Well Fed On the Town

When my husband announced that he found a fantastic barbecue place locally and that he’d brought me home a pulled pork sandwich to prove it, I was less than enthused. In fact, I said “No, thanks.” Pork generally doesn’t rank as even a remote favorite of mine. At all. Ever. And a barbecue place? Messy food is just not my bag.

But, later that evening, after hearing him go on and on and on, I relented and had a tiny bite of the then-cold sandwich. Let’s just say that perhaps I judged too soon . . .

The pork was tender and melted in your mouth. The barbecue sauce, a sweet and slightly tangy variety made on the premises, was just dreamy. Seriously. The next day I devoured the sandwich after a quick heat-up in the oven. And I wanted more.

Since then, I have wanted to write about JB’s Barbecue in Brewster, NY, but was unable to get a photo to accompany the post . . . the food gets eaten too quickly. Until now. JB’s is family owned and run. Nestled in an old brick strip mall on the New York/Connecticut line between New York exit 21 and Connecticut exit 2 on Interstate 84, it would be easy to pass by the place and not notice it. The plaza is home to the last liquor store in New York, a deli, a pizza joint and JB’s.

I haven’t been inside yet. Only my husband has. But I have sampled a good portion of their menu.

I cannot say enough good things about their barbecue sauce - it’s fantastic and they are working on bottling it in the future for sale. We can only hope — it is that damn good. The beef brisket is tender and melt in your mouth as well, and it comes with some perfectly sauteed onions (at least in the meal portion). The cornbread is the northern style — slightly sweet and deliciously crumbly. I recommend trying their delicious sweet potato fries and hush puppies too. The fries are fresh and thin — shoestring style. The hush puppies are made from their homemade cornbread (which I love).

The macaroni and cheese is on the sweet side too, which works with the barbecue. It’s not what I expected though and not something to eat solo.

I wasn’t as enthused about their chicken wings though - too much skin, too little meat, for my tastes.

For sandwiches, the pulled pork cheddar wrap is fantastic — just enough cheese to meat ratio and whatnot. But it can get a bit messy so eat with two hands and a napkin nearby. The brisket on a kaiser and pulled pork on a kaiser are the same great meats as the dinners . . . mmm.

For families, the sampler platter for two can easily feed four. If you have bigger appetites, try that and a large side or two.