Morgans Brooklyn Barbecue serves up its specialty the way nature intended — by the pound.
The brand new Prospect Heights eatery has a wide selection including pulled pork, ribs (beef or pork), brisket (lean or fatty), chicken and turkey, all slow-smoked in a Texas-style barbecue pit and weighed out on a scale.
Partners Joel Bolden of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Chris Morgan of Fort Greene — via Houston — also offer sausage by the link, authentic Texas red chili (with chunks of meat, not ground beef or beans), and traditional Frito pie served right in the bag, slit open like a baked potato.
There are other authentic touches as well — slow-cooked collard greens, moist corn bread, sweet tea served in jars, and a signature bourbon pecan pie. They even put paper towel rolls out on the tables in lieu of napkin holders — something you’ll thank them for as you gnaw through pound after pound of their succulent ribs.
The authenticity of the Texan cuisine comes courtesy of Pitmaster John Avila, formerly of Franklin’s BBQ in Austin — which you may know from the credit card commercial featuring renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa making a pilgrimage to the legendary barbecue joint.
Avila’s mastery of the meat shows in the moist, tender brisket, the perfectly seasoned ribs, and the rich, smoky flavor he cooks into the chicken and turkey.
And don’t miss the turkey tails — a specialty of Morgans — braised and the quick-fried for crispiness. True to their names, turkey tails are cut from the rear of the bird, and consist of the muscles used to spread its tail feathers, plus fatty areas that make the bite-sized morsels distinctively juicy.
Morgan, who originally hails from the Texas-Louisiana border, also plans to expand the menu with family recipes for Cajun delicacies such as gumbo and smoked boudain.
Morgans dedication to authenticity is such that he only reluctantly made one small concession to local tastes.
“Sweet tea in the South is really sweet, but here I try and use a bit less sugar,” he said.
The Flatbush Avenue restaurant, at the corner of St. Marks Place, has sidewalk seating plus a fold-away wall that opens the full bar to the street. Its gritty decor gives the joint an old-school feel, and part of the raw-plaster wall still bears the cut-linoleum Kentile signage from when the building flooring shop.
Calorie counters will likely cringe at the glistening fat dripping from the ribs and the brisket, but true carnivores will savor every bite — and gladly put in some extra time at the gym, knowing it was all worth it.
Morgans Brooklyn Barbecue [267 Flatbush Ave. at corner of St. Marks Place in Prospect Heights, (718) 622–2224, morgansbrooklynbarbecue.com] Mon–Thur 5 pm–1 am, Fri–Sat 11 am–2 am, Sun 11 am–2 am.
