It's funny - you can tell a lot about a place by their restroom. Maple Tree's bathroom was spacious, rustic and clean. Likewise, service was friendly. Food was timely, can't complain. I guess I wish their chicken came with sauce; they do sell their sauces separately, on the side. On the whole, a lovely experience and would definitely recommend - esp the ribs
Not bad but they can use some tips from Smoke Sweats over in Brooklyn...
We came in on a Sat for a late lunch. It was still a little busy. Service was pretty good, there was a mixup and they addressed it quickly. The owner himself came out and addressed it so i appreciate that. Food was delicious. The portions are small but that's typical for smoked BBQ.The three stars is because of the portions the chef chose to plate. For the brisket that we ordered, it's portioned by weight and they threw in this large piece of fat that was not edible at all. For the ribs that we ordered, we got the end piece on the rack that's mostly bone. Maybe they were rushing and didn't think about it. I feel being conscientious about what your plating can make or break this kind of experience for a customer when food is being sold by weight and number of ribs. It doesn't sit right when it feels like you're paying full price for leftovers.
My second time coming to this place yesterday. I took my family here because the food and service were so great last time. The food is still great and everybody is wonderful except this African American girl at the register who was having some serious attitude problems. She has a straight face on this whole time when we place our order. When I went back and ordered a couple more things for our table, her attitude was worse. I asked her if it’s a lot of trouble to add orders to our table? She then immediately fix her face and forcefully put on a smile and said ‘’no.’’ My other family members feel the same way about this girl. She shouldn’t be working there if she hates her job so much.
Some of the best BBQ I've had in NY is at Maple Tree. The brisket is tender and flavorful. The herbed crushed potatoes are delicious. The ribs fall off the bone and need no sauce. The "kallards" (kale cooked in the style of collard greens) are as good a side of greens as I've had outside the South. I can only bemoan the service, as the staff were continually mixing-up order details for us and others on a busy Sunday afternoon. I would definitely go again.
We were heartily greeted by the owner, Dennis O'Leary, in spite of being super busy doing everything behind the front counter. He tends bar, takes orders, chats it up with customers, prepares desserts, takes your $$ & serves up really good, Southern (Alabama?) barbecue; amazing & busy multi-tasking. Know that, as a result, there will be a bit of a wait but it'll be worth your while. The menu is fairly extensive, kind of expensive, but all good. In fact, it appeared to us that local residents come here as much as non-locals. Served directly on a tray, the mac & cheese side dish was thick & cheesy, jalapeno pickles were a perfect complement to our well seasoned, really flavorful 'Bama chicken on Portuguese roll sandwiches, cole slaw was a good additive, as was the corn bread. The mixed drinks Dennis poured (check out the mixed drinks menu in my pictures) looked really refreshing. We would have tried one but we were riding bicycles. Next time...
As always, the food was perfect! Their smoked meats are incredible! I just had a beef brisket sandwich (The Texan), and I can’t speak highly enough about it! Don’t pass this place by, it’s awesome!!
We just LOVE this place. The food is great. So fresh, so juicy and the portions are a good size for sharing. The sauces they have are delicious add-ons. The people are so friendly. We recently moved away from the area and still make it a point to go back when we are in town.
Clean, good good with a local feel. Great place to break up the day.
delicious BBQ, decent portions lots of choices.