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Coming Soon: Barbecue with a Panamanian Twist at Wild Whiskey Warthog
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 1:35PM 
Hot on the heels of the opening of Fort Reno Provisions and the announcement that Dinosaur BBQ will be coming to Union Street near Fourth Avenue, now there's word that a third player is hopping into the Park Slope barbecue pool. Wild Whiskey Warthog, which has quietly been under construction for the past couple months at 209 Fourth Avenue, near Union Street, will be contributing a full menu of traditional barbecue offerings with a Central American twist to the new Brooklyn Barbecue Row when it opens by the end of April.
I had the opportunity to chat with owner Carlos Russell last night, and he filled me in on what's in store for the 2,000 foot space, formerly home to Maria's Mexican Bistro. "It'll be Fusion Barbecue," he said. "My mother is from Alabama and my father is from Panama, so it'll look like barbecue, but will taste different from what you might expect."
One entree he's particularly excited about is the short ribs with guava barbecue sauce, and sides will include the familiar rice and peas, and collard greens.
Russell spent the past 15 years in the restaurant industry, working as everything from manager to barback, and his recipes go all the way back to his childhood. "I'm not a professional, but I've been training since I was eight or nine years old," he said. "These are all my family recipes. They come from my grandmother."
While food will certainly be a focal point, there'll be no question that the space is a bar first and foremost. "We'll have a lot of whiskey-based cocktails, but also lots of other great things to drink," said Carlos. Another priority is affordability. "I want you to be able to bring a date and spend only 40 or 50 bucks for two people, and have a great time," he added. "It'll be inexpensive, but that doesn't mean it'll be cheap." He also plans on bringing in some live salsa and rock acts on the weekends.
And as for the fact there will be two other barbecue-centric restaurants within a stone's throw? "Park Slope is so large, there's more than enough to go around," he opined. "And restaurants don't close because of competition. They close when the food and management is bad. You won't have to worry about that here."
Coming Soon in Bars, Food, Scoops, Storefronts
Reader Comments (11)
ANOTHER barbecue place?? And, also right at Union and 4th?? I love barbecue and look forward to trying these new places, but, why all of a sudden 3 of them right on top of each other? Wow, when it rains, it pours
Very weird. But good!
Also just read the brooklyn paper article about this great week the park slope food scene is having and they said that the guys behind thistle hill and talde are in the work for ANOTHER place!
you gotta find out more about that one for us!! please please!!
At least there's a twist here with the Central American theme (and anyone who's been to the Nicaraguan steakhouses in Miami will know they can get it done) but, wow, someone should have asked around a bit more as far as what else was in the pipeline before opening two BBQ joints in the shadow of Dinosaur.
Still, slightly more excited about this than Fort Reno.
ParkPlace:
Went to Fort Reno last night and it's very tasty. Better than Fette Sau. Get the pork.
Carlos nailed it. It doesn't matter how many BBQ places there are on this corner. It's a big neighborhood and a bigger city. If the food is good, they will all be fine.
And it will open when?
Prospectpark: Going tomorrow. Will post what I think.
wait, I thought Ft. Reno went into the place formerly occupied by Maria's?
@Pork Slop I think they divided the space in half.
It was divided in half a while ago. Mama Rosa was in the half facing Union St. I can't remember as to whether there was still an attempt to run Maria's out of the 4th Ave. side.
I always said that Brooklyn needed a BBQ District.