PrintRaising the Bar: House Smoked Pig at Waterfront Ale House
"It's the most luscious barbecue I've ever had at a bar."
[Photos: Tia Kim]
Looks can be deceiving at Waterfront Ale House. Seventeen beers on tap? By the looks of the homey neighborhood bar a block down from the Kips Bay movie theater, it's a nice surprise, but not a stretch of the imagination. House-smoked meat on the premises that's actually really good? Now that knocked the wind right out of me.
Owned by Sam Barbieri—a local barbecue enthusiast, national barbecue competitor, and member of the The New York BBQ Lover Meetup Group—the modest bar smokes all their meat and fish in-house. This week I ordered the Pulled Pig ($8.95), a small brioche piled high with hickory-smoked pulled pork lightly covered in a thin "Carolina" sauce. The vinegar-heavy sauce was nice and bright and literally made me cough the first time I brought the sandwich to my lips. You won't need to add any condiments to this sandwich. The meat, however, is what really won me over. The hand-shredded pork shoulder was tender and fragrant with the warm smell of hickory. It's the most luscious barbecue I've ever had at a bar.
The Pulled Pig comes with a choice of waffle fries or sweet potato fries. I chose sweet potato fries ($0.75 extra); hand-cut, skin-on, they were chewy with a bit of crispness at the ends. I like sweet potato fries (unlike my French fries) a touch soft, so these fit the bill. And although the fries come with a brown ale honey mustard sauce for dipping, generously seasoned with salt and pepper, they're more than fine without it.
For those who love French onion soup, Waterfront Ale House also makes their own version, pub-style. The Crock Of 4 Onion Porter Soup ($6.95) comes covered with a thick crackly layer of melted Emmentaler and Parmesan garnished with scallions and diced red pepper. Breaking through the crunchy top revealed a dark broth rich from the caramelized onions and malty from the porter. It can be a little salty, but the broiled cheese alone makes it worth ordering.
With Thanksgiving in mind, I ordered a pint of the Heartland Smiling Pumpkin Ale ($5). With notes of cloves and cinnamon, the beer tasted more like pumpkin pie than pumpkin, but it was appropriate for the holiday and the slightly sweet beer paired well with the malty onion soup.
For an unassuming bar in Kips Bay, Waterfront Ale House exceeds expectations. The next time I'm in the area for a movie, I'll be making a quick pit stop for barbecue, cheesy soup, and one or two of the seventeen beers on tap. It beats nachos with day-glo cheese and mummified hot dogs at the movie theater any day. And by the way, Waterfront Ale House offers takeout. If you happen to have a big bag with you on the way to the movies, do with that information what you will.
Waterfront Ale House
540 Second Avenue, New York NY 10016 (at 30th Street; map)
212-696-4104
waterfrontalehouse.com
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10 Comments:
I used to live a block away and ate here often. All the food I have eaten their was excellent.
dcschaub at 2:19PM on 11/29/09
I love this place and am there fairly often as I live right by it. Pulled pig and the burger are my two most ordered dishes. Next time, try adding a little of the Sam's hot sauce to the pulled pig...
ESNY1077 at 10:07PM on 11/29/09
I've heard great things about this place and the food, but all 3 times I've been there the food wasn't good and the service was awful (not only surly, but one time we sat there for 30 minutes without anyone taking our order so we just left). It was after 11pm every time I've been there, so maybe its just not a late spot. I feel like I'm missing something, but I can't bring myself to go back there.
Hans_Moleman at 8:37AM on 11/30/09
I've eaten at the Brooklyn location many times and its fine for bar food but I never had anything that looked as good as the above pictures. I've had the pulled pork and while it was a decent sandwich I'm surprised to learn that they smoke in house. I guess I'll add the disclaimer that I probably haven't been there for about two years.
bobbob at 12:20PM on 11/30/09
@dcschaub - Yeah, it's a neighborhood spot. I wish there was a place like that in my hood.
@ESNY1077 - I thought of adding hot sauce, but really, I thought it was perfect. It didn't need a thing.
@Hans_Moleman - I've heard complaints about the service, but I've never experienced it myself. I know how it feels though, not wanting to go back to a place where service is awful. There's a small restaurant downtown that all the chefs rave about, but I'll never go back because the waitress was completely rude to a guest of mine. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
@bobbob - I thought it was pretty crazy they smoke on the premises, but the owner seems to be a real barbecue fanatic. It's quite impressive.
Tia Kim at 4:35PM on 11/30/09
I always get the French Dip when I go to the Waterfront, so I had no idea about this sandwich. I'll be trying this the next time I'm there though. BTW, the Dip is my favorite in the city.
marty492 at 7:57PM on 11/30/09
I love Waterfront Ale House! Having said that, I never had anything good from the menu.
sherrypie at 3:27PM on 12/01/09
@marty492 - I haven't tried the French Dip yet. It's hard to resist barbecue. I'll try next time!
@sherrypie - I assume you like the specials on the board?
Tia Kim at 3:40PM on 12/02/09
omg! I totes love their specialz!!!!
sherrypie at 4:56PM on 12/02/09
looks great. i've never been to the one in park slope though i've passed by zillions of times and i didn't realize they are related. looks like though it makes sense to try the kips bay one!
cherrypatter at 10:56AM on 01/01/10