New Harlem BBQ is open for business (Photo by D. Bell)
Harlem BBQ
2367 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (8th Avenue) and West 127th Street
212-222-1922
Take the A,B,C,D to 125th Street
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Posted in: New/Openings, Restaurants
montie8888
August 10, 2009
AWESOME….
great food better than any other bbq in town..
d baby back ribs fall off the bones so tender n juicy.
and d lobster is d best deal only for $16 u’ll get a huge lobster… and the frozen margarita taste so good, kinda strong but i dont mind at all…
will definitely come back…
totally recomended..
Noo yorker
August 1, 2009
Warm and welcoming restaurant. Food was great, portions large, service good, drinks sizeable and the price right.
Is it “authentic” barbecue? Not sure about that. But at $10 for a rack of baby backs BBQ Harlem is not pretending to be high end cooking. Its tasty. Its greats value. Its friendly. Its a full service restaurant in a neighborhood that has few dining options.
I loved it.
Jennifer
August 1, 2009
The food was horrible. We got take out and when we got home we couldn’t even eat the food. They left out some of the items. And trust don’t get the crab cakes, sad. The vegetables were even brown and rotten. Trust don’t waste your money.
123rd St Guy
July 28, 2009
Oh, how i love HWA’s rant about tipping and exploiting the locals (ie: blacks). So typical of what I have seen in Harlem since moving here 3 years ago….speaking out of turn and not knowing the facts. Perhaps a little thoughtfulness, as opposed to shooting first and asking questions later, might do all of us some good.
Thanks for LG for doing the due diligence on the topic of tipping.
yonkersguy
July 27, 2009
Went for dinner last night having waited a couple of weeks for the opening jitters to settle down. I found the food to be very good having ordered a 1/2 order of wings as an appetizer. My wife ordered the Baby-backs and I had the Beef Ribs as an entree. Everything was cooked perfectly and the sauce was just fine. The service was attentive and friendly but not over-bearing. Why wait at Dinosaur when you can thoroughly enjoy a meal here? A little coffee and dessert would have been nice, but they don’t offer it yet.
grubworm
July 26, 2009
I went here for lunch and had a piece of chicken with some barbecue sauce on it. Like Dallas BBQ, it’s okay if you need to put something on your stomach. Our server was friendly and attentive. The menu, “BBQ” plus coconut shrimp and lobster, was clearly designed to maximize business in that location – remember its often empty French/American predecessor Revival?
DO NOT go here expecting authentic BBQ. Dinosaur isn’t the holy grail, but it’s the closest you’re going to get uptown. I would love to see a real Carolina barbecue spot in Harlem.
.
LG
July 23, 2009
There is no law against tipping policy’s. First of all, the above person is talking about “surcharges” which has nothing to do with tipping. Those are 2 different things. According to state & city law, the “policy” of noting a tip percentage to be added to a bill is not an illegal act. If you spend time eating out in the New York area, one will find even in the most upscale places have a tipping policy of that nature (including some other bbq places too). There are many restaurants with big “chef “names that have similar tipping policy’s-most do. Actually one can see that in places nationwide. It is not uncommon-hence it is not illegal to note it. Tipping in general is not a required law, allowing the freedom that if your server did well & the food was good, you tip as an award. One doesn’t have to tip at all, but we know that most servers depend on their tips as income. So really shame on those here that are fueling an effort for something that many people may enjoy-a new place in town. The food is good-the price is right and it is nice to have another option here.
ads
July 23, 2009
Sorry, maybe I am a purist but coconut shrimp and lobster on the menu at a self proclaimed BBQ restaurant is like putting General Tsao’s Chicken on the menu at an Italian restaurant.
asgodchild
July 22, 2009
went there last night and couldn’t believe that i could get a good size and tasty lobster for less than $20.
It also has a nice ambiance with harlem portraits around the restaurant, it loos like they trying to celebrate harlem.
HWA
July 22, 2009
I find it a slap in the face to a community & very insulting when a business openly violates law & exploits its community. Harlem BBQ’s tipping requirements are illegal (see below).
Should they be excused and allowed to violate the law & exploit the community because they are Black? Or this is Harlem? Can businesses in Harlem pick and choose which laws they choose to obey?
Wanna bet the owners of Harlem BBQ don’t give a damn about the law and will keep their illegal policy in place?
__
The Rules of the City of New York City 5-59 Restaurant Surcharges. (a) A seller serving food or beverages for consumption on the premises may not add surcharges to listed prices. For example, a restaurant may not state at the bottom of its menu that a 10 percent charge or a $1.00 charge will be added to all menu prices. (b) A seller may impose a bona fide service charge (such as an added charge for two persons splitting one meal, or a per person minimum charge), if the charge is conspicuously disclosed to the consumer before the food is ordered. (c) In this section, the term “surcharge” does not include tax. DCA’s legal interpretation of the Rules of the City of New York City, Section 5-59 requires that (1) the charge not exceed 15%, (2) the charge not be imposed except for parties of eight or more and (3) that the fact the charge will be added is disclosed on the menu in at least 10-point font. DCA urges New Yorkers to call 311to file complaints against restaurants that are charging such illegal gratuities.
Joe NYC
July 22, 2009
Shame on you for trying to pass yourself off as one of NYC’s greatest deals !
Sharon
July 22, 2009
Saw your comments and was curious since I like to work out at NY Sports near there. First, I looked for the tip issue & it said after 8pm. I think it’s a good thing cause not all my friends tip! The manager seemes nice and would have probably worked with you. The coconut shrimp was fantastic as well as the combo with the baby back ribs. Think authentic anything is hard to find these days but these guys are doing a great job. Liked the simple warm space and will definitley go back!! Great food after a good workout!
Betty Warren
July 22, 2009
I ordered takeout last night (chicken and ribs combo, side order of rice). When I got home I discovered that
the rice was just dumped over the meat when it should have been placed in a seperate containter. The sauce was just poured over the ribs and it was watery. I will never eat there again. Whenever I have a desire to dine at BBQ’s, it will be either uptown or downtown. Harlem, get your act together.
Schnelle
July 22, 2009
Food is really great!! Went with my friends and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Very warm environment. Wait staff was impeccable and we plan on returning many times!
narmer
July 21, 2009
127th Street on FDB (8th Ave) you can’t miss it!
ads
July 21, 2009
First of all, those Dallas BBQ chain restaurants are terrible and a pale imitation of barbecue (of which there are several regional styles). I agree, they are the Olive Garden of barbecue. The commenter who said real BBQ doesn’t exist in NYC is 100% correct.
Go to Arthur Bryant, Gates, or Oklahoma Smoke in KC or Kreuz Market and Smitty’s in Lockhart, Texas. The BBQ is life changingly good.
I will give this new place a shot as I am always hopeful to find decent BBQ here in NYC but I am skeptical because from what I understand restaurants here are not allowed to use traditional smokers and thus, lose out on a very important element in the flavor.
theHotness_Grrrl
July 21, 2009
Where on 127th Street is the place located?
And Sheryl, including the tip on a patron’s bill when according to terms stated it should not be, is illegal. I would report them to the Better Business Bureau. The Shark Bar tried the same thing with me.
Sheryl
July 21, 2009
I had dinner there last night. Though it is NOT Dallas BBQ, I found the food to be the same quality. The coconut shrimp was good. Dinner was pretty affordable. My only 2 issues were at the end of dinner the tip was already included. The sign read; tips will be included for parties over 5 and after 9:00pm. It was only 3 of us and it was 6:00pm. Service was so/so. We only saw our server when he took our order, the bus boy/girl truely diserved our tip.
Chante
July 21, 2009
Does anybody have the address? (yeah, I know 127th street is showing in the picture but I figured I’m not the only one just now finding out about this place.)
Anon
July 21, 2009
Shrimp on the menu of a BBQ Joint? How dreadful. Only New Orleans can try and pull that off. I’ve always found it perplexing that Harlem was void of good Q. The stuff Sylvia’ peddles is “Tourist BBQ”. I’m lost with the publics fascination with Dinoaur, I assume folks have never been in some off road shacks in Kansas City or the Carolinas. I’m not even a big Texas style Q fan but I give them their props, they know what they are doing out there.
Harlem Black folk have some sort of peculiar fascination wtih “sauce”, and you see it when they drench those awful Chinese dive joints wings and fries with Ketchup, how dreadful. I’ve never had good or even authentic BBQ in Harlem or all of Manhattan.
Meanwhile in Kansas City & Memphis? You can’t throw a rock and not hit some real BBQ joint. And I’m talking cooking with Hickory, Mesquite, or Pecan wood! It’s a real shame, the state of BBQ in Harlem, White Folks are defining it through chains like Dallas & Dino. Pathetic.
What parades around as BBQ in Harlem is truly no different than the Olive Garden claiming to be Italian cuisine. There is no BBQ in Harlem.
ny'er
July 21, 2009
I was there this past weekend and the food was authenticly good. The atmosphere was also authentic. My friends and I loved it.. Keep up the good work!
ladybean73
July 21, 2009
My family and I ate food from there yesterday. I’m sure some would say I don’t know what real barbecue is because I’m not a southerner, but I was less than thrilled.
I had a Shrimp and Ribs combo with fries. The shrimp and fries were oversalted and the ribs sauce was watery. Now, while I might be spoiled by Dallas BBQ’s fare, I’ve cooked, and eaten other people’s home cooked barbecue before and the sauce was NEVER watery.. The kids had chicken tenders and they all said it had too much pepper. I won’t be eating from there again.