Spanky’s BBQ

Spanky’s BBQ
127 West 43rd Street
P: (212) 575-5848

Cuisine: BBQ
Price: $30/person, incl. tax, tip, and sodas

I’d heard a lot about Spanky’s from various people and was eager to try it, being a die hard fan of Dallas BBQ.  I was surprised when, right away, despite having numerous tables available on their ground floor, they took me downstairs to a table the furthest away from anything in the place.  Oh well.  After my date had arrived, we quickly decided that we would sample the Royal Flush, a platter for two that featured most of the things we wanted to try for $42.50, for two people.  This included a type of sausage (neither of us are big on sausage aside from that of the breakfast variety), 6 ribs, half a BBQ chicken, pulled pork, and brisket, three sides and cornbread.  We opted for standards, which I like getting when I go somewhere for the first time: mashed potatoes, mac&cheese, and a deviation just because I felt guilty about all the meat&carbs: corn on the cob. 

When the food arrived, it didn’t look like all that much, but we quickly dug in.  The brisket was definitely tender and juicy, delicious, the pulled pork was ehhh, hidden and mixed in with the brisket which was a little annoying.  The chicken was alright, tender but not very flavorful, but the ribs were yummy, with a great sauce and very tasty, though not falling off the bone tender.  The sausage, as expected, was taken home for the dogs. 

The mashed potatoes were good but not fantastic, no gravy, the corn was, well, corn, and the mac&cheese?  Had mushrooms and peppers in it, and I liked it a lot, though it was on the mushy side.  It was also a little on the bland side- needed a little salt- but I liked the inventiveness of their “mix-ins”. 

Overall, the food was good, but not worth the prices we paid.  The waitstaff wasn’t very helpful, though they were also unobtrusive, which I appreciated.  We both preferred Dallas BBQ, not just because it was about half the price, but because we enjoy their food and style much better. 

Yvo says: If you’re in the area and can’t be bothered going 20 blocks south to the W. 23rd branch of Dallas BBQ’s… or north to another location of Dallas BBQ’s…. it’s worth a try, though it IS in a highly touristy area and you can expect to be robbed blind on the prices.  Otherwise… eh.