If you’ve been keeping up with me, you know that last weekend I stuffed my face with barbecue at the Big Apple Barbecue in Madison Square Park. And because I promised you a recap, I made it a point to snap some pictures midst my BBQ elation. So here we go!
Bf was my accomplice in the matter, and we were overwhelmed by the wide array of choices when we first got to the event. There was a tent representing just about every area of the country. We quickly decided to choose which barbecue to try in this fashion: Bf’s family hails from Texas, so we’ll eat Texan bbq. My family is from Illinois, so we’ll eat Illinois bbq.
First up, Texan smoked brisket from The Salt Lick that had a thick and crunchy bark, sausage that was tangy yet salty, and a palate cleansing cole slaw that had a sesame oil base (yay for no mayo!). The barbecue sauce was an acidic compliment to the meat, just the way I like it. You can see Salt Lick’s massive black smoker for their barbecue below.
The Salt Lick’s Southern hospitality was not lost in NYC. They exuded their charm on all patrons by welcoming them in the Texas way: “Howdy Y’all.”
The first round was filling, but this is a BBQ festival. No full stomachs allowed! On to round two, some smoked pork ribs from 17th Street BBQ. I was amazed at the mass of ribs I saw being cut and plated as we waited in line, and found myself wondering how many pounds of barbecue were in Madison Square Park at that very moment. As you can see, I dug in to my ribs with no reservations.
The day was beautiful for the event, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. Yes, the lines were long, but they moved quickly, and every one there was passionate enough about barbecue that you could strike up a conversation about dry rubs, smoking times (see the red hot fire blazing in the smoker below) and bbq sauce with just about anyone in close proximity.
I will definitely be back next year, and I highly encourage you to come, too!
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I love Salt Lick BBQ! I hope you get a chance to visit the original location in Driftwood, TX
I love the NAME of Salt Lick. Makes me hungry. My bf’s parents live in TX, and when we visited last, we had Big Daddy’s BBQ, which I did a post about. Have you ever been there?
I have not! But the name alone makes me want to go there!