Road Trip Close to Home: It's all about the bark at Bark BBQ in Bushwick
A new location of Bark Barbeque is serving up smoked meats and Dominican-inspired flavors, creating a dining experience that blends Caribbean culture with traditional barbecue techniques.
For this week's close-to-home road trip, the destination is the Dominican Republic by way of Bushwick.
A new location of Bark Barbeque is serving up smoked meats and Dominican-inspired flavors, creating a dining experience that blends Caribbean culture with traditional barbecue techniques.
The restaurant pays tribute to the Dominican Republic through its decor, drinks and menu. Guests can enjoy everything from cafecito to carnitas in a space designed to celebrate Dominican culture.
Owner and pitmaster Ruben Santana says his approach to barbecue comes down to experience and instinct.
"People want to use thermometers. I don't use thermometers. It's all feel, and it's a skill that comes with time," Santana said.
Santana says the project took over two years, with many iterations, settling on the perfect smoker, coffee machines and open design layout, with everything facing the customer.
He says much like his BBQ, it was a slow process, with a big payoff.
"That's why I took the time building up the business, the customer base. Slow simmer, but 100% worth it," he said.
The restaurant's flavors are driven by locally sourced wood that is chopped and used for smoking in-house. Santana oversees the process himself, including the brisket, which spends 14 hours in the smoker before it is ready to serve.
"It goes for 14 hours. Once you see that bark, you go, 'OK, now I can get the foil on to tenderize the meat and get it to the finish line,'" Santana said.
Customers can watch as meats are sliced and plated in full view of the dining room, highlighting the work that goes into each order.
For Santana, the restaurant is about more than food.
"To me, Dominican culture is sharing. It's generosity. We want a place where you can come, relax and feel like home," he said.
One standout item on the menu is the Tres Golpes Sandwich, inspired by the classic Dominican breakfast. The sandwich features fried cheese, plantains, and carnitas.
"Everything goes well together, and it was exciting for us to have these in sandwich form, in a place where we have the to-go customer too," Santana said.
With brisket requiring more than half a day to prepare, Santana encourages customers not to wait too long to stop by.
When the day's brisket is gone, the next batch is still 14 hours away.
