Pros: For a Southern BBQ snob I admit that their pork butt and shoulder and belly are dynamite. Seating is no-frills and communal. Trays are easy to share off of. Cons: I smelled like my granddaddy's backyard trash fire when I left. My coat smelled like a fucking Boy Scout Jamboree. Get some ventilation Mr. Sau. Also...can I please get my food AND beverage at the same counter?? I really don't feel like waiting behind some douchebag who's hitting on ladies at the bar in order to get a Sprite. People talk about the rude service but seriously....I'll choke you out if you give me attitude after I've waited in line for 15 minutes to pay $8 a lbs for meat. Lurves me the food though!! read more

For yankee BBQ, not bad, not bad at all. If you like meat, this is your place. I had the pork ribs and they were tasty and my friends ordered the brisket (hey, not bad either) and some pulled pork, which was good but holds no candle to South Carolina pulled pork, but that's some high standards. They ran out of sausages which I was bummed about because they looked real good. The portions are big. Order less than you think you may want. I had leftover meat for days. But what's up w/ the lack of good sides? I'm not really a big meat person. I was a veggie for years and now I have pangs of guilt when I do eat meat, plus I can only eat so much. What I really want is yummy sides. So, how 'bout some collard greens or some roasted corn. I want some mac and cheese people and I want some okra. Geez. Sides cannot consist of potato salad (kinda boring), Broccoli salad, which they ran out of, bags of potato chips (come on, at least make them yourself) and pickles, although the pickles were yummy. However, the atmosphere makes up for the shortcomings. There are picnic tables so you may sit w/ your friends and neighbors and the bar is stocked w/ a great selection of bourbon and all the rest. Plus you can get jugs of beer. How fun! I came here for my bday and it was indeed good times. There's often crazy long lines so hit up the bar first. And for all you Willsburg people, they deliver (Sun-Thurs only)! P.S. They are open late. Yee haw! read more

Holy meat. We went here to grab dinner before bowling, and at first I was a little hesitant. Good BBQ in NYC? It's as rare as finding really good mexican food here. The set up is great, it felt like a cafeteria except this cafeteria has food that can clog your arteries and instead of milk and juice Fette Sau replaced it with an extensive and might I say impressive bourbon selection. I wouldn't recommend taking a date here, there is no intimacy. BUT, it is a fun place to socialize with different people as they do not have traditional dining room table set-up. Long benches like the ones you sat at during lunch break in high school are filled with people from all over the US (and surrounding countries) sharing interesting stories, downing bourbon from mason jars (i LOVE mason jars), and enjoying every nitty gritty detail of the finger lickin good BBQ while warming up next to the flat screen tv that has a video loop of a fireplace burning. Basically, Fette Sau is an adult version of a traditional high school cafeteria.. Filled with bourbon and mind blowing BBQ. Meat at FS is by pound, and the meat and condiments come slapped on some wax paper that laid on a tray. Condiments such mustard, vinegar, and an assortment of different BBQ sauces are available at each table. We got the pork belly, brisket, and sausage. My favorite was the pork belly, of course because cammon' everyone loves pork belly am I right? The brisket was juicy and tender and probably the best brisket I've had in a while. The sausage was fatty, and smokey. Eating this made me love berkshire pigs and England way more than I ever have. Needless to say, we were completely stuffed and the 10 blocks to the bowling alley was agony. I had a great time, and will becoming back over and over again..With pepto-bismol. *Please play this song when you are reading this* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vedgTokXj04 read more

i was watching Man vs Food on the travel channel and there was this pit master that had a barn as his kitchen. On each plate he served pulled pork, brisket, turkey legs, ribs, sausages, and a whole 4 lb chicken on a lunch tray. i thought to myself "now that's just stupid and unnecessary, they should take a lesson from fette sau" the concept is similar but fette sau does it in a more personalized and "un-wasteful" way. you pick and choose your meats, to yalls stomachs' capabilities. definitely a spot you want to come with a bunch of friends bc you want to taste everything, but also a bad spot to come with a bunch of friends, seating is very limited. oh the dilemma. check out the bar while youre there and admire all the knives. also get a lesson on the different cuts of meat from the wall. my fav - liked it all.. but i wish the potatoes were warm. read more

Stop. Deadass. You need to stop. I have no freakin' idea why this place is so highly raved about. Listen, i have nothing against hipsters - ok? Do you baby - but maybe don't do BBQ, k? Just hop up on your bicycle and bounce. We need to have a chat about this. Maybe because we're in NYC and Texas is so far away and maybe you've never had the realness of legit flavorful, tender, delicious BBQ - so you think this place is the business. Maybe that's why. Could that be? Talk to me. Ultimately Fette Sau is an overpriced BBQ joint that completely under delivers. I can't believe the crowds here! It's insane. The BBQ is nothing at all special. The sides are also nothing at all special. Mediocre is a word that keeps coming to mind... Don't take my word for it - waste your money and find out for your damn self. But don't cry to me when you're broke and disappointed. I told you so... read more

The ribs were out of this world but FORCED/PRESSURE TIPPING??? Is this the new low that so-called "tipping" has become? Apparently it has- evident at Fette Sau! *Takes a deep breath* All right, all right, the food first: I ordered the Berkshire St Louis Style Pork Ribs and a small potato salad. The potato salad was okay (too vinegar-y) but the ribs were really good- tender and juicy, pink on the inside. I usually like to have barbecue sauce drenched on ribs but they were good enough without them. However, I craved some deliciousness on my ribs so I tried a couple of the sauces-sweet and spicy-that were on the table (squeeze bottles with no labels). The atmosphere: Where was my cowboy hat, y'all?- country music was playing over the heads of chatting hungry barbecue lovers, giving off the vibe of a cafeteria at a ranch in the Wild Wild West. Or maybe an indoor picnic- people sat at three long communal tables in one room where you're elbow-to-elbow with strangers- too crowded (and noisy) for my preference, but what do you expect from a Zagat-rated barbecue joint? If there are no seats, wait until someone has had their fill of BBQ. The service: No sit-down waiter service over here- you ask for the food you want, they weigh the meat, and give everything to you on a ginormous tray then walk up to the register. The girl at the cash register mentioned something about tipping the kitchen staff and hands me the receipt for me to sign since I was paying with a credit card. Ignoring the tip line, I signed and handed back the receipt. She HANDS IT BACK TO ME (if I could put those words in bold, I would) and says that I HAVE to tip 20%. WTF!!!! First of all, it is not my responsibility, or any other customer's responsibility, to make sure that the kitchen staff are well-paid. It is up to the restaurant- any restaurant. That may sound B@%chy, but it's true- a tip is a small monetary gift that is given in appreciation of outstanding service that goes beyond what is expected. Don't believe me? Research the history of tipping. Second, how am I supposed to calculate 20% (that's what I heard, correct me if I'm wrong because I hope I am) of the damn bill with people waiting in line behind me? I am not a human calculator. Third, if tipping needs to be forced (?!) let people in line know in advance- put a sign in front of the register. Over the deafening noise, I originally thought that tipping was optional because I could barely hear the girl at the register- that's why I signed and handed the receipt with no tip at first. Afterwards, perhaps I mis-heard the 20%- it could have been 2% (hah!) or 200%. What about other patrons who could be hard of hearing? Bottom line: for a Zagat-rated, #1 BBQ joint that has thousands of patrons a day because of its popularity force customers to tip at the register where other patrons are waiting behind you is absurd. But the ribs were great, and I'm not going to lie- I will go back. But I'm knocking off two stars. read more

Great Brisket. This place lives up to the hype. If you're a bbq lover confined to the northeast, you should make it a point to visit this place. The brisket was tender; pieces broke away ever so softly upon my first bite. The smoky flavor lasted (within my mouth) for hours. It's not the best or moistest brisket I've savored, but their brisket stands out as stellar by any and all standards. And, anytime I'm within a 2-mile radius, this place is my first choice. I can't wait for my revisit. Furthermore, this place serves up their bbq'd meats by weight, 1/4, 1/2, 1lb, etc.. And, they have a variety of meats & sides for you to choose. Order however much, or little you want, mix and match. That's the beauty. read more

Seriously, I'm in a whole heap a trouble! I can't believe it, but this white boy from New Jersey knows his BBQ! This place is swine-alicious and its damn near 10 steps from my front door. The pork shoulder was amazing and the baked beans delicious as a little top off. No need for sauce, just use the beans. And the broccoli salad--HUGE HIT! We initially got it to make ourselves feel a little less carnivormongous, but darn it if we didn't hit the jackpot with that tasty marinated yumminess anyhow! If you want ribs, arrive before 7pm. Otherwise the pastrami (bangin!) and the various pork products that remain available will suit you mighty fine! I'll give the fifth star once I've verified the rib-to-goodness... read more

I like BBQ. I do. But I don't know that I'm a big fan of Fette Sau. The Brisket had good flavor but it was dry. A dry brisket is like a dry hump - just a tease of what you actually want. The pulled pork was also on the dry side, but I guess that's not the worst thing in the world since most people just slather it in sauce anyway. Normally I would've given the place 3 stars, but their pickle policy forced me to drop it down to 2. Listen: When I ordered my meal, I ordered pickles on the side. The guy taking my order asked, "2 or 4?" I asked how big they were, he said big, but I went with 4 anyway because, let's be honest, one can never have too many pickles. When I got to the table I noticed there were only 3 pickles in my little tray. So I grabbed it and went back to the counter. "Excuse me," I said, "I ordered the 4 pickles but I only got 3." "They're big," the lady at the register said to me. "Ok. But I ordered and paid for 4. I only have 3." "They're bigger than they usually are. So you only get 3." "But I'm paying for 4?" "They're big," she said again, as if it was the most obvious truth in the world. But it wasn't - the pickles were average sized at best. When I didn't thank her for her generosity, she just looked at me like I was the stupidest person in the world. How could I not understand that it was totally cool to pay for 4 pickles and only get 3? I was causing a bottleneck on line and her eyes were already past me and on the person behind me, so I just called her shady and walked away. I wish I would've said something clever like, "So if I ordered 2 I only would've gotten one?" or, "Nice bandana, jerk." But I didn't. read more

I remember visiting Fette Sau years ago when I was still a barbecue novice and, near the end of the meal, savoring the few morsels of barbecued meat left on my almost-bare tray. My, how things have changed. Having just returned from Dallas where I had some of the best barbecue of my life, I was still hankering for some barbecue brisket. Thinking about my past experience with Fette Sau, I figured I'd drop by again. I knew Fette Sau wasn't going to be amazing or nearly as good as my Dallas experience, but I'd figure I'd get serviceable barbecue. Nope, not even close. The main attraction--the brisket--was okay. Not the juiciest or moistest cut I've ever had, but okay. The marbling of the brisket was also mediocre (i.e. inconsistent and leaner overall than would be desired), but what was bad was the chunks of fat that were included on my tray. The other two meats I got--the beef tongue and the "spicy" sausage--were bad. The beef tongue was dry and greasy while the "spicy" sausage was anything but unless you consider paprika spicy. Next time, I'll fly down to Texas for some actually good barbecue before even thinking about going back. read more

Not really a 4, let's call it a high 3. As most have mentioned, the food itself is generally good. I'd pegged it at a level that is good for NYC, but perhaps average when taken in the context of the greater BBQ-world at large. The sides we tried were nice (I unlike others didn't really care for the baked beans, and much prefer Hill Country's rendition). Of particular note, the brisket was tender and very juicy. There was also a nice selection of beers on tap and the requisite collection of whisky was thorough (though charging $22 a pour for Booker's is crazy, I don't care what the proof is). The biggest demerits go to the inefficient service at the counter and the prices. Now, obviously this is a small spot catering to a big crowd, but the time it takes for people to get through is too long. We arrived at a blissfully off-hour (Sunday at around 4pm) so there were only about 4 people in line in front of us. However, it still took almost 25 minutes for us to get to the counter. I can't imagine how long the wait would be had there been the usual crowd. Both Mighty Quinn and Hill Country process their lines much quicker than Fette Sau does. As to the prices, well I'll just add my discontent to the chorus of other people here. I understand we are paying for the preparation (aka time) and the quality of ingredients, but $30 a pound is pushing it when you consider that I can get a dry-aged porterhouse at any flagship steakhouse in the city for ~$40/lb. Particularly irksome was the chicken @ $22/lb, the issue being you could only get a half-chicken as the smallest portion. From the looks of them, they were your standard broiler chicken which is coming in around 3-5 lbs, including bones. So in other words, you're shelling out something like $35 for a half-bird, which is ridiculously cost-prohibitive. Too bad too, because it was pretty tasty. So in the end, I liked the experience, but the food just isn't good enough to merit the prices or the wait. read more

It's impossible to get a seat*, I wouldn't call it "barbeque" specifically, at least how I came to know it growing up in North Carolina and Georgia, it's priced really high, there's no mac-n-cheese, the potato salad is the best (only?) side worth getting and even though the excitement of ordering your beer by the gallon has to have something to be said for it, the brisket alone makes this place a four-star place. Get other things, for sure -- the belly bacon is tremendous, and the pork ribs weren't bad (drier than they should be), but the brisket ... oh, man. Don't tell my mom I said it might be better than her's. * - Basically, dont' come here by yourself. Make sure you have a friend (or two or three, basically everyone who is not the one person who is ordering) who can go on a hunt like a hawk looking for people who are getting up from the minimal number of benches available inside. It's easier to come here in the summer (though many other people have that theory, too) because there's copious outdoor seating. But if you come when it's cold, and you want to sit inside, prepare to stand there awkwardly with your food until a space magically opens up. read more

This place has good barbecue. That much is true, but is it worthy of the ratings it has received on Yelp? I think not. I don't want to be a BBQ snob, but let's face it, I'm from Texas. My expertise on BBQ is as undisputed as the stopping power of the Smith and Wesson I carry on my hip and as serious as a Gulf Coast hurricane in September. The meat here is pretty good, but not moist enough. I know that "moistness" in BBQ is mostly fat and we're all being health conscious these days but honestly, BBQ should be an exclusion. I get that your meat is locally-sourced and you serve your organic beers in mason jars, but that is nothing to me. I want melt in your mouth, stroke-inducing, heart-stoppingly moist BBQ. I hope we are clear on that point. The prices here are also quite outrageous. My meal ended up being over $30. There are no combo plates. Seriously? No combo plates? I know you probably think that your inflexibility towards your customers is a point of attractiveness and even a credit towards your legitimacy as a serious BBQ joint. But I got news for you, brother, people want to sample different meats at an affordable price. I love brisket, but I can't eat a whole pound of it. I don't have 10 friends to bring or $100 in my dinner budget. So do me a favor, and drop the pretentiousness. Be a real restaurant that caters to customers, not your own arrogant need to be something special. That being said, if I lived around here, I would probably come back, as good BBQ is hard to come by on these coasts. I'm looking to check out Mighty Quinn's in EV soon as I live much closer to that place. read more

Meh. Nothing crazy or special about this place. Their BBQ sauce taste like ketchup. Their other BBQ sauce tasted like chipotle. I had the brisket and pork belly and a few sides. The brisket didn't have the classic salty-ness I've come to expect and enjoy from most briskets. It actually tasted pretty bland and I felt like it was missing something. It hardly had any smoke flavor in it. The pork belly was not bad but again very little in the way of smoke flavoring. Maybe their idea of low and slow is a 2 or 3 hour smoke job. It is New York and everyone is in a rush. BTW what gives with not having pork ribs? I thought that was a BBQ standard? Anyway moving on. Oh no beef ribs either on my visit but back to my review. I think the raving reviews are probably more from the hippies enjoying themselves at the communal tables than the actual quality of the food or the atmosphere. After a while groups were just sitting at the tables talking although they had been done eating for over 20 minutes and there were people waiting to find a place to sit. Oblivious to the world around as most hipsters and hippies are they just sat there and continued to talk and bullshit while people waited with trays of food on their hands and having to eat standing up. I'm not big into the communal sitting thing either I don't understand the hype. I'd rather eat a place like Blue Smoke or Dinosaur BBQ any day over that mad house with mediocre food. Also, about the potato salad, I'm not sure what they were going for but I've never had anything like that. Again I wasn't impressed, think potatoes not fully cooked with light coating mayo some garden herbs and a sprinkle of mustard seed. Except when I say sprinkle I meant some jokester must have twisted the cap because that shit was covered in it! The broccoli uses the same exact seasoning as the potato salad. Both were cold which was expected of the potato salad but not the broccoli. The beans were really good and are the one thing I have no complaints about and can actually recommend with clear conscious. Anyone thinking of traveling from any where other than the immediate neighborhood just to try this because its been rated "the best BBQ in New York City" I recommend you pass unless you're a masochist that enjoys disappointment and overpaying. read more

After I found out about Fette Sau, I wanted to go. Immediately. Who cares that it was December? I planned on guilt-tripping my friends into going for my birthday... Muahahah. An extremely cold front caused me to feel some pity and I decided to do a take-out fiesta at my apartment instead. So my wonderful Porkchop went with one of our friends to pick up some pig and cow. Even though everything cooled off a bit in transit, it was still delicious. Their menu supposedly changes every day, but my favorites were the pork sausages and bone-in beef ribs. The German potato salad (made with vinegar instead of mayo) and pickles were my favorite sides. I'd still like to get the full experience of dining here, smoke in my eyes, pig grease permeating my clothes... Maybe when the weather is nicer :) On a side trivia note: Porkchop and company said that the workers informed them that BBQ is actually traditionally from Germany! Most of the immigrant settlers in Texas were German, which apparently also "explains the cowboys" (we didn't get that last part). One complaint is that the workers pretty much forced a tip, even though we were getting take-out.... Boooo. read more

Finally made the trek out to Fette Sau. Beware, this is Williamsburg so there are hipsters and transplants everywhere! 1. The line was crazy long and the fact that they operate out of a driveway/garage means there is no airflow. It was HOT. One of the guys in line in front of my group had sweat dripping down his neck. It was only 80 degrees out but damn, their set up made it feel 10x hotter. 2. Not everything is worth it. It may seem tempting to try everything they have but here's a tip. Skip the veggie sides and the baked beans, just go for the meat. Brisket, pork ribs and the spicy pork sausage are highly recommended. We also got the pulled pork which I found dry. 3. Communal seating/limited seating. Have someone in your party grab seats as you near the butchers counter. read more

This is actually one of my more favorite places in the neighborhood. An old car repair garage turned into a Southern Smoked BBQ restaurant. The meat selections here are wonderful and stays true to the theme of the old Mississippi with it's amazing selection of Bourbon and Ales; American Ales and Bourbons only! Oh the Bourbon selection was pretty impressive and I was able to explore decent top shelf selections and compare the different flavors from the different regions. The prices were reasonable for the quality of food you were getting. But be warned as you immediately REEK of Smoked BBQ upon setting foot into the place. Despite my annoyance of having my clothes smell like smoked BBQ, i'll go back any day for some more meat! read more

The food here was really good. My coworker and I got some pulled pork, brisket and pork belly, I highly recommend getting this.

Heads up before you read this review and realize I don't mention the food that extensively: I ate beforehand, so I didn't really eat here. I just had a leeeetle bit. I'd recommend another review for the full food rundown. The 4 stars is based more on the fact that from what little I experienced, I'd definitely come back to fully get down with meat by the pound(s). Fette Sau was where I met up with Brooklyn Beer Crawl Yelpers. It was their third stop of the day. I had some catching up to do in the drinking department. After some wandering, the pink neon Fette Sau sign beckons, kind of like that bar sign in Mr. Destiny (...Jim Belushi movie? Too obscure/random a reference?), and outside Craig N. and Molly C. are smokin' and cheery. Besides these two fine specimens, outside of Fette Sau ain't much to look at -- basically a lot of concrete/pavement. There are some tables out, presumably for summer dining, but it's barren 'cause it's colder than a witch's tit. Stopping to chat, I learn very quickly that Craig is intoxicated, quite full, and feeling quite generous with his leftovers, which are just begging to be taken advantage of. I hurry through the doors before he changes his mind. Inside, Fette Sau is kind of like a pub, but also industrial at the same time -- garage-like, as others have noted. I see that my fellow Yelpers have commandeered one of the long communal pic-a-nic tables. I seem to have caught the aftermath of the carnage, as it's not as rowdy as I would've thought; everybody seems to have settled into a beer/meat induced stupor. Except Oriana. She's babbling about getting more sausage. Can't get her fill of it, apparently. Jon S. chronicled some pretty good quotes that may or may not be attributable to Lady O. Anywhoo, I go to order a beer from the bar, and there's a bunch of stuff on tap I've never tried. This is always exciting. I ask for a suggestion, and the bartender makes a pretty good one. Sitting back down and stealing a rib from Craig's tray, it's pretty tasty, and comes off the bone just the way it ought to. It's been a while since I've had some good BBQ, and so Fette Sau stirs up some finger-lickin' memories. Craig and Molly come in and I try Craig's drink -- a bourbon stout. I know that I love stouts. But I sure don't know what a bourbon stout is -- I mean, I know bourbon, I know stout, but their powers combined? Color me clueless. Whatever the bastard is, it's potent (9.0% alcohol?), and that's a winner in my books. I think we can deduce that I loved this drink, but I played it cool and we passed it around. Nobody else wanted to kill it, so I got to. I was pleased. Later at the insistence of Molly C. (whom Craig was now resting his head on, a sign of things to come), I tried the baked beans -- and whaddya know, the broad's onto something; little bits of pulled pork mixed in definitely add to the flavor. Meat is always a welcome addition, and I particularly enjoy when it's a surprise, since it's only the best surprise ever. Sneaky meat. Anyways, Fette Sau fills up and is obviously pretty popular for good reason. If you have a big group, do what the Yelpers did -- get there early, eat your stuff, digest, then turn over the real estate. Likewise, you can make like me and get there late to pilfer the leftovers from near comatose patrons. Ain't no shame in scavenging. Thanks Craig! read more

The gates of meat heaven is embellished with a pink neon sign that says "Fette Sau." As you wait on the half hour line, you will be tantalized by the pungent scent of the BBQ meat that drifts out from the doorway of this garage-turned-into-sit-down-eatery. Cue the stomach growl. Once you finally reach the counter that displays the slabs of meat, be sure to order: a quarter pound of pork belly, a half pound of boneless beef ribs, a quarter pound of brisket, a spicy sausage, a side of beans, and a pint of their house beer served in adorable Mason jars. Cue the mouthgasm. What this place lacks is a bed to catch you right when the ultimate food coma smacks you in the face after your last bite of their tender, juicy brisket. read more

OK imagine yourself going to have barbecue food would you picture a lot of meat, , lots of sides in a lot of everything roughly the same price or a little bit over what you use to pay for just any other meal in this case it's not like that yes you will have amazing meat But you have a minimum half a pound per person in the sides are extremely extremely expensive and small whoever heard of $7.5 for a side of potato salad at the size smaller than a small McDonald's fries?? So yes I had a great brisket an awesome sausage but I heavily paid for it and I won't go back there again, its not worth the expense read more

Big communal picnic tables, they give you a metal tray and pile it with meat and then you pay and then you're happy. Everything I tried was really good. As a lapsed Jew, I relish the opportunity to put this varied an array of pork inside of me, but first the sides. The saurkraut is ok, crispy/new, but strong. The baked beans were amazing, the beans were burnt, the sauce was thick, and about a 1/5 of it was made of meat. The broccoli salad is worth a try but not impressive. But the meat is fantastic. The pork ribs are dry rub and delicious. The pork belly had about 1/8 of an inch of fat on it, and the fat was perfect. You put the belly in your mouth and it just melted into a fattyporksauce which gently coated the tender meat as you chewed. The sausage link was good, but everything else I had was better. There are four sauces on the table, horseradish, a sweet barbecue sauce, something very vinegary, and something I can't remember. I had two beers. The first was (I think, I'll admit I wasn't completely sober by the time I got here) a stout or very dark lager, recommended by the bartender. It was pretty good. But someone else had gotten the Goose Island Bourbon Stout, which is the liquid average of bourbon, stout and molasses. I really loved it, it may be my new favorite drink, but it's syrupy and others compared it to cough syrup, so maybe a predilection for the tussin worked in my favor tonight. read more

Brisket!!! that is the creme de la creme of this BBQ place in Williamburg. It is absolutely adorable with seating outside as well as inside, picnic style tables that are adorned with different styles of sauces, vinegar and mustard to tickle your palate. The interior is warm and inviting with a cute bar area to order flights of bourbon/whiskey, lots of beers on tap and cocktails as well as wine to be offered. How you get your meat on, go up to the butcher, place your order. They have two blackboards with the list of meats, sides and even Key Lime tarts for that sweet after dinner treat. The meat is sold by the pound and the sides are either small or large. I sampled the brisket and the ribs. Also tasted the pork belly. My favorite was the brisket....so delicious and moist. YUMMY!!! The pork belly was also very tasty. The ribs were good, but a dry rub and not the best I have tasted. They also had sausages and pulled pork shoulder. As for sides, I got the German potato salad, sauerkraut and Gus's homemade pickles. It comes with dinner rolls and its self-serve, wetnaps, forks, knives....all served on your own tray...much like school cafeteria. They take credit cards, VISA and MC and have many fancy style Sodas to chose from. I missed out on Steve's Key Lime Tart....damn!!! Next time. I also tried this Red Zinfindal wine...for 8.00 a glass it was bold and smooth and went really nice with my BBQ meal. I really enjoyed this place and got my BBQ fill. I def recommending coming here and giving it a try at least once. It will be a while for me to go back, but I'd def venture to Williamburg again for some yummy Brisket. read more

My BFF came out to visit from Portland, OR with a long list of places in NYC that she wanted to try. Fette Sau was on that list. I hemmed and hawed about the fact that it was in Williamsburg, a place I only go if I'm gonna see a live show or there is some other compelling social event on tap, but rarely just to eat at one of its many fine restaurants (I know, it's stupid, but living in any other part of Brooklyn makes it feel like a chore to get there - just one more annoyingly ironic thing about Brooklyn). The truth is that it's absolutely worth traveling into Manhattan, catching the L train, riding it the short distance back into Brooklyn, and walking the few blocks that lead to this awesome restaurant. I am a lover of swine, from the adorable teacup piglets that I enjoy scrolling through on Buzzfeed (and it's okay if vegetarians and animal rights activists think I am a disgusting sub-human for saying this, you're probably not wrong) to the kind that come butchered and cooked to perfection on a big metal tray at Fette Sau. Oh porky. I'm sorry your life on earth was short, but I promise your slaughter won't be in vain if I have anything to do with it. Your delicate cheeks and tender rump will be cherished by my palate and help to sustain my own life a little longer. And, if in our next lives you are the human and I am the pig (though some may argue this is already the case), I hope you enjoy eating me as much as I have enjoyed eating you. And rarely have I enjoyed your myriad virtues as much as I did at Fette Sau. Also, NuNu Chocolate is sold here, so be sure to take advantage and stock up. It's not cheap, but neither is the karma for what you just ate, so you might as well go full hilt. read more

Fette Sau doesn't quite earn five stars in my book but it was good so I'm rounding the rating up to four stars. Decor: 3.5/5 -Looks like it was a garage in the past and converted to a sit down bbq restaurant -So many hipsters. I felt out of place Service: 3.5/5 -Wait time on a Saturday 4pm was 45 minutes. Decent yet slow. Food: 3.5/5 -Beef Brisket was the best. You must add sauce because its slightly bland without it. The best combination was the vinegar and sweet bbq sauce. -Pulled Pork was overcooked and a bit dry. The sauces helped but the beef brisket was still the best -Spicy Sausage was disappointing. There was no flavor, just pure fat. It wasn't even spicy either! -Potato rolls were great with the baked beans. The baked beans were a bit on the salty side but had a good porky flavor read more

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I have no idea why people rave about this place. The brisket was cold and overdone, the ribs didn't "fall" off the bone, and the beans were nothing special. Worst of all if you come on a busy night, have fun bumping elbows with the wannabe hipster dude to your left and the Asian girl taking pictures of her broccoli salad to your right. The only thing worth mentioning is the bbq sauce, which I had to use as dressing for my meal. We ordered, ate our food, and left in 30 minutes. I couldn't stand another minute at this place. read more

Avoid this disappointing, tasteless, chewy BBQ. Go to Might Quinn's instead. I went here 5 years ago when it was still delicious, but after today I'm NEVER coming back - what a waste of money. The brisket was chewy and flavorless (cooked too high heat, no smoke ring). The ribs were dry, underwhelming, didn't fall off the bone. Pork belly, just ok. The potato salad tasted like chunky salad dressing - all vinegar and olive oil, acidic with no flavor of potato. The broccoli was forgettable. The high point was the bread, it probably wasn't made in house, and you could ask for more. So the unlimited free thing tasted best. Avoid! read more

Two words: Meat Galore! This place is awesome. I randomly found this place and decided to try it. My boyfriend and I got a pound of brisket and half pound beef tongue, with broccoli and pickles. Everything is charged by the pound, so you can let them know how much you want. All I can say, if you love tender smoked meat, this is the place to go! This place was crowded; therefore I would recommend having someone find a seat first, while the others order the food. I was lucky enough to grab seats at the bar, because the floor was overcrowded. The ambiance is rustic, country style, with picnic tables set up. I love the décor; it really enhances their look. The beer taps having different butcher knifes, looks cool. read more

Give me all the meats! Came here with my boyfriend craving bbq and we got it! We got a little bit of everything off the menu and left feeling fat and sassy! We generally like to sit at the bar, which we did, and had great bartenders that made excellent drinks. I like the ambience here. I just wish it was a little closer to my house. Because no one loves to take the L train anywhere. read more

Not even 24hrs into my 25th year of life, I came to Fette Sau, consumed about 3lbs of meat, quietly contemplated what death by pork belly (the savory pig's, not mine) would feel like (HEAVEN), drank a gallon of oh-so-smooth Sly Fox Ale, and thought to myself, "25 is going to be a sweet year." Thank you, Fette Sau. read more

This is what I have to say: shut it, haters. Fette Sau is amazing. I took my parents here and shared half a gallon of beer with my dad and then told them all my secrets. Fette Sau did pork belly before pork belly was cool. I'm sick of reviewers pulling the: "Well! Back in Texas..." card. Guess what? I used to live in Texas and when my born and bred Texan friends came to visit they said, with glazed, pork-induced eyes, "Uh, this is really, really fucking good." The ribs are incredible. The brisket would make a Jewish grandmother thank Jahweh for life. The pork belly makes me curse my nine year stint as a vegetarian. Tell the dude dishing out the meat what you want and for how many people. He knows his shit and will give you the right amount. Fette Sau offers whiskey flights. WHISKEY FLIGHTS!!! Again, a single word for this: amazing. And as always, please tip your bartender. He knows his shit and will let you taste the beer- if you ask nicely- before you commit to a half (or whole) gallon. Wait, what was that? It's hard trying to get a seat for you and 19 of your best friends at 7:30PM on a weekend? Boo hoo hoo. Stay in Manhattan next time. read more

Don't kid yourself! This was a nice attempt at quality ribs. Maybe I am being too critical, but I am from Memphis, TN the home of ribs and blues. The dry rubbed ribs here are decent, your best bet here is to go for the pulled pork or a sausage. I wanted to give this place a test drive, so my partner and I ordered everything: a slab of ribs, 1 lb. of pulled pork, 1 sausage, a small order of baked beans, and the broccoli salad. The verdict: babyback ribs (average and cold), pulled pork (average and cold), sausage (good and cold), baked beans (very good and cold). Something must have been wrong with the food warmer because all my food was cold. The quantities we ordered were just enough for two people and totaled $45 for the food and $13 for our drinks. The scoop: Very casual. After several beers the ribs will taste better. No one appreciates a place that serves food cold, layered on wax paper for $45, then expects you to go to the bar to pick up your water and beverages. On a busy night, bring a friend or two. One person can guard the table while the other two split duties: bar/food line. Then you can regroup and sit at the table together. Otherwise, good luck carrying your tray to the bar to pick up your drinks only to find all the tables full. The owners of this place should rethink their service strategy, especialy for the price. Cool space and cool vibe. The bar has a neat setup. You can purchase beer by the 1/2 pint, pint, or gallon.....yelp...a gallon. This is a great place for groups. If the food was served hot and the beverage setup was different, I would have rated it 2 1/2 stars. read more

I used to eat here back in the day when it first opened but has completely lost its notoriety. Expensive as hell! A meal for 2 came out to 60 bucks and it wasn't even enough. And the guy who served me talked down to me in a condescending tone as if I was inconveniencing him by asking for a little more portions. Way overpriced and that smug attitude will not make me return. Look for another bbq place. read more

I want you to picture in your mind the best BBQ meal you have ever had. Brisket, or pork, or ribs, or whatever it was. Imagine the small of it in your nostrils and the flavours in your mouth. Now go ahead and go to Fette Sau and tell me that it isn't better here. Holy shit, the food here is amazing. Three of us went here and we ordered enough food for 6 people but it was so good we barely noticed how much we overate. until we were done, but then we felt nothing but amazing because of it. The seating is communal inside, but that just gives you a good opportunity to meet new people as you enjoy the most delicious, and messy, meal you've had in ages. If I have a complaint it's that the lineup forms quickly. You can get around this by getting there early, but be warned there's lot of people who know this trick too. And if you're vegetarian or vegan, well, your loss. Seriously. read more

I was shocked at how expensive it was. Absolutely shocked. We got 1/4lbs of short rib, 4 ribs, 2 beef ribs and a side of chili for $82... Not including drinks. Went to Dinosaur in BK the next week and got brisket plate with 2 sides, fried green tomatoes, chili nachos, 4 beers and 2 shots for $82!! Food was good, you definitely will pay for the weight of a huge bone in your ribs. I will be back because it's around the corner, but it's really unfortunate at how they are just raping people. read more

The BBQ is great here, but the lack of a line and the communal seating is a complete fail. In the super aggressive, type A populated metropolis of NYC, getting a seat at Fette Sau can be a nightmare. If only Fette Sau added a rope or something to seal off the line, then the seat stealing and line cutting could be avoided. We were lucky that we came on a less busy night and were able to get a seat without too much trouble, but I was getting grumpy and stressed while we were waiting for a seat. We waited our turn and were first in line, then a few people entered the restaurant and pounced on a table that we were waiting for. We let one lady slide, but the next one we calmly explained that we had been waiting. I wonder how many fights have broken out over seating at this place? Now that we have thoroughly exhausted the subject of the seating, let's move on to the more important part: the food. We had cheek, brisket, pork belly and pulled pork. The most flavorful was the cheek, but my favorite was the brisket because it was so tender. For our sides we had baked beans, potato salad and sauerkraut. The baked beans were the best side by a mile. All in all the bbq was top notch and would warrant a 4 star. I gave the subtracted one star due to the line situation so Fette Sau is a solid 3 star. If you live in Williamsburg there is no excuse not to visit this place, but if you're in Manhattan I'd only make the trek if you have a lot of time to kill. read more

I'm going to preface with this: I am from St. Louis where we know good BBQ. I was recommended this place after stating flatly that there is NO good BBQ in NYC. So, I tried it out. The food was good, not great, but good. It certainly isn't the best BBQ I've eaten, but it is not the "approximation" of BBQ I've had at other places in NYC. The ribs were tender and well flavored. The beef brisket, which was better than the ribs IMO, had a good flavor. The sauces they provide were a little bland as far as BBQ sauce goes. Honestly, the beans were probably the best thing on the menu. They had a unique kick to them that made them the only thing memorable that we tried from the menu. Other than the food, the price is outrageous. This is BBQ, folks. It's make out of pork, not lobster. For two of us: ribs, beef brisket, beans, and a beer each, the bill was close to $90. That is ridiculous! Also, the place is small, so if you get there when it's busy, you will be waiting a LONG, LONG time for a seat and for food. In the end, it's not bad BBQ, but not good enough for me to warrant me to travel again all the way to Brooklyn for it. read more

HOLY PORK ORGASM IN MY MOUTH! There is a reason they are called the Fat Pig here. We went to have dinner here on a Saturday night, so needless to say it was packed. Took me about 30 minutes for the line to snake its way around the room before I got to the meat counter. Let me tell you the pork feast extravaganza that we partook in. 3/4lb Kurobota centerloin chop, 1/4lb Tamworth pork belly, 1/4lb Berkshire sweet sausage, 1/4lb Black Angus beef brisket, broccoli salad, potato salad, & Doc's Warwick Valley cider. Yes, the DP and I are fatties. But how could you not be with the quality and heritage of the BBQ we were eating? I thought it was great how they were using heritage breeds. These are the breeds that are full of the rich fat and flavor that is bred out of the today's piggies. Seriously, the fat on the chop and pork belly was so good, the DP actually liked it which is a feat in itself. Even when the fat had congealed from the cold (we were sitting outside in the middle of February), the fat still melted into deliciousness when it met our mouths. The menu changes depending on what they want to 'cue, but rest assured that you are in for a porky good time. They sell their beer and cider in varying sizes and serve the larger sizes in gallon sized jugs which is perfect for sharing with your friends. I will definitely be making return visits here, especially when the weather gets better and dining al fresco is the norm. read more

I don't get it I travel all over the US, clearly people don't get what good barbecue is, it's about the meat, it's poor cuts, cook long and slow over smokey wood to render it to deliciousness, that not what I got here, I'd been reading the reviews for a long time I love "Cue" Carolina pulled pork, St Louis style, Texas style, Memphis style, western Kentucky barbecued lamb, Oklahoma style, Hawaiian style you name it I've tried it, Zagats said it was the best, And if it where only about smoke maybe I would agree the pork belly and the brisket had great smoke flavor, but the country style rib from whole pig Thursday was for lack of a better word, CRAP, tough, under cooked and I got an end and just generally nauseating I had to throw most of it away, the pork belly had great smoke the meat was tender, the brisket had great smoke flavor but was so dry and over cooked, and restaurant owners let me tell you half of the problem with the brisket was the poor butchering skills of the otherwise very nice service staff, man she cut the brisket with the grain, I had to stop her, she apologized and took it off the scale but you know some poor schlub wanna be hipsters gonna get those piece and because he wants to be hip and paid an arm and a leg for this less then great overpriced meat, he gonna tweet his friends about how great it is, even though it was only ok, I've yet to find really incredible barbecue in NYC, on the whole unless your going for the hipness factor skip this place, and I'll keep looking, so far the best barbecue in NYC is Memphis in May at Madison Square Park, as far as wheelchair access, no wheelchair accessible picnic tables, the restaurant is, the bathrooms are not, read more

Really overpriced for average food and terrible service. The nicest person in here was the busboy. Spent over $100 for what? Fatty brisket, mediocre pulled pork, and ok sides. The only things that were good were the ribs and the ginger beer. Went up to ask the checkout girl a question about the bill.... What everything is because nothing is identified on the bill, only a list of numbers... The response I got was "I assure you everything is correct". I just wanted to know what everything was, I didn't say it was wrong! Then she continued to point to the tip jar and say "and that's the tip jar" seriously????? I'm positively certain that there are much better places in the city for ribs and ginger beer. Completely overrated. Spend your money elsewhere (and you'll get more for your money). read more