This Upstate New York Smokehouse Serves A Mixed Grill Platter That Barely Fits On The Table
Some meals arrive politely. This one shows up like a parade of smoked meat and immediately makes your elbows a problem.
One family out in a quiet stretch of New York farmland runs a smokehouse, a pizza oven, and a farm market all under the same roof, which already sounds like too many jobs for one building. Then the sampler platter comes out, and the whole operation makes sense.
Local legend status did not happen by accident here. People talk about that platter the way they talk about a good storm, with a little disbelief and a lot of detail.
Nine reasons follow for why this barbecue stop belongs on your map, though the platter alone probably covers most of them.
A Farm Road Detour With Applewood In The Air
Smoke gives away the secret long before any sign does. Drive the two lane road through this pocket of Ulster County and the scent of applewood curls through the open car window.
It is the kind of clue that makes drivers slow down without knowing why.
The building itself keeps things humble. There is no flashy paint job, no towering sign begging for attention.
What waits inside is a working farm market and a barbecue kitchen sharing the same floor, with coolers of fresh meat on one side and a brick pizza oven glowing on the other.
Regulars from all over the Hudson Valley treat the drive as part of the fun. Hikers coming down from Minnewaska stop in.
Folks heading north pull off the highway and end up staying an hour longer than planned.
The magic is in the sourcing. The animals are raised on the family farm, and the meat travels a very short distance before meeting the smoker.
Fresh, never frozen, and slow cooked over applewood cut nearby. That short trip shows up in every bite, and you taste the difference immediately.
Meet John Fazio Farms Barbecue In Modena
Names matter in small towns, and this one belongs to the man behind the pit. John Fazio Farms Barbecue sits at 1836 Route 44/55 in Modena, New York, which happens to be the owner’s hometown.
He raises the animals, runs the market, and keeps a close eye on the smoker.
Chef and manager Brad Goulden handles the barbecue side of the operation. Between the two of them, the place runs with the steady rhythm of a kitchen that has nothing to prove and everything under control.
Hours are generous but not endless. Doors open at 10 in the morning most days, with Friday and Saturday stretching to 9 at night.
Tuesday is the day off, so plan around it or you will be sniffing an empty parking lot.
Phone orders go through 845-883-4100, handy for anyone planning a pickup run. The rating sits at 4.6 stars across more than 700 opinions, which tells you plenty about consistency.
Family owned means someone here actually cares whether you enjoyed lunch. That old fashioned attention is rarer than good brisket.
The Smokin’ Sampler Platter Takes Over Your Table
Ambition arrives on a tray. The Smokin’ Sampler Platter loads up four ounces of brisket with gravy, four ounces of thick cut pastrami, two ribs, three smoked wings, four ounces of pulled pork, and a wedge of homemade cornbread.
Finding room for your drink becomes a genuine puzzle.
Ordering it is the smartest move for a first visit. Rather than agonizing over the menu, you get a guided tour of the pit in one shot.
Everything the smoker does well shows up at once.
The pastrami comes with a choice of mustard or Thousand Island, and both work. Brisket leans savory with that gravy pooling around the slices.
The wings hold their crunch even next to all that saucy company.
Sharing is encouraged, though nobody will judge you for going solo. Two people can split it comfortably and still walk away pleased.
Three people can make it a full meal with sides.
Bring a friend with an appetite and a competitive streak. The last rib always sparks a friendly negotiation, and cornbread makes an excellent bargaining chip.
Eighteen Hours Of Patience Makes The Brisket
Patience is the main ingredient here, and it takes almost a full day. The brisket goes into the smoker and stays there for eighteen hours over applewood.
No shortcuts, no rushing the clock.
What comes out is beef that gives way under a fork without turning mushy. The bark carries a gentle sweetness from the wood, and the interior stays moist all the way through.
Fat renders into something silky instead of chewy.
The brisket sandwich deserves its own mention. Piled onto ciabatta bread and finished with homemade gravy, it turns into a two napkin situation in the best way.
That bread choice was a stroke of good sense, since it soaks up gravy without falling apart.
Brisket is the toughest test in barbecue. Cook it too fast and it turns stringy.
Cook it too long and it dries out. Hitting the middle takes practice and a pit master who watches the fire.
Order it sliced on a platter or stacked on the sandwich. Either way, the eighteen hours are doing their job quietly.
Pastrami Brined For Twenty One Days Straight
Three weeks in brine is a serious commitment. The pastrami here soaks for twenty one days before it ever meets smoke, then spends another full day over applewood.
After that, it gets hand cut into slices thick enough to make a deli counter jealous.
Pastrami fans in New York have strong opinions, and this version earns respect. The pepper crust bites gently.
The meat inside stays juicy and carries a tangy edge from all that time in the brine.
You can order it as a sandwich, as part of the sampler, or even as a pizza topping. Each version highlights something different about it.
The sandwich lets the meat speak plainly, while the pizza plays up the salt against melted cheese.
Thousand Island dressing is the sleeper pick for a topping. It adds a creamy tang that plays nicely with the smoke and the pepper.
Making pastrami from scratch is rare outside of city delis. Finding it in farm country, cut by hand and smoked on site, feels like discovering a bonus level.
Ribs, Pulled Pork, And Wings Worth The Mess
Napkins vanish fast at this table. The ribs pull cleanly from the bone with a light tug, seasoned with a dry rub that lets the pork lead.
No sawing required.
Pulled pork lands in generous heaps, moist and shreddy, and it gets even better with a scoop of homemade coleslaw piled on top. The cool crunch against warm pork is a classic pairing that never gets old.
Wings deserve extra credit for the two step method. They spend two and a half hours in the smoker, then hit the fryer, then get tossed in a blend of three house sauces.
The result is crisp skin holding smoke underneath, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.
Sauce here leans savory with a sweet finish. It clings without drowning anything, and plenty of folks ask for extra on the side.
Sides round things out nicely. Old Bay chips, French fries, sweet baked beans, and cornbread that stays fluffy and a little sugary.
Cornbread has a habit of disappearing before the meat does.
Duck, Rabbit, And Other Wonderfully Unexpected Bites
Chicken and pork are the usual suspects, so the menu throws in a few surprises. Smoked duck and smoked rabbit both make appearances, including tacos built around them.
Farm raised means these options are not gimmicks.
The duck also shows up on pizza, where its richness handles the heat of the brick oven well. Rabbit is leaner and takes smoke in a subtler way.
Both give adventurous eaters something to talk about on the ride home.
Fazio raises chickens, ducks, and rabbits himself, all without hormones or antibiotics. Knowing exactly where dinner came from is a rare luxury at a roadside barbecue joint.
Trying something unfamiliar is easier when the kitchen knows what it is doing. If you have never eaten smoked duck, this is a low risk introduction, since the same applewood treatment applies.
Order one unusual item alongside your standard favorites. That way you get the comfort of ribs and the thrill of something new on the same trip.
Curiosity rewards you here more often than not.
Brick Oven Pizza Crashes The Barbecue Party
Pizza and barbecue under one roof sounds like a coin flip between two cravings. Somehow it works beautifully.
The wood fired brick oven turns out pies with blistered, hand tossed crusts and fresh mozzarella.
Brisket pizza is the crossover hit. Smoked beef on top of Roma tomato sauce gives the pie a savory depth you will not find at a standard pizzeria.
Pulled pork, pastrami, soppressata, and smoked chicken versions also circulate.
Purists can stick with the Margherita. Simple, balanced, and a fair test of any oven.
Passing that test says a lot about the kitchen’s range.
Groups benefit most from this setup. One person wants ribs, another wants pizza, and nobody has to compromise or vote.
Everyone eats what they came for.
Fougasse also appears on the menu, a flatbread style item worth grabbing while you wait. It keeps the table busy during the smoker’s slower moments.
Two kitchens, one building. That combination explains why families keep coming back with different cravings each visit.
Barn Seating, Pavilion Views, And A Market To Raid
Eating outside changes the whole meal. Rustic barn seating and a covered pavilion look out over farmland and hills, which makes a paper tray of ribs feel like a proper occasion.
The air smells like grass and applewood.
Indoor seating stays cozy when the weather turns. Picnic style tables keep the mood casual, and the staff treats newcomers like regulars.
Families settle in easily here.
Before leaving, walk through the farm market. Coolers hold fresh meats from the farm, homemade sausages, soups, and sauces.
There is local honey, cheese, eggs, premium deli meats, imported Italian pastas, and fresh ravioli.
Regional favorites fill the shelves too, including Jane’s Ice Cream and Arthur Avenue breads. Grabbing dinner for tomorrow while finishing lunch today is oddly satisfying.
Mini cannolis handle dessert, small enough to justify two. Their crisp shells are a nice contrast after all that tender meat.
Bring a cooler bag if you have a long drive. You will almost certainly leave with more than you planned, and future you will be grateful.