Big Belly Que — Restaurant in Town of Smithtown

The words "Long Island" and "Amazing Barbecue" usually don't end up in the same sentence.

Until today that is.

Big Belly Que is a tiny "hole in the wall" Smithtown storefront next to a Domino's and a bagel shop. If you blink, you'll miss it. And what a shame it would be if you missed it.

The moment we walked in for their lunch sandwich special, the tangy, smoky aroma told us we were in a place that took BBQ seriously. The woman who helped us said, "Yeah, we're working on making a scented candle so you can take the fragrance home."

What I did take home was the unfinished half of the most amazing pulled brisket sandwich I've had in a very long time, and probably the best I've ever enjoyed on Long Island or anywhere outside of the deep south or more traditional BBQ meccas.

She told me the brisket was fresh-smoked today, and sure enough it was simply phenomenal. My friend had the Nashville Hot Chicken, and was equally impressed.

Lunch was presented on an attractive silver tray, with perfectly cooked fries in a cute little basket like they use in the fryer. The sandwiches were nestled into shiny brioche buns slathered in what I assume was garlic butter, then toasted to a perfect golden brown. It came with a tiny cup of colorful cole slaw, which my friend Randy took and gobbled down. He is a thief and a pig.

A crunchy onion ring was hidden under the top of the bun, and given how amazing the meat, bun and fries were, it was almost too much of a good thing, and probably the only part of the meal that I didn't feel earned a full five stars. But I'm nit-picking.

In one word, the pulled brisket meat was off the charts. Okay, that was three words, but it was that good. My friend Randy's Nashville Hot Chicken looked amazing, and while I took half of my sandwich home, he made "clean plate club" and downed the whole meal before we left - every last french fry, every last crumb.

My friend Randy is a pig. I am a connoiseur.

This place is tiny by any comparison, and probably seats 15 people or a few more at any time. The decor is simple, tasteful and classy, and how often do you walk out of a bathroom chuckling?

Why? It was spotless, nicely decorated and the sign over the sink summed it up perfectly. There are five stars and a quote that said "Would poop here again."

We were in and out in less than an hour, but I feel like I got to know the staff, the ambiance and the amazing food in that time. We will definitely return and sample other menu items, and who knows? Maybe I'll be able to leave a five-star review for the bathroom!!

Run, don't walk to...

New review: Decided to give big belly's another shot tonight and was glad I did! Mac and cheese was much better, nice texture and flavor. Buffalo garlic wings were on point, again! Medium wings were just okay. Jalapeno poppers were nice and crunchy, not very spicy. Brisket was good, nice tasty crust on the outside and the sauce was not too overpowering, which I liked. My wife and kids enjoyed all of the food, as well, which earns this spot 4 stars! Glad I was able to improve my previous review!

Old review: Ordered takeout from big belly's last night. I'm sad to say that we were disappointed with some of the items. We started with buffalo garlic wings, which were delicious. The sauce was a perfect blend of butter, garlic, and hot sauce, and the wings were juicy. I ordered pulled pork with mac and cheese and baked beans. The pulled pork was covered in sauce (that's my fault for ordering it that way) and the pork was a bit dry. The portions of the sides were extremely generous so you could imagine my excitement when I grabbed the mac and cheese and dug in... This was the biggest disappointment, and it's hard for me to describe but this was not mac and cheese, it was like the inside of a pizza hot pocket, it was over spiced, and there was more grainy-textured yellow cream sauce than there was macaroni. I'm all about experimenting with flavors, but include that information in the menu because this was not straight up mac and cheese. The baked beans weren't great, very rich, waaaay too peppery but there was a generous portion of meat stuffed in there, too. My wife ordered brisket with no sauce and that was the star of the show. It was traditional bbq, fall-apart tender, and had a nice, mild smokey flavor. Her sides were broccoli with garlic and oil, which was too peppery, and coleslaw, which was way too sweet. We also got a gooey toffee bar for dessert and that was good to share, impossible for one person to eat because of how sweet it was. All in all, it was a fair experience and I'm sure we'll try it again, since we both really enjoy bbq. I'll gladly update my...

Holy vegan balls. Today was the first time I visited this restaurant and I am SO happy I did! Their vegan options are fantastic! I had the vegan pulled jackfruit, street corn, loaded baked potato, vegan hotdog and the PB and j bites.

Their menu online states clearly what's vegan, and how to veganize it, if possible (ex: leave the frosting off the PB and j bites). I called in the order and the person who answered knew exactly what vegan items they had and knew what vegan means!

When I arrived, everyone was so nice. The inside is a little small, so it's not great for big groups to eat in, but it's perfect for a few people! And I enjoyed my to-go food very much!

The flavors are delicious! I love the vegan cheddar, chives and broccoli on the baked potato and the hot dog was super tasty! (I'm thinking they spend the money on Field Roast maybe). The corn was peeeerfect, seasoned and cooked well. The jackfruit is in chunks, slathered in BBQ sauce. It's SO GOOD. The PB and j bites are maybe deep fried Uncrustables and if they are, it's genius!!! You're getting something sweet but it's still protein in the pb.

Everything was wonderful. I can't wait to bring my omni boyfriend here! There are a bunch of parks around, I feel it's the perfect place to pick something up and have a picnic!

I wish I had pictures, but I ate 1/2 of everything too quickly! I can't wait to enjoy the other...