Georgia's Eastside BBQ

I consider myself a BBQ aficionado, and have tried pretty much every BBQ restaurant in NYC. My friends remember when I would fly to Houston on business and while there pack up $70 worth of amazing BBQ from Goode & Co and then fly it back to NYC to share. I grew up in NYC and have wondered why nobody here can get it right. Come on, some wall street trader flies to Texas, buys him/herself a pit master ($1MM would do), brings them up here with there skills and recipe and creates a goldmine. Well, until that happens Georgia's Eastside BBQ on the LES will have to do. It is so far the best I’ve tasted in NY (including the other Boroughs!) I had lunch there yesterday with a colleague and from the moment we walked in, the waitress was incredibly friendly, really welcoming, and provided wonderful service. The food was terrific including good lemonade. We had a rack of ribs, a plate of pulled pork, corn fritters, coleslaw, fries, and cornbread. All of the flavors melded together perfectly as if pre-thought went into the menu and its items. The pork was amazing plain, without BBQ sauce and with it had an extra bit of spice. The coleslaw cooled that down perfectly. The dry rub ribs were cooked just right with enough smoke but not so the meat would fall from the bone without biting. Remember that you don’t eat the restaurant, but rather the food. BBQ is supposed to be simple, great food, not overdone like some NY foodie-wannabees would like to believe. This joint is just that, a joint—simple, focused, priced well, and really good. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone that actually knows BBQ and I am sure that they will get the management skills perfected (to match the food) in time. My only hope is that with its impending success, they don’t change.

After reading the reviews here, I just had to try the ribs. Having been born and raised in the south, there's just nothing this girl loves more than finding some good southern comfort food here in NYC. Well, BEWARE when it comes to Georgia's. While the sauce on the ribs is fantastic, the rack I got was mostly fat. Sure, it falls off the bone, but who wants to eat pork fat for $17.00? However, the BBQ chicken wings are fantastic. Just like at a backyard BBQ back home, the exterior of these normal sized chicken wings are covered in sauce and crispy burnt around the edges... just the way I like it. BBQ's supposed to taste like it came straight off the grill, and these wings certainly do. Also a really good value for your money ($4 for 3 big wings!). The sides, well, they're nothing to call home about. The potato salad I got was bland as hell, but the corn on the cob was great. But I definitely will drop by again to soothe my BBQ chicken and sweet tea cravings in the future. The staff is super friendly, so I hate giving their ribs a poor review. Just pick meatier ribs, guys!

I couldn't believe it when I tasted it, but Georgia's burgers taste just like my dad's hot off the grill! I am a burger lover and this is definitely one of the best burgers in town! Complete with ruffled potato chips>again a family tradition. You can't beat the price or the "southern hospitality" you get from the staff! This place is a must!!!

Ive been in the East Village and LES for 22 years and Im a huge fan of BBQ....as regular reward, not as a steady diet. I usually head to Daisy Mae but when the expense account is going, Blue Smoke has appeared for the table. No business dinners here (theyll get catering calls soon) but Ill put this place up against any BBQ Ive had save for a piece here or there at the festival. Sure they were harried a bit at the register...they had the customers coming in and in any restaurant in NYC that's a shock at the start. The pulled pork, green beans and corn bread dinner was off the charts. Steamed, then finished on the grill. That makes sense now.Their gonna need to tighten the ship here and there but soon it will be automatic, for the people.

This restaurant was a huge letdown. I was very excited to try it, hoping to find a new local spot to get a quick, delicious bite. The menu seemed so delicious and satisfying. I even loved the logo and the color paper they used for their flyers. However, my meal there was disappointing. The pulled pork sandwich looked sloppy and unappealing like cafeteria food. The bun was a cheap sesame bun, already soggy from the meat. The pork was decent enough but it was smothered in squirted on low-quality BBQ sauce. The sauce could have come out of a packet. The coleslaw was equally uninspired and bought in a tub. As a side, they were gracious enough to share some krinkle cut potato chips from a bag. I got it to go, but ended up throwing it out on the corner of the street. It was too bad to eat more than three bites. What happened to using special homemade sauces and recipes?

I've been back to Georgia's many times since getting hooked on their ribs, and I must say that it has gotten better and better every time I go. I've had about everything on the menu (and many of the daily specials), and though the ribs are still my favorite, each dish shows a level of thought and care in the kitchen that really stands out. Perfectly fried green tomatoes, sweet and savory beats with rosemary, and mouth watering mac-n-cheese. I recently brought some vegetarian friends there for dinner, and they enjoyed their meal just as much as I did. I can't think of a more ringing endorsement of the soul-food sides Georgia's serves up with their grilled delights. And I also have to say a word about the service at Georgia's. The counter and wait staff are always sweet and speedy. Again a real stand-out in a hood full of apathetic hash-slinging hipsters.

I'm really hoping the owner of Georgia's reads this because you are close to a GREAT BBQ joint in an otherwise barren neighborhood. Like so many other LES'ers I was excited to find this place opening up and I was quick to take my parents with hopes of having a less hectic Dino BBQ experience (the Syracuse is a fav of the rents) and it just wasn't quite there. The saving grace was the ribs, absolutely fantastic; I agree with an earlier review that they may be the best I've ever had. Wet, sweet, with a dash of heat served at the PERFECT temp. But much to my dismay that was the ONLY edible part of our meal. The 'baked' beans were not cooked; literally unbaked and as hard as BBQ'd rocks. The cornbread had zero flavor, a big disappointment to the table. The place is very small with no real decor, which is fine and there were a great number of delivery orders going out and we were the only ones in the restaurant. It was a little odd not being able to have a beer with my ribs; nothing goes with BBQ except a nice amber lager. Again, I really hope the owners read this because I want this place to be great, and it has the potential to be, there were just too many missteps for me to recommned this to someone.