Real Barbecue in Central Jersey
My wife is originally from western North Carolina. On trips to see her family, we stop in and around Lexington for barbecue. The only way I have been able to get good barbecue at home, however, is to dedicate 12-14 hours to preparing pork shoulders on my grill at home. Simply stated, real barbecue requires two things -- time and wood.
Anyone know of a place where I can get real barbecue in the Garden State? Doesn't matter to me what style, per se, but the place must prepare it properly -- slowly and with real smoke.
MGZ
Nov 10, 2007 01:34PM
I have never been, but supposedly Big Ed's BBQ in Matawan is good. http://www.bigedsbbq.com/menu.htm. I'm looking forward to trying it some day.
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I'm sorry, but if you search the posts here about Big Ed's you'll see that our prevailing opinion is that they are lousy. They are certainly not cooked low and slow.
There are only a few choices locally and none are as good as home smoked. I will say that front street is about as good as it gets around here.
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I will have to research some more before trying. Thanks for the head's up, seal!
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Well, seal, I'll duck as a few brickbats come sailing my way because I happen to like the baby back ribs at Big Ed's. :-o lol I've never tried the pulled pork, so maybe that is bad.
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I like the ribs at Jack's too RGR, but neither
place is slow smoked.
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oh god no.. no no no no no no no...a thousand times no!
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Front Street Smokehouse in Elizabeth. We've both been there and have had them cater for us and it's great.
www.frontstreetsmokehouse.com
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Central Jersey is a pretty large area. The following thread mentions a few places within a 30 min drive of Princeton/Trenton. Some of them have already been mentioned here.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/436978
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There's a place on Route 9 in Forked River that's the real deal. The name escapes me at the moment but it's in the old Stewarts Root Beer building. It might be called Extreme Barbeque or something like that.
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Yes, I think the name is Extreme Barbecue. I tried it once when it was open a few months and it was more than decent. :)
There used to be a REAL Barbecue master called Kingfisher who had an outdoor, set up on weekends, under a tin roof mecca in the South Jersey area, outside Buena (on rt 40?) I heard he moved ot a different location, The most amazingly good Barbecue. Anyone know news of him?
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Hollyeats.com lists Kingfish Ribs and Chicken stand on his website. See http://www.hollyeats.com/Kingfish.htm . He also has Uncle Dewey’s at http://www.hollyeats.com/UncleDeweys.htm . I seem to recall reading that one or both of these places has since closed. In either case, I would assume that they’re both only open during the summer.
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Not sure how up to date hollyeats.com is. I just took a look at it and another restaurant on the list has been closed for about 2 years.
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According to the web site, it was last updated on February 2, 2008. However, it does appear that some of the content is WAY out of date.
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Kingfish Ribs and Chicken is now in Woodbine across from Capt. Scrap Antiques and Collectibles. You can get directions by going to www.captscrap.com you can also view his menu on the front page. I love his chicken and potato salad.
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Don't know if it will meet your standards, but I was quite pleased with my pulled pork sandwich at Hot Rod's in Wharton: http://www.hotrodsbbq.com/aboutus.html
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I gotta say i recently enjoyed ribs @ Famous Daves, Woodbridge. I know, I know they are a chain but the ribs were GOOD. Found Big Ed's greasy, and no taste.
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For the record, I love Famous Dave's and think of them as a go-to place locally. The ribs and chopped pork and brisket are all top notch, but the best thing there has to be the chicken wings with the hot bbq sauce. My son and I often split 60 wings there.
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I also like the ribs at Famous Dave's. However, just about every time we went there (Route 1, in N. Brunswick), we had to send the food back because the ribs were not hot. :-( To be fair, we've sometimes had that problem at Big Ed's. Why that happens remains a mystery to me.
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actually didnt like the one in NB, but the one in Wdge.
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Good question. A few months ago here on Chowhound someone posted this link http://www.garvaque.com/ i had tried thier Q at a street fair here in the Bayshore area, and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to read that they had a roadside spot that the set up on during the week. However after three trips to the area, I have yet gone by where they claim to be located. I do enjoy the Memphis Pig Out in Atlantic Highlands, although many here on Chowhound don't care for it. I will however admit that it can be inconsistant, though ecven on it's off nights it's still good imo. That being said noothing is more disapointing than bad bbq.
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I don't know how far away it is for you, but I like Whistler's Inn on Rt. 130 in Cinnaminson. They have their own smokehouse and have even won some cook-offs around the South (I don't remember what they won for). The ribs are the best around here, along with a decent selection of other pub food.
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GRUB Hut in Manville is excellent (and real barbecue, not grilled meat slathered with sauce)
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Haven't been but read some good things about Memphis Pig Out in Atlantic Highlands.
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Sayreville Bar, all you can eat KC ribs /chicken for $12.95 on Thurs. nights, plus salad bar and all the mussels marinara you can eat. A deal!
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A bona fide treat in a most unlikely place can be found on Saturday's at American Harvest in East Brunswick, right in the heart of the Rte 18 sprawl on the southbound side. On Saturdays, they have a stand set up in their parking lot with a big sign that says "Pig Roast" and it is terrific. They have a $7 "combo platter" with ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and BBQ'd chicken. Great stuff at a great food establishment, and so totally in contrast to the surrounding area.
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Near what landmark(store)?
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Sort of opposite the Hess station, next to the empty lot that was once "Grand Plaza" (former site of Grand Union- Meyers Toys). Corner of Arthur St. intersection w/ Rt. 18, in the former liquor store, Chet's Liquor Locker IIRC.
A store crammed full of stuff (deli counter, fresh fruit & veg., baked goods, canned goods), lots of bread "imported" from north Jersey and NYC. Used to be constantly moving stuff around inside but I haven't been a regular in a few years. I've seen the grills out front (as I drive by), somewhat surprised that they're doing what sounds like "real BBQ" in a parking lot on 18.
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Got it, thanks. A little further S.on !8 was a great liquor store w/ ia fine beer selection in a mall w/ a grocery store. Did this this move across 18?
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The store with a good beer selection on Rt. 18 (well, more like "off", since it's set way back, behind K-Mart, in the A&P strip mall) is called Marketplace http://www.marketplacewines.com/ . One of the better beer selections in that area. The place on the other side of 18 (next to a Dunkin Donuts? Relatively new building, formerly a paint or rental store?) is new (don't know where they got the license) seems to be part of a chain. Pretty typical beer selection.
Certainly, back when I lived in South River, if I was stopping into American Harvest after work for groceries, Marketplace was my next stop .
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Their Pig Roast has become a local Hit, with people lining up for the Georgia style Chicken, ribs and brisket selling out every time. They do have seating inside and out now and I saw pizza on the menu too.
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MGZ, I feel your pain.
Since I moved to the Princeton area three years ago, and I've taken to smoking pork shoulders at home because I can't find any good options in the area. My 2 cents on some of the places mentioned:
Big Edd's in South Brunswick - par boiled - not real barbecue, though they do a decent burger with fried onions.
Famous Dave's in New Brunswick - not terrible if you order from the a la cart menu. For some reason all the meat I've ordered off the regular menu has been dry, but the to go stuff I've order a la cart is at least tender and smokey. Though it's not going to win any competitions.
I've heard raves about Front Street, but for me it's not practical. If I'm going to drive to Elizabeth, I may as well go to Sweet Lucy's in Philly or any of the great barbecue places popping up around Manhattan - which is where I recommend you go if you're jonesing for really good bbq you don't have to make yourself. here are my favorites:
Daisey Mae's
Dinosaur
RUB
Blue Smoke (haven't been in a while)
Hill Country
And there seem to be new ones every day.
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As mentioned...Big Ed's is pretty awfull in all their locations in NJ and I will not be back there. I did get to Ben Fisher's Extreme Bar-B-Q on Rt 9 in Forked River last September and was pleasantly suprised by the smoke ring and real apple/cherry wood flavor to the ribs-not heavy on the hickory. I'll be back there this year. I have been to Kingfisher in the past but it looked like it was gone this past year whenever I rode by. Also in the "not bad" category are the baby back and spare ribs at Lancaster Meats in the Columbus Market in Columbus (Route 206 in Burlington County) open Thursday -Saturday. It's an interesting place to walk around for a couple of hours. There's a lot of rib eating going on there.
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hi. ??? Is they have beef ? I eat pork and beef but my husband don't.
thanks.
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This is not technically central NJ, but easily reachable: Smitty's Smokehouse & BBQ in Lyndhurst.
Has anyone been there and is it any good? NJ Monthly had a review on it, that I just found.
http://njmonthly.com/restaurantreview...
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This and Whistler Inn both sound promising. I'm glad I checked this thread.
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If its smoke and time in central NJ you want, Its Front Street in Elizabeth and Grub Hut in Manville.
And Herm, like you I have been by the BBQ roadside site a few times this year to no avail. :( My phone and email messages have gone unanswered.
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Just stopped at American Harvest in East Brunswick on Rt 18. I can't believe these guys are out in the cold, grilling and cooking the best BBQ I've had in a long time. They start around 12 noon and sell out by early afternoon, but the ribs and pulled pork are the real deal. The beef brisket is great too and all of the sides are awesome, baked beans with bacon and brown sugar, spanish rice and black beans. Don't forget to check out their great selection of Hot Sauces inside the store (they sample the hot sauces at the Pig Roast too).
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I've just discovered your post and others above about American Harvest. Though I pass by off and on, I haven't shopped there in ages. So, unless things have changed inside and they've added a seating area, I take it the bbq is to go?
Note: They opened a satellite store in '06, in a strip mall off Union Hill Road, in Marlboro, but it failed. Only lasted about a year or so.
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Huge changes inside. New Pizzeria style pizza and seating for their deli and Pig Roast BBQ which draws crowds on nice Weekends!
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Try Christines Kingfish on Rt. 206 well north of Hammonton, around Atco I think. Good tender ribs and pulled pork. Not NC style but very respectable. She learned it from her Daddy, who was a BBQ pioneer in these parts. I don't know what their winter hours are, however.
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Ellen - with you about Kingfish - usually pick up a rack on my travels between our Hillsborough home and Ocean City condo.
Winter hours are...none.
Open May (I think) to October.
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On this weekend's Sunday June 1 trip back from OC, I was pleased to find out that Christine's House of Kingfish BBQ in Shamong - on Route 206 about 10 miles north of Hammonton - http://tinyurl.com/3ozhcq - had opened for the season as of Saturday, May 31.
Picked up a rack (with sauce) and a pound o' pulled pork.
Yum.
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Oh, yeah, but even "well north of Hammonton" probably doesn't count as Central Jersey.
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I've long maintained that, for many people, "central Jersey" is located between Englewood and Wildwood, mostly because few want what they perceive as the stigma of being in "south Jersey" (Pineys!) or "north Jersey" (decayed urban rustbelt!) - "northwest Jersey" gets pass, of course, for the 12 people who live there. It's like "middle class" in America- which is, apparently, someone who does not qualify for welfare yet can't afford their own learjet.
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ANd being a Piney is wrong? We'll keep out food secrets to ourselves then..."there is no Kingfish..there is no kingfish" More for US!
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Hi,
This isn't in NJ, but it's right over the border, in PA:
http://www.sweetlucys.com/
Take a look at the Philly board. Every time I've been, it's been the real deal.
Matt
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Thanks for this tip - we live very close to the border with PA and I think we'll have to take a ride and give this place a try.
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Has anyone tried 28 BBQ, (303 W. Union Ave. (Rt. 28) Bound Brook)? I haven't, but saw a write up about it in the paper and have been meaning to give it a try.
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Yes, I've been a few times, and also had takeout.
The food is what I guess you would call "Spanish BBQ," not smoked and cooked for hours but rather marinated then cooked on a spit or rotating rack above a charcoal fire. The portions are huge and you get a ton of rice or fries plus a little gardiniera with your order.
The place gets crowded and the orders can get pretty backed up. I once placed a phone order which was lost and had to reorder when I got there. I would describe the service as nice but a little clueless.
So go when you're very hungry and not in a rush, and you'll have a big delicious meal!
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Thanks for the post! :) I did see somewhere that it was "Portuguese" or "Spanish" or whatever BBQ, and didn't know what that meant. I will definitely truck on down there with my family and try it out.
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Please try Winckler's Ribs in Morrisville PA, if you're located anywhere near the Delaware River. It's at 46 Washington Street, best ribs I ever had and DEFINITELY slow smoked!
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Wincklers isnt smoked. I have been there and its ribs are definitely lacking in taste and the business in convenience. Closed too much. Good chicken though.
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I finally had a chance to try American Harvest in East Brunswick today.
I was a little disappointed - the brisket was dried out, the chicken was undercooked, the ribs were fair, the pulled pork was tasty. None of the meats were spiced or smoked enough - actually they were all pretty bland. I make better at home in my Weber.
The sides though were very good, especially the diced yams, mac and cheese and sausage and peppers.
But the big treat are the bakery items and prepared foods inside. Try the rugalach and the baklava. Try the stuffed cabbage and saussage stuffed mushrooms. The zeppole are good too.
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I had the super combo Sunday and it was the best BBQ I ever had. The store is really nice inside too, with lots of baked goods and sauces. They cook low and slow like it's supposed to be, and the secret sauce is vinegry and sweet like Carolina style BBQ
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If you travel to flemington area, Try the amish market (off of rt 31) They have a pig roast once a month, and it is so good. Their meat is very tender, and the sauce you could just eat with a spoon.Also, free horse and buggy rides for the kids. lol
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You know, I have yet to t