Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue

In sum: unfortunately brisket was the only great thing. As I’ve said in other reviews, I’m a huge fan of BBQ, but hold BBQ restaurants to a high standard. This is the interesting thing about Fletcher’s… Brisket is the hardest meat to smoke because if you don’t do it just right it either dries out or stays too chewy. At bbq joints I always try the brisket first, since it usually dictates how the rest of the experience is going to be. The brisket was incredibly good at Fletcher’s, so I got excited for the burnt ends, the ribs and the corn bread. Unfortunately the brisket was the only good thing there.

Good BBQ for New York! Came in to try the Burnt Ends but went with the Tri-​Tip instead as it was less fatty, which is more my style. Got a side of collard greens which were delicious, and I’m a tough critic when it comes to greens. If you’ve ever been to the south you know what I’m talking about! Also came out with jalapeño peppers, sweet pickles, and two small pieces of potato bread which was nice.
What would make it 5 stars for me are a variety of BBQ sauces (only see one at the table and it wasn’t my favorite). The green and red hot sauces are great though! Also the small side dish is almost jokingly small, you might as well go for the medium which is $ 6 (a little pricey for a quick lunch, but delicious for sure).
Overall good experience and I’ll definitely be back!

Stopped in on a weekday afternoon. Service was friendly and very prompt.
Had the banana pudding, pork sandwich, coleslaw, cornbread and smoked beans. Everything was outstanding, particularly the sandwich. The bread was warm, soft and moist, melted in your mouth … along with the pork.
Place was very clean. They have a good amount of seating for groups (large picnic tables).

I went here with a meetup, and it was a fun experience. Too much Michael Jackson on the music though… I like him but not 3 – 4 songs an hour;)
Anyways, the brisket was amazing. While everyone raved about the burnt ends, I wasn’t a fan.
Pulled pork was packed with flavor and juicy.
The Cole slaw was weird because they served the dressing separate from the salad.
Baked beans had a little bit of spice that gave it some kick.
The winner of the night was banana pudding. Mmmmmm…

Sooo… as my friend and I walked into this establishment (on the way to get pie, mind you), we both were weary, as I don’t trust eating southern food in the northeast. Because I’m a pescitarian, I don’t eat barbeque, but always look forward to a possible perch or catfish. I believe seeing the amazing array of my people behind the register threw me off, as I was so sure that this place would be owned by someone who looked like them… thus there might be flavor in the food.
I was wrong. We were wrong.
I noticed that unlike a few other trendy bbq spots, there was no fish on the menu. Okay, fine. The greens were cooked with pork, as I would have thought they would have been, but the cornbread was sans lard, so I ordered that, the mac and chees and potato salad.
My friend wanted a pulled chicken sandwich, but ended up getting a different kind, along with cole slaw and mac and cheese.
Sigh.
The mac and cheese isn’t your regular mac and cheese, with a cheese sauce that is baked with macaroni, no. It is pasta with cheese sauce. It’s so so. I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way to get it. The potato salad was tasteless. I mean, it was like eating… boiled potatoes. My friend said the sandwich was good but was dry. I tried his cole slaw and it lacked mayo. It was just cabbage.
The whiskey flight was good… but that can’t be enough to sustain an appetite. Maybe if I ate meat, I dunno. But the sides weren’t good, although the cornbread was pretty good and had real corn, which was nice.
I was really hungry and hopeful but I didn’t even finish my very pricey sides meal.

Not sure what the hype is about. We tried this place as it looks clean and why not its in the neighborhood. Food was horrible! Tasted like burnt bbq. I guess if you like your food tasting like bbq grill you will like. Would not recommend to anyone. Even the sides are lacking, how do you mess up coleslaw and mac&cheese? Not sure but price is not worth quality.

When I first went I wasn’t impressed, they did just open at the time, lately my husband & I have been ordering, and I must say, we love if! We always order from seamless, it comes very fast, which is great! I love the pork shoulder sandwich, just wish it had a better bun, but believe me it’s still delicious, I absolutely love the macaroni & cheese, my husband always gets the chili macaroni & cheese, which is good also, but I prefer the plain one. So far everything has been a hit! Third time ordering, and it won’t be our last especially with the cold months coming.

Some of the worst BBQ I’ve had, brisket was dry, pulled pork was cold only thing that saved was the burnt ends were good. Just go to hometown BBQ

Woaha, did they get new employees or something? The service was terrible!
There were three customers in the place, there were three employees, and every employee ignored me. W T F! I just stood in front of the cash and next to the food for a minute as they all ignored me! They weren’t even doing anything. There were no customers! It wasn’t closing time or anything. It was just terrible employees.
In the end, I walked out not having been acknowledged by anyone nor ordering anything. Damn, I wanted some ribs. :(
Message to management: train your employees to serve potential customers or else they will turn into haters.

This may not be a popular view on this establishment, but I was really underwhelmed by my experience here. As a large meat eater I was excited to go here, but I was let down. We gave everything a fair shake too and tried most of the available offerings. The bright spots for me ended up being the pickles and the booze (had a healthy pour of Mitcher’s Rye on the rocks in a small mason jar-​looking glass, and then a few more after the meat to wash away my sorrows. I couldn’t see myself going here again, except maybe for a pickle and a drink.

The mashed potatoes
The Mac & cheese !!!
Banana pudding !!!
Meats here are done well.

This is a review in regards to their pop-​up location at Riis Park Beach Bazaar.
I’ve read many great things about Fletcher’s and it was my first stop at the Beach Bazaar. Their staff was helpful and offered a number of recommendations since decided between ribs, tacos and sandwiches is difficult as they all sound so delicious.
I opted to try their brisket sandwich. When asked if it was «succulent» (exactly what you want brisket to be), their response was «oh hell yeah!»
For $ 11, I quickly received a really generous portion of cubed brisket on a potato roll with a topping of crispy, tangy cole slaw. There was a drizzle of a sweet and spicy bbq sauce, which was so good I asked for a side of it. Originally I thought $ 11 was a lot for a sandwich at the beach, but it was a bargain for the portion size and quality.
The brisket was indeed succulent and truly delicious. The cole slaw as the perfect accompaniment. It was a truly superb sandwich that made my entire party jealous as they opted for some measly fish tacos.
I’m going to assume their food is even better at their main location, which I’m planning to check out as soon as possible.

I’m a new Brooklyn resident, and I recently stopped in to taste this acclaimed Brooklyn barbq. The place smelled and looked as authentic as a Texas barbq smoke house, and there is much more here that I want to try. On this day, I opted for the char sui (will return for burnt ends) and the baked beans. The char sui reminded me of California tri tip, sliced in rounds, and served with a soy /​traditional barbq sauce that was delicious and Asian influenced. This innovation is what is creating a name for Fletcher’s amidst the burgeoning NYC barbq scene.
I need to give Fletcher — whoever he is – a lesson on baked beans. My beans were sugary sweet, and perfect to the taste. However, the sauce was way too soupy and runny. I encourage the chef to pull out some Texas or southern cookbooks and start over on the recipe. The bean sauce should be thicker and not run all over the plate.
Fletcher’s doesn’t quite match Mighty Quinn’s for me, but I’ve only been once, and I tried an unusual item. I’ll be back for sure.

Didn’t like anything about this place except the potato salad.
The food is reasonably priced, but I’d rather pay more for better food. Most of the meats were dry and bland. This describes the brisket perfectly. Actually, it’s also a perfect description of the tri tip as well. And the ribs! So I guess all the meats we tried! At least they’re consistent I guess.
The pickles were ok, but there was a spice that I couldn’t put my finger on and I didn’t like the flavor.
There’s not a lot of seating since the whole place isn’t huge, about 20 seats. The bathroom was not dirty, but the hallway that the bathroom faces emits a horrible, dirty mop stench.
I didn’t notice until I got home but our receipt was wrong. We were charged twice for an item and not charged for something else. The cashier was also not helpful when we were ordering. I asked him for any recommendations and he just responded by shrugging and said get whatever you want. Uh what? And I’m not sure if he was trying to be difficult or if he was just ditsy, but it was a pretty horrible and awkward experience.
I will not be returning.

Fletcher’s hands down serves up some of the best BBQ in all of NYC. They source socially conscience, high quality meat, and treat it with love, skill, and respect. They do an impressive job with their side dishes and I recommend trying their pickles. My preference is to order take out, especially for dinner as the ambiance is not as cozy as some of their competitors, but that’s just me.
Bottom line: if you want killer BBQ, and like to support small business owners who provide a genuine service to the community, go to Fletcher’s next time you’re hankering for some smoked goodness.

Being from east Texas I have strong opinions on Mexican food, Cajun food, and barbecue. I really don’t know why I walked in to this joint the other day. I don’t know why I ordered barbecue in New York. I’m glad I did.
When you walk in you see not only the smokers, but you’re hit with the right, distinctive barbecue restaurant smell. 1-​star
They showcase burnt ends and you can order by the quarter pound instead of half or full, making it more affordable. 2-​stars
They serve your meat on paper. 1-​star
While a required pink smoke ring exists, the brisket was not overly smokey in flavor, and left if underwhelming initially. But, it allowed me to discover the subtlety. I wish it would have had bolder flavor, but that’s where the sauce actually worked well. It gave it a nice tang. Not too sweet nor too much like vinegar. I usually don’t eat with sauce, but it helped solidify this spot for a return visit sometime soon. Though a lean cut, the brisket was still moist. Definite bonus points there for that.

BBQ has always held a special place in my heart, and this place knows how to keep me happy.
A friend and I had tickets to see a show at The Bell House and this place is only a block away. We arrived around 6, thinking we may have to wait for a table, but the place was basically empty. Long picnic tables are set up so that you can sit family style, but there are a few smaller tables and stools near the widow if you’re feeling antisocial.
As we walked in, we got a serious whiff of smoky meatiness. I often get a smell that I can also call «smoky meatiness» each morning on the subway, but these 2 smells are completely different. Just like squash (I squashed the banana when I stepped on it) and squash (I made a delicious spaghetti squash for dinner). Maybe they’re not the same thing, but I don’t care about your opinion anyway.
We stood around for a minute while a very sweet woman waited for us to order. She looked so happy standing there with her pen and paper while we made up our minds. Must be the smell or a happy belly. Either way, she seemed really nice.
My friend went with ½ chicken with 2 sides-​market pickles and mac & cheese. The market pickles were described as «kool aid watermelon rind and carrot pickles.» I got the tri-​tips with 2 sides-​pickles and collard greens, and burnt ends.
After you order, the rest of the meal is DIY. We filled up some cups with water, got our own napkins, utensils and plates, and found a table in the back.
I have no idea how long it took to get the food since we were too busy talking, but maybe 10 minutes later, we got called to come to the counter to pay and pick up the food.
As usual, when I saw the food, I assumed we would need to order a double. Thankfully, I was mistaken. The meat, chicken and tri-​tips were tender and smoky and the burnt ends were fatty and ridiculously tasty. Ohhh meat. The two types of pickles were super vinegary and a great addition to the lean tri-​tips. My collard greens were the perfect amount of meaty and vegetabley. Usually collards have so much bacon or meat that you can’t taste their delicate flavor. These were done very well. I did not try the mac and cheese, but according to my friend they «tasted like mac and cheese.» (What a description!) He probably didn’t want me to feel bad since I’m gluten free, but still.
We hung around for a few more minutes and then cleaned up our greasy mess before heading out. Thank you Fletchers. Your efforts have been noted and applauded.

Three of the four of us waited for ten minutes with no one in front of us before we were acknowledged. We waited and watched. We waited and watched some more. Don’t ever waste your time going to this hole of a bbq place. Don’t waste your money here.
During the absurdly long wait, the prep chef chopped pork into tiny bits and mixed in vinegar sauce for a customer. We stood around like lemmings and watched as other tables waited for the food to never arrive. There was copious amounts of food in the display case and ridiculous amounts of busy looking employees running all over the place but accomplishing absolutely nothing — except looking busy while serving no food.
The tables sitting with kids had no food. It was an absolute waste of time — what do I have to do to get some food up in Fletcher’s BBQ?
It took nearly 30 minutes for pulled pork that wasn’t even pulled pork to arrive at my table because it was so dry and tough — it literally couldn’t be pulled apart and had to be chopped into half inch thick squares of dry and nasty pork.
The ribs looked absolutely beautiful but they were dry. Tasted and looked absolutely delicious but tasted like dry, un juicy, pink pieces of wood on bones.
This place really has it happening — loads of employees sitting around doing absolutely nothing to ensure that their customers get Their food In a reasonable amount of time.
The only reason they even get one star is because the slow service actually produced some delicious chinese style char soy. That’s it, otherwise a total fail (I wouldn’t even bother reviewing it normally since it was so bad) except the wait was simply interminable.
fix this restaurant — the staff doesn’t want to be there, the owner isn’t there, it’s clearly not a point of pride for anyone. Make some better food.

Lunch date! Birthday boys deserve good meat! Pause.
Good meat is hard to find these days. Pausex2
Seriously though, BBQ joints tend to dish out crappy meat at quality prices and I just don’t like that. After much Unilocaling and feeling the need to explore a neighborhood often unattractively out of reach for us (GOWANUS), we decided on Fletcher’s.
Now, here’s what’s awesome about Fletcher’s:
the low-​key, hands-​off, communal environment set up is great. BUT most importantly the meat was good AND the barbecue sauce on the table was the perfect combination of tangy, spicy and sweet. A combination difficult to execute but there it was. Now, I’m not so sure they make they’re own bbq sauce (since it wasn’t a selling point for them) but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
The not so great things about Fletcher’s:
The unknowledgeable staff. For sure. Nothing is worse than a staff that can’t answer questions about the meat. We blindly got a ¼lb of everything (except pulled pork) but began asking questions and the staff was stumped. Also: prices! It is NOT cheap to eat at Fletcher’s and I didn’t feel 100% okay with the price considering the laid back nature of the staff and the fact that we had to wait our own table, get our own napkins/​plates/​utensils AND the staff didn’t know crap about the meat. Of course I understand meat will cost you but come on! Make it worth our while.
Despite the mishaps, I did really enjoy our decadent early dinner with an assortment of meats. A fatty pork cut of meat was my favorite though I can’t divulge much more considering the lack of information given to me.
My boyfriend, who has a secret love affair with ribs, thoroughly enjoyed his ribs at the table and the next day (because of course there were left overs!)
The cornbread was priced right and made just the way I like it; with corn in it!
And the Mac & Cheese was okay… And too expensive at $ 5 for a small.
Overall I do recommend Fletcher’s if you’re in the area and in the mood for bbq! Make it a foodie date!

Above the counter, in giant white letters, Fletcher’s trumpets their meat as HUMANE and ALL-​NATURAL. What does that mean? Per their website: «We strive to source meats from farm-​cooperatives raising animals that are all-​natural, hormone-​free, antibiotic-​free, and traceable.» (I giggled at the concept of a «hormone-​free animal»… lazy language, people.) But does «strive to» mean this is actually the case for 100% of the meat they serve?
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, and 3 stars for the resulting barbecue. The meat had a lovely, strong, sweet smokiness. Unfortunately, it was on the dry side. Burnt ends were fatty and had a hardcore bark; I’d recommend this above all else. The brisket was a bit tough. The «char siu» pork, despite borrowing ingredients and exoticism from a Chinese roasting technique, was also dry and not very interesting. ¼ lb portions were surprisingly small — they definitely err on the lower side of that (and I suspect they charge by these categorical prices instead of truly by weight).
Service, also, was a bit of a mess. For the uninitiated: go up to the counter where a waitress will be waiting (on your side, not behind it) with a Sharpie to take your order. Then go sit at one of the communal tables; they’ll call your name when the order is ready.
Somehow, we waited 20 minutes between sitting and receiving our food. Hold up – it’s barbecue! It’s already cooked! Other BBQ spots slice, weigh, and serve your meat right then and there! If the food isn’t piping hot when it gets to me (and it was barely warm), then I see no reason for a 20 minute wait.
— — — — If you care to know why I docked another star, read on.
We walked in around 7pm this past Saturday. I took a seat at one of the communal tables while A went up to order. A group of 3 middle-​aged people were already on line. Not only did these people take 15 minutes of the waitress’ time, dillydallying on what to order (and thereby holding up everyone else), I saw them when they had finished, speaking to the waitress and then pointing at me.
First of all, are we in kindergarten? Do we point at people from across the room like children? The waitress then proceeded to look apologetically at A and tell him that she needed us to not sit where I was so she could «wipe down the table.»
Me, already irritated at having been pointed at, loudly: «We can’t sit here?»
A: «Guess not.»
Apparently what happened was that these people felt it was acceptable to tell the waitress to tell me to move, because they wanted that table. There were no other free seats available at that moment.
I’m not blaming the waitress for these people’s perplexing rudeness and entitlement, and she gave us the kolache on the house because we «had to move.» But, let’s imagine for a second that it actually IS reasonable for the waitress to entertain those people and boot me from a table I was already sitting at. Instead of being upfront about it (christ, can ANYONE be upfront about ANYTHING anymore?), she framed it as needing to «wipe down the table.» Wipe down the table? No, hon. It was 3 jerks being too inexplicably crappy to ask me to move, instead turning to you, the apparent arbiter of all chairs in Brooklyn, as if no human with communicative ability was at this coveted table already.
The group was 2 men and 1 woman, all middle aged, plus two twenty-​something girls who joined later. On the off chance my irritation finds its way through the black pit of the internet to anyone in that party — Please be aware that you could have just come up to me, a human being, and spoken to me — AGAIN, A HUMAN BEING — about your woeful seating conundrum. Putting the waitress in a weird situation instead because of your immaturity and unchecked entitlement? Refusing to make eye contact or utter the slightest acknowledgement at any point afterward? I can only imagine how you conduct your lives in this world. For the waitress — just be straightforward next time; lying to customers as a natural instinct doesn’t represent this business very kindly.