By the time I visited Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque in Clifton a few weeks ago, it seemed like everyone in north New Jersey had been talking about the recent opening of the place. The popular New York barbecue restaurant makes its New Jersey home in the space occupied until recently by Corner Bakery in the hectic shopping center – Promenade Shops at Clifton.
The expansive, slightly industrial in style restaurant offers customers a view of the lively chopping/serving area as they order and pick up their food, cafeteria-style. The attractive restaurant is a significant departure from the humble food cart that housed the original Mighty Quinn’s that I enjoyed at Brooklyn’s Smorgasburg.
Brisket
As diners make their way through the food line, the first ‘station’ they encounter is the meat station with its mouthwatering selections – pulled pork, brisket, smoked sausage, spare ribs, burnt ends, half chicken and Brontosaurus rib. All meats are available in a small or large portion. Our group opted for small portions so we could order a variety of meats to share. We selected burnt ends (crispy, charred brisket ends), brisket, pulled pork, sausage and Brontosaurus rib. The agreement at our table was that the brisket, slow-cooked for 18-24 hours, was some of the best we’ve had with tender, dreamily fatty, fall-apart meat. The pork was moist and savory/sweet with just a bit of sauce coating it. The sausage was our least favorite with a beyond “snappy” casing that we’ll pass on during future visits. As the name implies, the Brontosaurus rib was simply outrageous with a short rib bone measuring roughly 12 inches and scrumptious meat that could easily feed a family of four. The brisket, sausage, burnt ends and pulled pork can be ordered as a sandwich or “naked”.
Second in the food line is the courtesy pickled add-ons station – red onion, celery, cucumber and chiles. Next is the sides station – vinegar-based or mayonnaise-based coleslaw, barbecued beans with burnt ends, pommes frites, sweet potato casserole with maple and pecans, edamame and sweet pea salad and buttermilk broccoli salad with bacon. Both coleslaws are crisp and fresh, the pickled vegetables are well-seasoned and don’t overpower with strong vinegar. Perfect matches to the fatty meats. The beans are loaded, and I meant loaded, with burnt ends, a great side dish. Another favorite of our group was the sweet potato casserole with its perfect combination of sweet, salty and crunchy. Every small meat order comes with two sides.
Burnt Ends
On our visit, the deliciously-described desserts were replaced with craft beers. The craft beer selection is exceptional with various brews by Lagunitas, Founders and New Jersey’s own, River Horse. There are a few wine options but this is clearly not the drink of choice at Mighty Quinn’s.
While I understand from other diners that on certain nights, there’s a queue out the front door with an army of barbecue enthusiasts, on the Monday night we visited, the place was almost empty. It made waiting in line a couple times for seconds and a to-go order that much easier.
I’m looking forward to my next visit to try other dishes like the ribs which appeared tender and finger-licking good. New Jersey finally has solid barbecue option in an attractive space with easy access from Route 3.
Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque – 850 New Jersey 3, Clifton, NJ 07012.
Cheers,
Veronique
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