Brother Jimmy’s BBQ

Our friends said this was the «ACC» bar/​restaurant so it was only fitting for a group of 5 Wake Forest graduates to stop in here for dinner. It was late on a Sunday night and a game was going on at MSG but the restaurant wasn’t very crowded at all. Most of the 1^st floor is the bar and the 2^nd floor has the majority of the seating.
I got the «Honey Badger» to start which is one of their cocktails served in a «Jumbo» mason jar. It was a good drink, well-​balanced, and for $ 11 is probably a fairly good deal in the city.
We started our meal with some shared cornbread. The pieces came out hot and were a good size. They were moist and certainly tasted authentic to south.
For my meal, I had the Pressed Bourbon BBQ Brisket sandwich and fries. The sandwich had Bourbon BBQ sauce, Gouda, and onion straws stacked on brisket in then put in a sandwich press. I was definitely pleased with the sandwich. It was good combination of flavors in a unique combination. I would get it again.
I liked the original and spicy BBQ sauces but kept my distance from the Carolina style. Just not my bag.
The service here was better than in other restaurants in the city. I really appreciated that they kept a pitcher of water on the table and refilled it often.
Overall, I had a good experience at Brother Jimmy’s.

This place can be really fun.
The food however is lackluster and goes from blah to bleh.
The beer options are limited and overpriced except for light swill. Mixed drinks are watery.
Still, (and what saves it from a 1-​star) is that it can be fun to watch a game there with a big group, lots of tvs, servers are usually attentive.

So here’s the story. Last night me and my buddy wanted to catch the Jets/​Patriots game at a bar in the city. One of his friends was at Brother Jimmy’s so we went there. They waited until the last possible moment to put the sound on (literally right at kick off) which was very frustrating. I understand it’s a restaurant more than a sports bar, but give us a little more before the game please. Sometimes pre-​game interviews and promos hype me up. It sure hypes me up a lot more than Rhianna does. Anyway, once the game started the crowd was very lame. I expected more Jets fans, but there were maybe 7 out of dozens of people.
The first half was decent, but I was restless at the lack of enthusiasm for the football game and the overall negative vibe at this place. It was in the second half that things got really bad, though. The second half of the game began with no game audio. This is a COMPLETE disgrace. People were getting annoyed so I said something to the bouncers/​security guys whatever they are. At first I was really nice. «Hey guys, where’s the sound?» Ultimately with each non-​response and blank cold stare I grew more and more belligerent. Not a total drunken mess by any means, but I was raising my voice. «Guys, you had the sound on all day. You had it on in the first half. A bunch of us are buying drinks and giving you a lot of money because we expect to hear the audio of this game.» Finally, I get a reply. «No, people are here to get drunk, not listen to the game.» Really?
So then I went to the bartender and asked him about it. Upon asking him, a bouncer came up to me and told me I «had to go». Here I was, getting kicked out of the place just for requesting the audio of the game. You guys had the audio on for the Giants game, for the first half of the Jets game, and then decide to turn it off. Of course, after me and my buddy left, he was texted that they put the sound back on immediately upon my exit. Way to go guys, you really showed me!
Shame on them.

90% of the menu (and the only things I really wanted) were out of question. Why? – Busy kitchen.
So no fried okra, not fried green tomatoes, hell, no fried ANYTHING less we waited like 40 mins, and not even a goddamn press’d (panini) sandwich! You mean to tell me it takes a long time to press a goddamn gloried BREAD WARMER??? Gtfo here…
Ok, so give me the goddamn «glorious’ brisket w a side of mash po…
Oh, you ran out of those? Ok, COLLARD FKN GREENS.
Sandwich: Meat dry and hurt my teeth to chew. Also fatty on one part. (Um, ew?) The added gouda cheese (to mimic that of the press’d ‘wich I craved) was hard & COLD. Cooled off meat noticeably. Oh and sauces are boring. 0.5÷5
Collard greens are fkn SPICY. Starts slow then BAM! ⁰⁄₅
Pecan Pie: Now how the f**k can one mess up a pecan pie??? ⁴⁄₅
Loser-​guy at table behind us constantly staring into my eyes despite me audibly pointing that out to my dinning partner… TWICE. ⁰⁄₅
I’m really conflicted about this place now, and not sure if I’ll be back again.
At least during a bustling Fri night.

Absurd. VERY young crowd, $ 10 minimum per person in food to sit at a table (your food is not worth that obviously) because when I went there were about 3 people at tables. The fishbowl/​swamp punch thing is gimmicky and not even strong. Also super loud music so you can’t hear anything. Just not worth it at all.

The worst macaroni and cheese I have ever tasted. They said it was homemade, but it tasted like Kraft with some cheese sprinkled in. And they don’t cut their greens down, they serve them whole… sigh…you need some comfort food lessons.

I was in New York visiting a guy I was seeing at the time and his friends planned a meal with us at Brother Jimmy’s to watch the Alabama football game. He is from VA and we both had met in college in NC and his friends were from the south as well and HUGE Bama fans. They had made reservations so when we arrived we had to just wait in line until our table was ready. I was promised that I was going to be happy with the BBQ here and I was skeptical. I did live in NC for 7 years so I know a thing or two about good NC BBQ. Personally I’m an Eastern NC BBQ girl so I had low expectations.
We took our seats and part of the waitstaff came over and gave us some cheering paraphernaila as Bama fans. I saw hushpuppies on the menu and I was immediately ok with the place.
We had an excellent afternoon there and the food was great. It helped that the Crimson Tide won the game too. The hushpuppies were the best I have had not in North Carolina and their NC pork BBQ was pretty good for a joint in NYC.
I would recommend reservations since this place was packed and getting to the bathroom was a lovely shoving match with no walking room. Great place and I would definitely go back again.

Excellent ribs. However chicken and beef was dry. the sauces helped. I love their fries. next time that is all I am ordering; ribs and fries! Would have been 4, but the dry chicken and beef really killed it.

I’m going to level with you… I came here for the fishbowls.
One of my friends brought us here last week, and we did not regret trusting him (Thanks Abel)
I’m not really a BBQ kind of person, but there were a lot of options. If I come again, I’ll probably go for the «Choose 4 Sides» option.
The atmosphere was really alive, and the staff was very friendly. Then again, we did order two fishbowls…

Stopped by here when we got off the train because we were STARVING and could not wait to find a place elsewhere. I had a bbq pulled chicken wrap with a side of mac and cheese. The wrap wasn’t that largest one ever, but it was packed with goodness. the mac and cheese was also very good. For $ 9, you can’t really go wrong!

Of all the Bro J’s this one easily takes the cake for the best location, very spacious 2 stories, large bar upstairs, another decent sized one downstairs. Great atmosphere, great food (Mmm pulled pork) great drinks (fishbowls and jungle juice/​punch — I don’t know what they put in this but oh man 1 and I’m feeling good, 2 and I’m gone.) They offer specials some nights… ie. bring a southern id… get cheap drinks. (damnit for being from the northeast!)
Staff is a lot of fun and friendly, the place is always just packed and thriving a great place to catch sporting events too… ie tvs everywhere! In short I’ve never had any to complain about with this particular Bro J’s… now I’ll have to go check out the one in Union Square see if they dare compare?!? For some reason I find all the other locations to be set up awkwardly… ie. the Mid-​Town location… very small, offer awful karaōke weekend nights and just straight up lacking the energy that the Murray Hill spot has to offer. I’m not sure what their doing to train their staff but everyone should take note!

Before heading to the Nicks game last night my husband and I went to Brother Jimmy’s for BBQ. Now, I am from the south and I have eaten at several great BBQ joints in the city, so maybe my expectations are a little high, but I would not come here again. Our server was great! Beer was cold, and good. The food, not so much. We split the country fried steak which was greasy beyond belief. The french fries were really soggy. We also got the marbled brisket sandwich with string beans and slaw. I think they gave us yesterday’s brisket and didn’t realize we ordered the marbled variety. It was lean and dried out. Even the BBQ sauce didn’t save it. The corn bread could have been used as a weapon. The saving points of this meal were the string beans (crunchy and tasty) and the mac and cheese (we wanted to lick the bowl).
There are so many other better spots for BBQ in Manhattan, I just don’t think it’s worth it to revisit for dinner. Happy hour maybe, but I would highly recommend Blue Smoke or Dinosaur instead.

I had the pulled pork sandwich with North Carolina barbecue sauce. The pork had a very good taste, even before the barbecue sauce, and it was tender and lean.
My only complaint would be that they don’t put any barbecue sauce on for you. They give you plenty on the side, and I understand that the logic is that some people like a smaller amount of sauce. It’s just tough to really get the sauce mixed through the gobs of pork when you’re having an eat and run lunch at GCT.

I have to say this is not as good as the restaurants, I usually just get the grilled chicken sandwich here. I really wish they had their delicious buffalo chicken sandwich at this location. That is hands down my favorite item on their menu.
Its a good place for lunch but definitely not a substitute for the restaurants.

It was an odd set of circumstance that brought me to the particular Brother Jimmy’s. See, I was going to a birthday party at the Murray Hill Brother Jimmy’s (groan), but wasn’t sure if A — We would be eating, or B — I would want to make a quick exit (which would mean not waiting for food). But I WAS sure that stepping foot in the BBQ joint would fill me with cravings for meat. So when I met my lady friend outside her office and we decided to grab a quick bite in the Grand Central Food Court, the decision was already made for me.
I would NEED a brisket sandwich in me, it was just a matter of where.
It’s been a while since I’ve dined at any Brother Jimmy’s, but the quality seemed a little subpar here. I couldn’t put my finger on it. The brisket was a bit dry, but still delicious. The side (or should I say trimming) of fries came in a greasy paper bag that was nearly transparent by the time I opened it, which was a bit of a turn off. But like so many men that should be turned off by what they see, I went for them anyway.
It wasn’t bad enough to warrant anything below three stars, but I’d say this express spot is a bit of a week point in the Brother Jimmy’s brand expansion.

What a disappointment…
The pulled pork BBQ sandwich (with pickles!!!) was super dry.
The mashed potatoes were soggy before I even thought about putting on gravy.
The coleslaw did not have any carrots and was overwhelmingly monotone green, which affects the taste psychologically.
These guys get rushed by the lunch crowd, so today was probably the third time they forgot to include the carrot-​less coleslaw. The only reason I gave this place a 2 star rating is because the dude apologized.
Other than that, for a $ 10 sandwich, I will definitely avoid this place.

It’s pork. It’s BBQ. It’s fairly priced. It’s tasty.
and yes, they put pickels on their pulled pork sandwiches (like any self respecting southern place would!).
If you’re in the area for work during the day or taking a train out, it’s worth stopping by. You probably won’t be amazed, but for food court options, it’s A-​OK.

It seems I’m in the small minority who finds this place acceptable (or, in the Unilocal guideline of star equivalent «A-​OK»).
I’m not a barbecue fan by any means, but the fried chicken is pretty damn tasty. Not JUST fried chicken, it also has some herbs and spices that give it a little kick. On top of that, they offer a dark meat, mixed meat, or white meat option. This rocks because I love dark meat. Mmmm… fatty juices… yum yum. Who wants to eat a dry woolen sock, anyway? (That would be my description of white meat.) PLUS, the dark meat platter is the least expensive option.
In addition to three pieces of fried chicken, you also get a piece of cornbread (pretty good, but definitely on the dry side), pickles (gross — I always ask them to leave those out, but if you are so inclined, they are included with the fried chicken platter), and your choice of a «trimming.» Their trimmings include mac & cheese (pretty good!), mashed potatoes, French fries, collard greens, etc. Considering the 10,000 calories I’m taking in with my fried chicken lunch, I usually save the trimming to eat for dinner. You know, because that extra 400 calories of side dish is really gonna push me over the edge.
Throw into the mix that you can call in your order (because, regardless of its location in a food court and its implicit speed, it is definitely on the slower side), and I’m sold on this place whenever I have a hankering for really really really bad-​for-​me comfort food.
Oink oink. Them’s good cookin’…

Are you serious? Pickles on a BBQ sammich? Not only is your sauce not good, Brother, but pickles? W… T…F???
They take a long time to serve for a carry out/​supposedly fast food place. Some of that time is spent waiting for them to stop chit-​chatting amongst each other.
They used to be really good when I worked in the Chrysler Building, a few moons ago. So, two stars for the memories.
I refuse to believe that North/​South Carolinians put pickles on their BBQ. And if they do, I am disappointed in y’all. Gross… pickles.

I generally judge BBQ on one of two criteria. .. the smoked brisket or the baby backribs (or the St. Louis Style ribs of the first is not available.) And I happened to have been in Grand Central Station this afternoon looking for a quick lunch before heading back to the office and sure enough I came across Brother Jimmy’s BBQ Express. Now (and I must qualify this). .. this place is an «EXPRESS» place, so I do not necessarily expect it to be as good as going to the actual restaurant.
I ordered the Chopped Brisket (Burnt Ends) sandwich (with original BBQ sauce). .. it came with one trimming (side) — so I ordered the corn bread. I took my bag and went to sit down at one of the tables in the dining concourse and dug right in. I liked the sandwich, although it was a bit heavy on the BBQ sauce (but it was very good quality BBQ sauce at that) — the underlying brisket was a bit dry (but to be fair, it was late in the day so I am sure it was sitting around for a while before I ordered it.) The corn bread muffins (they were mini so they give two of them), were also a bit on the dry side. .. I hope the same reasoning I applied above applies here as well.
All-​in-​all it was not a bad experience and one which I would only hope should be found to be better upon a visit to one of their tasty restaurant locations.