By  Lindsey Marron 

I recently had lunch with my father at Dinosaur Bar-B-Q in Brooklyn. It was a warm and sunny day with a light breeze, making the outdoor picnic tables extremely inviting. The host warmly greeted us and showed us to our table. I am a huge fan of exposed, distressed brick so I really liked the exterior of the restaurant. It appeared just rugged enough but still had a clean layout–sort of like a refined warehouse.

Our waitress cheerfully welcomed us, asking if we were first-timers. As we were, she gave us a brief menu lesson, pointing out popular favorites. She was attentive and sweet, seemingly playing on the sunny, Southern disposition that is so often associated with BBQ.

My favorite way to dine is to order a number of small plates to share so that I can get an overall taste of a restaurant’s menu. Given that, the swag sampler plate was a no-brainer. Meant for two, it came with chicken wings, drunken spicy shrimp boil, fried green tomatoes with cayenne buttermilk ranch dressing and creole-spiced deviled eggs. I went straight for the wings, which we ordered to be made in a sesame hoisin sauce. The meat was succulent and tender, coming right off the bone. The spice was not incredibly overwhelming and temperature-wise, the wings were hot–as they should be. Two per person did not satisfy my hankering; it all ended too soon. Dinosaur Bar-B-Q knows how to do wings right, end of story.

Next were the fried green tomatoes which were lightly coated and fried, but not too heavily enough to be dripping with grease. Sprinkled with Pecorino Romano cheese and dipped in the buttermilk ranch dressing, these Southern staples were unreal. They were seriously unbelievable. Although, I would have preferred them to be a little bit less fried so that the fresh flavor of the tomato could have been more prevalent. However, that would not have stopped me from drowning them in the ranch dressing. It was so insane that I was tempted to ask for what was left over in the ram

For my entrée, I ordered the BBQ catfish. The catfish was sweet tea brined, grilled and served with turkey neck greens and a BBQ glaze. The entrée came with their honey hush corn bread and two side dishes. I chose the mac and cheese and the crispy cole slaw. The catfish was cooked so that the bottom had a nice crisp to it and it was not smothered in the BBQ glaze.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Q reaffirmed my sentiment that ice-cold lemonade should not be sipped from anything but a mason jar. It somehow gave the effect of making the lemonade that much more authentic and in turn, better. As I sat at the picnic tables, drinking from my mason jar and licking my fingers, I realized that I could get used to this southern BBQ lifestyle.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Q gives as authentic a Southern and soul vibe that can possibly be achieved in the Northeast. With many other competitors around New York City, Dinosaur Bar-B-Q sets the bar high for best in BBQ.