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Wildwood Barbeque

Critics' Pick

225 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10003
nr. 18th St. See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-533-2500 Send to Phone

Critics' Rating: Price Range: $$-$$$
Reader Rating:
5.3 out of 10

4 Reviews | Write a Review
Cuisine: BBQ

Courtesy of Wildwood Barbeque

Map

Rate & Review

Hours

Mon-Thu, 11:30am-11pm; Fri, 11:30-midnight, Sat, noon-midnight; Sun, noon-11pm

Nearby Subway Stops

4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W at 14th St.-Union Sq.

Prices

$12-$32

Payment Methods

American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

Good for Groups
Hot Spot
Lunch
Notable Chef
Take-Out
Teen Appeal

Alcohol

Full Bar

Reservations

Accepted/Not Necessary

Profile

Stephen Hanson’s big-box venture occupies the same vast hangar space that once housed his failed Spanish experiment, Barça 18, and it operates according to the same well-rehearsed, volume-oriented principles. The room is ribbed with wood beams, which make it look less like a juke joint than a giant Viking hall, and fitted with a cocktail bar that’s longer than a good-size passenger jet. The well-trained, unfailingly cheerful wait staff are dressed in snappy charcoal-colored T-shirts and come at you in never-ending waves. "Big Lou" Elrose, a former cop from Ozone Park who learned his craft at the great brisket mecca Hill Country, operates two belching smokers in the back, which turn out those three mainstays of the barbecue canon—here, “Carolina” pulled pork, “Memphis-style” baby backs, “Texas smoked” brisket—by the truckload.

Quality is tricky when you’re dealing with this kind of volume, and many hard-core barbecue hounds have dismissed Wildwood on account of that. But Wildwood is more of a big-money New York restaurant and bar than a hard-core barbecue joint. And for a big-money New York restaurant and bar, the barbecue isn’t so bad. My 8-year-old daughter, Jane, gave thumbs down to the dry, spicy-sweet baby backs (“The ones at school are better, Dad”), but she liked the crunchy chicken wings and the fatty, “all-natural” Denver lamb ribs. I wouldn’t recommend the shanky, semi-smoky pulled pork to anyone from North Carolina, but it doesn’t taste bad in sandwich form, buried under pickles and cole slaw. Big Lou’s brisket is the best of the barbecue facsimile on the menu, but his signature sauce (flavored, tragically, with raspberries) needs retooling. The best of the industrial-size desserts is the carrot cake. But beware: Coming on the heels of all this meat, just the sight of this towering, Bunyanesque creation could tip even the most hard-bitten barbecue hound into a deep food coma. — Adam Platt

Note

The bar offers an impressive 32 varieties of bourbon.

Ideal Meal

Chicken wings, Texas smoked brisket and/or Denver lamb ribs, carrot cake.

Reader Ratings

5.3

"Mixed Reviews"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10

Disneyland Q

BKAMK from 10162 | Posted on 6/26/08

Overall Reader Rating: 4 (Not Recommended)


Food:	4
Service:	7

Décor:	7

Value:	4

My friend said he knew it when we walked in. Adam Platt nailed it: Â“...more of a big-money New York restaurant and bar than a hard-core barbecue joint.Â” I've had BBQ at 10-15 different places around the...Read More

Great Meats...Sides Need Help

BrightonBeachFoodie from 11235 | Posted on 5/5/08

Overall Reader Rating: 7 (Recommended)


Food:	8
Service:	7

Décor:	9

Value:	5

Had the pulled pork and brisket..both meets were great with the brisket being the standout. I must say that for the price the sides need to be worked on..Especially the Mac and Cheese. Onion rings were nothing to rave...Read More