Posted by Scott Rothstein on June 17, 2007
Often, it's the little places that surprise you.
Long Island has seen a massive surge of BBQ places lately. Some are impostors: chain restaurants that are to BBQ what Red Lobster is to seafood. Others are wannabes, buying pre-smoked meat. Still others manage to carry it off, serving some pretty good BBQ. Then there's Second's.
It's an utterly unassuming place, largely a five-by-fifteen waiting area in front of a counter, with a single table (for all intents and purposes, it's takeout, though they have some tables outdoors in warmer weather). A simple, functional place; you come here to buy food to take out.
I went there not long after they opened, and picked up some beef ribs (a rib variant I don't find regularly in most places), collard greens, and rice & beans, and drove home to eat. I bit into a rib and paused; these are big, meaty, moist, and succulent; juicy and oh so tender. Visible fat was minimal, and the sauce was light and tangy. I've driven country-wide and never had ribs like these. The rice and beans were moist and had real taste--they weren't simply an afterthought. The collard greens were flavorful, with a good, sharp bite, and were flaked with bits of meat. The piece of cornbread was also moist and lightly sweet, with little bits of corn kernels inside.
As much as I wanted to try other entrees on the menu, it took effort not to simply order the beef ribs again. Then I sampled the brisket. The light, tangy sauce is similar to that used on the beef ribs. I've cooked brisket many a time and never approached anything like this. Tender, with a light smokiness and that wonderful caramelized crunch at the outer edges.
Jerk chicken was also moist, with a definite kick to it. Oxtail, a "by luck" choice that appears periodically on the specials menu, was so fall-apart tender I literally ate half the bones themselves.
On a recent return trip, I saw that a local paper granted Second's the title of having "the best ribs on Long Island." No shock, and well-deserved. Second's might not have the hardwood floors or the kitschy decor of the pretenders, but it doesn't need it: it's all about the food.
Overall: Worth planning a day around
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Reviewers "Must Eats" List
Beef Ribs
($12.00)
Brisket
($12.00)
"Beef ribs meaty enough to club someone with. Collard greens and rice & beans are the sides."
Scott_R
"That's a *lunch* portion of smoked brisket (about half a pound of meat) with collard greens and cornbread."
Scott_R
"That's the ribs, of course, in the foreground, collard greens at top right, and cole slaw at left."
Scott_R
"A rather large 1/2 BBQ chicken, with string beans (with bits of potato) and rice & beans."
Scott_R
