Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque Comes to New Jersey

Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque Comes to New Jersey

Mighty QuinnsBy the time I visited Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque in Clifton a few weeks ago, it seemed like everyone in north New Jersey had been talking about the recent opening of the place. The popular New York barbecue restaurant makes its New Jersey home in the space occupied until recently by Corner Bakery in the hectic shopping center – Promenade Shops at Clifton.

The expansive, slightly industrial in style restaurant offers customers a view of the lively chopping/serving area as they order and pick up their food, cafeteria-style. The attractive restaurant is a significant departure from the humble food cart that housed the original Mighty Quinn’s that I enjoyed at Brooklyn’s Smorgasburg.

Brisket

Brisket

As diners make their way through the food line, the first ‘station’ they encounter is the meat station with its mouthwatering selections – pulled pork, brisket, smoked sausage, spare ribs, burnt ends, half chicken and Brontosaurus rib. All meats are available in a small or large portion. Our group opted for small portions so we could order a variety of meats to share. We selected burnt ends (crispy, charred brisket ends), brisket, pulled pork, sausage and Brontosaurus rib. The agreement at our table was that the brisket, slow-cooked for 18-24 hours, was some of the best we’ve had with tender, dreamily fatty, fall-apart meat. The pork was moist and savory/sweet with just a bit of sauce coating it. The sausage was our least favorite with a beyond “snappy” casing that we’ll pass on during future visits. As the name implies, the Brontosaurus rib was simply outrageous with a short rib bone measuring roughly 12 inches and scrumptious meat that could easily feed a family of four. The brisket, sausage, burnt ends and pulled pork can be ordered as a sandwich or “naked”.

Second in the food line is the courtesy pickled add-ons station – red onion, celery, cucumber and chiles. Next is the sides station – vinegar-based or mayonnaise-based coleslaw, barbecued beans with burnt ends, pommes frites, sweet potato casserole with maple and pecans, edamame and sweet pea salad and buttermilk broccoli salad with bacon. Both coleslaws are crisp and fresh, the pickled vegetables are well-seasoned and don’t overpower with strong vinegar. Perfect matches to the fatty meats. The beans are loaded, and I meant loaded, with burnt ends, a great side dish. Another favorite of our group was the sweet potato casserole with its perfect combination of sweet, salty and crunchy. Every small meat order comes with two sides.

Burnt Ends

Burnt Ends

On our visit, the deliciously-described desserts were replaced with craft beers. The craft beer selection is exceptional with various brews by Lagunitas, Founders and New Jersey’s own, River Horse. There are a few wine options but this is clearly not the drink of choice at Mighty Quinn’s.

While I understand from other diners that on certain nights, there’s a queue out the front door with an army of barbecue enthusiasts, on the Monday night we visited, the place was almost empty. It made waiting in line a couple times for seconds and a to-go order that much easier.

I’m looking forward to my next visit to try other dishes like the ribs which appeared tender and finger-licking good. New Jersey finally has solid barbecue option in an attractive space with easy access from Route 3.

Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque – 850 New Jersey 3, Clifton, NJ 07012.

Cheers,

Veronique

Down to the Bone Barbecue

Down to the Bone Barbecue

UPDATE – THIS RESTAURANT IN NOW CLOSED.

Down to the Bone Barbecue

Wedge Salad

Down to the Bone Barbecue is located on scenic Lake Lackawanna in Stanhope, NJ. The restaurant is Owner/Chief Smoker Jeff Feldstein’s newest project born after years of barbecuing at street fairs and markets. Feldstein entered his life of barbecuing after working in Corporate America as the General Manager of a large New York-based court reporting company. After leaving his Wall Street career behind, Feldstein enrolled in recreational barbecue classes and more serious courses at the French Culinary Institute. With that experience and years of building a loyal following at various fairs, Feldstein recently opened Down to the Bone Barbecue & Co., a Texas-style barbecue restaurant with gorgeous lakeviews.

Unlike most barbecue restaurants, Down to the Bone uses applewood in its smoker. This guarantees the flavor of the meat isn’t masked with heavier mesquite or hickory. Brilliant!

Down to the Bone Barbecue

Mini Feast

“Barbecue Fusion” cuisine is what Jeff is after at Down to the Bone. What that really means is that even the most unlikely menu items get a dose of barbecue. During our visit, we sat on the outdoor patio and enjoyed a wedge salad ($9). You might ask why I’d opt for a wedge salad at a BBQ restaurant, but this isn’t just any wedge – it’s crisp iceberg lettuce with sliced tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese, frizzled pulled pork and crispy onions. In case you haven’t had “frizzled pulled pork”, you’re missing out. The bits of pulled pork are fried to crunchy perfection. That salad is a must-try.

For our entrées, we picked the Mini Feast ($28) and the half rack of baby back ribs ($14). The menu says the “mini” feast serves one but I just can’t imagine who that one person could be. It’s huge! The plate offers four St. Louis-style ribs, a quarter chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket and smoked sausage. That mountain of meats is also served with sides of coleslaw and baked beans. Our waiter, who was delightful and personable, told us they’d need to replace the St. Louis ribs with baby back ribs as the former were unavailable that evening. The ribs are hand-rubbed with a dry rub and smoked for over 6 hours. We love baby back ribs so we didn’t miss the meatier St. Louis ribs. The chicken is rubbed with a blend of house spices and smoked for several hours. It might be the moistest, most flavorful smoked chicken we’ve had. The brisket is served in the manner of burned ends, the fattiest part of the brisket with a charred bark – they’re beefy deliciousness. I’m not usually drawn to barbecued sausage, but the version served at Down to the Bone is juicy, flavorful and was a favorite at our table.

LakeviewOn our next visit, we’ll order the Brisket-Wrapped Smoked Scallops ($24). Described as “Surf & Turf”, this dish showcases jumbo scallops smoked then wrapped in beef brisket and topped with tangy spicy aioli.

For those who come to Down to the Bone looking for a dare, there’s the “Down to the Bone Challenge”. There are two versions of the challenge and if a guest finishes all the food presented, he/she receives a complimentary Down to the Bone t-shirt and some significant bragging rights. The two “challenges” are:

THE BEAST ($20) – A two-foot hot dog served on a bun, topped with chili, Cheddar-Jack, Pepper-Jack cheeses, red onions, bacon, fried onion straws, jalapeno peppers and pickles and served with an oversized bowl of fries topped with brown gravy and mozzarella cheese.

THE BONE ($24) – Two one-pound burgers topped with five pieces of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Swiss cheeses and five pieces of thick-cut bacon. The whole thing is topped with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and fried onion straws and served with an oversized bowl of chili cheese fries and coleslaw.

Down to the Bone Barbecue’s sauces, Mild Madness and Sweet Heat, are available for purchase throughout the tri-state area and at the restaurant. Both versions are quite good.

Down to the Bone Barbecue & Co. offers breathtaking lakeside views from its two patios and barbecue worthy of a trip to northwestern New Jersey’s Sussex County.

172 Lackawanna Drive, Stanhope, NJ

973-347-BONE