Share This

Kicking Back With Jersey Joe: The BBQ Sundae

Could it be the ultimate infusion of two of the greatest foods ever – BBQ and a sundae?  With all the talk of McRib on FaN lately, I was shocked when I saw this advertised on the side of a local BBQ truck and had to give it a try!

Joey’s BBQ, located in Hoboken, New Jersey and within eyeshot of New York City has come up with one of the most creative menu items I’ve ever seen.  They are a small, but growing local restaurant that has purchased a food truck and now serves meals on the go.

Recently, after getting off the train I passed the truck and saw their portable sign advertising the BBQ Sundae.  I had already eaten dinner and decided I would give this is a try the next day.

The sundae consists of shredded chicken, cole slaw, and BBQ baked beans.  It’s also served with a side of BBQ sauce.   Sounded cool to me!  I wondered how this was going to be presented.

So, the very next day after getting off the train… no truck.  Figures, right?  So it was one of my favorite websites, delivery.com, came to the rescue.  I had seen their restaurant listed on the site and I simply point and clicked my order.  $7.50 for the sundae and a $3 delivery fee.  I can handle that, and the delivery guy has to fight the Holland Tunnel traffic.

Then the sad part, it took 75 minutes to get to me.  I could have driven there and back.  I received a phone call from the distracted driver that he was lost and would be there in five minutes.  Sure enough, he was.  I still tipped the man (he needs to earn a living, too).

I opened the container and my first impression was less than good.  This literally looked like mixed up table scraps my mother would feed to our dog after dinner.  I got over the initial look and dug in.

It wasn’t exactly piping hot, considering it took so long to get to me, I overlooked that.  My first taste wasn’t that bad.  The BBQ in the baked beans came through into the pulled chicken, while the cole slaw provided the hint of sweetness this thing needed.

I am a major user of condiments.  I pile tons of ketchup on fries.  I lather steaks with massive amounts of BBQ sauce.  But, this really didn’t require any additional dressing at all.  It was nice and moist, with the BBQ from the beans and the dressing from the slaw.

For $7.50 this is really a meal.  It came in a quart Chinese-style take out container.  I would have loved to see this piled in a sundae glass.  I made it through about half of the container, when I could eat no more.

Besides the unappetizing look, I did bite down into a small piece of bone from the pulled chicken.  It wasn’t enough where I was going to die or anything, but it was a bit unpleasant.

I’ve never been a big fan of stores that insist on serving the bowl meals.  I tried the KFC chicken bowl last year and was thoroughly disgusted.  That’s the one with the chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and gravy all mixed together.  I guess I prefer to eat my food separately, but the sundae is original and it works.


THE 411

THE BBQ SUNDAE

Where: Joey’s BBQ, Hoboken, NJ

Cost: $7.50 (plus $3 delivery and tip if delivered)

Website: http://joeysbbq.net/

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS: I wouldn’t go running from Manhattan to give this a try, but if you happen to be in Hoboken, New Jersey for some unknown reason, then this is worth a taste.  Maybe a small detour if you’re stuck in Holland Tunnel traffic, but I wouldn’t plan on a daytrip to try this.  I might have one again, if I see their truck parked at an event in town, but I most likely will not have it delivered again.  They need to work on the presentation of the dish and it will truly be something special.  I could see Chef Gordon Ramsay screaming at this one.  The cost is low enough and the quantity big enough that you can get two meals out of it.  I was able to eat the rest cold the second day.