Picnick Smoked

Seems like this truck is no longer in business. From the information I was able to gather, the person behind the cart has moved to Bali. I’m pretty surprised they don’t have someone else take over considering the amount of business they were doing. The line was already ridiculous and they would run out of food all the time.
The kiosk in Battery Park and old Picnick BBQ truck are going to turn into Fatty Cue outposts this spring, which is great news. Now onto my review.
I’ve been here quite a few times, but have only had the brisket and potato salad, both which were awesome. The brisket fell apart when you touched it with your fork, and the potato salad was very creamy. The brisket came with some tasty sauce, and you can grab extra to throw even more on top. I really liked the lemonade they had here too. It was a great location, plenty of outdoor seating around.

What a sad sandwich. Went to the one in Battery Gardens as this location was nowhere to be found.

Picnick Smoked is nestled nicely into the pedestrian plaza at Wall and South Streets surrounded by faux picnic tables and a fountain. The food is priced a little bit high but you can still get away with a nice meal for $ 10.
First time I went, I had the Kobe Beef Brisket, potato salad, and lemonade (combo price of $ 11). The brisket tasted pretty good. It was tender and covered in sauce. I do agree with the other commenters in that there is a lot of grease and fat that comes with the brisket. The potato salad was good but wasn’t anything too special.
Second time I went was for the pulled pork sandwich for $ 6.50. After one bite, I knew this far exceeded the beef brisket. They give a heaping pile of pork covered in sauce on a nicely toasted hero bun. It’s not as fatty as the brisket but just as tasty with all the sauce that’s on there. It’s nearly impossible to eat this as an actual sandwich without it disintegrating so I’d recommend using a fork and knife when attacking this.
Only downside to the whole place is a general lack of vegetables but that’s probably not why most come here anyways. Picnick Smoked is a great place to go if you’re in the mood for BBQ in FiDi and an even better place to eat outdoors when the weather is good. It’s well worth the slightly higher than average prices.

Kobe Brisket — generous slice, thick stripe of fat, delicious.
Pulled Pork — moist and tender, goes well with the toasted bread.
Roast Chicken — white meat is dry, not as good as the others.
Potato Salad & Mac — very good

Ehhh. This review will be as simple as its concept.
— Pork, brisket, or chicken. (sauce is amazing)
— Potato salad, slaw or veggies. (i’d go with potato)
— Pick a drink.
— Check out the milkshake of the day.
— Walk away or sit at the cheesey picnic tables they set up.
I’d say its very cheap, you’ll spend about 12 – 15 bucks if you follow the steps above. I’ll see you there.

Picnick was good, not great. I am a harsher critic having lived in the south for many years but I think for FiDi it was a welcomed find!
Ordered the Heritage Pulled Pork ($ 6.50)– which was prepared Texas style and served along side fresh bread that you can opt to make a sandwich or eat on its own.
The sauce was flavorful, but I don’t something was missing but I couldn’t pinpoint what. Next time I will get the pulled pork and not eat the bun so I can fully absorb the flavors. They also have a Kobe Brisket if you prefer beef.
Ordered the coleslaw ($ 3) — it was just strange — too saucy and a bit sour– maybe sour cream mixed in? I don’t know but it’s not cole slaw Texas, New York, or Southern style so I guess we can call it Picnick style.
Tried some of my friends potato salad which was pretty good — also not a traditional style but consisted of sour cream and chives.
Service: It’s a cart so it was quick and friendly
Ambiance: They do have tables with checkered tablecloths set out so you can sit around the truck and eat.
All in all, I will vist again but won’t be a regular. Oh yeah, they also deliver if you are located anywhere under Fulton St (order by 11am the day of or the day before).

Went back a couple weeks ago with a chef friend of mine. He was gearing up for the speech he was going to give his students before their graduation and had to run a few things by Mr. Wall Street Barbeque before the Vendy’s.
We both went with Pulled Pork and Lemonade. The Pulled Pork wasn’t dry; the smoke flavour was apparent, but not overwhelming and the bread was chewy enough to accent the soft pork, but not overpower it. We both grabbed some pickled peppers and personally, I can’t decide whether I like my sandwich better with the peppers or without them.
Now I don’t want to call those people who said they had dry pork or said the meat tasted like liquid smoke (really???) liars, but I know for a fact Picnick, Smoked uses a smoker and the VERY PRESENCE OF SAUCE negates the possibility of meat being dry. But I understand, sometimes it’s easier to pop open a bottle of Haterade H.

Good value and a decent place if you are craving BBQ in fidi. Quick service is always a good thing. Tried it once, and satisfied my curiosity. Blue Smoke and Daisy Mays are better.
You will continue to find a line at this place for lunch because there are tons of people who work down here who are tired of the typical options and are looking for something new and different. But I can imagine that it would be quite cold to try to get lunch from here when it’s freezing cold by the water. So, enjoy while it lasts~

An excellent food stand with really tasty BBQ that tastes like it was fresh made. It has great sides available (potato salad, yummy!), lemonade (a super plus!) and specials for each day of the week. They usually close shop around 3 pm, so get your food quickly!
Our special of the day was a BBQ pulled chicken sandwich. The bread was really high quality and kind of amazing with the sauce and the chicken was really tender!
Highly recommended if you work in the area, or if you’re on your way to the IKEA ferry.

Couldn’t believe my luck… was there at 1.10 today and no line at all, woo hoo!
I got Kobe brisket and it was delicious. Yes, there was a little bit of fat at the bottom of the container, but we all know that’s what makes the cooked meat so juicy! Meat was very tender, the chunks just fell apart when I touched them, and it had a nice layer of ‘char’ on the top.
I liked the toasted bread, and the BBQ sauce too — not too sweet, but I would have liked it to be a little thicker in consistency.
Even though it was $ 8.50, there was a lot of meat there. I made a huge sandwich with the bread, and still had loads left in the container (more than the pictures here suggest). I could have taken it home for dinner, but I just HAD to eat it there and then. I’m going to be full for a very long time…
Got the lemonade, which was also good — nice and sharp. Refreshing at the end of my feast.
I will go back, but in a couple of weeks. I can’t eat that much too often, much as I’d like to. Pulled pork next time…

I don’t mind the long line, but when I get to the front after 20+ minutes they tell me they’re out of brisket. So I say «you should write it up on this big whiteboard you have here so people don’t wait in line if that’s what they came for» and they say «good idea», hand me a marker and ask me to do it. Meanwhile they’re standing there drinking beer in the truck. Here’s an idea — you might want to stop drinking at work in the middle of the day and take care of customers. Man I sound like an angry new yorker.
So as far as the food — I got the chicken, which had zero BBQ sauce on it and was kind of smokey and slimey but definitely not good. Luckily I happened to fill an extra container of BBQ sauce and take it with with me. It was heavy on the cumin and had some citrus flavor which I didn’t expect. The bread they served with it was burnt, and I got potato salad and slaw which were both so-​so. The lemonade was good though. Nice & tart.

I was a bit wary to try this truck, what with all the hype it’s amassed and the rumors of long lines in the sweltering heat. Luckily, MzJoolz picked a lovely day to try this cart. We had discussed having lunch together and she was thinking of trying something new. Oddly, this was the first place that came into mind, which is indeed odd, because BBQ is never the first thing on my mind.
So, we decided to come out a bit earlier to avoid the lunchtime mob scene. Not sure if it’s abnormal, but the line, at its maximum for the duration of time we were there, was probably — at max — 20 deep.
After a short wait, I’m at the front of the line and I decided to go with the Picnic Deuce. It consists of a meat, a side and a drink. I decided on the Kobe brisket with the potato salad and a sun tea.
The brisket was tender and moist, if a bit too greasy. I mean, it was sitting in a pool of oil! I’m sure this oil was from the fat that was rendering off of the hunk of brisket, but c’mon! I don’t want to ingest all that fat! Although I did really enjoy it, the grease pool and the chunk of fat on one of my slices of brisket was just a bit unappetizing.
Moving on to the potato salad… When I order potato salad, I generally like it to be chunky, with a crunchy component. This potato salad is just straight up potatoes, dill, sour cream and mayo. I think less of the sour cream/​mayo and more potatoes, possibly with a smattering of celery and some pepper, and it really would’ve made the salad much, much better. The way it currently is, it’s just a few potato pieces swimming in a vat of sour cream/​mayo.
Anyhoo, I made a brisket sandwich and ate that first and then finished up the remaining pieces of brisket in my container. Overall, still a very decent BBQ experience. I’d probably come back.
BTW, MzJoolz had the pulled Heritage pork, which she said was okay. She liked my brisket better… Also, the sun tea was tasty. It was somewhat floral and nicely sweetened. So, if I was in the area, I’d probably come back over here for some grub…

Being from the South, I’ve been on an endless search for great BBQ in the city. Of course, the best is back down south, but Picnick is close to home.
The wait in line was about 20 minutes, but well worth it. I tried the brisket thinking that it coming from a food truck would likely end up in it being dry. Nope. Moist and tasty. BBQ sauce was great. Bread fantastic.
My only complaint is that they don’t serve sweet tea. It’s BBQ for heaven’s sake.
Forget Blue Smoke and Bro. Jimmy’s. Head downtown and eat BBQ like it was meant to be eaten — outside (but of course, not in a shirt and tie… but i digress).

At least the recession is helping someone — it would have been a shame during a boom time for 30 traders and bankers to standing for 45 minutes each for Picnick. Though the break-​even analysis is easier to justify now — signified by the the ridiculous line in the ridiculous heat, it doesn’t make the experience of a well cooked pulled pork sandwich that was barely dressed in a overly sweet base worthwhile. However, the bread brings some redemption, and the pickles were fantastic. Nevertheless, 45 minutes for a $ 7 sandwich is still not very economically sensible. But you’re in the twilight zone down there…

So… worth…it! Since I’ve heard about this truck last week (not from you Chun, I sometimes do subscribe to e-​newsletters!), I’ve been wanting to try. But the long lines, the heat, and the idea of so much meat for lunch was making me a bit hesitant. But today I «happened» to not bring my prepared lunch from home and knew this was an opportunity not to be missed. So just before noon, I grabbed my cell, my wallet, waved goodbye to my desk and ran for Picnick, Smoked.
Again, so worth it! First, short line (I was customer #3), and everything smelled amazing! And, because I know that I won’t be able to visit as often as I want, I decided to order as much as I logically could. So I got the Pulled Heritage Pork, the Kobe Brisket, Potato Salad, Picnick Slaw, and fresh squeezed lemonade (about $ 20). The server looked at me and announced that is the most a guy has ordered for a single meal. (Hehe! I love food!)
In summary, the food is a bit pricey but was it worth it? YES! I could go to Dallas BBQ for their $ 6 platters specials but I wouldn’t get stuff as amazing as this. The pulled pork was really well done but the star, at least for me, was the brisket. Tender, seasoned, moist. Delicious! The slaw was decent but the (creamy) potato salad was my favorite of the sides. Fantastic meal! In fact, I want to go outdoors now, fall on my knees and raise my hands to heaven. There is good BBQ in FiDi for lunch! PRAISE!
And next time (maybe later this week?), I’m going back for their half smoked chicken, seasonal pickled veggies, a sun tea and maybe their Hudson Valley Apple Tart. Or, as they call it, the Picnick Lil’ Piggy. OINK!

Good food, doesn’t seem like it was seasoned long enough but still very good. I got the beef brisket, it seemed overly dry and my friend got the pulled pork which he really only liked when he put the cole slaw on it.
Anyway, overall… it was a good experience, but we stood in line for 40 minutes in 89 degree weather and under those circumstances, it’s not worth it. but if the line was shorter, and the shake machine is working, I would totally have it again!
Great service for sure… the people were super nice even though they were very busy.

The day has come… BBQ can officially be found in the form of a Food Stand or Truck.
After receiving an email notification from
that a BBQ truck has formed under the name Picnick Smoked, it was off to sample the various offerings that’s derived from BBQ origins, but mass produced in truck form.
When first arriving at the Picnick Smoked food truck, it was a sight to see that two tables (dressed in red checkered table cloth), hosting 12 patrons were reserved for diners of the Picnick Smoked offerings. Most other Financial District Food Truck Operations are simply grab-​n-​go with no reserved seating of any kind. Despite the line of 7 patrons that had formed, the slighted wait was well observed and it was off to place my order.
«Picnick Lil’ Piggy» ($ 14.00): The meal consists of a choice of Meat, 1 Side, 1 Drink, and 1 Dessert. The following items were ordered…
Meat — Pulled Heritage Pork: Perhaps the 15 hour dry smoked Texas style preparation process was more than enough to give the front shoulder portion of the pork the flavor that’s best observed as tantalizing. From first bite, the texture of the pulled pork was the most observed execution process in the application. The finely shredded slices of pork contained a mildly robust and rampant flavoring that’s enhanced by the soft and luscious texture of the meat. The most impressive feat of the pork was it’s ability to possess the seasoning within each bite. During consumption, equal parts of flavor were detected in each bite and without contrast. Given the lean nature of the pork shoulder, the meat was surprisingly flavor, juicy and moist, which is common of that from meat with a proper abundance of marbling. Nevertheless, the dry smoked pork had with in it a natural savory and acidic flavor that was welcoming to the touch.
Side — Seasonal Pickled Veggies: Despite all of the sour vegetables included in this side, the one that stood out the most was the pickle. Despite it’s petite size (similar to that of a baby carrot), the perfectly ripe and crunchy pickle provided a welcoming sour flavor to the meal. The pickle itself was in fact, medium sour, which didn’t hinder the natural delicate texture of the pickle, but rather, aided in the release of the natural earthiness of the vegetable.
Drink — Bottle Water: Nothing more needs to be said. I opted to have a beverage in the form of a dessert.
Dessert — «Wholesome Milkshake du Jour»: On this particular day, the flavor of choice was Vanilla. Sipping the Vanilla Milkshake revealed a slight comparison but somewhat contrasting nature to that Shake Shack’s rendition. The milkshake served by Picnick Smoked had within it a natural balance between the savory creaminess for which the custard is derived and that of a welcoming sweetness. Contrary to Shake Shack’s rendition (which is absurdly sweet), Picnick Smoked’s variety contains that natural balance in flavor, taste, and texture that allowed for the shake to be appreciated, rather than burdensomely consumed. The texture of the shake should also be observed in that it’s frothy and smooth (but not chunky) composition allowed for the flavors of the application to shine, rather than be discovered.
$ 14.00 is a hefty price tag rendered for lunch. Nevertheless, the variety of BBQ flavors observed through Picnick Smoked’s offerings is certainly worth a return trip.