Mable's Smokehouse - Review - Williamsburg - New York - The Infatuation
"It didn't take much time for us to realize that we were going to like Mable's Smokehouse. Why? For starters, Frito pie. High fives if you know what that is. Chances are you spent some time as a kid hanging at a suburban Texas pool snack bar. I certainly ate my fair share of the stuff (chili+cheese+pile of Fritos), either right before or right after I got a nosebleed from the diving board trying to impress all those girls who definitely weren't looking. Yep. Still got it. Nostalgia points aside, we really just like Mable's for it's sheer simplicity. This is quality BBQ, and the restaurant could fly just as easily in Austin as it does in our burgeoning BBQ town of Williamsburg. The menu is small and familiar - in some ways the antithesis to the nearby hipster mecca Fette Sau - but everything tastes exactly like you hope it's going to. We loved the brisket and the pulled pork sandwich, and the ribs are solid too. The standard BBQ sides all do they job that they need to, but it is an official Infatuation mandate that you order the Frito pie when you are here - partly because it's awesome, and partly because I need to make sure they keep serving it so I can relive my glory days from time to time. Now which one of you ladies wants to see me do a can opener? Food Rundown Frito Pie This is the Texas holy grail of snack food. Chili and cheese were meant to be put on top of corn chips, and Mable's even serves it in the Frito's bag. Pulled Pork Sandwich A solid pulled pork sandwich, which is one of my favorite things ever. I'm gonna put this one on par with Blue Smoke's and just under the one we ate this summer at Post Office. Pour on some sauce and get happy. Brisket I don't know what's going on in the smokers at Mable's but this brisket has excellent flavor. It's good on a sandwich too. St. Louis Ribs We like the ribs here, but found ourselves wishing we got some pulled pork again. Maybe I just like pulled pork too much. Sides The mac and cheese is a solid choice - creamy but not too heavy - and we liked the cole slaw and baked beans too. Basically, all the sides are exactly what you want and expect from a good, traditional BBQ meal. You really can't go wrong." - Chris Stang
