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A pitmaster who has earned his cred in one of Long Island City’s top restaurants has rolled out a second barbecue spot into the neighborhood.
Owner Josh Bowen of John Brown Smokehouse recently opened his second, long-awaited barbecue restaurant Mothership Meat Company at 27-20 40th Ave., on 28th Street, and it comes with a large outdoor beer garden and an Austin, Texas-inspired menu, LIC Post reports. Dishes at the new restaurant include all the classics like brisket, ribs, and prime rib, though Bowen says “unique” options like goat ribs, frog legs, and Hawaiian-style sausage will also appear.
The new restaurant idea comes from his short-lived, well-received Jackson Heights joint Alchemy, Texas, which opened and closed in 2013. The space itself was inspired by Texas restaurants with big outdoor patios, where diners linger around and drink beer. Here in New York, the outdoor garden seats 200.
Bowen has been working on the restaurant for quite some time, though it’s a different direction for him; at John Brown Smokehouse in LIC, he pays homage to Kansas City-style barbecue. He’s been trying to open the spot for the past three years, but has been hindered by licensing issues with the Department of Buildings, according to the LIC Post.
The restaurateur is a prominent presence in the neighborhood. He was a forceful proponent of the LIC Amazon headquarters deal, and when it fell through, he personally flew to Seattle to try and bring the company back. He also recently filed a defamation suit against city council deputy leader Jimmy Van Bramer, who was against the deal, after the politician published angry text messages from Bowen online and labeled them threats.
Despite the Amazon drama, Bowen has moved forward with his follow-up to John Brown Smokehouse. Mothership Meat Company is open from 5 p.m. to midnight on Thursday and Friday and from noon to midnight this weekend. Starting next week, the restauarant will open from Tuesday through Sunday from noon to midnight.
