righteous grill

real deal BBQ in NYC? good luck. the down-home sensibilities of southern BBQ doesn't translate especially well this far north of the mason-dixon. i suppose dallas BBQ is a viable option, that is if you are bridge & tunnel trash more concerned with over sized sugar-water cocktails than you are with the quality of your meal. what about blue smoke? ah, a perfect choice for corporate jerkoffs and over-hyped-restaurant enthusiasts. honestly, you are probably better off at dallas BBQ; the food is comparably mediocre and significantly cheaper.

if you fancy the uptown scene, i highly recommend dinosaur bar-b-que; they’ve got the goods and at the proper prices, but harlem? idk…

you owe it to yourself to give RUB BBQ a try. it’s conveniently located, moderately priced and gooder than hell.

RUB BBQ
208 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011

my chick and i came across this place by chance last week after halloween shopping at abracadabra. i spotted it from afar - the neon lights outside reminded me of the whore house from beetlejuice; i knew i was in good company. the decor was tacky, to say the least, but that's not why you go to a BBQ joint, is it? if you want to feel classy go to blue smoke and fuck off.

the restaurant was crowded but we were seated right away. the staff was pretty disinterested and disorganized; our entrees came while we were still on the apps, the waitress knew nothing about the cuts of meat and when i asked to wrap up the leftovers they handed me a to-go box for a little DIY. whatever, the food and prices were good enough to make the shtick endearing.

our menu:

appetizer --

BBQ chicken wings jumbo wings served with your choice of blue cheese or ranch dressing
(10 for) $7.50



-- baked, not fried. normally i prefer my wings fried, HOWEVER, these were THE most succulent chicken appendages i've ever had in my entire life. smothered is the house sauce; lots of tang, not enough spice. i will order these again.

entree --

(HIS)

daily special: gigantic beef short rib, slow smoked for 18hrs, onion strings and greens
$19.95



-- christ, i love short ribs - i love them even more when they are GIGANTIC! the bone was about 14 inches long, the meat was slightly less (8-10 in?). slow cooked, lightly sauced and falling off the bone tender. WOW. the sides were chosen at my discretion; the onion strings were top knotch, if not a bit salty, and the greens...eh, i've had better. please NOTE that the sides were VERY generous in size, i had expected much less.

(HERS)



pulled chicken BBQ sandwich "classic" white meat only
$10.75

side of super fries
$3.50

-- what can i say? the fries, like my onion strings, were a bit salty but otherwise top rate. the chicken, like the wings prior, was moist and flavorful - above average insofar as chicken sandwhiches are concerned.

leftovers --



-- two meals worth.

this place is a winner - great BBQ, a decent beer selection and very reasonable prices; i will be a repeat customer.

watch it go.


© 2008 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/