Thursday, September 19, 2013

Brother Jimmy's Upper East Side

The Murray Hill /Kips Bay outlet of Brother Jimmy's is extremely popular, especially with young people..

I wonder what the story is like uptown-- No, OK reviews but nothing like same enthusiasm in them


Brother Jimmy's BBQ

3.0 star rating
285 reviews Rating Details
Category: Barbeque  [Edit]
1485 2nd Ave
(between 77th St & 78th St)
New York, NY 10021
Neighborhoods: Yorkville, Upper East Side
(212) 288-0999
Nearest Transit Station:
77 St.
Hours:
Mon-Wed 4 pm - 4 am
Thu-Sun 11:30 am - 4 am
Attire:
Casual
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Price Range:
$$
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
Yes
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wi-Fi:
No
Good For:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Noise Level:
Very Loud
Ambience:
Casual
Has TV:
Yes
Caters:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
No

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "Had the pulled pork and enjoyed it along with my sides." In 62 reviews
  • "Also the wings are very good with lots of meat." In 51 reviews
  • "The rib tips and chicken wings were also very yummy." In 15 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
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285 reviews in English

  • Review from

    • 9 friends
    • 44 reviews
    Watertown, MA
    8/26/2013
    This place is always on my to-do list when in New York City. Great atmosphere, great specials & southern hospitality.

    If you are an adventurous type and like shots, ask for a pickle-back.....it may sound weird, but its awesome.

    It is a shot of whiskey (usually Jameson) followed by a shot of pickle juice. No joke.
  • Review from

    Seaford, NY
    9/18/2013 1 photo 2 check-ins here
    I don't have a brother named Jimmy in real life, so I decided that this place can be that substitute. This little brother is awesome. And here's why:

    -He offers you ridiculously cheap Natty Lights and PBR's on the daily if that's your thing.
    -He plays a wide selection of current music, my favs including: the Black Keys and Mumford.
    -He ALWAYS has some sort of drink and/or food special.
    -He sure knows how to cook up a mean BBQ meal.
    -Hush Puppies with Maple Butter? Why thanks Brother Jimmy!
    -He tries to convince me to drink the Swamp Water*. Dangerous.

    This little brother is always willing to throw a good party. (Especially when sports are on.) Food is pretty good. I had the BBQ Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Mac and Cheese. It was good, but I think I may go straight for the Mac next time. Yum. Cheap Prices and SUPER casual atmosphere.**

    *Seriously that swamp water is a force to be reckoned with. You'll see what I mean.
    **Cool place. Only thing I have to say is whoever was our waitress that night. Please don't ignore us next time. I think we saw you like once the entire night.
    • BBQ grilled chicken and Mac ad cheese.
  • Review from

    • 38 friends
    • 100 reviews
    Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY
    8/7/2013
    This review is for eating here for brunch/lunch/dinner... not the night scene.

    I'm wanting to give them 2 stars, but then I realized I ate mostly everything on my plate, so I figured that wasn't exactly fair...

    I'm a tennessee native, so I have high expectations when it comes to bbq, so maybe this is a little skewed.  I really didn't think their food was that great.  I was really wanting some good flavorful pulled pork thats tender without being soggy with the perfect sauce thats spicy and sweet at the same time with alllllll my favorite bbq sides.  Anyway... eh.. fell kinda flat.

    I ordered the pulled pork entree dish which comes with cornbread and two sides.  I got cole slaw and the fried brussel sprouts.  I actually thought the brussel sprouts were the best part, very crispy and flavorful.  First of all our food came out SUPER fast! That always kinda freaks me out... I picture them scooping stuff out of huge containers or something and popping it into a giant microwave. Who knows.  The pulled pork was fine, sorta soggy like it was soaking in liquid for way to long.  The coleslaw was pretty good too, I guess I set my hopes too high hoping it'd be real coleslaw with slightly stiff cabbage.  Any the cornbread was fine... I like my cornbread salty not sweet (just a personal preference).  OKAY here is my biggest problem.  I like my pulled pork to be swimming in bbq sauce, so I was happy to see the little caddy with three different options.  Two of the three looked SO GROSS.  They were an almost clear liquidy portion at the top with all of the particles settled at the bottom.  I don't know if they just needed to be shaken up (which is still odd) or if they were so old and no one ever uses them, but it was really gross.  I went with the classic bbq sauce that appeared to be fine, and it was still really watery. Not sure what was going on with that.

    Anyway my food tasted fine and I was hungry so I pretty much cleaned my plate.  Definitely wasn't unbearable, but I would say it's a similar quality of food as a diner or a school cafeteria.
  • Review from

    Jamaica, NY
    Updated - 9/12/2013
    Why do I bother trying places I know can't possibly improve?  I know why, it's because i'm hopeful.  An order that should have been delivered an hour ago is still not here.  I called and the very chipper girl on the other end informed me that they had just received the pulled pork and they had to cook it.  Um...and she couldn't call me and tell me it's going to take over an hour?  Of course not because like an idiot i paid by card and they already had my money.  I must remind myself never to go there or order from there again.  Ugh!

    1 Previous Review: Show all »

    • 7/5/2010
      The last time I went I had a god awful experience.  The ribs were nothing but bone and gristle (no… Read more »
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    8/13/2013
    Not had any problems with their other location further uptown which is now closed. I order the half and half rib combo, as usual couldn't finish. This location is kinda like Hooters that serves BBQ. Food is comparable to Dino BBQ but i've noticed one thing is that all BBQ places serves their food at room temperature. Remember couple of years ago they made a big fuss about Chinese restaurants serving BBQ. Thing is i never got sick from Chinese BBQ, but after Brother Jimmys i was in bed for two days.
    Stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, cold sweat . Never ever again.
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 69 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    9/6/2013
    The problem with brother Jimmy's is they got to big for themselves. The food is fast food. I  want to like them which is why I have been to several of their places in the city. Each time becoming more disappointed. Never failed to get a cold pulled pork sandwich. How do you "F " that up??
  • Review from

    Brooklyn, NY
    6/26/2013 1 check-in here
    Want a way to satisfy your hunger that was initiated by unlimited Jameson and PBRs after one of the most epic YELP events to hit the Upper East Side? Well, just stumble on happily right over to Brother Jimmy's BBQ.

    Located a whopping 0.2 miles from American Trash, Brother Jimmy's was literally a God-send that night. Seating was readily available and the within the company of other fellow slightly inebriated Yelpers, all was right with the world.

    What's on the menu? Anything and everything you could ever want relevant to the realm of mouth-watering, charcoaled, wholesome barbecue and what did I get? A turkey burger, fries, and mac n' cheese, what was I thinking? Maybe all those shots had something to do with it?!

    Did I hear somebody say SHOTS?!!!

    My meal was engulfed within minutes of it being set upon the table and I enjoyed every last bite of it. The mac n' cheese was pretty good but even in my drunken state, I know I have had better. The turkey burger was delicious, juicy and definitely hit the spot. I guess my opinion could be bias because of all the alcohol that was consumed prior to this meal, so I will have to try it sober (if that's even possible) but the price of the entire meal for 5 people was a steal, so this place automatically gets my approval.

    Special thanks to the entire Elite "clique" crew, Xavier S., Sara S., Shams N., Chris D. and many, many more for contributing to another epic night.

    P.S. I realized I wasn't that drunk when I checked-in and purchased another alcoholic beverage at the liquor store right next to Brother Jimmy's. How convenient :-) !!!!
  • Review from

    • 25 friends
    • 42 reviews
    Deer Park, NY
    7/20/2013
    Any rating less than 4 stars is crazy!

    It's 3am, I'm working on these ribs and was compelled to write this review because dammit they are too good!

    Me and friend went in earlier at around 6, no wait time, got seated right away and had a very cheery, bubbly waitress. She was very attentive, fast, and great at suggesting things.

    The decor itself was very "country" to match the theme, was diverse with all ages, surrounded by big tvs all playing a Yankees/Red Sox game. The bar was packed, filled with loud barely legals drinking and playing corny tunes on the jukebox.

    We got the $3 Mango Margaritas, unfortunately in the midst of a heatwave the frozen machine was broken so we got it on the rocks. Round 1 was weak, but Round 2 def had us going like the barely legal drunks at the bar.

    On to the ribs: We got the Northern Ribs-the choice where the ribs are wet, dripping with saucy goodness. The-best-ribs-I've-ever-had. I dare someone to show me anywhere better. The sides were ok. I suggest the Fried Okra and the BBQ beans. Portions were huge, hence why I'm pigging out so early in the morning.

    Place lost one star for space. Our table of two was sooo close to each other that I might as well be dining with another table. Our chairs kept hitting each other's and forget stomach space for when you're full. Still I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
  • Review from

    • 4 friends
    • 20 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    8/28/2013
    Food came over an hour late! Never again.
  • Review from

    Hoboken, NJ
    5/19/2013
    I am a bbq fiend.  This place may not be great, but it is not terrible either.  My friend and I split the pig pick where we got to try dry and wet ribs, brisket, and pulled pork.  The brisket and pork were nothing to write home about.  The ribs were decent.  I liked them.  The mac and cheese is really really good and would be a great side dish for anyone.  Collard greens were good too.  They have some light sauces for you to wet your meats and fries.  Not bad, could use more flavor.

    Now as for the service.  She was very cheery and keeping her head high, but clearly overworked.  It took forever to order, too long for my beer to arrive, and awhile for the check.

    Hire more people and intensify your flavors.  Then you will have a great spot.

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