more hours. Any wonder Yelpers go gaga for it?
"Hands down best pastrami in the state," said one. "This sandwich is on the level of Katz deli in NYC."
Said another: "Ordered pastrami sandwiches and poutine with some potato salad. The flavors all hit the spot, the meat so tender, seasoning was perfect. If you haven't tried it, hurry in. I'm regretting how long it took me to give it a try!"
Ray Sheehan couldn't agree more. "Go there and try it," he advised. "You wont be disappointed."
Go: 1405 Main St., Belmar; 732-749-3266, bergssmokedmeat.com.
Monty’s BBQ, Atlantic Highlands
New Jersey food blogger Tom Fornicola can't rave enough about Monty's BBQ.
"It's amazing," Fornicola said. "The smell alone can bring you there. The brisket is like butter. The rib meat falls off the bone. The cornbread has real pieces of corn. The coleslaw is to die for. And nothing needed sauce."
In fact, he loves the place so much that he returned to it the next day and cancelled the reservation he made at another joint.
"What a great find," he said.
Go: 71 First Ave., Atlantic Highlands; 732-204-2437 .montysnjbbq.com.
Harry's Smokin' BBQ, Tom's River
Okay, not a restaurant but a food truck. And what's more, hardly your ordinary authentic BBQ joint.
You won't get a platter of ribs and briskets at Harry's. What you can get: low-and-slow smoked chicken wings that are deep fried; smoked pulled pork on toasted sourdough bread slathered with BBQ sauce; a hoagie roll stuffed with pulled pork, hot dog and coleslaw and showered with BBQ sauce; a Cuban melt, pulled pork, smoked ham and pickles on a toasted sourdough with Swiss cheese; and Nashville hot chicken sandwich.
Go: 240 Dover Ave., Tom's River, 848-223-9955, www.harryssmokinbarbecue.com.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Best BBQ in NJ: Don't miss the meats from these pitmasters
