A new BBQ place opened up one month ago in Port Washington on Old Shore Road called Harbor Q. A buddy of mine out of California gave me a call to tell me his friend opened it up and suggested I try it out. So together with my wife and daughter, we stopped by last Tuesday.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated with sections of freight containers up on the wall and ceiling. The place was pretty full for a Tuesday night but we were able to get a table right away. The staff seemed extremely eager to please and the minute we sat down they brought us a bowl of warm homemade potato chips and a small bowl of a white dip that turned out to be Gorganzola Cheese Fondue. It was amazing and they had no problem bringing us more when we were out (which didn't take long!) The chips were prety good too.
Now to the menu- There was a wide selection but the emphasis is placed on a few items such as the North Carolina Pulled Pork, Memphis Ribs and Texas Brisket. At other BBQ restaurants I have visited lately, I have been very disappointed to find that geographic names are used just to make the menu sound better. A North Carolina Pulled Pork is typically brought to the table drenched in BBQ sauce. So I was a bit weary when ordering.
I ordered a rack of the ribs (they were Baby Back) and my wife ordered the brisket. For an appetizer I ordered the NC Pulled Pork trio which gave us 3 small sandwiches and I figured this would be a nice way to start the meal. My daughter who is tired of BBQ went for a grilled chicken breast sandwich.
I was pleasantly surprised when the pork sandwiches came to the table. No BBQ sauce in site on the plate. The pork was truly pulled and had some nice little brown pork chunks in it the way I like it. And the pork was real NC style with just a hint of spicy vinegar sauce on it. It was pretty good and I finished off two of them leaving the third for my wife and kid to fight over. This was definitely the best Pulled Pork I have had at a restaurant in NY and was as good as some of the BBQ I had on my road trip through North and South Carolina this past summer.
Next the ribs- They looked great and were basted with BBQ sauce. I would have liked to have ordered them dry as I usually do with sauce on the side but I forgot to. The people at the table next to me did so I was able to take a look and what they looked like. I noticed they definitely used a rub before cooking (a recent trip to a South Shore BBQ place covered the ribs with rub just before serving me and it was nasty.) The sauce that they used was great and I was very happy with the ribs. Pretty good texture and taste with the right amount of smokyness that was coming from the meat and not the sauce.
Finally the Brisket- What was first brought looked a little juicy and fatty, not the type of slices I am used to judging at competitions. I would have rated it average to below on appearance. Then the manager came out and without any prompting looked at the plate and told my wife he would bring her some leaner meat. Minutes later he brought out another plate of brisket that would have scored high on appearance and texture. The taste was excellent as well but to be honest, I ended up eating the first batch that was brought out. It tasted really good and reminded me of the cuts I take for myself when I smoke a brisket.
The big surprise is that this place is the real deal. Turns out that the manager/Owner - Kevin, got hooked on BBQ a few years back, took roadtrips to sample BBQ and started smoking for friends and family. Never competed but his dream was to open a restaurant. I introduced myself as we have a mutual friend (the guy in CA) after the dinner and he was kind enough to show me around particularly the smoker and the modifications he had to make to the place. He is a really nice guy and I wish him well, considering he has a little competition in Port Washington (another place opened nearby a few months ago.)
My only concern is whether people in the area would be able to appreciate real BBQ. That concern became reality when my wife ordered lunch from the place (she works nearby) and her co-workers complained that their was no BBQ sauce on the pulled pork sandwiches and it tasted like vinegar. When my wife explained that is the way they do it in NC, they all said they prefer traditional BBQ sauce. I think this is why it is difficult for real BBQ places on Long Island.
Interested to see if anyone else has been to Harbor Q and if their experience was the same as mine (This place is on Old Shore Road just past the Super Stop and Shop and next door to Mr. Sud's Car Wash).
