Big W’s Roadside Bar-B-Q, Wingdale

Best place to eat on the cheap in 2012: Big W’s Roadside Bar-B-Q, Wingdale

By Melissa Esposito Published October 24, 2012 at 03:47 PM

Photograph by Jennifer May

Good barbecued food isn’t difficult to find here in the Valley — we’ve got everything from sloppy and saucy to Texas-style dry. But no one does smoky, dry-rubbed meats like Big W’s Roadside Bar-B-Q. Chef and owner Warren Norstein — “Big W” himself — selects top quality pork, beef, and chicken; rubs them with various spices and brown sugar; then throws them in a one-and-a-half ton tank smoker for about 20 hours, until they turn that perfect pink color. Norstein is no stranger to a professional kitchen, having honed his chops (pun intended) in top Manhattan restaurants for almost two decades before he started smoking meats. He and his brother began selling their tender treats from a roadside food truck in 2003, then a storefront a few years later, developing the menu along the way. Among the lip-smacking options, you’ll find succulent brisket ($7-$19.50 for sandwiches, no knife necessary) and the popular slow-cooked half-chicken ($8), with a variety of Southern-inspired sides, including dirty rice, hearty mashed potatoes, and smoky baked beans.

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