The northeast is not known for its barbecue. Typically you find yourself wanting more real flavor from a joint in these parts... but Percy Street is onto something. Make no mistake, they have some killer 'cue right on South Street in Philly. Jumping at the opportunity to catch my Bruins in game 2 of the Flyers matchup with a Philly buddy of mine, we arranged for some pre-game barbecue festivities at Percy Street last night. Earlier in the week I had asked the folks at Percy Street on twitter what pit they use, and they responded with J&R, so I had a suspicion they'd know what they were doing. Here's what i found: After a painstakingly slow drive down from Brooklyn, I walked into Percy Street to find my buddy already at the table having placed our order (Brisket - moist, Pulled Pork, and Ribs). Perfect. I was then suprised as the manager, Eric, walked up and asked if I was "Bill from Twitter." Eric proceeded to ask if I wanted a tour of the back of the house. Double perfect. He introduced me to the lead chef that night (Erin had the night off) who graciously walked me through their pit and grill area, and then downstairs to reveal an enormous prep kitchen, walk-ins, and wood storage. Its so fun to check out how each joint lays out their digs. They have two J&R's that are direct vented but also sit under a mammoth hood, which is entirely necessary as evidenced by the amount of smoke still billowing out the opened doors even after initiating the smoke evac. Inside I caught a glimpst of 5 or 6 nicely barked shoulders melting away. In the same line they also have a charcoal grill with a smartly designed incline to the coal bed to easily lay in fresh coals.

I discovered they smoke with red oak - my current obsession - so I was pretty excited to get back to the table to dig in. Eric graciously popped a few complimentary treats on our table upon my return, including pork belly, turkey tails, and collards. Here's how I'd rank the meats:

1. Turkey Tails: these things are outstanding. I'm not sure where the meat comes from exactly, but its a nice combination of dark and light turkey meat with a good layer of fat. Tasted more like pork than turkey honestly, but the rub and glazed sauce was abslutely perfect. Good smoke flavor, a nice sweet touch at the end. Moist. These things seriously rock.

2. A close runner-up was the brisket. I am almost never happy with brisket in the northeast, but this had a really substantial smokey and beefy flavor. We ordered from the deckle which they refer to as "moist" and its hard to argue with that clasification. Super moist, with a great bark, and just a terrific flavor throughout. Best brisket I've had this side of the Mississippi.

3. Pork Belly comes in third... again a great smoked flavor, and super tender. This stuff practically melts in your mouth. I can't toss back a ton of this as the fat content is a bit much even for me... but it was a really solid appetizer and would be great split amongst four before the main entrees come up. 

4. Pulled Pork came in next. I think if i had ordered the sandwich I'd probably had placed it higher in my rankings. The flavor was great, but it had a decent amount of sauce pre-mixed in. In a sandwhich I'd have loved it... but in the frame of mind of no forks and pure meat, I was left wanting more brisket! 

5. Loin back ribs: the flavor was totally there, but i thought the cut itself was a bit meaty. That's a weird comment... most folks i think would rave about how meaty they are! But for me when the meat is that thick on the short-end ribs it starts to feel like a pork chop, and it just can't get fully smoked and tender. That said, I loved that they serve 'em dry, and the rub was super simple which was a big plus. 

Speaking of dry ribs, they set the table with three sauces to be used at our discretion. I forget their names, but the sweeter one is really outstanding. They served it in a yellow mustard squeeze bottle which I thought meant it was going to be mustard-based, but its more of a KC style sauce and I absolutely loved it. It was a great addition to the ribs, and I even passed a couple bites of that brisket through it. 

Tasty pickles and raw onions were served in every basket, along with a big stack of white bread. I didn't touch the bread, but the pickles were the perfect chase to all that meat. Actually, the glass of Bulleit bourbon was the perfect chase, but those pickles were spot on. 

I was realy happy with our meal, and honestly a bit suprised. There are 'cue joints opening up faster than wildfire, but so often they miss the mark and focus on sauces and indulgent sides. Percy Street has seriously good smoked meats, a great bourbon menu, and a genuinely welcoming staff. I'd absolutely go back... its even worth a day-trip trip from NYC. Check 'em out!