Is Brooklyn barbecue taking over the world?

Earlier this week, ‘Munchies’ caused national outrage in an article titled “Why Is Brooklyn Barbecue Taking Over The World?”

In the article, the author shares his story of visiting a barbecue restaurant in Barcelona, only to learn the inspiration came from a place in New York called Fette Sau.

Of course, the topic of barbecue is a sensitive subject for many people. Everyone has their barbecue preferences, from North Carolina’s vinegar style to Kansas City’s molasses and tomato-based style. While New York is known for its vibrant food scene, barbecue isn’t likely the first thing to pop into people’s minds when thinking of New York foods.

The most outrage stemmed from the picture that accompanied the story.

Any barbecue fan would throw a fit if this plate was placed in front of them. Two half-smushed Hawaiian rolls (likely straight from the bag), a mason jar of dark beer, two tiny pickles and a handful of the most unappetizing brisket thrown on the plate.

It wasn’t long before #BrooklynBBQ began trending on Twitter and for all the wrong reasons.

https://twitter.com/TJCarpenterShow/status/970503392211513344

Let’s dig deeper here

To be fair, ‘Brooklyn style’ barbecue doesn’t really exist and the point of the article, which was written in 2014, was to highlight the fact that the style that Fette Sau used was being copied around the world. It never says that one style of barbecue is better than another.

But still, ‘taking over the world?’

C’mon now.

Barbecue is the lifeblood of the South, especially in North Carolina. In fact, there are many different styles of barbecue throughout the state, from the whole-hog style to vinegar style.

Allen & Son BBQ in Pittsboro has been around for nearly 20 years, serving Eastern style chopped BBQ. They also know that an important piece to any barbecue plate isn’t always the meat, but the sides as well. The restaurant specializes in golden-brown hush puppies and homemade coleslaw to complement the barbecue.

Let’s compare Munchies’ barbecue plate with a plate served at Allen & Son.

This is what real barbecue looks like. Via allenandsonbbq.com.

So is Brooklyn barbecue taking over the world?

In a word, no.

Related Stories
‹
One on One: Florence’s Floods and Puppy Love in Kinston
Like all North Carolinians, I am worrying about the flooding causing heart-rending damage throughout our state following Hurricane Florence. I have a special worry, though — a puppy in Kinston that I fell in love with a few weeks ago. I’m worried that the floods from Hurricane Florence might put that puppy’s place of business […]
Made in NC: Lady Edison Country Ham
Sam Suchoff is cooking up something big in Chapel Hill. A former vegan turned pork enthusiast, he owns Lady Edison Country Ham, a business born out of an appreciation for the way things used to be. Lady Edison offers extra-fancy country ham, a specialty ham unique to the South, and other delicious varieties of pork […]
One on One: A Punch in the Tummy
The virus hit home the other day. Right in the tummy. During the last few weeks I have been reviewing final page proofs for an update and expansion to my book, “North Carolina’s Roadside Eateries,” first published in 2016 and a surprising success. But it badly needs revision because we have lost some of North […]
One on One: Enjoy Them While You Can
Real barbecue and small towns: enjoy them while you can. Is it just one more small-town business that has closed its doors? Or is there more to it? For North Carolina barbecue lovers, last week’s closure of Wilber’s in Goldsboro was like the loss of a family member. Wilber’s has been on my list of […]
One on One: The Real Barbecue Crisis
North Carolina’s most important emergency is not the next federal government shutdown. Nor is it a fake national emergency on the nation’s southern border. No, our state’s real emergency is a real threat to its dominant position in the world of barbecue. Forget for a moment about our family spat over whether Eastern or Lexington […]
Social Media Reacts to Allen & Son Barbecue Closing
Earlier this week, news broke that Allen & Son Barbecue is closing its location north of Chapel Hill. Keith Allen had operated the restaurant for decades and had grown to be a prominent figure in the barbecue world. Allen & Son was repeatedly included on various rankings touting the best barbecue across the country. Residents […]
Allen & Son Barbecue Closes
Famed barbecue restaurant Allen & Son has closed its location north of Chapel Hill. Online listings have the restaurant classified as permanently closed. The News & Observer first reported the closing on Thursday. Keith Allen had operated the restaurant for decades and had grown to be a prominent figure in the barbecue world. Allen & […]
One Week: Exploring Our 'Hometowns'
Exploring our ‘hometowns’ is an activity that has been continually present in my life thus far. As a 16-year-old, I have accumulated a sense of the culture of our hometown communities as well as what they have to offer; to enumerate: where to grab a bite to eat, fun activities, places to shop and must-see […]
Get to Ayden before it’s too late
Can a Louisiana food writer tell us something about North Carolina barbecue that we did not already know? Rien Fertel gives it a good try in his new book, “The One True Barbecue: Fire, Smoke, and the Pitmasters Who Cook the Whole Hog.” Fertel caught the “whole-hog” bug in Tennessee, where a restaurant owner and […]
Allen & Son Lands on National Best BBQ List
Chapel Hill restaurant Allen & Son Barbecue landed on a list of “Best BBQ in America.” Thrillist compiled a list of the 33 best barbecue joints in the country.  The website typically releases their top choices for various kinds of restaurants, annually.  But, they don’t do that for barbecue.  They do this because, “most of the […]
›