Three Brothers Butcher BBQ

Through Facebook, I have reconnected with many, many people from my past.  It’s a wonderful thing.  What’s more wonderful is that a lot of these people have no idea how food-obsessed I’ve become, and sometimes, they post random updates on their statuses that make me respond OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AND WHERE DID YOU GET THAT I WANT TO EAT SOME – such happened almost a year ago with a friend with whom I attended SUNY Albany 10 years ago.  He was surprised I was so into the food – BBQ, hello! – and gave me the information, which I sadly noted was near my school but I had no vehicle at the time.  And of course, as will happen, time passed, and Three Brothers Butcher/BBQ fled from my mind. 

But the fates intervened when I went back to Press 195 yet again.  I had to park a lil farther away, since there were no spots on the Boulevard.  As I exited Press after that delicious meatloaf panino, I passed by Three Brothers and the name struck a chord.  Wasn’t this… wasn’t this the place my friend had raved about?  He actually went to eat there 3x in one week, which is what struck me as amazing.  There are people who will eat ham and cheese three times a week, but you can’t liken this to ham and cheese!

So I walked in and browsed.  Plenty of delicious smells emanating from the place, happily eating people at the scattered few tables within, and a very friendly staff to help me out.  I ordered a one meat platter with one side, which also comes with cornbread.  The above?  $7.95, including tax.  I mean, that’s a TON of food.  You can’t see how much exactly but that is a LOT of pulled pork.  Really, a LOT, and even more mac & cheese. 

I’d chosen my side by asking what were the most popular sides ordered there, and the counterman informed me it was spicy jambalaya/rice, sausage pasta, and mac & cheese.  He listed them in that order, but I don’t know if that’s also the order he sees them in frequency.  I didn’t want anything too heavy, and since the other two sounded a bit spicy and well, protein+carb!, I opted for mac & cheese, which I adore.  This was a solid showing; I can’t say my favorite ever, since I tend to appreciate mac&cheese to be a little creamier, but this was definitely good.  I was happy.  They also had corn and creamed spinach, both of which I would like to go back and try. 

As for the pulled pork… well, I’m pretty picky about pulled pork.  Though I came to the game late in terms of finding this luxuriously soft, succulent pork dish, I do have great issues with some pulled pork.  Especially mine.  I want flavor that permeates the meat, not flavor that comes from saucing – which is perfectly suitable, sometimes – I want soft, succulent meat that I just want to stuff in my mouth until I can fit no more.  I want that.  And this, my dear friends?  This is that pulled pork.  Smokey flavor with this unbelievable softness, juicy and succulent to just the right amount – I mean REALLY.  Wow.  I was worried, as it looks almost a little dry/un-sauced – and I do really like saucy things, sometimes – that I might have to add some bottled BBQ sauce to it.  But nope.  It took me 2-3 meals to finish this, and I still found myself enamored of the flavor by the end, a few re-heatings later, it was still soft, juicy, succulent, and ‘sauced’ (I never really saw or felt any ‘sauce’, per se) absolutely to perfection. 

I am definitely going to go back when I’m on my way home from school looking to grab something to eat, and I will be hard pressed to pass over the pulled pork to try something else, though I’ve heard the brisket is amazing as well.  Oh, I will be back, and I will be trying more items.  I will be back, my precioussss…

Bell Boulevard is turning to be chockfull of wonderful discoveries 🙂

I don’t like cornbread that much so this one tasted fine but I couldn’t tell you ‘amazing’ or ‘mediocre’ because it all is just okay to me.

Yvo says: The prices being what they are and how much food you get for that price, that’s already a good deal.  But for the pulled pork to be that succulently delicious and that inexpensive (please don’t read this and then raise your prices! please!) is almost criminal.  Geez.  I really need to get myself over there right now and get me some more pork… nom nom nom
highly recommended – I might even say you really should go out of your way for this one (it’s near the LIRR)