The Wandering Que, the Glatt kosher Texas-style barbecue smokehouse in Englewood, has closed. Pitmaster Ari White and his team served the restaurant’s final regular meals before the start of the Nine Days, closing the book on one of the most recognized names in kosher barbecue.
A Kosher Barbecue Pioneer
Long before Englewood, the Wandering Que built its reputation on the road, and it did it under a different name. Ari White launched the operation as Hakadosh BBQ, a roadside pop-up smokehouse that traces back to the summer of 2012 in Riverdale, in the Bronx, where the team served more than 3,000 people over a single tent-covered stretch. By 2013, Hakadosh BBQ was bringing kosher smoked meat to New York City street fairs that had long gone without it, before a controversy over the name led White to rebrand the business as The Wandering Que. From there he became a fixture at Jewish communities and events across more than a dozen states, catering weddings, Shabbat kiddushim, Yom Tov meals, and festivals including Kiddushfest, Fleishfest, and Whiskey Jewbilee. White earned wide recognition for his smoked meats, including top honors at Brisket King of New York City competing against the best non-kosher pitmasters in the field.
The Englewood Smokehouse
The Englewood restaurant was the brand’s first permanent brick-and-mortar location and the first kosher barbecue restaurant in the community when it opened in May 2025. The menu ran from smoked brisket, ribs, and pulled beef to housemade sausages, charcuterie boards, smokehouse sliders, and Korean corn dogs, all slow-smoked over hardwood. The storefront also served as a hub for the brand’s catering operation and pickup orders across the tri-state area.
Catering and Shipping Wrap Up
With regular service finished, the smokehouse stays in operation for roughly the next month to fulfill existing catering commitments, and it will keep taking shipped barbecue orders for about two more weeks on a first-come, first-served basis while production capacity lasts. Customers holding a gift card, open credit, or an unresolved order should reach out directly at wanderingque@gmail.com to get squared away.
What’s Next for Ari White
White frames the closing as the end of a chapter rather than the end of the road, and the team has signaled that its work is not quite finished. Given his track record as a pioneer of wood-fired kosher barbecue and the brand he built from a single roadside smoker, we expect to hear more from Ari White before long, and we are curious to see what he fires up next.
We wish Ari White and the entire Wandering Que team hatzlacha.
The Wandering Que was located at 52 East Palisade Avenue, Englewood, NJ. Its final day of regular service was Tuesday, July 14, 2026. The restaurant is permanently closed. It operated as a Glatt kosher establishment under the supervision of STAR-K and the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County (RCBC).
Looking for kosher restaurants near you? Download the KosherNearMe app at YeahThatsKosher.com/app.
