Dinosaur BBQ (NYC)

[phaelon56]

FYI - last year the city was offering tax abatements for businesses moving into the area that Dinosaur is now occupying...coincidence?

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Probably not a coincidence. There's a Fairway market that opened in that area awhile back and I'm sure they took advantage of that. The owners of Dino are very good business people and ubdoubtedly they were aware going into the NYC market that it's hideously expensive to open a restaurant there from scratch. Add to that the fact that they keep their prices very moderate and it's easy to see why they chose that location. Not to mention the fact that bike parking is a must have and they should have room for it up there.

[emilymarie]

I have a feeling that this place has the potential to do very, very well. In addition to all of the Columbia, Manhattan school, and Union Theological kids, there are always carloads of people driving in from NJ and Westchester/CT to shop at Fairway on the weekend. It's packed and a madhouse. My guess is that if Dino does a good PR job they can attract a lot of these people to their place, which looks to be just a hop skip and a jump away from Fairway. I wish them all the best--it will add a nice flavor to the mix (or lack thereof) of restaurants in that immediate area. Plus it's just a 20 to 25 minute ride from my house over the Bridge.

[R Washburn]

My guess is that if Dino does a good PR job they can attract a lot of these people to their place, which looks to be just a hop skip and a jump away from Fairway.

Fairway already has there BBQ sauce in stock.

[lambretta76]

NYTimes piece on it today...

NYTimes on Dino BBQ

In it, an opening date of December 1st is quoted...

[Pumpkin Lover]

Hey, can AmyDaniel and I come to an eGullet event, too? We're Columbia, AND we live in Inwood--we're as NoMa as all get out, we'll represent well.

[lambretta76]

Anyone planning on going on Wednesday night for the opening?

[tcavallo]

Born and raised in Syracuse, living in NYC for 6 years, vegan for 8 years up until this past summer... so happy to be able to eat Dinosaur BBQ again... Oh yes, I'll be there tomorrow.

[jogoode]

Born and raised in Syracuse, living in NYC for 6 years, vegan for 8 years up until this past summer... so happy to be able to eat Dinosaur BBQ again... Oh yes, I'll be there tomorrow.

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Passed by on my way to Fairway today. The place is not pretty from the outside; it blends in with the block, which is kind of cool. But as I passed it I smelled wood smoke, a wonderful relief from the fishy smell at any other point during the walk. Still, I love that block because of the stunning visual effect created by the overpass that runs with the street. People were in the restaurant, and music was blaring. I hope it's good!

[phaelon56]

I had really been hoping to get down to NYC this weekend and get an eGullet group over there (and also to see Anders Osborne's show at Tribeca Rock Club that night). Alas... tis not to be due to schedule conflicts but the Dino is definitely going to officially open today December 1st. They've already been running a soft opening since late last week and are operational.

Good article in Syracuse Post Standard

Famed rib joint settles into new digs near Cotton Club

[lambretta76]

I'll be there tonight at 7 and will report back...

[phaelon56]

[The place is not pretty from the outside;

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Dinosaur has never been pretty. The one in Syracuse is very utilitarian on the outside and the one in Rochester is more so (actually kinda funky but not in a cool architectural way - more like a 'cue shack kinda funky).

I'l hazard a guess that they'll have lines out the door and a one to two hour wait for tables within a month or two. If you're hungry you might just as well get over there soon. As for the foibles of visiting a restaurant that is experiencing the inevitable pains and bumpy spots that are typical in new openings.... you're likely to see very few of those issues here. They've been at this for quite some time with their other two locations and they're very good at dealing with volume business and a hectic environment.

I really, really wish I could be there this weekend.

[jogoode]

[The place is not pretty from the outside;

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Dinosaur has never been pretty.

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Hey, I'm not complaining -- if it were pretty, I wouldn't go!

[oakapple]

This excellent review appeared on Chowhound.

[lambretta76]

Last night, the restaurant was packed, but luckily they take reservations for parties of 6 or more... We were there for about two hours, but there was still up to a half hour wait for a table when we left around 10, and the place is HUGE. It was pretty much a Syracuse/Rochester homecoming, but there was a decent mix of neighborhood folks thrown in. No bikes, or bikers, though...

Very nice inside, sort of a forced rustic look without feeling forced (if that's possible). It almost feels like they inherited the space in the current state, which is a big compliment. (Though they probably spent hundreds of thousands on the interior...)

The food - better than I remember at the Syracuse location. And I loved that restaurant. So much smokiness in the pulled pork, the ribs were slow-cooked and fall-off the bone tender. Hell, they were the best ribs I've ever had - slightly sweet, ridiculously smoky, and charred with flavor. The cornbread was great, heck - even the vegetable of the day wowed. (It was cauliflower and broccoli in a cajun cheese sauce.) The Garlic Chipotle wings were spicy, tasty, and replace Bonnie's Grill in Park Slope as my favorite wings in the city, now. I really appreciate the unabashedly bold flavors - I'm finally in love with NYC BBQ.

Will this wow those reared on southern BBQ? - I don't know. I grew up with Pittsburgh BBQ (if you can call chipped ham in BBQ sauce BBQ), then Syracuse BBQ, and I find Dinosaur's food to be better than any I've had in the South... I'd love to hear what "real" BBQ hounds think of this place...

The service yesterday was friendly and professional - some of the servers had been imported from the upstate locations. And while the kitchen and bar were clearly overwhelmed, everything came out hot (or cold, in the case of the beers) and extermely tasty. Some decent Middle Ages brews on tap (pitchers at $16) and Genny Cream Ale in cans ($3). Bill for 7, with as much food as we could possibly eat and four pitchers of beer came to about $160.

I'll be back next Wednesday.

[tcavallo]

I ended up making it out there around 7:30 last night, and already there was a 45 minute wait for a table. We managed to get in after only 5 minutes however, since there were only two of us, and when I suggested it was because they knew I was a native Syracusan, the hostess claimed she could "smell it on me." This fits with the same rough-around-the-edges-but-somehow-endearing service I remember from back home. The waitress was the same, but VERY attentive. I would imagine they are overstaffing for opening week, as it seemed to me that every waitperson had only a few tables, and there must have been a bus boy for every person in the place.

The decor works. It seems a bit more campy/themey than I remember the Syracuse restaurant being, though I haven't been there in years (and years). The raw concrete and dim lighting prevents it from feeling too much like a safe, family-style restaurant, as does the great food.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have only started eating meat again in the last three or four months, so my adult barbecue experience is limited. Also, having grown up on this stuff before my stint as a vegan and before I left Syracuse for the greener (greyer?) pastures of NYC, I am somewhat biased.

That said, I loved everything. I just spent a week upstate, sampling wings all over Buffalo (including those at the original Anchor Bar... disappointing) and Syracuse, and I must say that the Dinosaur's wings blow them all away. Finished on the grill to a perfect char and coated with the wango tango sauce, they are succulent, moist, and have the perfect balance of heat and flavor. Of course I added plenty of the Devil's Duel at the table. The Carolina Pulled Pork sandwitch was smoky, rich, with just a touch of sauce and a generous pile of creamy coleslaw. Better than Duke's and Virgil's, I'd eat it for lunch every day, if 131st and 12th wasn't over 100 blocks from my office.

The location isn't bad, actually. With a ton of parking, easy access by cab and train (1, 9, A, C to 125th) they should have no problem keeping the place packed for dinner every night. I am not up there very often during the day, so I can't say what the lunch crowd will be like if they extend their hours earlier into the day, but as others have mentioned, I am sure the Columbia kids will make it a staple.

All told, I couldn't be happier to have the Dinosaur in NYC. I am eager to see everyone elses reactions, and even more eager to get back there myself to try the ribs and AK chili I missed out on.

[Jason Perlow]

JHlurie, Rachel, my brother Brandon and myself went to Dinosaur this evening and had some mighty good 'cue.

Since we are all stuffed and are about ready to pass out, here's the link to the album with all the pics:

Dinosaur BBQ Photos (Click Here)

Here's a few to get you started. My apologies for the washed out look, I had to use flash inside there for most of the photos, and for the ones I didnt use flash on, the light was so low that we ended up having to overexpose the shots, so they came out slightly blurred.

Heavy report tomorrow. Now, sleep.

[Pan]

I just watched all your three pages of photos as a slide show (an excellent way to look at a bunch of photos). Terrific stuff! Looks delicious, and I have to go to this place some time!

One odd note: One of the four Google ads right now, as I write this reply, is for a vegan cookbook! Could anything be further from what I just saw than a vegan cookbook?!

[jhlurie]

Meat Good.

Anyway, I'm sure Jason will come along and describe a lot of what he shot, but I'll note a few things.

The pulled pork is good, the ribs are very good, and the brisket excellent. But the big surprise of the night? Something we didn't even originally bother to order--the chicken.

Great chicken at a real BBQ place? "What the hell", you must be asking?

I'm serious. They brine them and then smoke them low and slow. Most BBQ places are either too pedestrian or too arrogant in their regionalism to bother with chicken (at least the right way), but done properly it's glorious. Moist and pink, NO oilyness at all... zero. Mildly smoke infused, but not intrusively. And if you ever again visit a place where rotisserie chicken is being hawked as "BBQ chicken" after consuming this, the real thing, you may want to come up with some creative suggestions about exactly where those people can stick their rotisseries.

The ribs were a nice St. Louis cut. They were perhaps a tiny bit more fall-off-the-boney than purists might like, but the color was perfect, the saucing appropriately moderate, and the mouthfeel nice. Again, a slight smokeyness, but not intrusive.

The Brisket was both moist and yet also firm, topped with jalapenos and very light saucing. The pulled pork was a bit oversauced for my taste, but then again I like mine pretty dry.

More later. The desserts need a page or so too, as does the decor. The men's bathroom alone could spark a nice discussion.

[Jason Perlow]

Dinosaur BBQ -- what can I say, its been highly anticipated by a lot of folks, and for good reason -- the eatin's is mighty fine.

The location, on 131st Street directly across from the Fairway Market parking lot on 12th avenue, was highly sought out by co-owner John Stage (the badass looking biker guy with the beard pictured in the first shot below, at right). Its a perfect venue for a BBQ joint as it used to be a meat packing plant -- the space is HUGE. 3 large J&R carousel style commercial smokers, each with 800 pounds of meat capacity, allow the restaurant to produce up to 2400 pounds of BBQ meat every 8-12 hour smoking session. Thats a lot of BBQ.

Those familiar with the upstate NY locations should feel right at home -- the biker/roadhouse feel of the other 2 restaurants is represented very well, especially in a lot of its bar clientele. The style of BBQ itself is probably a fusion of KC and Texas styles, with a little bit of Carolina thrown in for good measure.

We sampled a good amount of food, but suffice to say the menu is pretty large so we had to stay with the benchmark stuff.

Ribs -- Saint Louis cut, smoked for 5 hours -- smoky, a bit leaner than the KC cut ribs used at the other major BBQ restaurant in NYC, Blue Smoke -- manage to be quite tender as they are smoked at around 190 degrees. Not quite falling off the bone, but very easy to eat.

Pulled Pork Shoulder - This is showcase dish of the restaurant. Its smoked for 18 hours, which is well on the extreme side of BBQ smoking. The pork is VERY smoky. Tender yum yum good. Highly recommended.

Brisket - Has a nice amount of smoke to it, meat was tender, however we only sampled the flat as that what was sent out. If you want burnt ends or more deckle, be sure you ask for it.

Chicken -- we were very surprised by how good the chicken was. At a lot of BBQ restaurants, no matter what area of the country you are in, chicken is largely an afterthought. Not so at Dinosaur. These chickens are brined and smoked with the same care as everything else here -- they come out nice and juicy, not dried out like in other places. We thought that of the two sauces you could chose from, the Honey Mustard was the best complement to this dish.

Wings -- excellent, make sure you get the spicy sauce though.

Sides -- Baked beans were the best one, salt potatoes came in second. BBQ fried rice grew on me after the first couple of bites. But our favorite side interestingly enough was the greens which came with Rachel's catfish entree, which are not on the menu but you can ask for them. I told John he needs to make sure these are on the menu, for all the carboholics living in NY on pseudo-Atkins diets.

Desserts -- all you need to know is you MUST get the Butterscotch pudding. Honest. Its not like any butterscotch pudding you have ever had before. Like all the desserts, its home made. Has lots of pralines in it, its so good, that its like eating the ganache on a really good caramel cake. Our second favorite dessert was the Key Lime Pie, made with real key lime juice.

Beverages -- Dinosaur is really big on bevvies, especially beer. Lots and lots of varieties of beer on tap and in bottles, its probably worth a page of discussion on its own. We had a Belgian White, picked out by Brandon. Went really good with the cue as its low in alcohol and had no hoppiness to it at all.

Here's the Bevador, Dinosaur's 40-year old beverage cooler.

Decor d'toillete -- The bathrooms look like something out of a badass biker roadhouse -- Dino encourages graffiti on the walls, it even supplies permanent markers for people to leave their "Signature". My brother Brandon, who is a 3D CGI animator in California, left a nice Allosaurus exclaiming "Mmmmm MEAT!" above the sinks in the mens room.

[jhlurie]

I'm particularly happy to hear about the brisket. As mentioned upthread, I'd been advised that they switched to a different type of meat (switched over to Angus) earlier this year and also refined their smoking method for the brisket.  It appears to have paid off.

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I know opinions vary widely on this, but I thought the fat content of the brisket was dead on--marbled a bit but not enough to make it stringy.

Here's something neither Jason nor I has mentioned yet... the cornbread. I'm dissapointed so often by northern attempts at cornbread, but this was dead-on to my taste. Crumbly (although with a slightly sticky top holding it together) and with very little sugar (actually the menu describes it as "Honey Hush Cornbread", but I don't think the honey is taking the place of sugar--I think it may just be providing that glaze on top). Request extra when you eat at Dinosaur, unless you are a Carb-bustin' type.

One thing I realize we didn't get to try was the Chili, so I'm hoping the next eGulleteer in will give it a go and get back to us. Also, there are two salads: one a mix of greens and pecans and the other greens topped with the BBQ product of your choice. We tried neither.

By the way, the men's bathroom, at the very least, was ALREADY almost completely covered with (purposeful) graffitti 3 days in. So get there soon if you want some space. Much of it is fairly pornographic, but there are also a few examples of some real artwork--for example a really excellent Biker Devil Woman, a big ass "hog", some chap reacting to the odor (actually the bathrooms are very clean, even if decorated to appear otherwise), a woman diving into something, and well... whatever the heck this is. Also some drawings of male genetelia, but I don't think Jason bothered to photograph that. Rachel reported that the women's bathroom, only having had markers in it for one day, still has a decent amount of drawing space left.

[Jason Perlow]

For those interested, we've scanned Dinosaur's menu in Adobe Acrobat PDF format:

Dinosaur BBQ NYC Menu (Click Here, Adobe Acrobat Reader Needed)

[Jason Perlow]

This is all very good news. I assumed that they'd do things the right weay straight out of the box and they appear to have hit the mark and exceeded it. when the weather gets better and the biker crowds from places like the Great Notch Inn on Rte 46 W get wind of the scene you can expect the bike oarking in front of the places to be filled up with some gorgeous hunks of metal.

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Like these? There were a lot more just like them parked out in front earlier in the evening.

[Mister_Cutlets]

Here is my take on Dinosaur BBQ.

RUN DON'T WALK if you are interested in real barbecue. I had eaten Dinosaur's off-site product at the New York State Fair, and thought it passable, but unremarkable. I see now that this was an unfair sample. The barbecue being produced up on 131st st (just seconds off the west side highway) is on par with the next-to-top level of barbecue found throughout the southland. Let me repeat that. Dinosaur is good barbecue, not for New York, but on an absolute standard. It's not as good as Kreuz Market or Dreamland; but it's in the same rarefied air. There are some aspects to it that I would change, such as a concentration on hickory wood rather than the oak / hickory / fruitwood mix I think they are using, or the introduction of beef ribs, or the outright abolition of sliced brisket flat; but these are minor quibbles in the face of Dinosaur's achievement. Their bbq is unmistakably redolent of hardwood fumes, and stands on its own with only the most austere touch of sauce. (I am speaking of the sauce they cook and serve with -- the actual Dinosaur sauce, sold in bottles, is worse than Kraft.)The ribs are smoked right up to the point when KCBS judges begin deducting points -- that magic moment when the muscle fibers, now as red as claret, begin to separate from the bone and each other. Judges like to see firm meat with a pink ring, meat that will leave a mouth-shaped indentation after biting. But if you're anything like me, barbecue is best when transformed into a dessicated vessel for melting pork fat and the smell of smoke. This Dinosaur delivers, and in spades.

Among the lesser entities on the menu, the pulled pork is coarse and juicy, prodigal with the presence of "Mr. Brown", and as far from that cat food-like mincemeat, in its vinegar bath, as a great tagine is from Dinty Moore Stew. Chicken wings are big, and marinated (so sayeth Robby) in cuban mojo; but they are undersmoked, a sad missed opportunity. And the brisket, though moist and completely orthodox, suffers from the aforementioned flat problem. The Hooters-style waitresses are trained well, and even knew what I was talking about when I asked for meat from the "deckl"; but in fact, I got the flat, along with a small saucer of 2nd cut brisket sent by the owner, whom I had pompously informed of my identity. I ended the meal with one of the best pieces of key lime pie I can remember ever eating. I was forced to get a second piece, as what had been meant as a palate cleanser, soon joined the ribs as an (un)controlled substance.

All in all, Dinosaur was far better than I had any hope of it being, and currently the ne plus ultra of bbq in the northern states. Go there immediately.

But try to go when it's slow; it gets very crowded.

Signed,

Mr. Cutlets

www.mr-cutlets.com

[Jason Perlow]

(I am speaking of the sauce they cook and serve with -- the actual Dinosaur sauce, sold in bottles, is worse than Kraft.)

I don't agree with that. The honey mustard sauce used for the BBQ chicken, which you can buy bottled, is very good, and the Habanero Hot Sauce laced Wango Tango (pictured below, right) has a major kick in the ass heat quality to it, especially when used as a wing sauce. The basic sauce (middle) is unremarkable but its definitely not cloyingly sweet or even Kraft-like (although, as commercial sauces go, Kraft ain't bad, but not nearly as good as Cattleman's)

[jhlurie]

There are some aspects to it that I would change, such as a concentration on hickory wood rather than the oak / hickory / fruitwood mix I think they are using

I believe we were told that due to current pricing and availability, ONLY hickory was being used right now.