Wildwood BBQ

5/31/2008
Gramercy: 225 Park Avenue (nr 18th St) - 212-533-2500
Price: Mid-Range
Rating (1-10): 6

The quick and dirty:
BBQ is fun and eating BBQ should be fun. That's why Wildwood BBQ is a success. The food is good, the atmosphere is lively, comfortable, and relaxed. The menu is manageable and straightforward, not too many items but all the ones that you're looking for. It's good for parties of all sizes and the menu allows for easy sharing and sampling, as bbq should.

Wildwood's food is close to on par with its neighbor, Blue Smoke, but it doesn't have quite the same level of coziness or atmosphere. The decor and feel of the place is a slightly forced faux-western with stereotypical bbq-ish things. This is very Gramercy western. But at the same time, who really cares? It's fun if you go with it.

The Memphis-style baby-back ribs are smokier than any urban bbq I've tasted, and have a good carmelized sweet-spicy glaze. The meats I had were surprisingly dry though: the ribs, the Texas smoked beef brisket and the pulled pork. The food isn't head over heels amazing but the flavors are nice and the sauces are pretty good. Luckily, you have the caddy of sauces on the table to douse your food. The chicken is not bad but it's nothin' particularly notable so you might as well go for the things that truly reak of bbq like ribs, brisket, or even a burger.

Wildwood's strength is its service. Our server was unpushy and friendly but also attentive - just what you want to go with your slow cookin'. It was clear that they cared - almost seemed like they embodied the youth of the restaurant and were working hard to establish themselves.

You've got a solid barbeque option in Wildwood. The service is fun and relaxed. The food doesn't astound but it'll satisfy your bbq fix. Hopefully they can figure out a way to retain more juiciness in their meats and add better sauces on the table but all in all, you'll get your money's worth.


Full review:
BBQ is fun and eating BBQ should be fun. If it's not, there's a problem. That's why Wildwood BBQ is a success. The food is good, the atmosphere is lively, comfortable, and relaxed. It's good for parties of all sizes and the menu allows for easy sharing and sampling, as bbq should.

But Wildwood isn't stunningly original. The most obvious comparison that comes to mind is nearby Blue Smoke, the bbq joint that has probably rooted itself most deeply in the hearts of New Yorkers. Wildwood's food is on par with Blue Smoke but doesn't have quite the same coziness or atmosphere. The decor and feel of the place is a slightly forced faux-western with stereotypical bbq-ish things: lots of exposed wood, chalkboards with menus scrawled on them, mason jar cups, iron beams, etc. This is very Gramercy western and it's a little too manufactured and new to be believable as authentic wild west environment (something that Blue Smoke is wise not to attempt). But at the same time, who really cares? You're there to have fun and as long as the food is tasty, you'll enjoy yourself if you just go with it. Blue Smoke remains the gold standard but still, the city is far from saturated with good bbq options - at least of the non-Dallas BBQ variety. As this restaurant grows and matures, people might gush about this place the way they do about its top competitor and neighbor.

The food is good and it's affordable, especially when taking into account the overall experience you get. The Memphis-style baby-back ribs are smokier than any urban bbq I've tasted, and come slathered in a delicious carmelized sweet-spicy glaze: the heat of the chipotle goes well with the raspberry, which has a nice sweet-but-not-too-sweet balance. The problem is that the ribs are surprisingly dry, as is the Texas smoked beef brisket and the pulled pork. Luckily, you have the caddy of sauces on the table to douse your food in. Of the sauces, the chipotle-raspberry doesn't taste as good out of the bottle but the tangy bbq will do the trick with any of the meats. The pulled pork isn't your usual variety - it's not dunked in sauce or shredded too finely, and it's a little firmer in texture. It was tasty but it might not be what you picture if you're used to a more conventional pulled pork. The roast chicken is ordinary. The meat is juicy but the smoke and flavor don't penetrate the meat. Sprinkle the rib dust on the meat, however, and it's really tasty. Still, this bird doesn't hold a candle to other whole chicken preparations in non-bbq restaurants like Peruvian rotisserie chicken; if you're at Wildwood, you might as well go for the things that truly reak of bbq like ribs, brisket, or even a burger.

Wildwood BBQ's strength is its service. And it's important that they nail it because it's what the atmopshere hinges on. Our server was pleasantly unpushy and friendly but also attentive - just what you want to go with your slow cookin'. The restaurant management either has done a good job recruiting or they've done a great job instilling a warm and fun culture in only a few weeks of existence, or both. Some details were missed, such as empty waters or a lack of extra plates for sharing. But they did other things to "go the extra mile": they repeatedly brought fresh new mugs of good tasting coffee and nearly ran after us when we had left a magazine at the table. It was clear that they cared; it almost seemed like they embodied the youth of the restaurant and were working hard to establish themselves. Sometimes, the food takes a back seat (or a sideseat) when the people are so pleasant.

Bottom line is, if are you looking for barbeque then you've got a solid option in Wildwood. The menu is manageable and pleasantly straightforward, not too many items but all the ones that you're looking for. The food doesn't astound but it'll satisfy your bbq fix, and the experience is versatile so you can go there for a variety of non-vegetarian occasions. The service is fun and relaxed - just what you want when you walk in the door. Hopefully they can figure out a way to retain more juiciness in their meats and add better sauces on the table but all in all, you'll get your money's worth.