Bourbon County BBQ (in Bergen Cty)

[Lima Bean]

John...and other egulletiers that appear to be talking about my posts being only negative....

First John...we should meet for a drink...thanks for your post...

Second, this site is great and I recommend it to many...and have come across and found many, many good resturants because of the great insights from the members on this board. Perhaps I should spend more time articulating those for the board.... good feedback, thanks.

While we are just a small group of foodies looking for new opportunities, don't just take our recommendations that many of the resturants in our area are over rated...I recall another member asking, why the NJ Monthly magazine didn't site any BC as best in class....how come that member didn't receive any flack...

caio....Limabean

Edited August 15, 2007 by Lima Bean (log)

[John]

I love this site as well. One of the great things about it is that there are all kinds of people who post here. Restaurant owners, authors, people who are wealthy and can afford to travel the world and enjoy all kinds of cuisine, and people like me who enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, diners, etc. Although I don't travel often and cannot afford to dine at many of the places I read about here, I feel as though I am living vicariously.

E-Gullet is a great resource as well. I will be on vacation at Long Beach Island and have printed out the recommendations posted here. But as much as I learned from being a member and being exposed to the knowledge and experience of this community, the bottom line is, "did I like the food?" As I've posted before, a lot of the enjoyment I get is finally eating at a place I've read so much about and finally getting to form my own opinion.

Lima Bean,

name the place and I'm there. Preferably a hot dog joint that serves beer. Let's see, Hiram's. Rutt's Hutt. Galloping Hill Inn. Libby's. Perhaps you and your group would like to join us on the New Jersey Hot Dog Tour on Sept 15th?

[Lima Bean]

sept 15th is my wedding aniversary....might be a good day for a hot dog run with you guys....I'll check with the better half

[John]

Happy Anniversary! The tour is open to anyone. Maybe your friends who join you on your hot dog excursions would like to go. More info here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=105737

[PicnicChef]

Well, after catering until after 2 a.m. this morning, at 11:30 I made my way over for some cue. I was the only person there, with one person behind the counter. I thought I saw Chef Gary in the back, but I wasn't sure. I wasn't starving so I ordered the lunch special, for $8.95 with pickle, drink and one side. I had the pulled pork sandwich. It wasn't great. I notice they now offer it in rolls, but I had it with white bread. And, for all they use paper to eat on, take out is in that scary styro packaging that will never recycle as was the side. I wasn't a huge fan of the bbq sauce that came on the side with the sandwich. I found a bitter aftertaste. The pork had a smoke ring, but I didn't get much smoke flavor at all. Seemed to have been cut rather than pulled. Ample fat. I chucked the mac and cheese. I couldn't find anything redeeming about it, which made me sad, cause I love mac and cheese. The iced tea was just not fresh. Good iced tea (and I love iced tea) is crystal clear. This was cloudy and kind of stale. I guess I will try again. Just not sure when.

[pete ganz]

Is there a reason they're not making the ribs the same way they make them at Silver Oak Bistro? The ribs at S.O.B. were probably the best I've ever had, but the ones done at Bourbon were a different style...barely any char. They were still very tasty, but I don't see why they wouldn't use the same method for Bourbon. Just curious....

[Double 0]

Picnic Chef

I got takeout about a week ago(In those nasty styro clamshells). I had the same reaction that you had, mac and cheese crappy, little smoke flavor in the meats. I arrived there at 6PM and there was only one table sitting. Deathwatch?

[PicnicChef]

Picnic Chef

I got takeout about a week ago(In those nasty styro clamshells). I had the same reaction that you had, mac and cheese crappy, little smoke flavor in the meats. I arrived there at 6PM and there was only one table sitting. Deathwatch?

←

Gosh, I hope not! It is August, and things slow down a bit. But, it is a valuable lesson that too much PR too soon is not a good thing. Perhaps they should have had a softer opening. All the hype did a disservice. How could a new place get the kinks out when they are slammed from the getgo? Any other thoughts about keeping openings nice and soft?

[tommy]

i didn't notice much PR on the part of the owners aside from the mentions on this site, and a few blogs (which they presumably don't really control), although it's entirely possible that i missed some.

i'm guessing that most of the people who went there in the opening weeks never stepped foot on egullet or tommy:eats. Goffle is a highly-traveled road, and plenty of people saw an intriguing restaurant and were interested. it was also replacing a landmark restaurant. so people would have noticed, and likely did, even without PR.

plenty of restaurants open to few customers. perhaps the owners thought the same would be the case here. when it because obvious that this wasn't the case, well, the toothpaste was already out of the tube (although i would have been tempted to rip the "Grand Opening" sign down after day 1!). with the benefit of hindsight, surely a soft opening would have been a better route. but clearly they didn't know they'd be slammed right out of the gate. then again perhaps they had a soft opening period and didn't post about it here. soft openings are, afterall, not publicized, generally speaking. although i hope not as i wasn't invited to one.

the mac and cheese has been removed from the menu and is presumably being reworked. i'd like to see it return in another form. service issues still exist, even though it's not as crowded. it's hard to find good help i suppose.

Edited August 23, 2007 by tommy (log)

[PicnicChef]

I'm assuming that there was a PR machine, simply because the Record did a piece before they opened, as did a few other local papers. Once the kinks are removed, hopefully, business will return to booming. I agree Tommy, after day one, so slammed the grand opening sign should have come down. As I said, this is an interesting lesson to all, and one that I hope can be rectified for Chef Gary. He's a neat guy and makes some darned good food. I was running errands today, and noticed the parking lot was pretty empty. Once the kinks are gone, perhaps they should do a re-grander opening to bring people back. I was sad to say I wasn't fond of the food, cause let me tell you, I know darned well, word of mouth is the major force in this business, and hopefully, when things improve at Bourbon, all our mouths can help bring them in business.

[MJP]

We went to Bourbon BBQ today and were glad we made the drive from Lyndhurst. I had the brisket and my girlfriend had the pork, and the pork was amazingly wonderful. The brisket was very nice, but it was nice in a dry way. I haven't ever had moist brisket that wasn't braised, but I think I'd order it again.

However, the pork was something else entirely. Perfectly moist, just flavored enough, smoky as anything. It went great slathered in the sweet BBQ sauce. The spicy one didn't do it for me; it just tasted like the sweet with some red pepper flakes or otherwise. I might try the hot sauce the next time around.

I wish I was around Wyckoff more often to stop by frequently; we ate at 11:45 and I still feel totally stuffed. O_O

Next time I'm trying to collard greens. The baked beans were very nice, a balanced sweetness that's definitely taken a lot of flavor from the pork and brisket they put in.

I'm damn sure planning on telling everyone I know about this place. I just wish it was closer to me! :-(

[zhelder]

I took a few months off from Bourbon BBQ because of all the service issues that plagued them during their first few months in business. I really wasn't sure whether they were going to survive. I got my 'cue fix from CC's Barbecue in Haledon, another very good joint.

But I decided to see if Bourbon BBQ got their stuff together recently. And boy, HAVE THEY!!!

Bourbon's meats are outstanding. Moist and flavorful. My favorite is the beef brisket, but the pork is outstanding as well. The meat now seems to have more seasoning than when they first opened, when the meats were very good and moist, but a bit bland. Bourbon's beef brisket is probably the best I've had.

Another mind blower is the recently added fried chicken. I got the 4 pieces for $4.99. This may be the best fried chicken I ever had. Unbelievably moist, yet thoroughly cooked. The coating was super browned without being burned. I don't know what it is (maybe a mix of flour, bread crumbs, and corn meal?) but it's delicious. The menu states that they get the chicken from the Goffle Poultry Farm down the road.

And finally... a decent macaroni and cheese! Gone is the awful stuff from the first few weeks with the gloppy cheese sauce. They now supposedly make it the same way they do at Silver Oak Bistro. (I don't know for sure, because I've never been to SOB.) But it is now VERY good. I think they "fry" it in a pan, but it looks and tastes like baked mac & cheese. It's very good, but not quite as good as CC's true baked mac & cheese.

They also have introduced a pork empenada, with pork, barbecue sauce, beans, peppers and some other spices. It was definitely good quality, but the spices/sauce/beans were too overpowering for me. I'm sure others would love it though.

When I first posted about Bourbon, I stated that I thought the beans were great, but I've recently had a change of heart. The last time I got them, they were kind of bland without any sweetness. CC's beans blow these away.

Overall, however, I'm very happy that this place has worked hard to improve and I now hope they have a long and successful future. With the improvements, they have turned me into a regular customer.

We now have two great 'cue joints in North Jersey: Bourbon and CC's. CC's meats are very good... but Bourbon's are better. Bourbon's sides are now very good... but CC's are better. (And Borubon really has to start offering some homemade mashed potatoes and gravy like CC's.) If these guys teamed up, we'd have a barbecue superpower!

Check both these place out!

[sjmoss]

I took a few months off from Bourbon BBQ because of all the service issues that plagued them during their first few months in business. I really wasn't sure whether they were going to survive. I got my 'cue fix from CC's Barbecue in Haledon, another very good joint.

But I decided to see if Bourbon BBQ got their stuff together recently. And boy, HAVE THEY!!!

Bourbon's meats are outstanding. Moist and flavorful. My favorite is the beef brisket, but the pork is outstanding as well. The meat now seems to have more seasoning than when they first opened, when the meats were very good and moist, but a bit bland. Bourbon's beef brisket is probably the best I've had.

Another mind blower is the recently added fried chicken. I got the 4 pieces for $4.99. This may be the best fried chicken I ever had. Unbelievably moist, yet thoroughly cooked. The coating was super browned without being burned. I don't know what it is (maybe a mix of flour, bread crumbs, and corn meal?) but it's delicious. The menu states that they get the chicken from the Goffle Poultry Farm down the road.

And finally... a decent macaroni and cheese! Gone is the awful stuff from the first few weeks with the gloppy cheese sauce. They now supposedly make it the same way they do at Silver Oak Bistro. (I don't know for sure, because I've never been to SOB.) But it is now VERY good. I think they "fry" it in a pan, but it looks and tastes like baked mac & cheese. It's very good, but not quite as good as CC's true baked mac & cheese.

They also have introduced a pork empenada, with pork, barbecue sauce, beans, peppers and some other spices. It was definitely good quality, but the spices/sauce/beans were too overpowering for me. I'm sure others would love it though.

When I first posted about Bourbon, I stated that I thought the beans were great, but I've recently had a change of heart. The last time I got them, they were kind of bland without any sweetness. CC's beans blow these away.

Overall, however, I'm very happy that this place has worked hard to improve and I now hope they have a long and successful future. With the improvements, they have turned me into a regular customer.

We now have two great 'cue joints in North Jersey: Bourbon and CC's. CC's meats are very good... but Bourbon's are better. Bourbon's sides are now very good... but CC's are better. (And Borubon really has to start offering some homemade mashed potatoes and gravy like CC's.) If these guys teamed up, we'd have a barbecue superpower!

Check both these place out!

←

Thanks for the review, based on it I decided to get some takeout tonight. I got the garbage plate, some barbecue drumsticks, fried chicken and some sides. I have to say that the barbecue is very good. I agree with you that the meat is now seasoned, but for the ribs, it seemed a bit too much because they were a little too salty and peppery. Other than that they were pretty good. The pulled pork on the garbage plate was good, but it was a little too fatty. I picked out the meat pieces from the fat and they were very tasty. The sauasge on the garabge plate was great and the fried chicken was also excellent; the coating was perfectly seasoned and tasty and it was so moist. Now for the best part. I 100% agree with your assessment of the brisket; hands down the best I have ever had. It was moist and perfectly seasoned. As for sides, we tried the potato salad and baked beans which were both excellent, the mac and cheese was fair (not much flavor), but was made much better when I melted some cheddar cheese on it for the kids, they enjoyed it. The barbecue drumsticks were surprisingly great and my kids (as did I) absoluletely loved them as they were baked with the sauce right on them. By the way the sauce overall was also excellent and I got extra so I can enjoy more tomorrow.

Overall, the best by far is the brisket, while the pulled pork would be great if it had less fat. The sausage and fried chicken were also top notch. The ribs were a little disappointing as I expected better. The sides were very good and with all this said, I will be back.

[PicnicChef]

Glad to hear that CC's is still there. I was worried. Bourbon, good to hear the kinks are out. I'll give it another go. Never crowded, now when I drive by so I was worried about that too. Thanks for the updates, all!

[mfeygin]

Dear Zhelder, based on your suggestion, Bourbon BBQ would like to announce that Chris Rogge of CC's BBQ will be joining our Family as of August 1st. Yes, we are absolute ecstatic about this combination and have great expectations .

Mike - Bourbon BBQ

I took a few months off from Bourbon BBQ because of all the service issues that plagued them during their first few months in business. I really wasn't sure whether they were going to survive. I got my 'cue fix from CC's Barbecue in Haledon, another very good joint.

But I decided to see if Bourbon BBQ got their stuff together recently. And boy, HAVE THEY!!!

Bourbon's meats are outstanding. Moist and flavorful. My favorite is the beef brisket, but the pork is outstanding as well. The meat now seems to have more seasoning than when they first opened, when the meats were very good and moist, but a bit bland. Bourbon's beef brisket is probably the best I've had.

Another mind blower is the recently added fried chicken. I got the 4 pieces for $4.99. This may be the best fried chicken I ever had. Unbelievably moist, yet thoroughly cooked. The coating was super browned without being burned. I don't know what it is (maybe a mix of flour, bread crumbs, and corn meal?) but it's delicious. The menu states that they get the chicken from the Goffle Poultry Farm down the road.

And finally... a decent macaroni and cheese! Gone is the awful stuff from the first few weeks with the gloppy cheese sauce. They now supposedly make it the same way they do at Silver Oak Bistro. (I don't know for sure, because I've never been to SOB.) But it is now VERY good. I think they "fry" it in a pan, but it looks and tastes like baked mac & cheese. It's very good, but not quite as good as CC's true baked mac & cheese.

They also have introduced a pork empenada, with pork, barbecue sauce, beans, peppers and some other spices. It was definitely good quality, but the spices/sauce/beans were too overpowering for me. I'm sure others would love it though.

When I first posted about Bourbon, I stated that I thought the beans were great, but I've recently had a change of heart. The last time I got them, they were kind of bland without any sweetness. CC's beans blow these away.

Overall, however, I'm very happy that this place has worked hard to improve and I now hope they have a long and successful future. With the improvements, they have turned me into a regular customer.

We now have two great 'cue joints in North Jersey: Bourbon and CC's. CC's meats are very good... but Bourbon's are better. Bourbon's sides are now very good... but CC's are better. (And Borubon really has to start offering some homemade mashed potatoes and gravy like CC's.) If these guys teamed up, we'd have a barbecue superpower!

Check both these place out!

←

[zhelder]

Dear Zhelder, based on your suggestion, Bourbon BBQ would like to announce that Chris Rogge of CC's BBQ will be joining our Family as of August 1st.  Yes, we are absolute ecstatic about this combination and have great expectations  .

Mike - Bourbon BBQ

I took a few months off from Bourbon BBQ because of all the service issues that plagued them during their first few months in business. I really wasn't sure whether they were going to survive. I got my 'cue fix from CC's Barbecue in Haledon, another very good joint.

But I decided to see if Bourbon BBQ got their stuff together recently. And boy, HAVE THEY!!!

Bourbon's meats are outstanding. Moist and flavorful. My favorite is the beef brisket, but the pork is outstanding as well. The meat now seems to have more seasoning than when they first opened, when the meats were very good and moist, but a bit bland. Bourbon's beef brisket is probably the best I've had.

Another mind blower is the recently added fried chicken. I got the 4 pieces for $4.99. This may be the best fried chicken I ever had. Unbelievably moist, yet thoroughly cooked. The coating was super browned without being burned. I don't know what it is (maybe a mix of flour, bread crumbs, and corn meal?) but it's delicious. The menu states that they get the chicken from the Goffle Poultry Farm down the road.

And finally... a decent macaroni and cheese! Gone is the awful stuff from the first few weeks with the gloppy cheese sauce. They now supposedly make it the same way they do at Silver Oak Bistro. (I don't know for sure, because I've never been to SOB.) But it is now VERY good. I think they "fry" it in a pan, but it looks and tastes like baked mac & cheese. It's very good, but not quite as good as CC's true baked mac & cheese.

They also have introduced a pork empenada, with pork, barbecue sauce, beans, peppers and some other spices. It was definitely good quality, but the spices/sauce/beans were too overpowering for me. I'm sure others would love it though.

When I first posted about Bourbon, I stated that I thought the beans were great, but I've recently had a change of heart. The last time I got them, they were kind of bland without any sweetness. CC's beans blow these away.

Overall, however, I'm very happy that this place has worked hard to improve and I now hope they have a long and successful future. With the improvements, they have turned me into a regular customer.

We now have two great 'cue joints in North Jersey: Bourbon and CC's. CC's meats are very good... but Bourbon's are better. Bourbon's sides are now very good... but CC's are better. (And Borubon really has to start offering some homemade mashed potatoes and gravy like CC's.) If these guys teamed up, we'd have a barbecue superpower!

Check both these place out!

←

←

YAY!!!! You guys have made me very happy (and I'm sure a lot of other people too!) This is the best food-related news I've heard in a long time! I can't wait to get some of Chris's mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, and maybe even some of those BBQ pork nachos! As good as the place is now, Chris will make it even better! Now go create that Northern NJ BBQ Superpower!!!

[Curlz]

Dear Zhelder, based on your suggestion, Bourbon BBQ would like to announce that Chris Rogge of CC's BBQ will be joining our Family as of August 1st.  Yes, we are absolute ecstatic about this combination and have great expectations  .

←

WOW. So if we all show up with Zhelder, it's free 'Q for all, right?

Seriously-congrats all around! While I didn't get up to CC's while they were open, it was on my list to try; now I have reason to get up to Bourbon again soon.

[zhelder]

Oh no. I just read on the Second Helpings blog that Chris is not going to be joining the Bourbon BBQ staff after all. I'm absolutely crestfallen. I really thought this would have been a great pairing.

Mike, if it's not asking too much, could you shed some light on what's going on? Why the change of plans?

[tomservo]

The latest from the same blog:

On third thought ...

Chris Rogge may be joining Bourbon BBQ in Wyckoff after all. Bourbon BBQ owner Mike Feygin said in an e-mail that he and Rogge are "trying to reconcile."

[zhelder]

Latest update, gang... and it's VERY GOOD NEWS!!!

Chris Rogge started today at Bourbon BBQ. I'm SO glad that Mike and Chris were able to work everything out. I can't wait to try the New & Improved Bourbon BBQ!

Story on the Second Helpings Food Blog

HIP HIP HOORAY!

[ColNJ]

Bourbon Co. BBQ ads now lists Dave Ilmajahid (corrected to Ilmojahid on the web site) as Executive Chef. Their web site lists him as Pit Master, from South Carolina.

The Silver Oak Bistro ad and web site also list Dave I as the new chef.

Has anyone been to Bourbon Co. BBQ since Chris & Dave arrived?

[zhelder]

Bourbon Co. BBQ ads now lists Dave Ilmajahid (corrected to Ilmojahid on the web site) as Executive Chef.  Their web site lists him as Pit Master, from South Carolina.

The Silver Oak Bistro ad and web site also list Dave I as the new chef. 

Has anyone been to Bourbon Co. BBQ since Chris & Dave arrived?

←

I've been there twice since Chris joined, and I think Dave joined a bit before Chris, because on my first visit, Chris mentioned a new "kitchen manager".

So what's different? From what I could tell, not a whole lot, yet, but the few subtle changes so far are good. Bourbon's great meats are unchanged. Chris has changed the macaroni and cheese, but unfortunately it's still not the baked masterpiece he served at CC's. It's better than what Bourbon had, but not nearly as good as CC's. It's relatively dry, but not baked. I'm hopeful that Chris will eventually be able to put his great CC's mac & cheese on the menu. But what they have will do for now.

They have also (finally!) added some excellent mashed potatoes. Nice white potatoes (russet?) with bits of skin mixed in for flavor. The first time I went, they mixed the gravy into the potatoes. The last time, they gave me a separate cup of gravy, which is the way to go, IMHO. The potatoes are different from CC's (CC's potatoes didn't have skin, if I remember correctly, and were slightly smoother) but these potatoes are still great.

I think the barbecue sauce is also changed slightly. The new sauce seems to be a bit thinner, but I think the flavor is actually better. I can't put my finger on what exactly I like better, but the flavors seem to have a better balance than before.

I am so glad that this "merger" seems to be working, and hopefully with Chris and Dave on board, Bourbon will eventually go from being a good BBQ restaurant to a great restaurant. They're on their way!

[rooftop1000]

The restaurant was damaged Saturday night by a fire

http://www.northjersey.com/breakingnews/022810_Wyckoff_restaurant_damaged_in_fire.html

[rooftop1000]

Bourbon BBQ has been granted approval to rebuild and modify the restaurant

... bergen record

http://www.northjersey.com/food_dining/events/111980854_Fire-damaged_eatery_prepares_to_fire_up_smoker_again___outside.html