by Anna Ehl

Brooklyn, NY—

Some restaurants you pick and some restaurants pick you.  Walking down the block in a Williamsburg neighborhood bisected by the BQE, the tantalizing aromas of smoking meat nearly lifted me off my feet and carried me through the doors of Fette Sau, a Barbecue joint near the corner of Metropolitan Avenue and Havemeyer Street.  Upon entering, the warmth from the smokers instantly fogged up my glasses, and when the steam cleared, I found myself standing in the center of what can only be described as an orgy of meat.

The brick walls are adorned with huge cuts of it, carefully painted and labeled floor-to-ceiling. Brooklynites huddled around large picnic tables were gorging themselves on piles of beef and pork arrayed on sheet pans, and a big-screen TV looped the fiery glow of a crackling log.

Fette Sau truly lives up to its name, which in German means “Fat Pig”. It offers a range of different smoked meats every night and displays its offerings on a chalkboard, which is updated as they sell out of various cuts. Based on the spot’s popularity, this is not uncommon.

I should mention now that I grew up on Flint’s Barbecue, an Oakland, California institution.   Ribs and other meats are first slathered in sauce, and then smoked. On my fourth birthday, I prided myself on personally eating 4 ribs—one for each year I’d been alive.  Needless to say, I thought I knew good barbecue, and I was skeptical about eating dry rubbed and smoked meat (cooked with no sauce) served with room temperature barbecue sauce on the side: the Fette Sau approach.

It only took one visit to make me a convert. The meats—everything from pork to ribs to beef steak to duck to sausages—are universally excellent, especially by New York standards.  By not saucing the meats before smoking them, Fette Sau allows the true flavor of their superior-quality meats to be the star.  I found the pulled pork and the pork belly to be the real standouts.  Succulent, flavorful, and unbelievably juicy, I would best describe them as “meat candy”.

Large glass cases show off the goods, and the butcher will provide you meats in any combination by the pound or fraction thereof. For those who want a well-rounded meal, Fette Sau also serves pickles, baked beans with burnt pork ends, sweet rolls (great for making impromptu pulled pork sandwiches), broccoli, and various potato chips on the side. A dark, smoky, spicy barbecue sauce, as well as a sweet, molasses-y, tangy barbecue sauce (my favorite), are available on the side.

Neither would I scoff at the Fette Sau bar.  Featuring an impressive list of boutique bourbons and craft beers on tap, the drinks menu has clearly been thoughtfully fashioned to complement the fruits of its cooking. The beers are served in ball jars, which add to the slightly kitsch ambiance. In a thoughtful move, the tables feature rolls of paper towels waiting to sop up the sticky blend of sauces clinging to the hands and faces of the ravenous throngs who frequent the joint.  The giant picnic tables and the fireplace video playing on a fake hearth are tacky for sure, but in context they actually work in a way that feels like more than just Brooklyn posturing—especially when you realize how authentic the meat is.  Just walk up to the counter, allow the delicious smells of the smokers to overwhelm you, and let your inner carnivore decide. Ultimately, you can’t go wrong.

Fette Sau

354 Metropolitan Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11211

718-963-3404

http://www.fettesaubbq.com/