The first time that I’d heard about kosher barbecue was in the context of the annual kosher barbecue contests held around the U.S. I didn’t know that more kosher barbecue restaurants are opening up across the country as well. I was in New York City a few months ago, and my friend Andrew Newman hipped me to a couple of spots in Brooklyn. I owe him everything for this excellent “taste” of kosher barbecue.
Our first stop was Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse.
Izzy’s website indicates that it is supervised by OK Kosher Certification which is practically next door. Izzy’s isn’t a huge place, but I liked the feel of it when we entered.
Knowing that we had another spot to hit, Andrew and I ordered enough food to get a good sampling.
Izzy’s assertively adopts a central Texas barbecue aesthetic with the tin rectangular plates, butcher paper and pickle condiments. The sliced, beef brisket had a nice smoky flavor, the burnt ends (a daily special) were fantastic, but I really liked the smoked fried chicken sandwich: a nicely seasoned crust, and lightly smoked meat. I could definitely grub on that for a long time!
Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse
397 Troy Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
Next up was Main House BBQ. It took awhile to get there (I had no idea Brooklyn is so big), but it was definitely worth the wait.
Main House BBQ is a spacious location, and it has a casual feel. Though the décor doesn’t scream central Texas, the plating does: tin rectangular plates, butcher papers with sliced pickles served on the side.
Lots of tempting options here, but we ordered:
The beef brisket was solid with nice smoke and seasoning, and the house-smoked pastrami was transcendent! That’s the definite thing to get if you only had one choice. The cornbread was soulful which means it was on the sweet side. I really wanted to try the “Sloppy Yosef” sandwich (sauoy burnt ends with pickles/slaw), if only for the name, but I was already pretty stuffed. Next time!
Main House BBQ
6001 Strickland Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11234
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