When Mike Emerson, owner of Pappy’s Smokehouse, learned from his nephew that Zagat had declared his beloved barbecue spot the best in the nation, he was taken totally off guard. “I’m humbled, shocked and surprised all at one time,” he said.
Zagat put Pappy’s at the top of its list of “barbecue havens you must go to before you die,” for The Huffington Post yesterday. Though the restaurant rating agency offered little explanation for the lofty declaration besides those famous dry-rubbed ribs, beef brisket, spicy sausage and pulled pork and chicken, the title is a well-deserved accolade for our city’s culinary scene – and its reigning king of ‘cue.
But don’t expect any hours to change to make room for the additional business this could bring into the Midtown smokehouse. Emerson told us that he likes that his policy to close the restaurant when it sells out of food each day gives his staff a chance to actually see their families. And as for Emerson, well, “I’ve got a big grin and I can’t wipe it off my face right now.” We’re guessing, he’ll have a bit longer lines at lunch tomorrow, too.
— Photo by Greg Rannells
This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2011.