(03/06/06)(04/17/06)(09/01/06)(10/22/06)(02/11/07)

Daisy May's BBQ USA, located in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen, is the only New York BBQ joint I know of that has counter-service only, and it's a comforting change of pace. The side dishes ("fixin's") are on display in steam trays behind a glass window when you walk in; the meats are brought out as ordered. After getting your order from the friendly servers, you can eat (Gray's Papaya style) at the stand-up dining counter near the window, or take your food into the new dining area constructed in the spring of 2006. This room has three long communal tables and two flat panel TVs at opposite sides of the room. Daisy May's doesn't serve alcohol, but they allow BYOB.

Chef/owner Adam Perry Lang is a classically trained chef who migrated from fine dining (Daniel, LeCirque) to barbecue. That migration brought not just the efficiently minimalist approach to service but also a sparse menu that covers the basics: wet and dry pork ribs ($12.50 per half rack), humongous Oklahoma beef ribs ($15.50), BBQ chicken ($9.50). Pulled pork and brisket are available on sandwiches only ($9.50, $10.50).

A recent addition to the menu is the Big Pig Gig, a series of cooked-to-order offerings available by reservation only. These include a half pig ($240), a whole pig ($480), whole pork butt ($150) and rack of lamb for two ($95). All include cole slaw, Texas toast, two other fixin's of your choice, watermellon and reserved seating.

Since they have both wet and dry ribs here (as well as beef ribs), on my first visit I got a half rack that combined three wet and three dry, along with baked beans and cole slaw. The dry ribs were loaded with rub and served nice and hot, avoiding the ashen mess that you sometimes find with this type of rib. The rub had an unusual and pleasing flavor, possibly from cloves. Inside, the rib was moist and tender, though not juicy, with a strong smoke flavor as well as some mustard influence. It didn't taste like mustard, but had the flavor pork gets when you slow smoke using a mustard slather. These were good, though it seemed like the rub was trying maybe a little too hard. The wet ribs were more tender but had less flavor than the dry rub ribs. The sauce was nondescript, though pleasant. Both ribs were very good, but I preferred the dry ones.

The cole slaw was good but did taste mustardy. The baked beans were phenomenal, with three different types of beans, bacon and burnt ends and a dark sauce that wasn't too sweet. Everything was packed to go in extremely high quality plastic containers, which would be a big plus if I lived close enough to reheat the leftovers. The counter server was nice enough to offer me a sample of their bourbon peaches, which were fantastic. I would have loved to pour these over some good vanilla ice cream.

A month later, I grabbed a pulled pork sandwich and a pint of baked beans. The sandwich, with cole slaw on a Kaiser bun, wasn't bad, but a little dry and a little light on the meat for the size of the bun. Baked beans were again very good, though not as warm this time at 1:30PM as they were a few weeks earlier when I hit them at 11:30AM.

A few months later I tried Daisy May's again, wanting to see the dining area that was being constructed on my last visit. This time I started with the “Bowl of Texas Red” chili, a beanless variety loaded with tender meat. It had a very nice flavor to the broth—a little mellow, with just enough heat (ancho chiles, I think) to do the job. But that meat was spectacular, a smoky fork-tender meal in a cup. With the chili you get tiny containers filled with cheese, onions and sour cream to add as needed, along with a rolled up soft tortilla. This wasn’t the best chili I’ve ever had (my father-in-law’s chili takes that honor), but it’s very close, and easily among the best I’ve had at a BBQ joint. I then sampled both the wet and dry ribs again, and they were extremely juicy with perfect tenderness. The crust on the dry ribs wasn't as crisp this time, but the flavor was excellent. The baked beans were smoky and bursting with flavor as I have come to expect, but I had trouble finding the meat that was so abundant on my first two visits. I also tried the brisket sandwich, a generous serving of pulled brisket (very similar to the chili, minus the broth) with sauce, onion and pickles on a very high quality sesame seed bun. I prefer sliced brisket, but this was very good.

In October 2006 I tried the Oklahoma beef rib for the first time and it was large enough to be a deadly weapon. The outsides were caramelized and the insides were pink (borderline red), tender and juicy. The flavor had just the right amount of smoke and seasoning, with a light coating of sweet/spicy sauce to guild the lily. My one qualm would be that if the outer surface was that charred, it should have been a little crisper, but I’m picking nits; this was an outstanding beef rib (one of the two best I have ever tasted). I also tried the chicken. It was pretty good, with a noticeable smoky flavor and decent moistness, but not up to the level of their other meats. The beans were meatier than last time and again very good. I tried their cornbread and was impressed by its piping hot presentation but not its texture (stiff) or flavor (jalapeno).

In February 2007 I finally tried the Big Pig Gig, and it was a fantastic meal.

In addition to the location on 11th Avenue, Daisy May's has street carts for easy access (check website for locations). They also deliver to almost any location in Manhattan.

The bottom line: Overall, I find Daisy May's to be one of the two best New York BBQ joints and one of the best in the Northeast. Their beef ribs, chili and baked beans all rank among the best I've ever had, and their pork ribs have been moist and flavorful each time out. If you like a lot of rub on your dry ribs, you'll like theirs. For an informal, easy-in, easy-out barbecue meal near midtown Manhattan, Daisy May's is a great choice.

see my review and photos of the Big Pig Gig