No Bones About It: Rib King NYC Is Back In Brooklyn

Get ready to rib out at Rib King NYC 2023 in Brooklyn. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

For some, Memorial Day weekend is a chance to leave the city for a mini-vacation. But if you’re in the know, you can instead stick around NYC and spend time in a meat lover’s paradise at Rib King NYC.

The 2023 Rib King NYC event will take place Saturday, May 27, at Industry City in Brooklyn. The event, produced by Food Karma Projects, will feature some of the best NYC restaurants and pitmasters' pork and beef ribs. Additionally, you’ll be able to taste test grilled vegetables, hot sauces from the Sauce King NYC Makers Showcase, and more.

BUY TICKETS HERE.

There are lots of awesome rib choices at Rib King. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Rib King always has a lot of fantastic rib choices, often with unique flavor profiles you won't find anywhere else. (Note: Be sure to come right when the event starts to ensure you can try all of them.) This year’s pitmaster and restaurant lineup will include the following:

  • Hometown BBQ, Brooklyn, NY

  • Joel Romano and David Gill, Wildwoods BBQ, Wildwood, NJ

  • Bret Lunsford, Blue Smoke, Manhattan, NY 

  • Joe Musngi, SmoKing of Meats, Belleville, NJ (2022 Rib King NYC Winner!)

  • Samuel Alleyne (representing Pig Beach BBQ)

  • Darlene Lawrence, Sands Jerk Hut, Brooklyn, NY

  • Firefighter Antonio Olive

  • Operation BBQ Relief

  • Taste of Surabaya

  • Lobsang's Place

  • Zabb Pu Tawn

  • Kam Rai Thai

One of the best aspects of Rib King is the chance to try food from up-and-coming talent. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

There will also be some tasty food options that don’t include ribs. These will include:

  • A vegetable grilling station by Tierra Callada featuring Spanish olive oil, bread, and tapas, with chef Rafa de la Rosa 

  • A grilled cheddar cheese station from Cabot Creamery

  • A steak club grilling station with Harry Rosenblum from Kikuichi Cutlery Japanese knives

  • Freshly baked sourdough by Moonrise Bakehouse in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY

  • A cash bar for adult beverages (VIP ticket holders will get two free drink tickets) 

I hope you come hungry to Rib King. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

This edition of Rib King NYC will surely be a lot of fun, especially with it taking place at Industry City in Brooklyn. Industry City is the sort of place you could spend the whole day, with shops, bars, and awesome outdoor spaces. If you haven’t yet, now is the time to purchase your Rib King NYC tickets.

See you there!

Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ

EAT ALL ABOUT IT (NEWS)

Robert Austin Cho of Kimchi Smoke announced he would be closing his longtime Westwood, NJ location soon but keep operating in Ridgewood, NJ. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:

  • Robert Austin Cho, owner and pitmaster of Kimchi Smoke, announced last week on social media that he would be closing his Westwood, NJ, location in the next two months. He will be keeping his Ridgewood, NJ, location open while also “concentrating on catering” and participating in events with a food truck. The Ridgewood joint will continue to offer the brisket and pastrami Cho is known for, but the menu will be slightly smaller due to the equipment. Cho recently won best pastrami at Brisket King NYC 2023. READ HERE.

  • Pastrami has become even more popular in the barbecue world in recent years, and some joints in NYC regularly offer pastrami on their menus, including Hometown BBQ. If you want to try out some of the best pastrami in the city, The Daily Meal has compiled a list of the 12 best places to eat pastrami in New York City. READ HERE.

  • The site Lovefood has compiled its list of the best sandwich shop in every state. For Connecticut, the winner was Meat & Co in New Haven. For New Jersey, the winner was White House Subs in Atlantic City. For New York, the winner was the relatively new Cutlets in Midtown. READ HERE

  • Oiso BBQ Pit, which closed in February, announced on social media that it has now reopened its joint in Fort Lee, NJ. Since announcing their closing, the restaurant’s owners have been working with new management. The joint also has expanded its menu to include seafood as well. READ HERE.

  • VegNews wrote about Pure Grit BBQ, which is “making NYC the place to be for vegan barbecue this summer with pop-ups and citywide delivery.” READ HERE.

  • Connecticut Magazine released its expert and reader rankings for the best BBQ joints in Connecticut. They included Hindsight BBQ in Waterbury; Smokin' with Chris in Southington; Bear's Smokehouse BBQ with locations in Hartford, Windsor, South Windsor, and New Haven; and Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield. READ HERE.

IRL BBQ EVENTS

Don't miss out on the upcoming Rib King NYC event. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:

  • Saturday, May 13, 2023: The Texas Exes (the University of Texas alumni) is bringing back its famous Texas Exes Chili Cookoff to New York City soon. The group had a stellar turnout in 2022, after a two-year-long hiatus. But for 2023, the group is going to be BIGGER, LOUDER, and TASTIER than last year. The big Chili Cookoff will be taking place at Pig Beach in Queens. Sean Ludwig of NYC BBQ will be one of the judges, so competitors better bring their most creative chili! BUY TICKETS HERE.

  • Saturday, May 27, 2023: The Rib King NYC 2023 event, which will be held for the first time at Industry City in Brooklyn, will be the ultimate Memorial Day barbecue. Not only will attendees get to go hog wild for ribs, but it will also feature awesome live music from Little Feat guitarist Scott Sharrard’s El Dorado Slim playing two sets of jammed-out funk and blues mash-ups. BUY TICKETS HERE.

  • Tuesday, June 13, 2023: BBQ will soon return to Madison Square Park in the form of a fundraiser. The upcoming Celebrate Big Apple Barbecue event on June 13 will host 20+ great BBQ joints from around the NYC metro area. To get a ticket, you have to make a $300 tax-deductible donation to Madison Square Park Conservancy. MORE INFO HERE.

  • Saturday, September 29, 2023: Back for its 14th year, Pig Island NYC is returning to Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens on Staten Island for its third year in a row. More than 20 chefs will come together for this pork-laden festival and compete for the most delicious porcine dishes. There will also be craft beer, hard cider, spirits, and other food offerings – all included with a GA ticket! BUY TICKETS HERE.

GET IN TOUCH

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