We were about to go to Revenge BBQ in Irvington last week but called and were told all they had left was lean brisket (boo) and turkey. We ended up going to Pik Nik in Tarrytown and were not thrilled.
Highlights- the sides. Yum. I love the little staub pots they served the mac and cheese and baked beans in and those sides were spectacular on their own. My mac and cheese quest could end with theirs for sure. Beans had nice chunks of pork and great seasoning. Also loved the cornbread slathered with butter. The banana pudding was incredible-- believe it or not, nuanced, without the cloying sweetness sometimes found in it, and a surprise, welcome hit of cinnamon. Also the service was good-- the counter girl was a bit brusque but very organized and accommodating. The owner made her way around and was absolutely lovely.
The disappointing- we did not love the brisket… I am truly spoiled by farmers’ market meat and this meat just didn’t have a lot of flavor. The meat in my sandwich was kind of dry and I just didn’t enjoy it that much. My sister had a chicken sandwich and there was barely any chicken on it. I brought my husband a pulled pork sandwich and he didn’t even know it was pork till I told him (see lack of flavor). Because this is not cheap we would probably not return.
I’m still going to try to get to Revenge although I guess when it opens first thing in the day!
I like good bbq - was here last week,tried the pulled pork and the brisket. I really wanted to like it , but couldn’t. The dry rub on the brisket was way too much (mostly pepper?) and the brisket was dry. The pulled pork was only ok, and the bbq sauce was nothing to write home about. Also,it is high priced. I think Mighty Quinn in the Westchester would be a better choice if in need of a bbq fix. Hoping that a new place opens soon in Portchester and that it is good.
If you ever want to make a brisket, Sgaglio’s in Katonah has fantastic brisket. Ask them and they will leave on as much fat as you want, and the meat itself is so tender. Never had a bad one from them. They are a bit pricey there - Katonah, you know!
@richb51 Yes, I appreciate good bbq too. One of our favorite recent trips was to Austin where we got to see what real good bbq is. That’s why a place like Pik Nik is so disappointing. The meat just wasn’t flavorful at all. We recently got a smoker and made our own pulled pork (brisket is on deck for this summer) and it was incredible-- because our meat was high quality (expensive, but you get what you pay for!) and actually tasted like pork! I will try Revenge but I have to say my hopes aren’t that high!
@winecountrygirl Just to clarify, Revenge sold out of fatty brisket and only had lean, which is why we ended up at Pik Nik. Not impressed with Pik Nik’s brisket at all.
