EAT: SUMMER BARBECUE IN HARLEM

Old time barbecue spots in Harlem such as Sherman's are disappearing but a new set of establishments have become local favorites in the past few years.  Below is the Summer 2016 best bets for the holiday weekend: 

Dinosuar Bar-B-Que, 700 West 125th Street and 12th Avenue, Manhattanville.  The Syracuse roadhouse chain is the king of BBQ in the city and folks should plan to book ahead because waits are usually an hour for a great table in the main room.  Walkin-ins can just get a drink at the large side saloon and sometimes a first-come-first-serve table opens up sooner by the said bar area.  Dinosaur has been around in Manhattanville since 2004 but had to move six years later down the block because of Columbia University's new construction in the area.  Check out more on Dino BBQ in our past post when they opened in 2010: LINK

Harley's Smokeshack, 355 East 116th Street by 1st Avenue, East Harlem.  Harley's opened back in 2011 and provides the same sort of casual ambiance as Dinosaur but on the east side.  This BBQ joint is open for lunch, brunch and dinner.  Check out more details on the Harley's Smoke Shack site: LINK

Harlem Bar-B-Q, 547 Lenox Avenue by 137th Street, Central Harlem.  The latest addition to Lenox Avenue opened put back in December but we have not made it over yet.  Yelp reviews are mixed on this one but the menu prices seem to be the most pocket friendly in the neighborhood.  More in our past post: LINK

Blujeen, 2143 Frederick Douglass Boulevard by 116th Street, South Harlem. Blujeen opened just below 116th Street a little over a year ago and has a little more polish to the presentation than the other roadhouse rib joints.  Don't let the contemporary interior fool you since the Kansas City Barbecue Ribs with fried pickles are some of the best in town along with the Lobster Mac and Cheese: LINK