verysleepy

Hi there. We have just returned to our renovated apartment after being out of there for 3 months. We went from a 1950's kitchen to a 2007 model in 2 months. Of course, we have returned to all new appliances. I am more than intimidated! We went from a GE all gas range to an incredibly powerful Bluestar range, with 2 22k burners and an 1800 ceramic broiler and oven. There are open burners on this monster- something else I am not used to. It also has convection when I want- another first for me. In addition we have this big Prestige profile range hood on top of the Bluestar. Not that it can capture all that much in a NYC apartment- but it helps. Thank goodness for the window a few feet away. Instead of a normal microwave we bought a nifty Whirlpool Velos- which also speed cooks and microwaves and steams. My old microwave was the source of great O.R lite microwave natural popcorn- the only one I truly liked. There is no way I feel comfortable with this new fangled "time saver." But then again- a dishwasher!!!! Ah... the first one in 30 years! It is a new Miele- so now I have to figure out which of the 26 settings to use??????? Maybe I will go back to some good old cast iron pots!- my old buddies!

Hi there We went on Saturday, and greatly enjoyed the day. The frustrating part was experiencing the the long lines, even using the Bubba Pass. We had to give up on the Salt Lick line after waiting 45 minutes, because we had booked tix for the "cooking pork" seminar over at ICE. Yes- too many people were ordering 10-20 plates of food which shouldn't be allowed. I was also shocked to see so many inexperienced people working at the registers, in handling the bubba passes. That- and of course the wait on Saturday for the transactions added to the frustration. Even buying merchandise took 10 minutes. No one knew how to use the machines. What I found to be totally annoying was the "Gestapo like" tactics of the "guards" by the Bubba Pass lanes. There were 3 in our party, and they would only allow 2 people on the sidewalk. We explained that we were only buying 2 portions- but no- we weren't allowed in together. This was just stupid. We couldn't even eat together because of the crowds. Since I have personally visited many of the pitmasters restaurants, it was great fun to go back and enjoy their food. Ed Mitchell's whole hog reminded me how much I love Q. And.... I still think that Dinosaur delivers the best BBQ here in New York on a consistent basis. Thanks

Last night, my boyfriend and I went over to RUB. I hate to say this- but it was a very bad experience. I love great barbeque- but most of this was, at best, "edible." I had such high hopes. I thought we were going to get a truly great bbq haven. Instead, I experienced a mediocre, at best, barbeque experience. Being a "seasoned" pro, no pun intended, I guess I expected soooooooo much from Paul Kirk. We were able to be seated, no problem, Sunday evening about 530. The dining room is very casual, and thats ok, although, there was a sharp protubance in the wooden table where I was seated.The service seemed a bit confused, but friendly. I ordered a full rack of ribs- figuring, we would take some home. This rack was $26.95, and included NO sides. I did however, order the onion straws ala carte. My boyfriend ordered a 2 meat plate- brisket and pulled pork, with 2 sides- beans, and fries. The good news- he loved his beans and fries, and the onions were just fine. The incredibly bad news- each of the 3 barbeque items were not worthy of Paul Kirk's reputation. The presentation of the ribs was a "bunch" of separated ribs tossed on a plate. I guess I expected a rack to be a rack. The ribs were not meaty, and they were tiny. No, I didn't order the babybacks. In addition, these ribs tasted re cooked. Sure they were smoky- but tasted like a gritty layer of spice was applied. For $26.50, I expected much more. The brisket was served in short slices, and chunks. This in no way, ever tasted like the wonderful Texas Brisket. It was chewy- sort of like a London Broil. No brisket worth it's salt, would be chewy. it should flake, and melt in your mouth. This was horrible. Unfortunately, the pulled pork was just as bad. It was just not cooked properly, not falling apart. It was chewy, and fatty. Both meats suffered from undercooking. Needless to say, no food was taken home as leftovers. In NY now, we have Blue Smoke, Pearsons, Dinosaur, and Daisy Mae Takeout. All 4 are much superior. My own favorite is Dinosaur. Is RUB going through growing pains? Or, is this the Q that is to be presented day in and out? I guess I will continue making the trek up to Harlem to go to Dinosaur for my bbq yens. Having just gone to Angelo's in Ft. Worth last week, I had much to compare to.. including all the best in Lockhart and Taylor Texas , and Lexington, and Goldsboro, NC. Sighs... so much disappointment! Nadine

hi titicaca... yes.. meant Taylor- we went there and to Mikeska's

Hi there I have tried to link you with some of my favorite q restaurants that serve a variety of meats. Well.. here is the link for Sonny Bryan's in Texas, serving great barbeque- http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:6L0BA...39;s+menu&hl=en And here is the link menu for the Salt Lick in Austin- known for all sorts of BBQ- http://www.saltlickbbq.com/ And here is the menu selections for Kreuz's market in Lockhart TX. http://www.kreuzmarket.com/ And here is the menu for Parkers in Wilson North Carolina- Great pork, plus kicking fried chicken. http://www.hollyeats.com/images/NorthCarol...arkers-Menu.jpg And here is the menu for Blacks BBQ in Lockhart Tx http://www.blacksbbq.com/menu.htm I could not find the menu or websites for Mitchell's in Wilson NC- but they have excellent variety of meats, as does Louie Mueller's in Lockhart. Hey- what's the expression? "Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't?" On occasions, I am in the mood for ribs, sometimes chicken or pork, sometimes a combo, etc. So... why not enjoy going to place that has it all? For me, Dinosaur fits the bill!

Woodburner, I found the various places in North Carolina to serve the pork a few ways. You could request a coarse chop in most places, which was my favorite, as it was a bit less fatty.

Jason- I don't think I saw one biker type on either of the two occasions that I was there. Some bad reviews in a few major publications would perhaps stop people in my age bracket- (50's) from venturing up there. I had no idea what to expect first time going up there. Would I be killed by a pack of wolves or muggers? Um no... but for someone that spends their time on 96th Street and below? My fears were soon allayed when I got there. I just hope many will not be influenced by a number of mixed reviews. Nadine

Given the size of the place, I am quite sure that Kreuz Market does huge business with everything they sell. How do you know that the pork chops were their biggest seller that day? I would be shocked if it were not the case that beef was their best seller, with brisket beiung the most popular form (they also sell shoulder clod and prime rib). Smoked sausage is another Texas regional specialty, so I bet that's their #2 best selling category of meat. Slkinsey- I happened to ask that day, because I was fascinated by the place. The day I was there, the crowd did not look touristy. The guy that was doing the slicing said the chops.. then clod, then links were selling. There was still a bunch of prime rib left over- but that might be expensive for some of their clientele. This was at abour 2 hours before closing time. What is so "authentic" about Dinosaur that is "not authentic" about Virgil's? Having eaten at both places, I think the q is much more authentic at Dinosaurs. The pulled pork tastes smoked, and not just braised. The ribs have a wonderful crunch on the outside, and tender inside, while Virgils are big slabs of meat, with a rub seemingly put on as an afterthought. Don't get me wrong, I think Dinosaur needs some improvement, but think the absolute taste of the meats is more authentic and similar to what I have recently sampled around the country, than Virgil's Nadine

This is a very good point, although it is also worthy of note that many of these places serve one meat that is truly outstanding, while the others are just good to very good. I can't imagine that Mitchell's, for example, would be famous for their chicken. Similarly, do you want to go to Kreuz's for the pork?" Slkinsey- When I was at Kreutz's their best seller was the incredible pork chops that day. In addition, they had just sold out their ribs too. They do a huge business with their pork, and their sausages too. I still don't think its fair to put Dinosaur in the category of a "themed" restaurant, or to compare it to Virgils. Virgils is not authentic, aside from their biscuits. Themed dinosaurs?... btw.... what is the origin of the name? Does anyone know? I have listed in my earlier post, some of the finest bbq places in the country, and have visited them first hand- aside from Gates. Aside from the bbq places in Lexington, NC- almost all the most respected Q places serve a variety of meats.

Owen Dinosaur does not serve Carolina style vinegar chopped pork, which would be Eastern Carolina Style. They serve a coarse pull. In North Carolina, depending on where you go, you can get it finely chopped, coarse chop (my personal favorite), even sliced. The sauce on Dinosaur's seems to be put on after for serving. That's why I ask for mine to be very light on sauce.. or sauce on the side.

I am agreeing with you Steven... that's why I mentioned it in my previous post. Dinosaur's menu is no bigger than any of the other well known places. Hell-In Texas for instance- Kreutz's in Lockhart may not have the most sides, but they sure do have lots of different kinds of wonderful barbeque. Same with Black's, and Louis Mueller. Sure these places might be known for brisket, but you wouldn't believe the amount of people ordering other things there. Same for Sonny Bryans too. In North Carolina- Allen and Sons have a great variety, as does Wilsons and Parkers. Parkers even has a big following for their fried chicken. I know in Kansas City... Gates has a very long list of different Q also. In all of the reviews- everyone seems to like the chicken, and that alone should be fine. Where else in NY can you get great bbq chicken that is still moist and flavorful? Let's give Dinosaur a chance.

Sighs Why all the mention, and comparisons to Syracuse, or Rochester in the review? Half of the review is filled with these, and it's not fair. Ok, compare Dinosaur with other NY BBQ places to give we New Yorkers a fair reference point. Since I don't dine very often in Syracuse, it makes no difference to me. (No offense to my upstate neighbors.) As written earlier, I really enjoyed the food at Dinosaur. More importantly, I always order my Q with very light sauce, as I want to taste the flavor of the meats and not the sauce. I reitterate, the pulled/chopped pork was incredibly tasty! This comes soon after recently visiting 8 of the best places in North Carolina! The best pork in North Carolina to me, was the coarse chop, and not the finely chopped Q. The chicken and the ribs are wonderful at Dinosaur. Perhaps the brisket was a bit disappointing. Then again, in NY, I can get great brisket at a Jewish style deli. Dinosaur's menu is no bigger than any other barbeque's restaurant. As a matter of fact, I thought it had fewer selections than some. Yes, the beer on tap choices was huge, but the bbq selection was typical of any good bbq place. Sietsema shows the pic of the wood at Kreuz's. Is this fair to compare? Kreuz's seats 600 people at a time, with tour buses. Of course they serve great BBQ, but it's not fair to compare it to Dinosaur, which seats about 200. I still urge those that have not tried Dinosaur to give it a chance. Don't go in with preconceived notions. Just enjoy the food and the company. Nadine

Oh, oh The NY Times review is out. Did the reviewer eat in a totally different place than I did? Can all the people enjoying the bbq be wrong? How do these things happen? The review is totally negative, aside from the chicken. Sighs Nadine

As a bbq junkie, the only place that I recall having noticed that I was wafting in BBQ smoke was in Lexington, NC, where there are perhaps 15 bbq joints within a 5 block radius. Dinosaur has some mighty authentic smoked taste, and that should be the only thing that counts.

Hi again. I was finally able to get into Dinosaur, and ate there this Tuesday lunch time. Previously, I was only able to take out- but still enjoyed it. I truly loved the food that day, and certainly think it is better than any other of the NY barbeque bastions. If they keep improving, Dinosaur will contend with some of the finer bbq restaurants in the country. This year, I have been fortunate to try out the best in Memphis, including Memphis in May, great bbq in Dallas, Lockhart, and Taylor Texas. In addition we travelled to Raleigh, Goldsboro, and Lexington. All these places serve the VERY BEST. Having read the Voice article- I think it is not representative of the food that I ate on either occasion, at Dinosaur. I really believe that the pulled pork is on par with anything I had in North Carolina. The ribs were succulent. The outside was wonderfully flavored, a bit crunchy, with the interior moist. Perhaps the best surprise was the BBQ chicken- wonderfully flavored. Again, as an answer to Wannabechef- the NY DEP probably have some sort of emissions controls that are very strict. I know for instance that Blue Smoke has to vent out the smoke 17 stories up, and it cost an absolute fortune to do so. When I visited down to Lexington, NC... the entire town was redolent with BBQ smoke, and I am sure it wouldn't pass environmental controls here. I am so happy to have Dinosaur here. I only wish the restaurant seated more people. That is my only knock on it. There seems to be a bunch of wasted space, where more tables could appear. Nadine

Steven... what time did you go to Dinosaur? Just curious, because we are attempting to go again on Tuesday afternoon- lunchtime. Thanks Nadine

Hi Rachel- what is important to know though, that until the 14th of this month- they have curtailed hours, and they do not open until 430p. Well- that is what they had told me. Thanks Nadine

Not in Charlotte unless I've overlooked it in my research. The Queen City is full of chain joints like Bubba's and also has some great soul food and southern breakfast options but I have yet to hear about a really good BBQ place there. Yes it is an option to drive two or three hours to places like Mitchell's but not as a regular excursion for lunch or dinner. ← Hi there. Perhaps a shorter drive would be to Lexington, North Carolina- a bit under 60 miles from you. There you will find about 15 bbq places, and one better than the next, serving great pork bbq. The 2 best that I found were Smokey Joes, and by far the best- Lexington #1, aka HoneyMonks. They are extremely well known, and worth the trip. Great chopped pork, and hush puppies. You had mentioned Mitchells, which is great , but right near Mitchell's is Parkers, that also has great bbq, and the best fried chicken I have ever had. Hope you find it helpful- Nadine

Hi All This is my first post here, and I want to give my initial experiences of Dinosaur here in Manhattan. I also have written them up in another website- so sorry if any of you are also members there, if I am repeating myself. I love good bbq, and needless to say, we here in NY are deprived. And yes- I have travelled recently to many great bbq havens to savor the real stuff.... so here goes. My first post on EG- Nadine Ok, so where do I start? It was Saturday night about 6:45 pm, as we pulled up to Dinosaur's. I know that the restaurant just opened on Wednesday, and their hours are curtailed the first 2 weeks, but what we witnessed was astonishing. Also, please bear in mind, this location is in a very remote part of NY, and not easily accessable to public transportation.(131st Street and 12 avenue.) We go into the place, and I am not prepared, as there are hundreds of people standing ahead of us, and in the bar area, waiting for a table. Whoa! The young lady taking names tells us there is a 2 hour wait (for a party of 3.) We decide to stay, and go to the bar. It seems as if there is a huge bar area, and a small dining room, but I will have to reconfirm this at some other time, as there were so many people. I order a ginger ale, and my friends a beer (23 different types on tap).. and we stand there. After about 5 minutes we say- are we crazy?... and decide to look at a menu, and then finally decide to take out. There is no way we could have been comfortable with all those people around us, and trying to balance plates full of BBQ. For the most part, the food I had tonight was great. We tried combo plates of Ribs, Pulled Pork, Brisket, and Chicken. I found the Ribs, Pulled Pork, and Chicken to be faultless, though the brisket I felt was not near Texas standards. We had ordered a variety of sides, and one order was not the correct one, but for the most part... all were great. My friends loved the baked beans- though I am not a baked beans person. I would be happy eating a rack of ribs, and pulled pork with no sides. My friends also tried the shrimp, and loved the sauce. Across the street, when we shopped at Fairways, we purchased a bottle of their Habenero BBQ sauce too, and my friends loved that. So.... please I preface my findings with the caveat that we took the food home, and reheated a bit. That being said, the food was still a big success. This last year, I have been fortunate enough to to taste some great bbq in Texas- (Dallas, Taylor, Lockhart), in North Carolina- Raleigh, Wilson, and Goldsboro, and the year prior in Memphis. This bbq served at Dinosaur was just as good as the majority that I had sampled in these great bbq towns. The menu looks similar to the one on the website, though not identical. There were fewer sides offered, and alas, the prices were higher. For Manhattan though, the value is still there! Hopefully I will be able to return within the next month- when we have access to a car, and the hours are extended. I am so interested in hearing from others about your opinions of the food and the room layout. To me, it looked like they needed more seating! A warm welcome to Dinosaur, and may more bbq places flourish here. Happy eating, Nadine