Brickyard dominates 'Savory Summer' voting to retain title of 'WNY's Best BBQ'

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

There are many places in Western New York where one can find good barbecue. … But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the reader vote from “WNY’s Best BBQ.”

The Brickyard Pub & BBQ/Brickyard Brewing Company retained its “Savory Summer” crown, taking an awe-inspiring 93% of the fan ballots in NFP’s recent food contest.

“Thank you to our customers,” co-owner Ken Bryan said. “Our staff, we take great pride in what we do. We try to stay as consistent as possible. Over the COVID and ‘shrinkflation,’ and all the issues you have with getting product, we've stayed very consistent to what we've always done – and we believe in that theory; and it's worked for us for years. We’re going to continue to do that. Obviously, it's working good for us, but thank you to the customers and our staff. They're the ones who drive the machine.”

To have “WNY’s Best BBQ” flies in the face of those who told Bryan and co-owner Eric Matthews that barbecue wouldn’t make it in Lewiston.

“We were looking for a little niche in the area,” Bryan said. “So, yes, there wasn't barbecue. I think the closest one was out in Lockport at the time. We'd also just wanted a whole new concept for Lewiston – something that was based a little more on turning tables.

“There was a big uptick in Lewiston’s business, around 2000-2005. At the time, there were quite a few restaurants that were closed, renovating. … We felt that it was a good concept for us, for customers, for business, from a business standpoint. So, we took it and drove with it. Luckily, it worked for us.

“I mean, there were a lot of people that doubted it at the beginning, that barbecue wouldn't survive in Lewiston full-time all year round. Everybody knows winter in Lewiston can be, not snow on the ground, but winter can be six to seven months. You're dependent on if you have good seasons.

“It's held out where it's a good, hardy, winter meal, and it's things people want in the summer. That was the mindset behind it 20-some years ago.”

Barbecue at the Brickyard. (Photos courtesy of the Brickyard Pub & BBQ)

The Brickyard – Lewiston’s Center Street staple – has been serving its award-winning barbecue for more than two decades. When it opened in February 2005, Bryan and Matthews also operated Tin Pan Alley. They sold that restaurant in 2019, opting to focus on their popular flagship, and the adjoining, two-story, architecturally spiffy BBC.

Bryan credited four straight wins in “WNY’s Best BBQ” to the Brickyard team.

“We've been extremely fortunate with staff,” he said. “We have quite a few staff that's been with us for 10, 20 years. Quite a few of them. They've treated us great, and we try to treat them the same in return, and they enjoy working. We love having them as employees.

“I think, from the front of the house, that's a huge advantage having employees that have stayed with you for years. Same with the back of house. There's been great consistency back there with Joe. Joe Jakubowski is the only one who smokes our food for last 15 years, so we know it's going to be consistent. Not everybody has their hands in the pot, or different recipe. It's extremely consistent. Comes out great. People love it. People know him. People come here for him.

“The rest of the kitchen staff, they take pride in what they put out, too. And quite a few of them have also been back there a long time. We've been very fortunate of lack of turnover. You see some of the younger kids going to school – the real part-time help – but the full-time help, we've been extremely fortunate.”

On the Brickyard website, it explains food is prepared with “the best wood-fired cooking, with the highest-quality ingredients. Our barbecue is slow-smoked with a blend of hickory and fruit woods for up to 14 hours, in our authentic wood pit BBQ smoker, for that perfect, off-the-bone-tender BBQ you’re looking for.”

Popular items include the signature pulled pork, house-rub chicken wings, St. Louis-style and baby back ribs, barbecue chicken, brisket, turkey, chili and Brunswick stew. In addition, craft beer is made at the BBC.

Bryan said, “We just looked at it as we wanted to make customers happy, make staff happy. I think if you can do the two, the rest will grow.

“The old saying is, ‘If you build it, they'll come.’ If you give them something nice, they'll come. And we try to put back into our property as much as we can, update and fix things up, and from the front of the house – what you see – to the back of the house – kitchen stuff – is always being replaced.

“It's been a good ride, that's for sure. Hopefully, many more years.”

The Brickyard Pub & BBQ is located at 432 Center St., Lewiston; and online at https://www.brickyardpub.com/. BBC is next door at 436 Center St.