(This venue is closed.) "Barbecue," in this neck of New Jersey, often summons the image of a Portuguese- or Brazilian-style churrasqueira, where meats are sizzled over a grill or on a rotisserie. At Red White & Que, which I first visited several years ago, not long after it opened on a tree-lined, otherwise residential block behind a high school, the bill of fare focuses on "American Southern barbecue" — a phrase I heard repeated to numerous first-time visitors, less for clarification than as a rallying cry.
In such company, pastrami is a relatively recent addition to the menu. My fat sandwich was very good with the addition of spicy and mustard sauces — but, for first-timers, it would be very hard to pass up Texas brisket with a fresh-cracked black pepper rub (below). Also shown, from a road-show appearance at the annual Hamilton Park BBQ Festival in Jersey City: a whole hog sandwich dressed with sweet and vinegar sauces.
Red White & Que Smokehouse
266 Davis Ave. (King St.-Quincy Ave.), Kearny, New Jersey
201-998-2271
www.RedWhiteAndQueSmokehouse.com
