I just this review on a search engine review board, but I know for food it is also helpful to leave one on Yelp as well. They were an amazing caterer.
This is a review for both catering and the normal restaurant as I have experience with them in both. In both cases the summary is that their food and service are amazing and I would recommend them for anything from a bite to eat on a road trip to catering a wedding.
I will start with the food. I am not a New York or Finger Lakes native, I married into the area. My only experiences with NY BBQ were the famous Cornell chicken recipe, but I did have experience with other BBQ. I grew up a very short trip away from Kansas City. Home to one of the best BBQ cultures in the country, and BBQ Shack would comfortably survive and thrive in that market. They are not only the best BBQ I have tried in New York, they stand toe to toe against some of the best BBQ restaurants in the country in my opinion. The chicken is unlike any I have tried, much greater depth of flavor profile than I have found with most BBQ chicken, almost like a Carolina Vinegar based sauce and Cornell recipe were intertwined into amazingness. The pulled pork is very well seasoned and cooked, and a very good amount of smoke flavor and juiciness. The brisket can range from a pretty good brisket to the best brisket you have ever tried in your life, and the sandwich pairing with the pulled pork is heavenly. The sides we loved the most in descending order were chicken wing dip, mac & cheese, salt potatoes, baked beans, and coleslaw. All of the sides were good, those were just the ones that stuck out most to us, with the chicken wing dip being something we crave on a weekly basis as we do not live in the area.
The service, while this is not as important to me as the food, they still delivered in every aspect for us. If you are dining in it is a wonderful atmosphere where they start preparing a person's order before they walk in the door. This is what a smaller town restaurant should feel like, and it does. If you are catering you are done looking, you will not find something with better value and taste than them in the area. I recommend going in and getting at least one sampler platter and another meal to be able to try all the sides they have to offer, then make your selection based on personal preference, but there will be hard choices. They will communicate with you throughout the way, and are very good at anticipating your needs. read more