Strand Smokehouse If you’re looking for books, you’ve come to the wrong Strand. But if you’re looking for beers, bourbons and beef, then buddy, sidle on up to the filling station — you’re among friends. The Strand Smokehouse on Broadway is one of the only places in Astoria you can watch New York sports while listening to live bluegrass and country music, and it simply has the best brisket in the neighborhood. Sliced while you watch and served by the pound, the brisket is tender, juicy and mindblowingly delicious. If brisket’s not your style, try the wings or the Flintstones-sized short ribs. Generous sides of mac ‘n’ cheese and cornbread and a fantastic bourbon selection mean the Strand isn’t just some of the best barbecue in Astoria — it’s a little piece of Texas scooped up and plopped down in western Queens. SEPTEMBER 2016 I BOROMAG.COM I 51 Butcher Bar With so much barbecue arising in New York over the past five years, at what point will new spots stop trying to bring Carolina-, Texas- or Georgia-style barbecue to the Big Apple and start claiming New York-style barbecue for their own? Butcher Bar on 30th Avenue thinks they’re leading that trend. Incorporating influences from Austin, Kansas City, Missouri and the Carolinas, pitmaster Matthew Katakis and executive chef Orlando Sanchez have blended them all to create, as Katakis calls it, “Astoria Queens smoked barbecue.” If you’re going to go, get there by 6 p.m. to make sure you get the burnt ends — they often sell out by 6:30 or 7. Katakis refuses to freeze anything so that he can guarantee freshness, and as such, they sometimes sell out of the best stuff. But the burnt ends — or “meat candy” as they call it — make it worth your while to arrive early. If you get to Butcher Bar too late and miss out on the burnt ends, the Monster Burger has you covered. Fifty percent brisket, 50 percent pulled pork, and topped with habanero sauce, pickles, cole slaw and more, the Monster is a beast of a beef patty.
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