Smokin' Al's Famous BBQ Joint

But the porker hogging the spotlight will be right on your plate. No question, chef-owner "Smokin'" Al Horowitz knows how to slow-smoke pork (and beef and chicken) to delicious succulence. It's in those final moments before the meat is served, when it's brushed with sauce (regular, sweet or spicy) and finished on the grill, that trouble -- such as overcooking -- can occur. One problem you won't have is sticky fingers, since a roll of paper towels sits in a wooden holder at the center of every table.

Start by ordering the terrific Brunswick stew, a creamy potage rife with pieces of sausage, chicken, pork and vegetables. Avoid the hush puppies, though; they're dense and hard. "Burnt endz" are the crusty brisket ends chopped and served in a sweet sauce. They're a bit too burnt for me. But I loved the "bbq" shrimp, plump and smoky, served over rice. Nachos topped with a dynamite chili turned out to be a treat. One of the oddest concoctions was a Caesar salad topped with pulled pork, which somehow succeeded. You'll like the smoked chicken wings, although whatever sauce you request, chances are you'll get another. On three visits, I found a serious disconnect between servers and kitchen staff.

St. Louis grand back ribs are meatier than the smaller baby backs, though both are delicious. I asked for mine dry (without sauce), to be sauced at the table, but didn't get them that way. Smoked chicken, although overdone during the final grilling, also had a marvelous deep-down smokiness. When a friend's "monster" beef bones had been virtually incinerated to a char, they were cheerfully replaced, with an apology from Smokin' Al himself. Properly cooked, the ribs were sensational. Sliced brisket was wonderfully smoky, very lean and so a bit dry.

You can get a super pulled pork or pulled chicken sandwich on a large, crusty bun. Side dishes (you have a choice of two with platters and combos) include very good, tangy coleslaw and pleasingly sweet baked beans. Garlic mashed .potatoes were fine one visit, too pureed the next time. Macaroni and cheese translated to soft pasta in a gloppy sauce. Both the freshly cut French fries and sweet potato fries excelled.

Best among desserts were a tart Key lime pie and a respectable pecan pie, which would have benefited from a warming. House-made bread pudding was more like flan.

No question, Smokin' Al's is an asset to Bay Shore, whose downtown area is in the midst of great renewal. With proper training, the service at this Main Street magnet should approach the level of its "smokin'" barbecue.

Reviewed by Joan Reminick, 1/16/04.