(08//14/11)

The Joint

Mable's Smokehouse (yes, that's how they spell it) is wide open and laid back, with communal tables, mismatched chairs, wood everywhere, a small not-trying-to-prove-anything bar and a long cafeteria-style counter. Unlike at a cafeteria and the city's other famous over-the-counter barbecue operations, you order at the counter but receive table service when your food is ready. Although Mable's looks like a joint you might see in the South, there's no attempt to Disnefy the place or insult your intelligence with trite theme décor.

The Menu

This is one compact menu with a no-nonsense approach: just three meats (St Louis pork ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork) and eight sides. A rotating late night snack menu offers some diversity with Velveeta & Ro-Tel queso dip, "State Fair" Frito pie, house made BBQ corn nuts and pulled pork and brisket tamales. According to a New York Times review, there's still some shipping issues to be worked out with the Oklahoma links.

The Visit

One New Yorker and two out-of-towners hit Mable's for a Sunday dinner.

The Appetizers

In some reviews I mention that I bypassed appetizers to allow deeper coverage of the main meats, but there are no appetizers here. I suppose you could call the first 3-meat platter an appetizer and the second 2-meat platter the entree, with a follow up visit to nearby Fette Sau the dessert, but we'll just head straight to the meats section.

The Meats

Pork ribs: The first 3-meat combo ($27.95, with three sides plus cole slaw, jalapenos, sliced onion and white bread) had four bones, coated in a brick red barbecue sauce. Ribs are the only item Mable's sauces as standard procedure; we ordered the first batch as is and the second batch unsauced.

The pork ribs were thin of cut but thick of rub, which stood out visually and in flavor even under the sauce. With such a well crusted rib, a frequent weakness is a mushy/ashy finish, but these were pleasantly crisp, contrasting perfectly with the sauce. The inner meat was pink, tender, juicy and very fresh tasting. Smokiness was more than noticeable and overall flavor was deliciously porky. These ribs felt and tasted like a marriage between the two different pork rib styles at Daisy May's, arguably executed even better due to their superior freshness. There was no question that they'd be on the plate in round 2.

The unsauced ribs in the next round were even juicier. Oddly, the rub on the equally crunchy crust didn't seem to have as much oomph as on the first batch, but they were still impressive.

Pulled pork: The pork was a little sticky but not sauced per se. The meat was pinkish brown, studded with bark and mostly tender without being overcooked, but not as boldly fresh tasting as the other meats. Smoke and overall flavor were both lighter than the ribs and brisket. Probably the weakest of the three meats, this pork was still above average.

Brisket: The clear-cut star of the first plate, the brisket brought strong smoke, great rub presence, a sturdy crust and perfectly tender, extremely juicy inner meat without that mushy, fatty, gelatin-like consistency you often get at another joint famous for its brisket across the river. Though fat was there, it was more of a support player, providing moistness without detracting and without even needing to be trimmed away. I also liked the slurpiness that the meat had without falling apart, the saltiness that sang loudest among the many spices and the flavor that reached to the innermost part of the slice. Needless to say, the brisket was also included in round 2, and it was again a big hit. I have no doubt that Mable's brisket would make my top ten for the overall Northeast region.

The Sauces

A single sauce is applied to the ribs (pork and brisket arrive unsauced) and supplied in a cup as additional dipping sauce. It's a fairly standard sweet tomatoey number with very faint tartness that was more effective for adding moisture (though the meats didn't really need it) than flavor .

The Sides

Sides were decent, though not as impressive as the meats. Potato salad had plenty of hardboiled eggs and more than plenty of mayo, though I suspect they used Miracle Whip. Cole slaw was also mayoey, but good, with crisp cabbage and fresh flavors. Beans were light, sweet and fresh, but ultimately not interesting. Borracho beans were interesting, kind of like Mexican rice and beans, minus the rice. Macaroni and cheese had perfectly cooked pasta, coated with but not drowning in a mild but adult-flavored cheese sauce. The complimentary small cole slaw and boat of jalapenos and onions served with every platter is a very nice touch.

The Bottom Line

After just one visit, it's hard to say exactly where Mable's Smokehouse will wind up in my New York City BBQ pecking order, but it's easy to say they're off to an excellent start and will most likely be in the top half of the list. One thing's for sure: they're high on my list for a return visit.

other opinion/info:

New York Times review of Mable's Smokehouse

Village Voice review of Mable's Smokehouse

Yelp reviews of Mable's Smokehouse

Urbanspoon reviews of Mable's Smokehouse