I was standing outside Brother Jimmy’s earlier this week and as a group went in ahead of me, one of them said, “I am really excited about this.”
Mind you, this was the Brother Jimmy’s in New York’s Murray Hill neighborhood, not a place exactly teeming with barbecue restaurants. I had already visited the Brother Jimmy’s in the Marketplace at Dr. Phillips and figured I should check out a New York location since the concept began there.This is the place with the slogan “Put some south in yo’ mouth.” There are indications that Manhattan had multiple Brothers Jimmy’s – the first was on the Upper East Side and another was on Eighth Avenue, but it appears that only the one on Lexington Avenue still exists.
In fact, when another Brother Jimmy’s opens at Icon Park, Orlando will have twice as many as Manhattan. Is that something to get really excited about?
The Marketplace location is actually a quick-service prototype for the chain rather than a full service restaurant. So it’s quite small compared to the Murray Hill place, pictured above.
So you order at the counter and wait for your name to be called. There is seating, both inside and out, but it’s suited for takeaway.
The barbecue was perfectly acceptable but I don’t think true ‘cue lovers would place it at the top of their list of favorites, not with so many other choices.
I ordered a two-meat combo with brisket and ribs. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked if I wanted the brisket fatty or non. (With fat, of course.) The brisket was tender enough. The ribs weren’t quite. The platter came with two sides – I went for the Brussels sprouts and the collard greens – and a corn muffin (very dry). The sprouts were pretty good but the collards were flavorless.
The brisket was actually better in New York. (No one asked me which type I wanted but it was sufficiently fatty.) And it was piled high in the sandwich I ordered. I had the sprouts in New York, too, and they tasted the same. (Only got one side choice and the muffin wasn’t included.)
You can localize the barbecue with one of the available sauces, ranging from ketchup- to vinegar-based.
I can’t say I’m excited about more of these opening locally. But if you like making barbecue comparisons, you might want to put it on yo’ list.
Brother Jimmy’s is at 7800 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando (map). It is open for lunch and dinner daily. The phone number is 407-674-6273.
