BBQ vendors included Dinosaur BBQ, Soul Flavors, Union Republic, Delaney Barbecue, and Jimmy's Barbecue from Pennsylvania and everything was priced around 7-10 dollars. Desserts included Andy's Italian Ice Truck, Torico Ice Cream, and Sophie Sophia with drinks being provided by NJ Beer Co. in conjunction with the Hamilton Inn and Lizzmonade!
I got there a little after 6pm and the crowd seemed like it was in full-swing. The lines for Dinosaur BBQ were really long and they didn't diminish until the very end of the night. Unfortunately, shortly after I got there, Soul Flavors started packing up so I'm not really sure what they had on offer, but there were plenty of other options to choose from.
Union Republic was my first stop. They're a cafe/grocer/ramen shop opening up shortly on 3rd Street so I was excited to get a preview. I'd initially wanted to get a pulled pork sandwich but by time I got there, they just had pork ramen bowls left. However, seeing them prepped definitely piqued my curiosity. Made up of ramen noodles tossed in a spicy tomato sauce with scallions, pork, coleslaw, radish, and a spicy aioli, there was a lot going on but it all worked out pretty well. I kind of wished the tomato sauce wasn't with the ramen noodles because it was reminiscent of weird spaghetti but it was still tasty and the pork and coleslaw were great. I'd probably have enjoyed it more if I wasn't expecting something more typically barbecue'ish but either way, I was not unhappy and I'm definitely curious to see what this place will offer.
Next up was Delaney Barbecue with their pulled pork sandwich and the brisket chili. The chili had an odd texture but packed a spicy punch. The pulled pork was awesome. Topped with a salsa-verde type sauce, it was incredibly flavorful and a nice addition to the tender, juicy pieces of pork. A different take on a classic, but delicious.
We also tried the ribs and the pulled pork sandwich from Jimmy's Barbecue. The ribs were tender but had a nice chew to them. They'd been dry rubbed prior to cooking and then topped with some smoky bbq sauce so they had a lot of flavor throughout the meat. The pulled pork was a more traditional take then the one from Delaney and also incredibly tender and juicy. The bun they put it on was sprinkled with a seasoned salt that tasted a bit like paprika and chili powder which isn't something I've really seen before but it did add just a bit more flavor to the sandwich overall and I really liked it.
The rest of the evening was great. The music was fun, beer was good, and it was a great atmosphere. As night went on, they lit a fire and people were clearly just hanging out, enjoying themselves. I'm already looking forward to next year!
Great recap as always! Darn I'm disappointed I missed it.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It was fun - but there's always next year!
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