Neely's Barbecue Parlor

My hubby, two daughters, sister n law and I, went to this restaurant last weekend. We loved the food, service and ambiance of the atmosphere. The sweet potatoes, mac n cheese, ribs, and dessert were all Delicious! I recommend all to visit the Neely's! Still can taste the blackberry crisp dessert....

Yeah, the portions are small and the place is a little Gossip-Girly but the barbecue has really good flavor. I especially liked the baby-back ribs-- they are much better than the ones you find ten blocks up. Give this place a shot!

I'm from Texas and no barbecue in any state matches with what we have. Still, Neely's is far superior to every other barbecue joint on the UES. Food is fresh, service is good, and it isn't as expensive as some.

We arrived as a party of 3. The décor was inviting. For some unknown reason, Elvis was being celebrated. The music was blaring. Light jazz, light anything else would have been more relaxing. Forty degrees outside, air conditioner blasting inside, nailbeds blue. The food was timely. First up…the mini country ham biscuit with red pepper jelly. The “biscuit” was the size of a crouton. It turned out to be harder than a stale crouton. We all stared at the miniature size experiment. We couldn’t help but burst into hysterical laughter. Are they for real? The smithering of red pepper jelly was flavorful. If only we’d had a realistic size biscuit to sop it up. Next, the winter lettuces. Delightful – pecans, raisins, lettuce, spinach, and the twist - bitesize pieces of sweet potatoes. The warm wilted winter greens was tossed to the side for speedy pick-up. The smoked tomato bisque was overbarringly smoky. The 2x2 piece of grilled cheese sandwich tasted like cheez wiz/cheap pimento spread. Next up, the cornmeal fried catfish - sampler size pieces, seasoned well, lightly fried - served in a small black skillet with 2 hush puppies the size of 2 peanut m&ms. My friends ordered the shrimp/grits and the crabcake/fried green tomato. The ¼ c. of grits were overcooked. The 7 or so tiny shrimp were teases. One, two bites – all gone. The one crabcake/one tomato was tasty. The portion sizes were more appropriate for kindergarteners not adults. We certainly were not getting our monies’ worth. Next up, veal medallions with country ham ravioli, dr. pepper braised beef short ribs and the cedar planked atlantic salmon. All mediocre. The dry, tasteless salmon still had “the plank” underneath it. My stringbeans were straight-off-the-vine crayon green – no salt, no butter, no nothing. No heat had touched them. Perfectly prepared for a rabbit. Finally, the dessert - crème brulee cheesecake (aka flan – yuck!) and dark chocolate bread pudding. The beauty of soul food is that less is more. Enhance yes, totally distract from the concept? No. The bill totaled a whopping $270. Tax, 20% gratuities. We were overcharged by $30. Neely’s policy is to charge an extra fee for meals served after 6p. The time that we arrived – 4:59p - was clearly indicated on the check. We were cheated. No thanks, Neelys. I’ll be getting more for my dollar and tastier food up in Harlem from now on.

I am sorry to see Merchants go...Neely's closes too early. Merchants was open till 2am and you knew you could get a good meal and the price was right for the quantity.

I couldn't comment on the atmosphere or the service but this is NOT the place for delivery. I was really enthusiastic about trying this place and ordered food. I was put on hold twice for over 15 min. and then when I finally got through and gave half my order I was put on hold again. Not professional or experienced workers to handle situation properly.

This joint has decent barbecue and a festive atmosphere. It's pretty loud, which means it's perfect for the kids. The waitstaff is great too!