New York’s favorite barbecue restaurant is finally returning to the borough that started it all.
Mighty Quinn’s is the city’s first authentic barbecue experience in a fast-casual setting, as well as the winner of the 2013 Zagat Award for best new restaurant in New York. Established in Brooklyn in 2011 by Pitmaster Hugh Magnum, Mighty Quinn’s soon became the stand-out experience at Smorgasburg and before long New Yorkers were lining up around the block to get a rare taste of authentic New York barbecue. Magnum partnered with Micha Magid and Christos Gourmos to establish Mighty Quinn’s first brick-and-mortar in the East Village, and today the brand now operates over nine locations across the country.
While Mighty Quinn’s began in Brooklyn, there are no longer any locations currently operating in the borough today. That’s all going to change by the end of this year however, as Mighty Quinn’s has partnered up with franchisees Matthew Kouskalis and Nick Galanis to open up five exclusive new locations in Brooklyn over the next five years. Three of those locations are already scheduled to open by the end of the year according to Kouskalis, who spoke with What Now New York about his plans for expansion.
The first location expected to open will be arriving at 433 Third Avenue, replacing Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue in Gowanus. Featuring a total 1,300 square feet of space, the location will function as both a smokehouse and a brick-and-mortar storefront. According to Kouskalis, the chief obstacle to authentic barbecue in New York is real estate. Good barbecue needs plenty of room for ventilation for smoking, so their first new location will be dedicated to smoking all of the meat for the other Brooklyn outposts. The team will be smoking fresh meat at the location daily, and then delivering it every morning to the other locations. This strategy ensures that every location will have deeply cooked, flavorful barbecue that other restaurants simply don’t have the space to compete with. Kouskalis and the team are hoping to have this location operational by the end of June.
The second location expected to open will be arriving in Williamsburg at 62 South Second Street. Moving back into the neighborhood where Mighty Quinn’s first began, the information will be welcome news to locals who have become disheartened since Mighty Quinn’s departure from Smorgasburg. This location features 2,700 square feet of space and is expected to open up this Fall.
The third location meanwhile will be opening up at the new development at 1 Boreum Place and will offer about 1,900 square feet of space. This location will be their last to open this year, and the team is hoping to have it operational by Winter. If you’d like to try out some of the food for yourself, you can visit one of their five Manhattan locations currently in operation, and you can follow Mighty Quinn’s on Instagram for further updates about their new expansion plans.
