Legends Bar and Grill: Jackson Heights's Diamond in the Rough

"Queens is so farrrrr!"

"There can't be anything to eat out there...past Astoria, anyway."

"Barbecue is so expensive, and the good places are only in Manhattan."

I hear this sort of yammering all the time, and you know what? DON'T COME TO QUEENS. Because if this place gets super popular or something, and I can't come here anymore, I will be PISSED.

I was introduced to Legends by my friend John, who was born and raised in Jackson Heights, where this amazing place resides. And, over time, it's become my absolute favorite barbecue spot in all of New York City.

A couple of weeks ago, a group of friends and I went to the NYC Honey Festival  over at Rockaway Beach. We spent pretty much the whole day there, tasting various honeys and working up a serious appetite. We weren't sure what to do for dinner, so John suggested that we trek up to Legends for a savory barbecued feast. The Manhattanites in our crew exchanged some dubious looks.

Suggesting Queens as somewhere to go to for dinner, will definitely get you some side eye. It was hard enough to get these folks all the way down to Rockaway, and now they were being asked to go even further into this big ass borough. Since I hadn't been to Legends in months, I lobbied hard. I knew that if they just gave this place a chance, they'd love it. Of course, I wasn't wrong.

The kitchen is basically run by Marilyn, a vivacious middle aged Dominican woman. As soon as you sit down, you hear her trill: "Mi Amoorrrr!" I think some of my crew were taken aback, but I was used to it. That siren's song means there's a good meal ahead.

As we waited for our meal, I looked over at the counter and saw that beautiful hunk of brisket that you see in the picture above. Being the creeper that I am, I skipped over to take a picture. Marilyn motioned over to me before I went back to my seat. "Come, come!" she said. She pointed to behind the counter.

SAY WHAT! With my head covered, of course (I know how to behave inside a professional kitchen, after all, I work in one), she led me behind the cover so I could take an even closer look at the brisket. The look, the smell, everything about that piece of meat made me want to grab it and run out the door. Thankfully, I refrained. Then, when I was about to sit down again, she tapped me on the arm.

"No sitting! The smoker is back here."

DOUBLE SAY WHAT!! She was taking me to the holiest of holies, the most precious place in a barbecue joint. The pit smoker.

The huge smoker is fed with logs of mesquite wood....

Pork shoulder!

More brisket!

Even short ribs are thrown in this thing, and smoked low and slow all day long.

I'd never been that close to a pit smoker before, and I was so happy to get a peek. But, alas, my stomach was calling something fierce, so I went back to my table to eat.

We shared some wings. I tried very hard to eat only two....but I snatched a third because I couldn't resist. Imagine the best buffalo wings you could ever eat, lightly dressed in barbecue sauce. Crunchy, savory, spicy, sweet.

And then...the best part, and pretty much the ONLY thing I order when I come to Legends: The Jimmy's Junk platter.

Pulled pork, smoked kielbasa, brisket, and pork shoulder. Nary a vegetable in sight. I mean, there were outrageously good sweet potato fries and onion rings...but the meat took precedence.

Everyone can keep their Hill Country and Fatty Cue! Stay away from my Legends. Well, you can come and have some food, but that's it.

I don't Make Wise Lunch Decsions Sometimes

I'm not saying this because today's lunch was terrible. I'm saying this because there was too much of it. When you sit at a desk for most of the day, a heavy lunch will mess up the whole of your afternoon. But that's neither here nor there.

I feel like Kimchi Taco and I have been playing a cruel sort of song and dance with each other, much like the one Korrilla BBQ and I were playing for months. Playing a bastardized version of telephone tag with an entire vehicle is extremely frustrating! But today, the truck was close enough to my job, and I decided to indulge. I've been rocking the home leftovers since Monday, and damnit, I deserved a treat!

I got the 3 for 7 buck taco option (they also have 4 for 9 bucks), and chose the classic Korean BBQ beef, seared pork, and pulled chicken.

From left to right: Pork, Beef, Chicken

Finally, SPICY FREAKING TACOS! I had ordered a bottle of water with my meal and promptly forgot it, so my chest was aglow with the happy heat of all those red pepper flakes and tangy doses of kimchi. This was also without bbq sauce, because I forgot to put some on. Look, I was hungry and only had a half hour left of my lunch break, folks! Now, this wasn't so spicy that I was miserable, but the kick is definitely there..so if you're not a fan of spicy food, either ask if they can make it less so...or don't eat here. The beef was my favorite, very well seasoned, tender, and delectable with its slight char. The pork came in at a close second, and the chicken third. The bird was spicy, but was kind of blah. Honestly, I didn't miss the sauce, b/c all of these were incredibly juicy, but I would've liked to at least try the spicy and mild varieties. Next time, I'll make sure to remember to splash some on.

For my side dish, I really wanted to try the kimchi arancini (their variation on the italian rice ball that has mexican mozzerella, panko, kimchee puree, parm, and red pepper paste). However, as soon as I overheard that they were sold out, I chose the spicy rice cake.

Korean Rice Cakes (Tteok)

They were doused in a Korean red pepper glaze and topped with queso blanco and scallions. The texture: kind of like a firmer version of mochi. The cakes soaked up all that tangy, sweet glaze, and even though I wished the cheese was a little bit sharper, I loved the dish as a whole.

Oh, and remember the water I said I forgot? When I went back to the truck (I had lunch in the public plaza across the street), and let the nice guys know that I forgot it, they gave me two bottles to make up for it. Delicious food, and nice service. Good work, Kimchi Taco.