Mothership BBQ

Yet again, great food, favorite first night place in NY.

John Brown Smokehouse is hands down the best BBQ in NYC, that's why it gets a four star rating. That doesn't mean you should travel from Memphis or Texas to taste this, all things are relative. We've been visiting for years now, since they're previous location in north LIC, not much has changed other than more seats and delivery.

Here's the bad news: like many BBQ pits, this place offers pretty bad service and is quite inconsistent. Actually their most consistent element is bad service. They almost always screw up orders by forgetting items. Delivery functions, but barely. We once tried ordering ahead by two hours to ensure the food would be ready, instead they came 45 minutes late. Finally, the pit seems to be off an on. One time the burnt ends weren't ready for an hour after opening, guess something went wrong. Other times they had no chicken. Finally, last ding: the barbecue sauce leaves a lot to be desired.

Now for the good news: the food is delicious! It's worth the difficult process and troubles to sink your teeth into the best ribs in NY. The meat is tender and the rub is spot on with a nice peppery bite and not too sweet. The pastrami is RIDICULOUS. Kosher delis should be ashamed of themselves This pastrami will knock your socks off. However, skip the new menu item: the ruben, nothing special.

Next amazing item: cole slaw. Yes, really. Best cole slaw we've ever had. They don't give enough and we always order the largest size. Actually, they do sides nicely here. Get the baked beans. They should be called "pork with one bean". There is so much meat it's like an entree.

If you're into bird (poultry), skip the chicken and head straight to the smoked turkey, wowzers. This is what thanksgiving should be. And saving the best for last, the burnt ends. Yes, you want them. Yes, you need them. You're about to eat all of them. Order them by the truckload.

So, don't get your hopes up for the locale or service, but the food is going to be solid.

Get the burnt ends! This Kansas City style bbq joint is a bit of a surprise in LIC and even more surprising is how crowded it gets. Get in early before they start selling out of things. The burnt ends and sausage are amazing, especially the sauce. The beer menu is also pretty awesome with a decent craft beer draft list and an extensive bottle list. Awesome bbq, even if you do have to put up with Kansas City sports fans.

Finally made our way to his BBQ joint. The burnt ends and pork belly were standouts. The ribs and pecan smoked wings were good too. They were out of beans, so will have to hit that next time.

Hammer Laden: how did we rely on recommendation for Maps and were not disappointed. Brisket was a dream ... delicate ... We'll be back for sure when it takes us to New York.

1. Good price and delicious. 2. Fast and convenient seating, too. 3. Clean and welcoming.

I walked in the door around 7 o'clock p.m. and their was a list on the left side of the wall letting you know what they ran out of. Sadly all they had was pork and chicken. Everytime I ask for a different parts of on the menu I couldn't get it. To make matters worse they also ran out of all 4 flavors of wine and beer. Maybe I'll try them again in September to see if they improve, but for now I'm not a fan.

Excellent meat, good prices, friendly environment. I really enjoyed the dinner.

A must if you love BBQ. Great atmosphere. Great bar with frequent live music. The best burnt ends out there. Everything on the menu is awesome. Absolutely love it.

The brisket, rib tips pulled pork are very good. Sausage little dry. The coleslaw is delicious along with the Mac and cheese

Great for area residents and more. Did not eat but the scent was terriffic

Good Queens BBQ. Sides are good too. Try the cornbread.

Place is phenomenal. If you are in long Island city it's an absolute must. Ensure you get the burnt ends, corn bread, ribs, wings (only on weekends), or pulled pork. Those are commonly the most ordered and in my opinion best items on the menu.

John Brown earns 3 stars as a generic barbecue restaurant. Deduct a star for misappropriation of the "Kansas City Style BBQ" moniker. Take it from a KC Native: John Brown little resembles any of the great BBQ restaurants hailing from the Paris of the Plains and would do best to refrain from putting on airs.

Caveats: I have only visited once and ordered 1/2 lb brisket sandwich, baked beans, and cole slaw. I should note that I was intrigued by the "Kansas City Style" theme and branding, and came in search of a New York spin on my hometown comfort food. Ultimately, this set too great an expectation and I was left disappointed.

The brisket was good, tender. The thick cut is more akin to Texas BBQ. I didn't care for the baked beans which used some strong spices that reminded me of Indian food. The coleslaw has an interesting presentation but the taste reminded me of kimchi. My biggest beef was the sauce. It was very thick and not particularly flavorful. Kansas Citians are serious about their sauce, and this is unlike any of Kansas City's well-loved BBQ sauces.

John Brown's is an okay restaurant with a really lively atmosphere. The food is unexceptional compared to BBQ restaurants regardless of regional style. It's just not even remotely "Kansas City Style," as promised! Therein lies John Brown Smokehouse's greatest sin.

Great staff who help with the selection. Although you can eat everything here, everything is well prepared. If you like BBQ this is the place for you. A must visit for us in NYC.
The selection of beers is also great.
Hand-cut fries are also great. Therefore 5 stars

Great staff to help with the selection. Whereby you can eat everything here, because it is all top prepared. Who likes BBQ is here exactly correct. For us a duty visit in NYC.
So the selection of beers is great.
Hand cut chips are also great. Therefore 5 stars

The BBQ MEAT of Course...But this Was the BEST tasting Corn Bread Batter Ive encountered . I ordered Dbls of it along with the Burnt Ends.

Omg it's good. The bar in the back has a great beer selection and that enhances the experience. Go on the weekend and have the wings. They are what I go here for! The rest of the bbq would probably only get this place a 4* but have to give credit where credit is due!

Love it!!! We had to stand in line for a bit, but definitly worth it!!!! Would recommend it to everyone visiting NYC!!!

As a Kansas City native, this is my absolute favorite spot for burnt ends outside of Kansas City. Also, usually a Boulevard or two on tap along with excellent other selections. As a bonus, there's a near-dessert-like cornbread that I can't avoid ordering.

As a BBQ connoisseur (self proclaimed) and pulled pork elitest...I found this place a pretty tasty escape. I was told the burnt ends are the best item and they did not disappoint. Not overdone and still tender and flavorful. Lucked out with the 3 rib, 1 meat plate (4 ribs received).

Finally, the bar in the back has a decent selection to top off the entire experience. Who doesn't want beer and BBQ?

Tasty BBQ. A little pricey for the volume. Good beer selection. Speedy prep.

The food is absolutely amazing with great local brews on tap! Great wine selection also! The line can get long so be ready to be Patient while sniffing smoked goodness

Excellent bbq. Phenomenal corn bread. Great service.

ALL AROUND AWESOME. walk in and you don't see it coming. great food, beer and environment the staff as well as the people are great a must do when in NYC

Good atmosphere and reasonable price for the food and beer. The staff is kind for me even I am not familiar with the culture!

Great food to enrich your life...but there's no parking!! Riding around for 20mins. Drove from Yonkers...love the CornBread...

Excellent meat, great service. Environment a bit noisy but nice, prices higher than the norm but it's worth it ..

Couple of doughnuts working at the entrance. We come in and ask what the process to serve is, "have a look at the menu and whatever you want to order,come back here". 15mins later, we go back..."oh we don't have any of the meats available". Like really? You couldn't tell is that when we got in? Clueless.

The greatest food, atmosphere and beer garden you'll visit in LIC

The food was good. The chicken more so then anything else. Small spot. The outside was nice dining. Was bothered that no drinks were available only beer. Wasnt my best experience. Asked for corn bread and received corn bread bread pudding or something. It was super weird.

Very good corn bread pudding and the chili and pull pork were good, too. Have to go back because most of the meat was done when we got there. But what we were able to get was delicious.

Perfect beef, perfect rib, perfect barbecue sauce!!!

I was floored about what I had received after all the reviews. I am only from PA but I have been to NC and many other southern areas to have actual bbq. this is not bbq. in fact i'm questioning if this was cooked with and smouldering anything. I'm sorry, it was just cooked meat nothing more. I sampled ribs and chicken and it was cooked semi juicy, but not bbq in the least bit. their "bbq" sauce is basically tomato sauce and aregano? i think this is done in an electric oven or something. Final note the baked beans i almost spit out they were still hard and just doused in vinigar. I think the local palat may not have experienced real bbq a weber grill produces better results but i guess the local never had that either. Not hating but you poor people are missing a lot of delicious food if this is your top bbq joint.

Delicious. A little pricey tho!! Yeah im that guy. Lol

great food, good abs fast service. can't wait till they cam have indoor seating again.

The food is just fantastic. Easy atmosphere. Fairly cheap. I visit all the time when in NY.

This spot is good! Fair prices, considerable dishes and the staff members are consistently super nice.

Long Island BBQ one of NY's most popular! Quality and price! The delicious cornbread! Google Kitchen: 3 stars 1/2
Well prepared food almost up to Kansas City
Relaxed and friendly American atmosphere
Come to the opening to enjoy a table
Worth the detour

I have to say I am slightly disappointed after I heard all the raves about this BBQ joint. We came here on a Sunday noon and it is not too crowded. The place is a Order First, Sit Down later type of establishment so you don't need to worry about tipping.

I ordered their famous Brisket Sandwich and my husband got the Burnt End and a side of Mac and Cheese. The brisket sandwich was only $10 and comes with a nice solid bun. Unfortunately, the brisket is rather dry and cut thick. I much more appreciate the thin and juicy slice. This place offers neither. On the bright side, their brisket sandwich is pretty healthy since it is not juicy nor is it drenched in sauces! Their pepper BBQ sauce is extremely spicy but does not add much flavor other than heat.

My husband's burnt end is superb. It is salty, greasy and tender! I should have got that instead. My friend also tried their pulled pork. It is pretty tender but there is not much flavor to it. The mac and cheese is very good but it uses penne pasta instead. The collar green is a little spicy and average.

I think I will only get the burnt end sandwich here next time. The rest I don't think highly of compared to places like Hill Country, Mighty Quinn, etc.

Good food, but a little pricey. Try the pork belly BLT "PBLT" I thought it was delicious. And make sure you go early, off peak hours. Because it gets really crowded.

The pastrami was real good nice atmosphere and a backyard for outdoor eating

This is the best BBQ restaurant ever. Please go here. It is an experience.

If you love barbeque, live music, a relaxed atmosphere, amazing sides, and a good beer selection. This is the spot.

The ribs are really good and the sauces carry it home. The spicy sauce is actually spicy which I appreciate.

The sides are actually amazing. Every single one was fantastic.

You can sit indoors or out and enjoy funky art and live music.

I really don't eat barbecue.. with exception to John browns... foods amazing and they make great drinks..

I ordered a pound of burnt ends with a side of corn bread to share. The burnt ends were so beautiful I almost cried. It was a perfect mix between tender, fatty and crispy bits of brisket. There was a nice smokey flavor and it wasn't too salty so if you prefer, you can have it with BBQ sauce.

The corn bread was served warm and it was also shockingly delicious. It was more like a creamy pudding with bits of corn! It wasn't too sweet and soooo comforting. I could eat many more if I didn't care for my waistline.

I'm looking forward to return!

best BBQ I've had in NYC. pecan wings and burnt tips were amazing

A M A Z I N G meat at reasonable price! If you are a meat lovers you have to go! You get a tray with your food and seat yourself at a table

Would surely recommend trying this place. Exceptional character, delicious dishes, good service. Kudos.

The burnt ends were to die for, service was decent. But when I tried to place an order on the phone. If they are busy they won't even pick up. Not a good business practice.

A proper "joint", no frills, cheap eats and booze, incredibly underrated, and the one of the top 5 slow cooked meat joints in the city. I don't write reviews often, but I'm currently halfway through a half pound of the best burnt ends and had to do to write this. That's how good they are. If you like a proper joint, seat yourself and stuff your face.

The ribs were very good and they give you a lot for a good price. The cornbread is amazing-the best I ve ever had. It s not like an actual restaurant where you sit down and you have a waiter. You order your food, then you sit down and when they call your name, you go get it. Overall, the food is so good and the prices are good. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Delicious food and good advice from the lady at checkout, mac and cheese was delicious

This restaurant is a true gem. The food is delicious and prices are right. Here I truly had some of the best meat dishes I've ever had, and the corn bread and the mac & cheese are a great addition.

There is a particular good Pastrami, but the tables and chairs are uncomfortable. You pay little, and there are plastic cutlery and plates.

Honestly a must try for any foodie in the boroughs. Pblt will rock your world. Beer garden in back.. win win.

I wish I could give this place 0 stars. The food is NASTY! The Burnt Ends tasted old not fresh made dry and had no seasonings. The brisket was dry and had no seasonings. The pulled pork was ok. The mac and cheese was not good either just old and hot The best thing was the fries and they were salty! I will NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN! I DON'T RECOMMEND!!! THIS IS AN HONEST RATING. BUTCHER BAR IN ASTORIA THERE BURNT ENDS ARE DELICIOUS SO IS THERE MAC AND CHEESE AND FRIES

Nicely seasoned fries, ribs and pork belly. Give it a try. You'll be pleased.

Good BBQ! The brisket and pulled pork were amazing!

Not the best brisket I've ever had, but a great staff and good hotsause. It balences out to a 5 :p

Yes to the pastrami, definitely no to the brisket...SO DRY.
Place is pretty small and you will for sure get smoked, so make sure you do not wear anything fancy to this place.
Too casual.