Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse

While visiting from LA, everyone told me I «must stop by Izzy’s». So, for lunch on sunday, that’s exactly what I did. I decided to go all out, ordering both the Dino ribs and smoked brisket sandwich. The two together came to a whopping total of $ 65!!!
Dino ribs: extremely fatty. Yes, I know ribs have fat, but this was at a new level. Taste wise, there was nothing to them. It felt like I was eating a warm fatty piece of nothing. To call them mediocre is an insult to mediocre ribs. And at $ 42 that was seriously hard to swallow…2/10
Smoked brisket sandwich: the sandwich was made up of some pickled veggies, brisket, and sauce. It was not bad, but was nothing special. At that price point it was totally not worthwhile. LA has numerous kosher restaurants that offer better sandwich’s at half the price. ⁴⁄₁₀
The one thing I will give them is their service was extremely fast, and I love the aesthetics of the restaurant. That’s what saved it from being a 1 star review.
(Disclaimer: being from LA I don’t know if such mediocrity is the norm in NY. It’s possible that by NY standards those were great sandwiches and ribs. Judging by the other Unilocal reviews it is highly possible. If so, I simply advise y’all to visit LA and enjoy some actually good kosher food).

No words can describe how good the food tasted. My mouth is watering as I write this review. Met the owner he’s a very nice person. All the meat is cooked to perfection I got the pulled beef tacos brisket and wings and Cooke and tasted awesome. I drove a half hour there and back worth the drive and pretty easy to find parking. And you walk out full can’t wait to go back.

Great food and friendly service to match.

i been here around 3 times & enjoyed all times.
The brisket & the wings are excellent.
i wish it was less expansive.
deffantly will come again, one of the best kosher resturant in NY

The food is amazing. I mean amazing. We ordered shredded beef empanadas, sausage sandwich, shredded beef sandwich, and french fries. The shredded beef empanadas are still making me drool. I could make an entire meal from those empanadas. The sauce they came with was tangy and refreshing, the shredded beef gave a little kick, but they were crispy and tasty, and everything you could want. The sausage was tasty and came covered in chili. Totally unexpected, but certainly delicious. The shredded beef sandwich was big, topped with coleslaw and pickles. The beef was spicy (which I don’t normally like) but the spice didn’t linger. Husband and I shared everything, felt pleasantly full afterwards, and will definately be returning!

Went with my husband, 11mo old son and a few friends for my husband’s birthday. Food and service was excellent. It’s really a carnivor’s dream come true. We got the dino ribs ribs and brisket as well as french fries, empanada, slaw and pickles. Turns out we didn’t really need the slaw because they gave us some with the meal. The slaw was a little too sweet for my taste but everything else was really on point. We also got desert, but it wasn’t anything to write home about, just a cold pie that came out of the fridge. Long story short, skip dessert.
They are in the middle of expanding and now have a second room, which was very cold and made me feel kinda dizzy. I hope they change the paint/​décor soon. In addition, I hope they get some high chairs, as my son ended up having to sit in his stroller.
All in all, good overall experience. If we happen to be in the area, we might go again.

The ribs had a very nice bark to them. Tender and flavorful.
The brisket was also very good
Recommended for those who like BBQ
Great place

This place is amazing I love the Brieske it is really flavorful and I would recommend to anybody
Keep in mind the place is very small please have A little bit patient and I think you would find this place your next favorite restaurant

Ate here twice. First time I had a variety — ribs, brisket, etc. Was OK, although much more than I expected from a NYC smokehouse (I’m from TX). Very pricey. Second time, I got their «smoked chulent», which was awesome. I think they only serve it on Thursdays. Would highly recommend stopping by this joint on a Thursday to pick up a bowl of their smoked chulent.

This place is the greatest. I don’t eat much meat, definitely not much red meat but this place is just fantastic. I’m not kosher and I think this is hands down the best ribs and brisket I’ve ever had.
I drive out from Manhattan probably once a month. Can’t recommend highly enough.

Great vibe. Excellent food and service. beautiful scent of the cherry wood burning.
MUST VISIT!

I’ve never had smoked food before and decided to try this place. We got here at 10pm and there were only a few people there. We were served within five minutes.
Looking at the menu made my mouth water. What do I try? So many delicious options! So I went with the brisket ($ 20), which comes with as side of red cabbage slaw and a few half dill pickles. I’ve never tasted meat that tasty, but it didn’t fill me up so I ordered the pulled beef sandwich ($ 17), which came with slaw on the sandwich. The ‘wich itself was very large and bursting with flavor. In fact, we split it into two. The chicken wings ($ 9) were delicious, and a great option for a side dish. For dessert, I had the lemon marangue pie ($ 7), which was okay.
Overall, I’d highly recommend Izzy’s for anyone looking for food that’s way different and unlikely to disappoint. I’d recommend ordering one of each item and sharing, so you each try it all. I wish they offered a chef’s tasting plate for this reason.

Top of the line — This holds its own against any BBQ joint anywhere. The brisket is smoked to perfection and with each bite, you can taste salt, pepper and paprika. The bark is nice and dark and gives each bite fantastic texture. There are a couple of MUST’s: You must try the lamb belly bacon. It is smoked for days and then finished on the flat top. It is crisp, crunchy and so full of flavor. Next time I go, I ma going to have a BLT. This lamb bacon can be a meal all unto itself. Another MUST — smoked deep fried chicken sandwich with mayo horseradish sauce. The chicken is smoked and finished off in a secret batter, then deep fried.
Other Honorable Mentions: The empanadas — pull brisket placed in an expand and deep fried.
DINO RIBS — Best I have had — 1 rib is a meal unto itself.
Don’t Walk — Run to Izzy’s. He sells out of Beef Ribs (very popular) fast.

I came here with my son, thinking the hype would be more than the food warranted. I was so wrong, thankfully. The main storefront is a noisy, crowded place with serving staff and customers banging into each other and the clatter of metal trays keeping a constant background din. There’s a totally unpromising looking room next door in an old surgical supply store where you can sit and they will bring the food to you.
But the food… we had brisket, smoked lamb ribs, and sides of beans with bits of brisket and hot wings. The wings were good, tangy, but didn’t need the dipping sauce. The beans were great – sweet, a really nice spicy kick, and the smokiness of the brisket made it a complete dish. I could have just eaten the beans, and I would have been happy.
The brisket, though, was awesomely good. The rub on the outside was tangy and smoky and peppery, and the meat was juicy, solid enough to bite into and tender enough to melt in your mouth. It’s hard to imagine food better than that. Except the lamb ribs, which apart from a sprinkling of caramelized onions was coated with the same dry rub as the brisket. It was so ethereally delicious I can’t begin to describe. The meat had a taste of really fresh lamb, but the smokiness and the sweetness of the barbecue made it taste so different from the beef and so good. I was overwhelmed.
Would have been happier with real – not plastic – utensils, but as the server said when she saw me struggling with the plastic knife, «just use your hands. That’s what you’re supposed to do.»
Can’t wait to go again!

I’m really glad I put my ego aside and gave Izzys BBQ Smokehouse a second chance, because boy was I wowed.
My husband who didn’t solely agree with most of my review the last time I was there took a step back and said he now understands what I mean.
The contrast, the difference, everything was so not comparable. So much that I feel like maybe I wasn’t at Izzys last time.
Let’s talk about last night.
We were a party of three. We walked in to a pretty full restaurant. Izzys mother so graciously told us that the room next door is empty and we could order at the counter, take a seat there and they’ll bring it to us as soon as it’s ready.
So that’s what we did.
The following is what we ordered and I’ll go through each of them.
Smoked Chicken Soup — Wow! Hearty hearty chicken soup. A world of scrumptious and almost homemade flavors combined in this generous serving of chicken soup. Filled with lots of veggies and delicious chicken he really pulls out the stops with this soup. I am a fan.
Pulled Beef Tacos — A total contrast to the previous time I tried these. The tacos were firm, neat and did not fall apart the moment I picked them up. I’m feeling the tantalizing tastes of the pulled beef now as I write this. The perfect amount of pico de galo on top of the softest most divine pulled beef you will ever ever get to taste.
Candied Bacon — Ok, as I wrote on my Instagram post. I wish I was able to fill a bathtub with these and just make love. Really. I’ve never tried real bacon and I don’t think I ever want to. I don’t even know why this is not a regular on the menu (Probably because it’s not the most simple dish) Crazy! Who knew meat could taste this good? I have definitely found a favorite. Flavors, texture and serving amount was just right. It had this beautiful combination of sticky candy and then smokey/​spiced flavors. The sweet and savory combination worked so perfectly. It’s a heavenly creation.
Beef Empanadas — Although these are absolutely phenomenal my thoughts are that the meat to dough ratio could use some tweaking. Like less empanadas per order and more meat inside. The meat was very tasty but there was a lot of dough left over half way through.
Smoked Hot Wings — Last time I said I was a fan of these and that hasn’t changed. I ordered a serving for the table but fortunately for me I managed to eat them all before anyone else got their hands on it. Yes, I am a monster like that. Ain’t nobody gonna mess with a white girls wings. Again, the spicy smoked flavor is what pulls me to this. I dream about eating these in my sleep. They are also not stingy with the chicken these wings come with. You don’t immediately bite into bone. You can actually get a decent amount of chicken before kicking the bone to the curb.
1lb Brisket — This is one of the points my husband absolutely agrees with me. The brisket we received last time was nothing, nothing like this. I don’t even know what that was. This order was chunks of mouthwatering, moist, juicy and richly smoked beautiful pieces of brisket. We even attempted to order another half pound. Good thing they forgot about it because we had no room in any of our stomachs by the time we were done here.
Half a Chicken — I went back to the pictures I took last time and see the difference openly. What we got this time was worlds away from the chicken we had the previous time.
This chicken was succulent, beautifully smoked and very very appealing to our taste buds. This is a dish I’d order and re-​order many more times. Especially as someone who is not a big chicken eater, this actually makes me think chicken ain’t that bad.
Smoked Fried Chicken Sandwich — First time ordering this. I wanted a sandwich and asked Izzy what he recommends. He said this one, so we went with it. And I say THANK YOU! This is also not a regular on the menu and I agree with that. The specialty and uniqueness of the sandwich makes you want to beg for more. I ordered it with pickles on the side per someones recommendation and I agree with the pickles and sauce having a bit of a clashing taste. (Although my husband says it screamed I need pickles). Perfect perfect sandwich all around. Oh, I want more. Now.
So, in conclusion, Izzy has a gift. A gift I did not get to see the last time I was there, but last night I saw heaven and God in my dishes and I have yet to see that at another local smokehouse. So Thank you for allowing us to second chance at this amazing establishment so we can see what the real rave and hype is about.
I’ll finish it off by saying, thanks to the second room no clothes/​coats were sent to the dry cleaners!

Disclosure: I own a restaurant, I may be more observant or critical than the average joe.
First the good: The place was hopping! I’m a harsh critic, and I always leave a place thinking of what the guy can do better, but then I chide myself: why?! Why should this guy do better on anything if he can fill the place up, and turn table after table with this mediocrity (in good situations). He gets 4 stars from me, because as a business, he is or should be successful (without knowing his COG, payroll, etc…). He went cheap on décor (Restoration Hardware lighting); good for him!
The bathroom had a great paint accent thing going on, but the large mirror is directly behind the toilet, so as a male, you can watch yourself urinate. Not classy.
The food came out as it was ordered, the service was quick. The servers were attentive, though poorly trained. When asked what was gluten free, they opted to err on the side of caution, and severely limited the already sparse menu. I ordered a lot, to be able to sample all sorts of things, and discovered more to be gluten free than initially told. (I’m an expert on ingredients, I know what contains gluten and what does not. The server asked me if cabbage contains gluten).
The menu, as mentioned was quite limited. This is okay when the reason the restaurant limits the menu is to perfect the few items they have and to develop flavor profiles to perfection. Nothing here was well developed or executed. Food was ⁴⁄₁₀. I will not go into itemized detail.
When you charge $ 32 Lb for meat, you can’t include the bone, you just cannot. Of the $ 140 I spent here, $ 45 was on bone, and that doesn’t even include the fat! I’m aware that ‘fat is flavor’, and including it in the price is acceptable.
Last thought: I can go to a lot of kosher restaurants and get: waiter service, real cutlery (not plastic), store made fries (not frozen, boxed), bread made in house, a linen napkin, a tablecloth, a comfortable chair, a little privacy, a little elbow room, an unrushed experience, and a more educated attendant, all for the same $ 140. You won’t see me here again, not cuz I’m a hater, I wish the owner well! I can just do soooooo much better for the same money! You can too!

I pretty much tried everything on the menu and everything was fantastic.

First I want to say the food is delicious. The place is nicely set up and clean. But I wouldn’t come here when it is busy if you want to stay because there is limited seating. The staff is very friendly. When I went to order though they had items missing from their menu. They were out of chicken. They were out of some desserts but had some extra ones that were not on the menu. Since they didn’t have chicken the guy there convinced me to order the ribs. The menu said $ 32 a lb. So I thought it was $ 32.Then he cut the ribs and weighed it. He charged me $ 78. I told him I didn’t want it. He said he understood. He said have the brisket instead. The brisket is basically the same thing except without the bone for one fourth of the price. Yes you are getting less meat but you also aren’t paying for that bone when they weigh it. So I had brisket that came with cole slaw. I also ordered mashed potatoes. My bill totalled $ 30 and some change. I was happy with that. The only complaint I have about the food is it is pretty cold. or lukewarm rather. Would have been better hotter. But besides that the flavors are great. Would come back again. They gave me a free caramel cheesecake which I thought was really sweet of them. The customer service here is excellent. Honestly though no milk cheesecake isn’t that good. I didn’t really like it. It tasted funny.

This is the best bbq place I ever been! I had brisket, lamb shank, smoked baked beans, French fries, lemon merengue pie and peanut butter pie. I gotta give 5 stars to all dishes.

Crown Heights is a magical place. A lot of holiness abounds in this neighborhood. 770 Eastern Parkway may be beis chayeinu b’ruchnius, it may be a spiritual home and source of life to the chasidim of the Rebbe, but Izzy’s is the kodesh hakedoshim, the holy of holies of gashmius, material, culinary pleasures and delight.
I finally made it here last week on a very special day. Katsuji Tanabe of Top Chef and Mexikosher fame, was here plating up smoked brisket Filipino tacos. Plus, Izzy had pastrami in the house. I was going to order smoked brisket, but once I saw that glorious pastrami, I knew I had no other choice to order it, and my G-​d, was I thrilled I did. The pastrami was simply the best deli I ever had in my entire life. No other way to express it. Better than any delicatessen I ever ate in. I can only imagine what kind of juices would be flowing and what sorts of screams we’d hear if Meg Ryan ate the pastrami here instead of that other place. It was melt in the mouth, fatty, smooth, and like clay in the hand of a master artisan, Sruli masterfully piled the pastrami on a delicious roll with his red cabbage slaw, perfectly crispy house-​made pickles, and grainy mustard. I wish I had ordered three of these! I still cannot get the thought out of my mind. Next time Izzy’s has pastrami, I plan on ordering at least a pound and also seeing if they have good rye (not that there was anything wrong with the roll, but I’m a purist). I’d run back here every day for that pastrami, I’d spend half my disposable income on it, I’d do cartwheels for it. It’s worth an ode and a sonnet.
The Dinosaur rib was great. The bone makes for some laughs, as it does resemble something Fred Flinstone would eat, and the sauce on the table complimented it perfectly. Next time, I would have them give me rib without the bone, as I’d imagine you get more meat for the price that way, and I’d have them cut out an inedible and highly unpleasant membrane that interrupts your eating pleasure. The baked beans were solid.
Desserts are a draw here for sure. You cannot tell they’re dairy free and parve, and they taste homemade. I had the peanut butter mousse, and it was as decadent and dreamy as you can imagine. It made for a nice supper, along with half of the rib I couldn’t eat and most of the beans. I, and many others there, definitely ordered too much, as our eyes can be bugger than our stomachs. My whole bill came to $ 110. This place is very expensive, in all honesty, and it is a hole in the wall (not very comfortable to eat in when you’re being rushed, hassled, and overwhelmed by the crowds yearning to get in here), but this place is absolute perfection and I’d hurry back to get some pastrami, a rib off the bone and cut up, and some beans and next time, pecan pie. Izzy is a master and we’re so incredibly blessed to have this place in our midst.