12 May 25-31, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Smoked to Perfection Ten barbecue spots that take the low-and-slow approach. BY NICOLE DANNA I t would be convenient if Miami barbe- cue were a simple creature: one or two types of meat, a single way to cook it, and a sauce or two unique to our tiny slice of the world. But life is never simple, and so it goes with Miami’s barbecue scene. These days, Miami barbecue is the story of the people who make it — chefs with passion, tradition, and a love for smoke and meat — setting up on our sun-bleached streets to bring us a taste of their heritage. And that’s precisely what makes Miami barbecue so good. When viewed through the melting-pot lens, it’s easy to see these cre- ations as equal parts soul, love, and family. Below, listed in alphabetical order, are Mi- ami’s ten best barbecue spots. 4 Rivers Smokehouse 2660 N. UNIVERSITY DR., CORAL SPRINGS 844-474-8377 4RSMOKEHOUSE.COM Founder John Rivers first established his barbecue empire in Winter Park, Florida, in 2009 — but he’ll tell you it was never de- signed as a restaurant. Instead, it was Rivers’ “barbecue ministry,” hosting cookout fund- raisers to help those in need. After several years of large-scale events supporting local schools, churches, and charitable organiza- tions, the 4 Rivers Winter Park restaurant was born. Today, 4 Rivers has been featured in publications including Bon Appétit, Saveur, Food & Wine, and Southern Living for its cross-regional approach to barbecue. The restaurant is best known for its specialty: the signature 18-hour smoked Angus brisket. The fast-casual setup carving station also allows you to select cut-to-order meats served plat- ter-style or as customizable bowls and burri- tos with options like pulled pork, chicken, and burnt ends (there’s a vegan version, too) and Texas sausage. Pair them with any of the 16 mix-and-match sides. They are made fresh daily and include barbecue beans, baked cheese grits, fried okra, collard greens, and smoked jalapeños. Apocalypse BBQ 9980 SW 104TH ST., MIAMI APOCALYPSEBBQ.COM When the pandemic hit, Miami native Jef- frey Budnechky’s work as a freelance mar- keter ground to a halt. A self-described backyard barbecue enthusiast, he took his ten years of grilling experience and said, “F the apocalypse, let’s just make barbecue.” What began as a handful of orders using a 22-inch Weber grill has since turned into one of Mi- ami’s favorite pop-ups, serving a variety of meats that now emerge from the chef’s pro- fessional 125-gallon tank smoker. Along the way — including an appearance at the 2021 South Beach Wine & Food Festival under his belt — he made a promise to himself to help define South Florida barbecue. To do so, Bud- nechky marries the flavors of his Brazilian- Argentinian roots with his wife Lara’s Cuban heritage. That means pulled pork smothered in a colada-infused barbecue sauce he calls “oro negro;” massive dino beef ribs dusted in a homemade coffee rub and finished with a lacquering of the chef’s own Bustelo-infused cafecito sauce; and four-hour, slow-smoked pork-belly burnt ends braised and glazed in his “guava lava,” a guava-mango-habanero sauce. Only his Texas-style brisket toes the line of tradition, slow-cooked and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. Bo Legs BBQ 533 NE 83RD ST., MIAMI; 305-462-5815 HIPHOPEATERY.COM It used to be that the telltale smoky aroma of Bo Legs BBQ would lead you straight into the heart of North Miami Beach, where a family-run business by chef/owner Kevin Dority operated just shy of three decades. Dority — AKA Bo Legs — grew up eating his family’s barbecue on their farm outside Charleston, South Carolina. When he de- cided to share those memories with the masses, he created a following for his menu of smoked meats like ribs, sausage, and brisket to turkey legs and jerk chicken, much of it slathered in secret sauces with recipes that date back to the early 1970s. Today, South Florida restaurant group Hip Hop Eatery has officially relaunched Bo Legs BBQ inside Skatebird Miami in partnership with execu- tive chef Marco Molinet, whose goal was to breathe new life into the North Miami staple. Find the duo’s oak wood-smoked meats paired with any of Bo Legs’ signature sauces and sides, including longtime staples like mac and cheese, collard greens, and Bo’s signature baked beans made with a sweet combination of maple, honey, and molasses and a meaty hint of ground chuck for an authentic Caro- lina take on the traditional side. Drinking Pig BB 845 NE 151ST ST., MIAMI DRINKINGPIGBBQ.COM You’ll find this pop-up down a one-way street on the northwestern edge of North Mi- ami, where a simple setup attracts diehard barbecue fans. Drinking Pig BBQ is a joint effort by Kyu executive chef Raheem Sealey, his wife, former Kyu chef Yo- hanir Sandoval, and former Kyu sous chef Mark Wint. To- gether, this trio turned their pandemic down- time into a thriving backyard business offering brisket, sausage, pork, and chicken. Touches of their combined cultural influ- ences give each piece of meat a unique flair, from the sofrito- and thyme-infused rub to the secret seasoning blend in the handmade sausage. Sides include collard greens cooked in a stock made from smoked chicken bones and baked beans prepared with scraps of brisket and short rib. Don’t miss Sandoval’s cornbread, a cakelike treat that offers a sweet- and-salty take on the classic barbecue staple. The pop-up is open Friday through Sunday from noon until sold out. Hometown BBQ 1200 NW 22ND ST., MIAMI 305-396-4551 HOMETOWNBBQMIAMI.COM Billy Durney, chef/owner of Hometown BBQ in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, will tell you: “Stay humble, stay focused, stay hungry.” It’s easy to check that last box when visiting the Miami outpost of his New York City eatery, beloved for its Texas-style take on barbecue meats of all kinds. Durney’s meats are pit-smoked over a live fire, making for some of the hottest barbecue in South Flor- ida. At the Allapattah location, find every- thing from baby-back, spare, and beef ribs to brisket, turkey, and chicken — all served as a platter or sandwich alongside traditional sides. Like spicy? Grab a slice of the jalapeño- infused corn pudding and housemade ched- dar jalapeño sausage. Don’t miss highlights like the chef’s jerk-encrusted bacon, sticky fried rib tips smothered in a Korean barbecue sauce, or (on weekends only) pastrami. Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse 3585 NE 207TH ST., AVENTURA 305-690-7103 IZZYSSMOKEHOUSE.COM Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse chef/owner Sruli “Izzy” Eidelman recently opened his third location — and the first in Florida — in Aventura. In 2015, Eidelman opened a kosher barbecue restaurant in New York City, offer- ing high-quality, slow-cooked meats (sans pork) to the city’s meat-loving masses. De- scribed as Texas-style with a Brooklyn-Jew- ish twist, the menu is 100 percent kosher, but any meat lover can appreciate Eidelman’s star menu item, an 18-hour smoked brisket sea- soned with salt, pepper, and a touch of pa- prika. Izzy’s serves top-quality meats smoked on the premises in an all-wood smoker and finished on a live-fire, wood-oven pit, with the finished product sold by the half-pound or as part of rice-based bowls, tacos, atop na- chos, or part of super-sized sandwiches. The menu also includes beef ribs, turkey, and chicken — but, as you might expect — no pork. You won’t miss it with specialties like the house dino beef short ribs, a two-week brined and smoked pastrami, smoked lamb ribs, or the popular fried, smoked chicken sandwich topped with the house hot sauce and a zippy horseradish mayo. La Traila Barbecue 8030 NW 154TH ST., MIAMI LAKES 786-703-6197 LATRAILABBQ.COM Formerly a “first come, first served” pop- up, La Traila Barbecue, Miami’s Texas-style craft barbecue pit spot, has opened a brick- and-mortar location in Miami Lakes. Founded by Austin native and pitmaster Mel Rodriguez, and Miami native/ Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, the barbecue joint offers ample indoor and outdoor seat- ing. Platters and meat by the pound include smoked pulled pork, smoked sausage, pork spare ribs, and Texas-style brisket. Try the “Brisket Sundae,” which starts with a mac- and-cheese base, layered with baked beans and creamed corn, then topped with smoked brisket, cotija cheese, crema, and the house sauce. Or, for a taste of Miami-Texas fusion, order brisket y queso empanadas or smoked pork rib croquetas. ▼ Café Photo by Andrea Greico La Traila Barbecue serves Texas-style barbecue in Miami Lakes. IT’S EASY TO SEE THESE CREATIONS AS EQUAL PARTS SOUL, LOVE, AND FAMILY.
