It’s been a couple of decades since smoked meat first took the kosher food world by storm. At this point, things have settled down a bit and the market seems to be figuring out how many smokehouses are sustainable in the kosher restaurant ecosystem. With a few closing in the last couple of years, the popularity might not be what it once was. But with that said, smokehouses still have plenty of devotees who will travel from far and wide to visit a place and try the different smoked offerings.
When I was invited to Chief Smokehouse in the growing restaurant district of Union Turnpike in Queens, I saw a few things on the menu that had to be ordered immediately upon arrival. The first of the no-brainers was the Meat Candy. In some contexts, this term means a kind of very sweet beef jerky. But here, it’s more of a genre. It includes three different types of meat that are about as popular as candy. The maple-glazed beef bacon strips are a highlight as the bacon is tender from being smoked instead of fried and the maple flavor is easily savored as the coating provides a nice pairing to the texture as well. Next up is a portion of Richie’s Burnt Ends, a staple that can be ordered on its own if you wish. You’ll notice that these burnt ends are more on the larger, softer and sweeter side than others you might have had as they hit that spot of bringing you a perfect bite of smoky deliciousness. Last is a pile of sliced pepperoni that has been drizzled in hot honey. Certainly the most distinctive of the group, these are almost like chips for you to snack on as they combine the smoky, spicy and sweet sensors on your tongue.
Speaking of chips, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t tell you to get the Loaded Tray of Nachos. Some people view nachos as a great thing to be served at a party. These nachos are in and of themselves a party. There’s some of everything covering the bed of chips at the base of the tray. Some vegan melted cheese for texture, some of the house pit beans to bring some smoky flavor, your choice of pulled beef, crispy chicken with barbeque sauce, or both (I would opt for both, especially if you are sharing this with multiple people as more options are better), pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños and guacamole. Long story short, the list is long, but worth it. Have fun just choosing different combinations of a few ingredients at a time to share a chip together. Beans, pulled beef and pico de gallo? Great. Crispy chicken, pickled jalapeños and guacamole? Even better, maybe? You won’t know until you try it.
If you came to Chief Smokehouse looking for a more balanced meal option, I would recommend the Rice Skillet. Served on a cast iron tray, the bed of smoked rice is topped with some of the house pit beans, a quarter pound of sliced smoked brisket, a few pickled jalapeños, and a fried egg. You can puncture the yolk of the egg and cause the runny inside to make contact with the cast iron to create a kind of smoked fried rice that I would highly recommend. Mix everything together and you’ve got a bowl of deliciousness where all the flavors and textures are working in harmony. The brisket has that deep smoked flavor embedded in the meat, the jalapeños bring some bright acidic punch, and the egg pulls everything together nicely.
And while everything so far has been great, I was told before arriving that where Chief Smokehouse really excels is between the bread. The most famous of their sandwich offerings is Southwest Burger. A half-pound burger is topped with pulled barbeque rib, fake cheddar, onion rings, and the house spicy barbeque sauce. (Fries come on the side and are solid.) The first thing I noticed was that the fake cheddar tasted more like cheddar than any other fake cheddar I had ever tasted. It might not have been at the top of the texture chart for fake cheeses, but in terms of actual taste? It was cheddar. But where the texture of the cheese didn’t shine, the texture of the onion rings and pulled meat made up for it. The contrast was great and the pairing of flavors was amazing. The spicy sauce brought just enough heat to make itself known, but not too much for anybody. If you’re stopping in for lunch and want one single recommendation, this is it.
However, there are those who just are not into the fake cheese thing. If that’s you, don’t worry, there are other sandwiches out there. The Rooster was another standout that impressed me. A simple sandwich of fried chicken thigh, barbeque sauce, house slaw and pickles can go a long way if everything is done right like it is here. One thing you should know about Chief Smokehouse is that they make all their own bread. A pretty ambitious thing for a smokehouse to do, it really shines through when it comes to the ciabatta-like sandwich bread. A sturdy enough base to hold the contents, the bread is also a definite positive in the flavor department without being too much of a distraction. The chicken is perfect, the slaw and pickles are great sidekicks, and the sandwich comes together as a perfect representation of why so many fast food chains added fried chicken sandwiches in recent years: Despite being simple, they can be incredible.
But if you are looking for the real full experience that a place like this has to offer, you’ve got to go with something from the final section of the menu. For that, it’s hard to pass up the lamb chops. This trio of marinated and grilled lamb chops will leave your mouth watering for hours. If you have ever felt that lamb isn’t your thing, try these and they might change your mind. You can easily pull the meat off the bones with a fork, or you could just pick them up by the bone. This isn’t the kind of place where somebody will look at you sideways.
In short, Chief Smokehouse is a wonderful addition to the roster of kosher smokehouses. If you haven’t made it there yet, head to Union Turnpike and taste some of the unique stuff they have to offer.
In other words, there aren’t enough Chiefs.
Chief Smokehouse
Meat – Waiter Service
Sunday: 1 p.m.-11:30 p.m.
Monday-Thursday: 5 p.m.-11:30 p.m.
(646) 375-1166
180-10 Union Turnpike
Fresh Meadows, New York 11366
Vaad Harabonim of Queens (VHQ)
Nati Burnside is a freelance writer living in Fair Lawn and a man of many interests. He can be reached at natiburnside@gmail.com.
