November 28, 2011
A friend of mine is coming in to town and wants to meet at Penn Station and have a drink or three, so I thought I’d get Sunday dinner on the way there. After last night’s burger fail, I’m in the mood for a decent dinner. There’s a barbecue place on 23rd called RUB and I’ve been meaning to try it for a long time. It’s on the way, so that’s tonight’s destination.
RUB is on 23rd Street, which is just about seven blocks up and two over.
And here we are, nice neon signage out front!
The best BBQ and great beers, just what the doctor ordered, let's go check it out.
There's a nice dining area in the back...
But I felt more at home at the nice marble-topped bar in the front dining area.
And the friendly and cute bartender, Terri was quick to serve up an ice cold bottle of Corona.
They have paper menus, but one has to look no further than the front wall for the smoky selections that are offered.
There's also a large selection of draft and bottled beers available.
This is a really cool 3-D photo of 23rd Street.
Blue ribbons and awards are hung behind the bar alongside BBQ books that you can read as you await dinner.
And speaking of dinner, mine's on the way. Bottles of regular and spicy house made barbecue sauce are placed in front of me. The bottles are warmed up, which is a nice touch.
I started out with the chicken wings, which were really good. Spicy and juicy, we'll call this shot: "Before."
And this one is called: "After." Delicious, probably the best chicken wings I've ever had.
Here's Scott who's the resident Pit Master at Rub, who came out to see how I liked the wings. He told me they're smoked for two hours and are a combination of Buffalo wings and barbecue style.
Tom also stopped by for a photo. The staff here are really friendly and enjoy kidding around. It's a fun place to eat, drink and hang out.
And here's the restaurant's signature dish, which are called "Burnt Ends." They're the tips of the brisket and they're smoked for 18 hours. I just got a quarter of a pound, but they're also available as a full dinner dish with sides (You can find the full menu below on their website.)
These are unbelievable. Smoky, juicy and filled with flavor. One of the staff referred to them as meat candy and it's a perfect description.
Burp. That was a great Sunday dinner, thanks to everyone at RUB for the hospitality and great food! Goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow after dark.
RUB BBQ
208 West 23rd Street (Between 7th and 8th Ave.)
212-524-4300
Further reading: Flavor Profiles, Pig Trip, Immaculate Infatuation and facecrack.
(Surprise link...click on it...I dare you!)
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Bonus Photo at Penn Station!
And here I am with Gumby and my friend Bob at Penn Station. Bob and I used to work together at a rust removal plant that was owned by a guy named Ron Lucy. Ron was so greedy and despicable, he was arrested for picking his own pockets and nose at the same time. I hadn't seen Bob for over a year and it was a great reunion!
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Bonus Cartoon from Jaws!
Jaws sent in this cartoon to compliment his comment above! And the cartoon is available as a t-shirt or coffe mug at his Printfection Store. Thanks, Jaws!
23 Comments
Reader Comments (23)
Wow ... I can practically smell and taste that food from here. Looks great. It's on my list of places to go now !
Burnt Ends looks like the best thing I have ever seen here. Guy sitting at the bar kinda looks like John Lennon circa 1970 when he and Yoko got haircuts,,,,remember?
Woah, Al!! That's a great eye! Hahha!!!
Mmmm barbeque. Love that you and Bob were able to have a reunion! How wonderful!!!!
@GENE: You definitely need to check this place out next trip, youi'll love it!
@Al: The burnt ends can't be described, really tasty! Ha, he does look like John Lennon! Maybe it was Sean!
@Lindsay: You should check it out when you're in the neighborhood, and it was great to see and hang out with Bob!
Rub BBQ looks like everything the previous night's stop wasn't Marty...mmm! The surprise link reminds me of something...hmmm...let me think...OH YEAH! The Curiousity rover successfully blasted off for Mars last Saturday...check your e-mail!
Omyword - YUM! BBQ is the bestest!
Oh i want BBQ now...
looks yummy..
good choice.
I want that for dinner or breakfast....which comes first?
I miss the 365 days and this is a brilliant post.
@Jaws: It was a nice bounce back from Saturday, for sure. I'll check the email in a bit, it's a little kooky at work right now.
@meleah: I was really hungry for BBQ last night and this hit the spot!
@Gidgie: I want it again too and I just had it last night!
@Clack bomb: Start with lunch then repeat as necessary!
Mmm....meat candy.
@Biff: We HAVE to make a pit stop in here next time you're in town, you'll love it!
All right if I ever get to NYC I want to go to Coney Island....Yankee Stadium...Chillmaster party and the Rub BBQ...Life I love you all is groovy...
I think that just jumped to the top Of my To Visit Places in NY! We once had bacon lollies - thick slab bacon with carmalized brown sugar on a stick. Meat candy is delicious!
Glad you and Bob had fun. Your and Bob's story has inspired me to become a rust replacement vigilante.
Take that Ron Lucy.
@tehennessey: You should get out here while I've still got money!
@Britta: Bacon Lollies? Goddamn that sounds good! They have bacon at RUB and I may try it next time.
@csp: We had a good old time at Penn Station. Needless to say, I don't think any of us love that Lucy!
well looks like MAD made up for that "communal table cheeseburger"..."nice neon" might just replace "what's your sign" on down the line...hey hey hey i see biff was sorta waxin' philosophically today on a previous post and jaws, me thinks, has too much time on his hands ( i might just get this for all the non PC inferences)...
Context and memory play powerful roles in all the truly great meals in one's life.
~Anthony Bourdain
rr
oh yeah KOQ sorta sounds like a long lost radio station...
Ate too much over the last few days & most food still seems rather nauseating, but those burnt ends do look very tasty, even though the name is a bit off-putting (cigarette butts, body parts, etc.). Glad you had a good reunion!
@rr: It more than made up for it, a great Sunday dinner and really nice people there. Great quote from the vaults of WKOQ, thanks for being on the air!
@onemorefoldedsunset: The burnt ends were really fantastic, but I'm like you, if they wouldn't have recommended it, I probably wouldn't have ordered it! It was great to see Bob and have a few beers with him and talk about the old days at the rust removal factory.
I have to smile that RR put up an Anthony Bourdain quote-we just watched an episode of his new show and he went to the Burger Joint-and liked it! I have to say, his burger didn't look awesome either. He also went to the Subway Inn and Papaya (UES). I had to laugh that you covered them all first!
OMG--those rib bits look devine!!!!!That's a funny joke btw--have a goodee.
@Britta: That's too funny! I don't get all the glowing reviews of that place, the burger wasn't horrible, but it was pretty mundane!
@Melanie: The rib bits were delicious, check them out the next time you're on 23rd Street!
Looks delish! They have a Rub in Las Vegas as well.
@Tiki Bar Susie: Is it owned by the same people?