Long Island restaurants offering BBQ kits for Memorial Day weekend
A half rack of ribs from Green Hill Kitchen and Que in Greenport. Credit: Lianne Alcon
Memorial Day weekend as we know it is meant for great food, drinks and company. This year, things will look a bit different, though. Since it’s been more than two months that dining in at restaurants has come to a halt, many have picked up a skill or two in the kitchen or on the grill — just in time for the unofficial start of summer. And although some things have changed, one thing has remained: restaurants are making it easier for us to achieve great meals at home.
Get somewhat of the same experience this holiday, but in your own backyard with one of these kits offered at restaurants and caterers.
Willie B's BBQ: This caterer's delivery-only package starts at $50 (feeds three to five), which includes a rack of slow-smoked St. Louis style ribs, a whole, slow smoked chicken and two pounds of your choice of sides, such as macaroni and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, barbecue beans and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. It also includes five pieces of cornbread. The smoking is done by New York State champion pit master Will Breakstone. Call 631-678-1726 by Thursday to place your order. More info: williebsbbq.com
Nick & Toni’s (136 N. Main St., East Hampton): This Italian restaurant's $340 meal dubbed the “Memorial Day Weekend Summer Grill Pack” includes food to feed four people such as burrata, four 14-ounce American Wagyu N.Y. strip steaks, asparagus, crushed Yukon Gold potatoes and organic baby kale.Menu items are subject to change. The kit comes with instructions on how to grill a steak and reheating instructions, too. Place your order by 5 p.m. Wednesday at the restaurant's website and it’ll be ready for pick up Friday between 2 and 5 p.m. In lieu of gratuity, the restaurant asks that diners donate to the Honest Man Employee Relief Fund. More info: 631-324-3550, nickandtonis.com
Green Hill Kitchen & Que (48 Front St., Greenport): Fans of this New American restaurant can get their hands on a “Heat & Eat ‘Que Kits” for $90 (feeds two) or $170 (feeds four). Each kit includes three proteins and three sides. Proteins include smoked prime brisket, blackened Scottish salmon, beer can chicken, mustard glazed barbecue meatloaf and smoked jackfruit; sides include Cheddar grits, collard greens, spicy broccoli and yellow rice. Add a $15 bottle of house wine, $20 pint of Matty’s Margaritas or $3 cans of beer. Place your order here or by calling the restaurant (same-day orders are suggested to be placed by 2 p.m.). More info: 631-477-4900, greenhillny.com
North Fork Brewing Company (24 E. 2nd St., Riverhead): The NoFo Brewing Company is teaming up with the NoFo Chewing Company for a $75 Memorial Day beer dinner. Foodwise, you’ll get street corn flat bread, a lobster roll, creamy deviled potato salad and a roasted Asian vegetable salad, plus a garlicky pickle spear and seasonal dessert. Wash it all down with six pints of beer: a four-pack of Hold Me Closer Tiny Lager (5% Germann pilsner using NYS ingredients and NoFo Brewing local hops) and a growler of limited red, white and blue edition Run the Juice (6.4% New England IPA infused with blueberry and raspberry). All this — and a curated Spotify playlist. Serves one. Add on South Shore clams for $15, and for the kids, tack on a margarita flatbed with a side roasted corn for $10. Reserve a spot here by 10 a.m. Friday; pickup is between noon and 4 p.m. Sunday at the North Fork Brewing Company. More info: 631-591-1191, northforkbrewingco.com
H on the Harbor (410 Main St., Port Washington): The $80 package includes filet mignon, chicken and ribs, plus macaroni and cheese, kale slaw and vegetables to feed 4-5 people. The kit is available Thursdays to Saturdays in May with orders due 48 hours in advance. More info: 516-883-0091, hontheharbor.com
Bakuto (121 N. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst): Get a barbecue box for four people from this Japanese-style gastropub for $72 — that’s four Allan Brothers premium hot dogs and fixings, 12 wings, four pork and ginger sliders, marinated Tokyo turnips and sides of spicy cold noodles and a farm salad. Drink add-ons include a six-pack of Yuzu lager, $25; six-pack of Kirin, $20; or a quart of Shochu daiquiri, $60. Kits can be ordered on universe.com while supplies last. Pick up is on Saturday or Sunday.More info: 631-225-1760, bakutobar.com
Prime Fine Catering (4 Nassau Blvd. South, Garden City): Feed up to a party of six with this caterer’s Memorial Day menu, which includes two appetizers (choose between chips, soft pretzels and bruschetta), a salad (either baby organic greens or Caesar) and six burgers, one pack of hot dogs, one ring of parsley and cheese sausage, six chicken kebabs and six pieces of shucked corn, plus all fixings. Potato and macaroni salads, coleslaw and dessert (fruit, cookies and brownies or strawberry cheesecake) is also part of the deal for $199. Orders must be picked up by Sunday. More info: 516-505-3255, primefinecatering.com
Ben’s Kosher Deli (multiple locations): Ben’s is offering a package of 15 Hebrew National beef frankfurters and rolls, 10 quarter-pound beef burgers and buns, 2 ½ ready-to-eat or heat barbecue chickens and dinner rolls, two pounds of coleslaw, two pounds of housemade potato salad and the classic barbecue fixings, like pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, ketchup, mustard and paper goods. Twenty assorted canned sodas are also part of the deal. The price tag? $219.90. Serves 10. Call the nearest Ben's 48 hours ahead to place your order. More info: bensdeli.net
Townline BBQ (3593 Montauk Hwy., Sagaponack): Townline is offering two meal kits. One has pulled pork, coleslaw, spicy pickles, sliced bread or buns, baked beans, potato chips and its original or hot barbecue sauce for up to six people ($65). The other package has smoked chicken plus a rack of ribs, coleslaw, baked beans, pickles and barbecue sauce, $70 for up to six people. The kits can be purchased Wednesday to Sunday. In lieu of gratuity, the restaurant asks that diners donate to the Honest Man Employee Relief Fund More info: 631-537-2271, townlinebbq.com
Lessing's Hospitality Group: At Sandbar (55 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor), Friday through Monday, feast on $150 worth of barbecued grub — two racks of St. Louis ribs and pulled barbecue chicken served with Hawaiian rolls, potato salad, coleslaw, garden salad, cornbread and a “big” cookie. Feeds four. Starting Wednesday, order here or call the restaurant (631-498-6188, sandbarcoldspringharbor.com).
Sister restaurant Mirabelle Restaurant and Mirabelle Tavern (150 Main St., Stony Brook) is offering a surf and turf dinner for two available Friday to Sunday. For $98, you'll get two appetizers (crab and shiitake mushroom spring rolls and burrata), salad, entrees (16-ounce roasted filet mignon and two-pound steamed Maine lobster), sides (mashed Yukon Gold potato and corn on the cob) and dessert, which is your choice of a giant chocolate chip cookie or crème caramel berries. Add a bottle of wine for $25. Orders can be placed here or by calling 631-751-0555.
Meanwhile, at its other restaurants, Library Café, Maxwell’s, Post Office Café and Southside Restaurant and Bar, diners can choose an entree (barbecue pork ribs, marinated flank steak, pulled pork sliders, fried chicken, sausage and peppers or shrimp and vegetable kebabs) and two sides for $55 (feeds four people). All kits include cornbread, but you might want to add on a $20 campfire s’mores kit for dessert. Order by 8 p.m. Thursday for pick up between Saturday and Monday.
