The new Bushwick Bark Barbecue is located at 25 Thames Street, between Morgan Avenue and Bogart Street, and is currently open on Monday and Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (lunch starts at 11:00 a.m.), and on Thursday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight. Closed Tuesdays.
Ruben Santana has come a long way since those Ozone Park backyard pop-up days early in the pandemic. Back then, with his HVAC installation business on pause, Santana would fire up a few basics like wings and ribs on a grill, send out messages to his network of friends and contacts, make a few bucks while feeding the crew—done. Very casual, very loose.
But, as Santana tells BKMAG, something clicked for him when the algorithm served him clips of pitmaster legend Aaron Franklin hyping the stuff going on at Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas. “This guy spearheaded modern Texas barbecue, with things like offset smokers and wrapping his briskets,”Santana says. “Plus, he just didn’t look like a typical pitmaster. More like a skateboarder geek.”
Photo by Scott Lynch
Inspired by both Franklin’s vibe and his Texas techniques, Santana upped his prep and grilling game, and then really changed everything when he decided to throw traditional Dominican ingredients into the mix. “I grew up in a very Dominican household,” Santana says, “and these are the flavors of our homeland.” The journey led to Bark Barbecue, which Santana opened as a stall in 2022, at the Time Out Market in Dumbo, and last week expanded, spectacularly, with a massive location in industrial Bushwick.
The new Bark seats nearly 300, at long communal tables and big comfy booths. There’s a whole bar area as well, and a stage for live DJs and shows, and an outdoor space they’re still working on, and, on the other side of some big windows in the back, four enormous indoor smokers, the largest such setup anywhere in the city.
One of four huge indoor smokers. Photo by Scott Lynch
Ordering is done cafeteria-style, as you slide your tray past various stations and assemble your feast. First up are the sides, and they are phenomenal. The Dominican torta, which functions as cornbread, is sweetened with coconut milk and comes sticky with honey. The arroz congrí, or rice and beans, is from a recipe Santana learned from his Cuban uncle, and it packs a punch. The mac and cheese, too, is all creamy goodness and bold flavors, the latter thanks to ample amounts of adobo seasoning.
Other options include chewy sticks of queso frito, well-caramelized maduros, and boats of crisp coleslaw. Coming soon are smoked sweet potatoes and Criollo beans with pulled pork. You could easily make a balanced, satisfying meal just from this part of the menu.
Next up: Bark’s array of overstuffed sandwiches, led by Santana’s spin on the classic Dominican breakfast of tres golpes. This beast stacks up pulled pork, strips of fried cheese, and a couple of those first-rate maduros, covers everything in some peppy “Bark sauce,” and shoves it all into a sturdy, buttery bun. Other sandwiches include a pulled-pork-with-mustard-sauce beauty and Santana’s sofrito smoked fried chicken topped with coleslaw and pickled onions.
Brisket ($18.50/half-pound), chicharrón ($16); tres golpes sandwich ($15). Sides range from $4 to $12. Photo by Scott Lynch
Then comes the star of the show, Santana’s fabulous grilled meats, all of which are sold by the half-pound. On our first visit, we managed to fit three piles on our already overly laden tray, and all were total winners. The chicharron struck the perfect balance of fat, sweet meat, and crackle; the brisket was lovely, so smoky and soft; and the lamb chops, a special on opening day, were wonderfully tender and funky as hell.
Pork ribs ($16), longaniza sausage ($14), cole slaw ($5). Photo by Scott Lynch
Peppery pork ribs, Flinstone-looking beef ribs, smoked carnitas, fried chicken halves, and some terrific, well-seasoned longaniza sausage round out your options. There’s plenty of booze if that’s your thing, with cocktails selling for about $14, bottles of Presidente for $7, and glasses of wine for $12. For me, though, those sugary Country Club sodas really hit the spot. In the mornings, Bark functions as a cafecito, with a few breakfast tacos and a creative coffee program.
“It makes me feel great to feed all these people,” said Santana. “It’s a beautiful thing, to have a space where people can enjoy this together. Because Bark is not just great barbecue, it’s not just great Dominican. Bark is a great restaurant, period.”
Totally agree, my man. This place is a blast.
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