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We first came across Ruben Santana when he was smoking Central Texas-style cue’ out of his garage in Queens. Following a successful run of NYC’s pop-up route across Queens and Brooklyn, Santana finally found a home for his roaming barbecue business, parking it inside our very own Time Out Market in Brooklyn.
His merge of Texas and Dominican style of cookery has drummed up quite the attention, as Bark was named one of the best places to get barbecue outside of Texas and his chopped chicharrón and brisket sandwich earned a rightful spot on The New York Times list of the “57 Sandwiches That Define New York City.” But Santana always envisioned a full-service restaurant to call his own. And now he has one, all 8,000 square feet of it.
Today, Bark Barbecue officially opens in Bushwick at 25 Thames Street. Seating up to 200 people indoors and another 90 on the patio, the massive, industrial-style restaurant features an illuminated and orange-tiled bar, oak paneling, communal tables and booths, and a stage. The four smokers that power the whole operation are on full display behind a glass wall.
Naturally, all of Santana’s tried and trues will be making appearances here, including his low and slow brisket, pork ribs and longaniza sausage, as well as sandwiches, including the aforementioned chicharrón sandwich and the Tres Golpes stacked with pulled pork and maduros. But with newer digs comes new menu items, and Santana will honor the Dominican tradition of cooking pork over live fire by pit smoking whole hogs. Santana’s popular sides such as his family recipe of rice and beans, arroz congrí, as well as adobo and Dominican oregano-heavy mac and cheese and maduros will also be accompanied by newer items, including Criollo-style BBQ beans mixed with pulled pork and a smoked sweet potato, known as batata asada.
Now with a full bar at his disposal, Bark's cocktails play with classic and tropical flavors, such as the tamarindo fizz (passionfruit and pineapple juices, tamarind extract, sparkling wine and soju) and the watermelon highball (sparkling wine, raspberry puree, soju, watermelon and fresh mint). New York craft beers round out the menu—with the inclusion of Presidente, the iconic Dominican lager—as does a selection of wine. But as of this writing, the restaurant is waiting on final approval of their liquor license, so all of those libations are still to come.
While you wait, you can indulge in Bark's day program that brings Dominican coffee culture to the forefront. Named Cafecito, the coffee selection infuses Dominican culture here as well, with a menu that includes Dominican cortados, iced coconut Americanos and a coco miel drink made with coconut water, honey, sugarcane, Madagascar bourbon vanilla and espresso. Breakfast tacos will also get a BBQ spin as chopped brisket and chicharron, smoked carnitas and longaniza sausage are on menu, accented with mashed plantains, eggs, salsa roja, and crema, all wrapped in house-made beef tallow flour tortillas.
But if you come to love the Bark Barbecue location in Dumbo, worry not, as the market outpost will continue on for the next few months, giving you two chances to catch Santana in action.
Cafecito will open daily at 9am while Bark Barbecue will open for lunch beginning at 11am. The restaurant closes Monday through Wednesday at 10pm and midnight Thursday through Sunday.