Rack & Soul

Soul food & wood-smoked barbecue / $$

2818 Broadway at W. 109th St.
1 train to 110th & Broadway
(212) 222-4800
www.rackandsoul.com

Mon-Sat 11 AM-11 PM, Sun 11 AM-9:30 PM
No reservations needed
Takeout, delivery, catering available
Visa, MC, AmEx

A BBQ pit master and soul-food chef pool their talents in an area sorely lacking in both arts. The baby back ribs, beef short ribs, and pulled pork are reddish from hours of smoking in apple wood and charcoal. They actually have some structure to them, just slightly chewy, a nice change from the kind of nearly liquid meat that slithers off the bone. Chicken fried in soy oil is lovely—you can taste the chicken through the sweet crust. If you'd prefer the brain-friendly oils, have catfish, bluefish, salmon cakes, or a salmon Caesar salad. Vegetarians won't go hungry either. Sides are divided between green veggies (collards, broccoli, string beans—asparagus!) and beans (lima, baked, black-eyed peas) and other starches (yams, mashed, slaw). The yellow and red decor is both elegant and homey and service is exceptional.

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