Download our Kosher Restaurant directory app

New York

Pop-up BBQ in Riverdale Open This Week [Review]

August 6, 2012

Review by @BethanyShondark

Last night the first Kosher pop-up BBQ opened in the parking lot of the Riverdale Temple in Riverdale in the Bronx. It's supervised by the STAR-K and is the brainchild of Gemstone catering. There's a buffet line with every kind of barbeque option available with side dishes like baked beans, cole slaw and mashed potatoes. There's also authentic corn bread and a dessert and drinks station. There's no liquor license so it's BYOB mevushal wine or beer. 

I attended the opening night last night as soon as the cash registers opened at 4pm (they run 4-10pm every night this week, ending Thursday). 

Despite just opening, the line went quickly and seamlessly, my husband paid with a credit card and the cashiers had iPads ready to process cards (including American Express).

 

The full menu is available on their Facebook event. We got the Texas sampler, which came with two sides and cornbread and found that it was filling enough at $36 for the two of us. 

We went with friends and they did the same, and ordered a peach cobbler for dessert. All of the food was flavorful, warm and delicious. There was plenty of tented seating and water was available for free. It was great family dinner on par with the food at Smokey Joe's in Teaneck – lots of young couples with kids were seated around us. 

 

About the author

View All Posts

BethanyShondark

4 Comments

Click here to post a comment

  • We ordered:
    1) BBQ Ribs (1lb) and got corn bread, baked beans and potato salad as sides    The baked beans had NO seasoning at all and were basically inedible but everything else was great.2) Pulled BBQ Brisket Sandwich (1/2lb of meat on a bun) with cole slaw, potato salad and corn bread.  It didn’t come with corn bread so we ordered the side (6 pieces for $5)
         The ‘cole slaw’ was really a red cabbage salad but was good, a little too much mayo. The bun was      overflowing with the meat (dripping in BBQ sauce because they had just brought out a new pan      and ladeled out the remaining sauce over the new Pulled Brisket).Somehow the order came to $46, but since I did’t get a receipt (can’t the iPad program email me one?) I’m not quite sure how that got calculated. We might go back once more before they close because there were other foods we didn’t get to taste and would like to. But…$$$Is this a test to see if our neighborhood would support a new BBQ restaurant?Not at those prices.

    • And as quick reply to his highness of bdwy….we are not opening a restaurant now or any time in the future as my wife would divorce me if I even thought about it. Meanwhile 1100 people served in 5 hours seems to disagree with your assertion that there is not a need for this caliber food in the area!