4. Restaurants

Achilles Heel

180 West St, Brooklyn, NY, 11222
  • (347) 987-3666
  • Store is closed

Achilles Heel Menu

  • Draft Beer

Healthy Meal suggestions for Achilles Heel

  • Draft Beer

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  • Markeith W.

    First time and it was great. Bacon and deviled eggs were excellent. I had the chicken and waffles, got halfway through, 3 mac and cheese was really good. The amount of portions was plenty. The only thing to complain about was it is a bit pricey but the area explains that.

    (3)

  • K W.

    This place was not very good, and eerily empty on a Tuesday night for dinner. My boyfriend and I shared the restaurant with one other couple. Upon entrance we had to wait to be seated b/c the host was dealing w/ a take out order (understandable) but while waiting we realized the place stank of stale cigars. Service was good, boyfriend had ribs (which he said weren't too tasty) and I had a roasted corn salad which was pretty much lettuce on a plate with like, 5 pieces of corn and a sprinkle of goat cheese. Can't speak for the drinks, no happy hour deal so we opted out of a $13 cocktail. Disappointed & Won't be back.

    (2)

  • Lauren G.

    Always wanted to try this place and glad I stumbled in for lunch. Salmon was fantastic.Service was great from the host to the bartender. Great place to host a dinner with friends.Looking forward to coming back.

    (5)

  • Tenicka B.

    This place is absolutely awesome. Eddie the manager was so good to me and a group of my friends this past weekend. He was polite, courteous, and gave awesome recommendations. Our waiter Juan was equally as amazing. We were treated with so much respect and camaraderie. I ordered the short ribs. Amazing. I also had the brussel sprouts which had bacon in them and were great. The cornbread tasted like cake batter it was so sweet! And I loved it. It reminded me of Amy Ruth's in Harlems' cornbread. I also tasted the catfish, the pulled pork sliders, and the macaroni. Overall very nice atmosphere with a great lounge downstairs. I'd highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Karen X.

    Pretty good place if you like some good hearty barbecue and happen to be in the neighborhood. It's very family friendly and has a nice atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating. Would potentially go back again but not sure if I would go out of my way to come here to eat.

    (3)

  • Mia H.

    My first time here was for Father's Day. I had made the reservation through open table however when I got there it seems that due to overbooking open table hadn't saved m reservation. I'm all about organization and almost had a heart attack but before I could process my crazy emotions, the manager Kristina took care of everything. She made sure we got a table as soon as possible. And not just any table, we had one in a private seating area. It was absolutely amazing. Our server Jean made sure we had everything we needed before we could have a chance to ask for anything. I have never been to a place where the person taking care of us has been so attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Jean made sure to check in constantly. What could have turned into a horrible night was actually one of the best nights of my life thanks to Kristina and Jean. I even went back this past Saturday for brunch and again was given excellent service by the both of them. At this point, I can't think of any other place for food, drinks or service. I'm already planning my next Saturday brunch here !

    (5)

  • Torrie A.

    We made a reservation the same day we went. Had no difficulty getting the reservation and were sat right away when we got there. Ordered the fried pickles to start which were good then had the Texas beef brisket, BBQ chicken and ribs. They came out super quick and were good in terms of New York BBQ! But the best of all.. The peach cobbler we had for desert. So so SO GOOD!! If you go, make sure to leave room for desert!

    (4)

  • Lindsay B.

    This place is close to my apartment, but I've always been hesitant to go because of the just-ok reviews. I watched the Neely's on the Foodnetwork for a long time while in grad school, so I found a discount and went over for a try. I had the fried catfish appetizer as my meal and a side of mac&cheese. My fiance got the full rack of memphis ribs with sweet potato mash. I loved it! Fall off the bone? Not really, but good, tasty ribs. Mac&cheese wasn't as good as I was expecting, but still dug in a little. The sweet potato mash was DELICIOUS- I'd really recommend this one. With our savored deal we walked out paying about $40 total. Good value, comfortable restaurant, and good food. I'll be back.

    (3)

  • Scott W.

    This place was amazing!! Great Mac & Cheese, service, and atmosphere!! The manager even came by our table to check on us!! Coming here again for sure!!

    (5)

  • Leon R.

    The mac n cheese taste like 2hr old gum! The Memphis ribs taste like sand paper with bbq sauce!!! The mash potatoes taste like Idaho box potatoes but with alot of WATER The wiped sweet potatoes taste like nothing The sevice sucked......should've went to BBQ's

    (1)

  • Allison Elizabeth H.

    As a Texan, I never felt more at home. The food and drinks here are amazing and very comparable to "real" BBQ in Texas and the Midwest. Sadly no NC BBQ. The place does not look like a BBQ pit at all. It is very clean and looks "expensive." You do not realize the treat that you are in for. The service was spectacular and it even got my friend and I to order a dessert at the end, something that I never do. If i have to make quick recommendation for things to order: Drinks: Mason Jar Margarita (All the WAY!!!)- Cannot go wrong with that Green Tomato Sangria- Interesting taste and flavor, but not savory like you would think Food: Any of the ribs- They are just perfect and delicious Slow Texas Beef Brisket- This is a classic at home and it is just as good here. Coleslaw- Great taste and not too Mayo tasting Dessert: Cobblers- I didn't get to have this one but it just looked so good that even my eyes were watering. Carrot Cake- I don't like Carrot Cake, but I liked this cake. They have to be doing something right. Only downside is the price. It is pretty expensive in my opinion but great to go with friends.

    (5)

  • mei s.

    Kind of disappointing. We came for lunch on a Saturday and the place was deserted. We got hush puppy and fried green tomatoes for appetizers. The tomatoes were delicious but the puppies were mediocre. I ordered a full rack of Memphis BBQ baby back ribs which were really dry even though the sauce was on the ribs when it arrived at the table. The creamed corn was good. The chicken fried steak was no where near what I'm used to from good ole Cracker Barrel. Call me simple but it's what I know. The vanilla ice cream though was delicious if that is home made. I could see flecks of vanilla and it was very creamy.

    (2)

  • Joshua L.

    I was a tad disappointed as a native memphian I know a little something about Memphis barbecue. I opted for the blue ribbon chicken because I did have some barbecue the night before. It was a bit dry and the sides were child sized. I had butter milk mashed potatoes and the buttermilk was so sour. Then the bathrooms looked like the ones in the dining concourse at grand central terminal. Where are the Neely's? They need to fix this. Other then that it was ok.

    (2)

  • Joe I.

    Went to have brunch here with friends. The usual idea of trying out a celeb chef restaurant. Look elsewhere. The service was non-existent. Never mind the "that's the way it is in NYC" nonsense. If you charge that kind of $$ for below par food, you better blow my socks off with impeccable service. The food was incredibly below average. I had the Collard Green quiche. Cold, and flavorless. One of my guests had an omelette...bleh. And the other , just eggs. Coffee was room temperature, plates not cleared, literally a disappearing server that seemed like he never waited on a table before. If the Neely's knew better they'd find new managers or close down.

    (2)

  • Shere M.

    The 1 star rating is based *mostly* on the horrendous service we received, but the food didn't do the place any favors either. My friend and I came here for dinner on Saturday night after a comedy show across the street. The bar was definitely not full and the restaurant wasn't very busy for a Saturday night. We sat at the bar for about 10 minutes before we were acknowledged and 25 minutes before we received our drinks. (I had to ask the bartender 3 times for a glass of water - Barkeep: "It's really busy right now!!" *eye roll*). We should have left by this point, but we were too tired to try and find another place at 10:00pm so we stuck around. We ordered our food when we finally received our drinks. When we noticed other people who arrived after us were receiving their food, we asked the bartender where our food was. He says, "I forgot to put the order in. It was really busy when you came in!!" As if it was OUR fault that he forgot. He was not apologetic in any way, then asked if we still wanted it. Of course we did - at this point it's 11:15 and we were starving. We finally received the pulled pork plate with baked beans and cornbread. None of it was worth the wait. The use way too much sauce on the pulled pork and the beans. No balance of flavor at all - just sweet. Sickly sweet. The bartender gave the worst service I have ever had at any restaurant/club/bar/hotel/DMV/doctor's office/ANYWHERE. I have never been treated so rudely - EVER. It was such an embarrassment for this restaurant to employ someone who treats people that way. I really didn't understand his hostility toward us. I will never come back and I would definitely not recommend this place to anybody.

    (1)

  • Mike N.

    Came here for a later dinner on a weekday. Very large, especially for a New York resto. Food was excellent. I'm from the south so it was nice to have some authentic BBQ up here. Try the pork sampler!!! To die for. My only negative is that the service was very slow and not really personable at all.

    (3)

  • Bella B.

    Awesome place delicious food ,green fried tomatoes, short ribs of beef was delicious! Shrimp and grits !!! The wait was 45 min. We had no reservations. The glass of Malbec was totally delicious !

    (5)

  • Teresa S.

    I visited Neely's earlier this summer and had the ribs, mac and cheese and collard greens. I loved the comfort of the restaurant because I felt like I was in a restaurant in the South relaxing. The decor is bright, roomy and open. Our waiter was a sweetheart with a sense of humor. He answered our questions about the menu and made us feel welcomed. The food tasted pretty good. The mac and cheese was okay and I loved the huge portions we received so you know I had a doggy bag to go for lunch the next day.

    (4)

  • Chivone W.

    Soul food this good makes you want to slap your momma.. simply put!!! don't hesitate... don't get caught up in negative reviews... try for yourself and you won't regret it.

    (4)

  • Alyssa H.

    Came here Thanksgiving Day, as we had celebrated a few days earlier. They had a classic prix fixe menu for T-Day, which looked pretty good, but we were turkeyed out! Instead, 5 of us had: Apps: - fried pickles = delicious! Recommend - eggs & bacon (candied bacon and deviled "BBQ" eggs) = okay. A little to much bacon, albeit delicious, and couldn't taste BBQ on the deviled eggs Mains: - ribs = very meaty and fall off the bone. Recommend! - short rib = the best! Fred Flintstone size but tender beyond belief. Recommend! - pulled pork sandwich = okay - brisket = the two men at our table loved it Sides: - Mac & cheese = very thick and filling, but creamy and wonderful. Recommend - baked beans = tangy. Good when eaten with the meat - mashed potatoes = okay - brussels sprouts = okay The true standout was the waitstaff. Everyone was friendly, but our waiter was particularly spectacular! Tyler not only knew his way around the menu, but also was very attentive and overall fantastic. After our meal, I actually left my bag and walked out and Tyler ran three blocks to find me! Service like this, my friends, is worth coming back for in itself. See you soon!

    (4)

  • Abbey R.

    After a bad first take out experience I decided to give this place a second chance, thinking I must have ordered the wrong thing. I booked a reservation for Valentine's yesterday for my boyfriend and I. Honestly, the service wasn't as bad as everyone on here is saying. We could have seen our waiter more but it was busy and staff was friendly. Our drinks were not bad either, refreshing and delicious. With that said, my boyfriend and I have been sick since our dinner last night. Not food poisoning sick, the kind of sick you get when your food is LOADED with salt and butter. Watch out Paula Dean, the Neely's are comin' for ya! I never thought I could complain about portions being too large but this place is over the top. Neither of us were able to finish half of our meal because we immediately got that bloated, disgusting feeling that comes with too much salt and fat. Definitely no place for a foodie!! If you love a stick of butter with dash of mashed potatoes, the taste is on point and this is your spot. Won't be back again!

    (3)

  • E J M.

    Outstanding! I have been to the Neely's original BBQ restaurant in Memphis and knew that this location has to be just as good (or better for NY standards). And I was right. As a southerner, I loved the fact that they served real homemade sweet tea and lemonade. Our server was attentive and made great suggestions. We ordered the pulled pork and baby back ribs. The collard greens and baked beans were excellent. The meat was smoked to perfection and very tender. I liked this location better that the one in Memphis! On our next visit to NYC, we will definitely return!

    (4)

  • Courtney D.

    I can see how Neely's is a 3 starish place, its literally just a okay, not bad, but nothing great. The menu is very simple, I choose the pulled pork sandwich because a friend I was with mentioned he had the pulled pork entree and it was too much pork. The pulled pork was tasty but heavy in sauces, it had the taste of a chain restaurant. I loved the hush puppies and fried pickles. I requested a side of collared greens which were very good. I wouldn't necessarily go here again, it just didn't send me.

    (3)

  • Shannon C.

    Disclaimer: I have to admit ... I more rely on other yelpers reviews and seldom provide my own ...but in this case it would be unjust (yes, unjust) to this lovely establishment... I took my mom to Neely's last night for her birthday and she absolutely had the time of her life! My mom, a southern cook in her own right, is extremely critical about southern cuisine and she RAVED about her meal! We shared the backyard BBQ chicken, Memphis Ribs, string Beans, cole slaw, whipped sweet potatoes, cornbread, Mac & cheese, collard greens, and pecan pie a la mode, and peach cobbler for dessert (I know this sounds gluttonous but we've plenty left for today!) Also, we had the green tomato sangria which my mom asked our lovely waitress if she could have the recipe (smh). AND AS IF the food could be topped ... Pat Neely walked in as we dined! He made his rounds (around the entire restaurant) , took pictures and chatted it up with guests! By the time he made it over to us my mom was beside herself! What a humble, charming, personable man! It was so nice of him to take the time to express his gratitude for our support of his restaurant. Did I say humble? (His entire party had finished their meals by the time he sat down- they had just left an event they had been working all day in midtown). I highly recommend you see for yourself- not because the actual Neely's might be there (lol) But because the food and service was exceptional and I'll without a doubt be back SOON! One more thing- it's also refreshing to visit a "southern restaurant" that doesn't look like a hole in the wall. The ambience of this restaurant is relaxed, welcoming, and beautiful!

    (5)

  • Carla H.

    I watched the Neely's on the FOOD Network over the years had even used the recipe for there barbecue and fried green tomatoes... SO I was absolutely appalled to taste there ribs and FGT. They were horrible. Mine taste so much better. The only reason for the two is the Peach Cobbler was delicious.

    (2)

  • AJ S.

    I really wanna give this place 5-stars because the wait-service & most of the food was surprisingly good (I say that because I had low expectations before arriving being that some of my relatives make southern/down-home food all the time and they do it very well). My issues really stem from the heat in the restaurant & the initial impression/treatment I got upon arrival. Upon arrival, I let the front-desk know that we had a reservation and they were like, "OK, we just gotta check to see if your table is ready." Now in my mind, I'm saying to myself, "Now if I'm here at the time of my reservation, the damn table should be ready; why y'all gotta check it first? My table should be red-to-go!" I probably could have taken the news of having to wait for my table better had it not been so hot inside this restaurant. The wait was short, but again, I had a reservation, so I shouldn't have had to wait at all; stuff like this does not occur at higher-end eateries. We walk through the restaurant and I notice that some rooms are nicer than others (meaning some rooms have moderately upscale furnishings while others have metal cafeteria chairs from Bare Burger). Of course we get to sit in the room with the Bare Burger furniture. I was like, "Are these people for real right now? Why are we up in the bootleg section of life?" This made me feel like I was not as valued as others they placed in the better rooms and I abhor being made to feel less-than, especially at these prices! Aint no 0.99 cent Value Menu here so why do I gotta sit at the 0.99 cent Value Menu table? We were literally sitting between two people like cramped sardines in a can, on crack! I was like, "With all the other rooms they have here that are empty, they gotta squeeze our asses here at this tiny tin table from hell?" Speaking of Hell, that's where the restrooms are located; you have to walk down steps into Dante's Inferno and then get accosted by the smoke from the cigar bar adjacent to the bathrooms. Note: It was ridiculously hot in Neely's, I had to tell three different people to turn up the A/C because I was schvitzing like a whore in church! I had to strip like Magic Mike, no one threw singles at me; it was all tragic. One server brought me a glass of ice, when I blinked, the damn ice was water, that is how hot it was. Our primary server, Deshaun, was very good (I have a feeling he sensed my bougie-ness and tried hard to please me, which is exactly what he needed to do because I was thoroughly through between the 90-degree temps. and the tiny metal furniture we had to sweat at & balance our many entrees on). Deshaun had our food out in less than 10 minutes and most of the food was good (but at these prices it ought to be): --Kc Style "Sweet & Sticky" Ribs st. louis spare ribs basted with sweet & tangy bbq sauce (This was decent; not too fatty like most places and the sauce was actually tasty) --"Blue Ribbon" Chicken (aka pat's beer can chicken) free range chicken cooked with a pabst blue ribbon beer can in its belly (I was surprised at how good this was; it was flavorful and juicy the way a good piece of chicken should be) --Cole Slaw (it wasn't quite cardboard/soapy-dishcloth, but it wasn't quite right; it looked good but it left a bad during & aftertaste) --Cornbread with creamery butter (looked very good but it reminded me of the cornbread from Dallas BBQ and was kinda on the dry-side so IDK if this is really that special here) --Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes (great look, taste and consistency: this is the way potatoes are supposed to taste like when you go out to eat) --Macaroni & Cheese (this was really tasty and I enjoyed the crumbly stuff they put on the top of it; this felt like it was made with real cheese that comes from a cow and not that fake cartoon Velveeta business from a box) --Gina's Collard Greens (IDK who Gina is but she really need to ease-up on the pepper; aside from the spiciness, they were decent) --Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese icing (the cake was really moist and delicious but the cream cheese icing was a problem, it had a Play-Doh taste to it that detracted from the goodness of the cake) --NY Cheesecake with grilled bananas & jack daniels honey sauce (this was tiny as hell but it was worth the $7.25; the bananas really helped offset the heaviness of the cheesecake; I wished they would have used more banana slices; don't be stingy with my Potassium intake!)

    (3)

  • J. J.

    Overpriced! I guess for where it's located it needs to be overpriced. The food was just blah to me. Went for a friends birthday. The chicken was very dry collard greens tasted like they came out of a can. And yeah. Not a great experience for me.

    (2)

  • Kirk L. E.

    First of all I called @ 1pm and arrived @ 7:30 pm and it was a pleasure that 1 we were greeted warmly and Mark remembered my name and the conversation we had. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. As always I didn't finish my main dish because of the pulled pork sliders. I just couldn't eat one. I had to eat'em all and the main course came. Baby back ribs which was o so tender, collard greens seasoned to perfection, Mac and cheese that was just right with that added crunch and the cornbread that was baked just right. And yes I had some of my wife's shrimp and grits, which was delicious. I loved everything. The decor is very inviting and I will be dining there again. Thanks for a wonderful evening.

    (5)

  • Anthony Q.

    This place was great for brunch the ambiance created by the amazing music being played in the background really delivers on the feeling of being in a southern home for brunch. The unlimited drinks made and the ice cream I had made this meal absolutely amazing. For brunch I started with the Brisket Hash, which was pretty good, I wish it had been a little bit more hearty but nonetheless it was still very good. The specialty drinks at this place are to die for (try the Raspberry Spiked VIP you won't be disappointed) , so being able to consume an unlimited amount just makes the food that much better. I followed brunch up with the Caramel Apple pie, and Vanilla Bean ice cream, both the of which were great. The ice cream especially tasted so fresh I couldn't stop eating it. All in all I had a great time, and will definitely be back again soon.

    (5)

  • O C.

    The service in the bar area is MUCH better so there's little wrong and a whole lot right with Neely's. We're lucky to have them in our neighborhood.

    (4)

  • L C.

    I wish I could give this restaurant a better rating but I can't because although it is a really nice restaurant, I did not enjoy my meal. I ordered the deviled eggs and carmelized bacon appetizer, the bacon was delicious but the deviled eggs were bland; the eggs were not seasoned well. I had the chicken and waffles; the chicken was over fried and didn't have much flavor but the red velvet mimosa was delicious. The service was excellent and even though I wasn't too pleased with my meal I would give this restaurant another try; I will order something other than chicken and waffles.

    (3)

  • Vanessa M.

    Man! Came here at about 10:30pm on a random night out. It did not disappointment. We ordered the brisket platter that was great with the Brussels sprouts. Brisket is served with the spicy BBQ sauce which I should've swapped out for regular because I am sensitive to spice. We also got the fried chicken which is probably the best fried chicken I have ever had! Crispy, not super greasy, and packed with flavor. We savored every bite! I drank the VIP tea with peach lemonade. It went perfect with the meal. I will definitely be back for the fried chicken!!

    (5)

  • Suzee Q.

    My Kansas City born spouse said it was just okay and I agree. The space is very pretty but when we dined, it was empty! We had Memphis baby back ribs, Texas beef brisket with sweet potato fries and fried green tomatoes. The barbecue was good, the sides were just okay.

    (3)

  • Leticia J.

    Food Is Amazing!!!! Friendly Staff, Very Clean... I've Been Here 4x's And Will Be Going Back... The BlackBerry Cobbler, Shrimp And Grits, Mac And Cheese, Beef Ribs.... Yummy!

    (4)

  • Rohita L.

    Went for dinner the other night with friends. I cannot believe I live down the block from this place and didn't go here sooner. So yummy. Food: I had the BBQ Chicken...this classic dish was so very CLASSIC and perfect. The chicken fell off of the bone. I don't even know how they put it on the plate. The sauce was sweet and spicy at the same time. I ordered the mac n' cheese side along with the corn bread and NOTHING disappointed. Why can't my mac n' cheese be like this? It was not greasy or oily..it was creamy and rich. The corn bread was mouth watering. Decor/Ambiance: So cute...dark wood and differently designed themed rooms. We sat in a room that was like a Living Room with couches and the whole nine. Very nostalgic feeling. Staff: So helpful, nice...and pleasant! Price: Reasonable. Dinner cost $50 for my husband and I. Two beers and two entrees and a few extra sides. I will be back. Get ready Neely! I am coming for you guys! haha YUM YUM YUM

    (5)

  • Brooklyn R.

    The food and drinks was real good!!!!!!

    (4)

  • Jim C.

    I've been to Nelly's a couple of times and the BBQ is always first class. The service is not.

    (3)

  • Mandy L.

    More like 2.5 stars. The food wasn't horrible--I just think there are a ton of better BBQ places in the city. What I liked the most: the fried green tomatoes and the whipped sweet potatoes. I do like their original BBQ sauce too and thought it was cool that they had two additional types of sauce for you to try (tangy sweet BBQ and spicy BBQ). However, the ribs were not as soft and tender as I'd hoped and there were a few end pieces that were charred black. Asked the waiter to put our salad dressing on the side, but he forgot.

    (3)

  • Laura R.

    I'm very disappointed. I took my husband here for his birthday. I had a Groupon so the menu was prefixed for us: Blue Ribbon Chicken, Memphis Style Baby Back Ribs (dry - I will never order dry again), 5 sides, any 2 desserts and BOTTOMLESS Sangrias. While we got a large amount of food for a decent price ($70) and didn't have to wait long to be served, the flavors were not there at all. The collard greens were a disgrace to the term "southern cuisine." The Blue Ribbon chicken was good but my husband said it tasted equivalent to Dallas BBQ's roatiserie chicken. The ribs were tender and falling off the bone but definitely needed sauce. Could not eat it without it. The sauce provided in the squeeze bottles on the tables were not a "wow factor" either. Could have mistaken it for store bought bbq sauce. The Whipped Sweet Potato with Pecan Butter was good. Tasted like it should. I really enjoyed the mac & cheese. It looked and tasted like it was made with Riccotta cheese. Different but good. Would I go back? Yes, only to try a non pre fixed dish.- the Shrimp and grits or the Blackend Catfish with Scallion Mashed Potatoes sounds great. But I'm in no rush to give them my business anytime soon. Will shop around first. P.S. The best thing there was the bottomless sparkling sangrias!

    (2)

  • Celeste B.

    After my last visit to this restaurant I must update my review! I dined here last with my family this November 2013 and was very pleased this visit! I am not sure if there's a new cook on staff or just the right time but the food was very impressive. I ordered the rib sampler with the collard greens but this time I got to try the molasses baked beans which were excellent. In my opinion, the beans could be a meal on its own because it is very rich in taste and contains meat. The serving of the baked beans was more then enough for one and thecollard greens were excellent this time! My sister ordered the beef short ribs and was unhappy because the portion was small to her-which it really wasn't but in comparison to the amount of meat I was served for the rib sampler it was . I also tried the spiked raspberry lemonade and would highly recommend this drink for those that like a sweeter tasting cocktail that will get u a little tipsy. The service remains excellent. I can now say I love this place!

    (5)

  • E P.

    Whoever gave this place a poo poo rating must have been having a crap day. Savored offers 30% off bill Gratuity included Amazing unique drinks Phenomenal service Cute decor Phenomenal food. Huge portions Dinner for 2, 2 drinks, appetizer, sides, and 2 entrees $62. I've been to 4 or 5 other places in the city, and this place is up there.

    (5)

  • Rusty R.

    Came here with a 30% off coupon, which made it better. Staff was very nice. No wait for a 6:30pm dinner. Decor was very nice. (Although my friend was in a chair and I was on a couch and we were at somewhat different heights, it wasn't uncomfortable.) Room temperature was a bit cool. Fried Green Tomato appetizer wasn't very good. Have had better, for sure. KC ribs were good, very tender. Sauce was nice. But still, not phenomenal. Mashed Sweet Potatoes were good, not memorable. Mac and Cheese looked better but I didn't get the chance to taste it. would've been nice if cornbread or something to nibble on was provided during the wait. At full price this would have been too expensive for what we got, with 30% off it was good enough but there are better BBQ spots.

    (3)

  • Tiffany L.

    Came to Neely's for a Sunday dinner. Ironically, I found this place on Yelp. First and foremost, cornbread... Heaven! Everything was great from the cocktails to the food. I am usually not a fan of BBQ, but I highly recommend this place. Only down side is inattentive service, but overall I was satisfied. I definitely will come again.

    (4)

  • Albert J.

    Worst BBQ in the city. I will never come here again. The pulled pork was like chewing on raw cow hide. Lobster Mac and cheese was awful. I just paid 60 dollars for the worst meal of my life.

    (1)

  • Rachel B.

    I feel bad to write this review because I really do love the show and had such high expectations. However, I really have nothing good to say other than I like the plantation shutters. I went with a friend for a birthday brunch having wanted to try this restaurant for a long time. She just moved to the area and we were exploring neighborhood restaurants. We were seated quickly but our server was absent for most of our meal. It wasn't really busy, just a steady flow of people coming in. I had to hunt him down for a drink refill and our check. It was freezing the day I went and we were seated next to the window - the heat was not turned on. I could hear the clicking and the sudden warmth come up as we were putting on our coats to leave. The worst part is that I found several large bones in my pulled chicken sandwich. I discovered the bones as I was chewing and was about to swallow. I'm not sure how these could be missed. I alerted my waiter and he apologized and said he would take it off the bill. After what seemed like forever, he came back and told me his manager wouldn't let him remove it but took off the coke. Thanks. Insult to injury, about an hour later I got sick and couldn't keep anything down for the rest of the day. I don't know if it was food poisoning or the abundance of grease in the gravy, whatever it was - the only thing I had that day was the bony-pulled chicken. That evening and the following day, my friend (who ate the chicken and waffles with same gravy) also got sick and had to manage stomach issues as well. So, basically, I won't be returning and am so disappointed. If you're looking for good bbq and a southern-esque meal, make the trip to Hill Country BBQ.

    (1)

  • Alyssa P.

    I was quite disappointed in my recent visit to Neely's. I have never been before but had above average expectations. To start the staff were not very friendly or helpful. The food overall was not good and I felt ill the rest of the day. I had the half rack of ribs and for my side I chose mac and cheese. The ribs were just okay. Very smoky flavor, but not as tender as I had hoped, very fatty. The mac and cheese was just mediocre and I didn't even finish it. I couldn't believe that for a southern bbq place this didn't come with a biscuit or cornbread. You get no bread to start when you sit down either. BBQ = cornbread! The bf had the chicken fried steak which was better and actually came with a biscuit but no butter to put on it. Overall both meals were extremely greasy and still not that flavorful. I thought maybe we ordered the wrong things so I decided to get a dessert. The blackberry cobbler - sounds delicious right? Wrong, again quite bland. The best part was the haagen dazs ice cream on top. Would not return or recommend

    (2)

  • Anide J.

    Went here with my family to catch an early dinner. Friendly and efficient staff. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, my brother the Neely's burger and my mom the fried catfish. Everything was okay. It was decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. Oh, and the beer was $9 a glass.. Which I though was kind of expensive for a place like this. To sum it all up, I'm pretty sure you can find better places to have dinner..

    (3)

  • Badriyah Z.

    I went a few weeks ago and I have been meaning to write a review on this place. I booked my reservation through Savored.com which gave me 25% discount off my entire bill thankfully because if not my bill would have been close to $100 and I'm sorry to say but the food we received was not worthy of that type of money. The decor of the place is beautifully done. Very upscale for a BBQ place. I was seated immediately and was surprised there was no wait for a Saturday night. As soon as I sat down the waiter was rushing me to order but I was still waiting for my boyfriend to find parking. The waiter came by a second time to suggest that maybe I call my boyfriend, while he's trying to find parking, ti read him the menu and find out what he would want to order because the kitchen was closing in 30 minutes, rude much? ....I've worked in multiple restaurants before and I know when they say the kitchen is closing at a certain time that mean that the kitchen is taking orders up until the time they mention they close. Not the kitchen will not make your food after that time. That left a bad taste in my mouth. My boyfriend sat down less than two minutes after the waiter suggested I call him to order his food. My boyfriend knew what he wanted to order and we ordered immediately. I food was cooked quickly and came out quickly. The fried chicken was okay, the mashed potatoes were delicious and so was the steak. The house salad was also delicious as well. But everything else was okay. Our waiter never came over to us once to ask if everything was okay and he pretty much had the bus boys serve us our food. The manager even noticed a few times that we needed something and tapped our waiter to go over and check on us. The waiter always sent the bus boys over, which was rude because it wasn't that busy. We got our check without our discount and had to track down our waiter to fix the bill with our discount included. He did not apologize for his mistake and then proceeded to hand up back the bill with the discount now included and gratuity mysteriously added to the bill. At this point my boyfriend and I just wanted to get out of there so we left exact change for what our food costed with tax and excluded the waiter's gratuity. We always tip 20% of the originally bill no matter what but this guy just didn't deserve it after all the stunts he pulled. Overall decent food terrible service. Never going back.

    (1)

  • Patti E.

    How could I forget to review this place. So on one of our date nights my boyfriend and I ended up here. It was pretty empty. We were kinda shocked. Service was great however I wasn't too impressed with the food. It was blahhhh. I expected more from the Neely's especially since I use to watch them on tv all the time. I don't think we will be going back.

    (2)

  • Tony D.

    I came here for dinner and enjoyed the food and drinks. I always intended on going back but I'm rarely in the area (upper Eastside) anymore. From what I can recall, the mood is pretty intimate and great for a date. The staff was very nice, we sent back an order of ribs and the waiter exchanged them with no hesitation or problem. The food was delicious and I usually have to try a spot at least 3 times just to make sure that it wasn't luck. The portions are huge so make sure not to eat anything prior to visiting. Enjoy!

    (3)

  • Candice C.

    I absolutely loved the Neely's on their food network show! I have 2 of their cookbooks and the recipes I have tried turned out great. So imagine my excitement when I heard they had a restaurant in New York...welp, that excitement came to a screeching halt after my dining experience. The place: cute. Nice decor. Staff: very friendly & attentive. The food: let's start with the very good - fried green tomatoes. I loved them. Crunchy & tasty. That Vidalia onion relish was soooo good! The applewood smoked wings were delicious. I could have eaten several serving of them with the fried green tomatoes. Here is the meh, I've had better - The blue ribbon beer can chicken was good, but nothing to rave about. The breast was slightly dry. Like I said, it was just o.k. The sides I had were Mac & cheese and Brussels sprouts. The Mac & cheese were horrible!!! The texture was that of chewing gum. It was like non-stop chewiness. Yuck. The flavor was bland. Nothing like I had expected. The Brussels sprouts were very good! The pork sampler was just ok as well. Nothing to write home about. The drinks: to keep it simple, just get a soda and call it a night. For pretty much every drink we wanted to try the waitress said "every customer she has served sent them back" the mojito and the sangria that we did order was blah. We didn't bother ordering dessert. Sorry Neely's, I will stick to your cookbooks. If you're looking for good BBQ, head over to Brooklyn and check out Dinosaur BBQ!

    (2)

  • Ali C.

    I love this place! Not sure why there are so many harsh reviews. Came here for brunch and was pleasantly surprised. We had a bloody mary garnished with a candied bacon wrapped blue cheese olive, which was amazing. My friends had the fired chicken and waffles, which were delicious, as was my veggies omelette.

    (5)

  • LovetoEat F.

    Unfortunately the reviews did not lie. What a disappointment. Food was so overpriced ($9.50 for a green tomato!!!) and maybe average at best. Too bad most orders were missing ingredients like bacon or fried onions. And portion sizes for the same entree were way inconsistent. And finally, a manager who never smiles or gives any satisfaction to customers' inquiries. Upon the completion of our meal I asked why she didn't come back -- I first spoke to her when entrees were served -- she said she didn't want to interrupt. "Eventually you got everything you ordered," she said. Listed up Neelys, this won't fly in NYC (maybe in Times Square). We know good food, service and management. In response. Food was one thing but staff made matters much worse. The problem dishes were fried green tomatoes, smoked chicken salad and Cobb salad.

    (1)

  • Theresa B.

    I enjoyed the ambience and the food was definitely good. I brought tons of my friends here and they are hooked. The drinks and customer service are on point. As soon as you walk through the door they make you feel welcomed. Wouldn't mind dinning at the Neely's again soon!

    (4)

  • Marjie N.

    The service was great and the food was good. I had the fried pickles and for dinner, I had ribs and brussels sprouts. They give you a lot of food. I also had the mango margarita and it was really sweet. The restaurant was really nice, it is a great place to have dinner with a group.

    (3)

  • Don D.

    We ordered through seamless. I really wanted to like Neely's as good barbecue in New York is scarce. So we ordered a wide variety of starters, mains, sides, and deserts. Overall nothing really impressed. If I could I would score it 2 1/2 stars. The pulled pork was tough, the spare ribs and baby backs were riddled with gristle and the Memphis and St. Louis sauces were very bland. Buttermilk mashed potatoes tasted like instant, the Mac n cheese was a little soggy. Blackberry cobbler was more of greasy oily soft bread with berries instead of a crumbly cobbler texture. Beans with burnt ends ok, deviled eggs ok. Vanilla bean ice cream (Haagen daas) was excellent. Two compliments. A review of their New York health department last inspection revealed a perfect score of 0 violation points. And delivery was relatively fast. For now we will have to stick with John Browns Smokehouse (which means heading to Queens), and Fette Sau in Brooklyn until someone can put a top quality authentic barbecue place in manhattan.

    (2)

  • Chan F.

    I've been to Neely's 3x in 2013. One day I was craving country anything and grits... I found my answer here. I'll give the food 9 out of 10, that's because it is rather heavy, as in straight to the hips heavy. However the namesakes are southern cooks, and healthy eating isn't the 1st rule to good food out there. I guess I lucked up on each visit, because unlike a lot of other people all the staff were great. the only reason they don't get 5 stars is that they don't require a reservation, but its crazy trying to get a seat after work. Also it can get a little noisy, rather very noisy during the dinner hours. I also wish they would promote the smoke room on the lower level, that I stumbled upon going to the ladies room.

    (4)

  • Bill S.

    Excellent service when it opened, but terrible service now. I got the feeling that the restaurant is in deep trouble. We got food we didn't order even though the waitress read the order back to us before she left the table. There really was no chance to complain because we didn't see her for a long time after someone else delivered the food. Will not go back there.

    (2)

  • Nychelle S.

    It's ladies brunch day and we wanted to try some place new. In the end I am happy to try Neely's. The atmosphere was nice and homey and the wait staff was accommodating. Now to the food. I had the delicious Neely's Burger (assembled to foodie perfection) and fries, mac and cheese, also a side of collard greens. The food was pretty good. Portions sizes were more than enough. We sampled the fried green tomatoes, very nice. While the other ladies ordered the half rack of ribs and was pleased with their meal. Usually I don't order dessert but I decided to gamble on the red velvet cake since my taste buds were on a roll.... Score! The cake was moist and chocolaty. The other ladies had the peach cobbler with ice cream and was happy. I have to go back and see if I have consistent service and food preparation then the fifth star will be awarded.

    (4)

  • Venehisa A.

    Went to celebrate a birthday and it was my first time. I found this experience to be very nice. Ive had Dallas BBQs and I felt it was time for a change. I had tried the pork sampler, it was delicious along with the mac and cheese. The atmosphere was nice they even have a cigar room very nice. I didnt like the drinks were a bit to strong but over all I would go back.

    (4)

  • Tracy T.

    We went to Neely's for dinner as I needed a BBQ fix and found this place not too far from home. Bonus it had outdoor seating and is pet friendly! The 15% off your next visit offer on the receipt is a great incentive to return, though the 7 day fine print is a short window. We sat down and waited about 15 mins before anyone came out to greet us, but it was such a nice evening and in no rush that we did not mind. Our waitress could not have been nicer and even brought a bowl of water for our dog. We started with the wedge salad and fried pickles. They do the pickles right. I cannot stand when places fry up pickles that are quartered and sliced long, lengthwise. Neely's does it right slicing them like the shape of circles, or actual 25 cent quarters. Then my boyfriend got the pulled pork sandwich, I got the friend chicken with mashed potatoes and slaw and we ordered extra mac and cheese, cornbread and a half rack of baby back ribs, wet. Here's where things get dicey. The 4 stars are not for the entire meal. The 4 stars are for the ribs, fried pickles, and cornbread ONLY. Half the meal was 1 star or less, but the ribs were FANTASTIC. We'll start with the bad and end with the good. My friend chicken was terrible. They fried it to the point where the outside was inedible and the inside was hard....the meat which should be juicy was actually hard. Not dry, not tough, not chewy, just hard and inedible. That dish went mainly ignored except the slaw and mashed potatoes which were good but...had NO gravy. Boyfriend enjoyed pulled pork sandwich, but he is from NJ and has no idea what real bbq should taste like. It was no good. Chunks of the bbq were dried and hard at the ends. I get that not all bbq will be vinegar based like Carolina bbq (like real bbq should be) but this still wasn't like any TX or Memphis style bbq I've ever had. Not any decent bbq anyway. His sandwich from the Dallas BBQ chain joint was way better than this nonsense. The meat was very dry and lacked taste leaving me wondering where all (or any) of the sauce was. Did it dry up under a heat lamp and get stuck onto the meat (making it hard)? Mashed potatoes (but they forgot gravy), slaw, and mac and cheese all decent. WINNERS: Fried pickles! Awesome. Hand hand breaded, not battered which was a nice change of pace, and they were crispy and delicious. The 'secret' sauce which is that spicy ranch-ish stuff you see a lot is what it always is...good. Cornbread- it's heavy, but it's delicious. Everyone has a favorite cornbread and no 2 places or people ever make it the same. But what came out of the oven here tastes darn good. BABY BACK RIBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gah. I get drooly still thinking about them. We ordered a half rack, wet, and really, they are the single reason for the 4 stars. I don't care much about anything else that came to our table that night except for these ribs. Wow, wow, wow were they were delicious. I don't find a lot of places up here that do ribs well, but this place does. A little pricey ($20/half rack, no sides) but worth every penny. I think the ideal meal here would be a full rack of baby back ribs, wet, with slaw and hush puppies. I am not a fan of dry rub ribs. We did not order hushpuppies, but that is only because my cute NJ boyfriend could not fathom the concept of fried cornbread. I would get them on my own next time. Bottom line- if you go here, do yourself a favor and order the baby back ribs, fully sauced up.

    (4)

  • Kai-Lee P.

    I was sooo excited to go here for a belated birthday dinner! It's such a cute, down home place. They also have a cigar bar downstairs. We had a really nice waiter, Sunil is his name i believe; we ordered the pitcher of spiked VIP to drink, I got the raspberry puree on the side to mix in and I LOVED IT! For dinner I got the friend catfish, mac n cheese and yams....everything was delish! My date had the blackened catfish with the chive mashed potatoes and green beans, which was also great! The best part was the complimentary red velvet birthday cheesecake....which was TO. DIE. FOR. My date doesn't even like sweets and he ate most of it... the best red velvet I've ever had... We will definitely be back! !!!!

    (5)

  • Jessica H.

    last sunday i "met the neely's" and i'm glad i did. i ordered a salad (gasp!), but let me tell you, it was delicious and hardly healthy with the smoked chicken and crispy fried onions on top. in fact, it was even better the next day when i took the rest for lunch. the service was attentive, they made a great sweet iced tea, fried pickles and a yummy peach cobbler. basically all my bbq prerequisites were met at the neely's- the decor was unique too. different rooms each feeling like you were really in their home. nice touch! cool side note. the downstairs has an old-fashioned smoking parlor. i would've happily grabbed a cocktail down there too, but time didn't allow. gents, you will dig it.

    (4)

  • F J.

    I went to Neely's with co-workers and thought it was a decent place with nice staff. I got home only to realize that I had forgotten my lunch bag with thermos so called them. The woman on the phone described it to me before I could, which was great. She took my name, phone number, and said she would give it to her manager to keep. I went to pick it up and the manager told me she threw it out!!! Did not even look sorry, and offered nothing. I was so disappointed in their lack of customer service. Why tell me you're going to keep my belongings only to throw it away with no compensation?? I would not recommend this place to anyone and will advise my coworkers not to return since I believe customer service is just as important and food and drink. I am VERY disappointed in their management.

    (1)

  • Jessica W.

    Made reservations and came to Neely's around 8:30 on a Saturday night with 4 other people. My biggest complaint? Our table wasn't ready and we had to sit around and wait for 10-15 minutes. Luckily the manager was incredibly apologetic and sent over a peach cobbler after our meal to apologize--incredible by the way! I had the chicken with Mac and cheese and collard greens. I ended up sending the greens back because they tasted like they weren't cooked in vinegar at all and maybe seasoned with pepper. Very odd tasting, but greens are hard to do well. I'm still giving them 5 stars though because they very quickly brought out mashed potatoes for me instead and they were amazing. Altogether the food was pretty amazing and everyone in our party was very satisfied. Coolest part about Neely's? They have an awesome very lounge-y cigar bar with sofas and fireplaces downstairs. Very cool place to start or end a night. Altogether I would absolutely go again!

    (5)

  • Eric G.

    If you're in the mood for BBQ, this is a great place, plus the atmosphere is nice and cozy. My friend and I visited Neely's on a very snowy day and it warmed us right up. started with a Spicy Passion drink -- jalapeno tequila agave syrup, lime juice, simple syrup, passion fruit puree, and a sprinkle of cayenne. Highly recommended. For dinner, I got the pulled pork. Huge portion, but I managed to eat it all because it was so good. I ordered the brussel sprouts as my side and they were alright. Honestly, I prefer the way I cook them better. But, the other sides sounded really good. I'd be more inclined to get a different side next time. While our waiter was very nice, I think he forgot about us sometimes. If we needed something, like the check, we needed to wait quite awhile until he came back to our table. Not a deal-breaker though... he could've just been busy. I'd definitely come back.

    (4)

  • Fi F.

    Came here with a group of 7, we all left very disappointed. Mashed potato, Mac & cheese, corn bread & wings were really good. Fried chicken was flavorless. Ribs were very dry, we even asked the waiter to take it back. We all agreed that we will not be coming back.

    (2)

  • nn p.

    This rating is mainly reflective of the service (I would give the food 3 stars). In restaurant the service is ok -- not great but tolerable. The servers can be abrupt but not outright rude. We have been a few times because it is the closest bbq restaurant to where we live, we like the wings and we wanted to support the Neelys. But this is the last. The last straw was after waiting almost 1.5 hours for a delivery off seamless. The manager (female) essentially told us we lied because they claimed they called us to let us know that they were out of the beef ribs -- so essentially it was our fault we waited based on the estimated time of delivery. We had no calls in that entire time. The manager said they cancelled the order because we did not respond and they called seamless who should have sent us an email about the order. We had one email from seamless: confirmation, credit card charged. And when I called seamless, no such cancellation was made and no call was made to them by the restaurant about the missed order!!! This is unfortunate because we have seen such a decline in clientele at Neelys. Be warned: the happy hour half off appetizers is as such because they give you HALF the order! As for the food, the chicken can be dry (the first time I ordered it, it was great. the second, dry). The slow cooked beef ribs are good, greasy but ok; and always seems to be out. The salmon is a bit bland. We tried but the food is not worth the pain. Sorry Neelys, but Virgils will be getting our business from now on if we are craving wings.

    (1)

  • Brittany A.

    This place is amazing and I only pray that this review I'm about to write will do it justice and expose its true wonderfulness to all of you. Let me start off by saying customer service in this place is above and beyond what you would ever expect! WONDERFUL WONDERFUL WONDERFUL!! It was 8 of us with a 9:30pm reservation on a Saturday night. We arrived at 8:45. Early. Apparently, all the other parties of the day had been late for their reservations..this worked to our advantage! Alex.. the wonderfully dressed and extremely pleasant gentleman, chatted with us and thanked us for being early. For that, he assured us he would work something special out for us. As we sat by the bar area on a nice comfy seat, we chatted with different workers. They were all very friendly. We ordered a pitcher of Red Velvet (drink)! It was fantastic! Everything was made so cutely too! They put it in a huge pitcher and served our drinks in little jam jars. How cute! We informed Alex we had a regular reservation. At about 9:10, he had us seated in a private room with the most wonderful waitress I have ever met in my life! She had actually already stopped and chatted with us and took pictures for us by the bar. When we got in to our private room it was beautiful! A huge glass window and we also had a curtain to block out the peasants. lol It was so cozy and we all felt very at home. The room was a beautiful shade of red and the table was set like we were at some family dinner. It was so nice! The restaurant music was being played in the room but Alex let us play our ipod with a playlist that was placed in a dock system in the wall. HI-tech! It was all so personal! They also had little ceramic pigs everywhere! They are so cute.. but NOT for you to take home. We ordered 5 pitchers over the course of the night. 30$ each and we had a BUNCH of drinks to go around. The Blue Seude shoes was my fave drink and seemed to be everyone's fave. The Red Velvet, I mentioned, was great, too. The Memphian was not so great to me personally. Very strong and not as tasty as the other two. The food!? What!? FOOD!?? Call it love on a plate! We had fried pickles for appetizers with this delicious sauce. Other appetizers were ordered but I'm a pescetarian so I couldn't try them all. Everyone else enjoyed the wings and two of us enjoyed these huge salads. I ordered the catfish with a side of buttermilk mashed potatoes. I also tried the mac and cheese. To die for but very heavy. I was going to get both sides but I would have been overly stuffed..not a good feeling. The portions are amazing! The scallops were HUGE and delicious, as well. The catfish came with this delicious horseradish sauce. After I ate all of my food I was perfectly full. Not over done and not a bit hungry. Everything was so delicious. My family was passing food all around. Everyone enjoyed their meals and was stuffed (in a good way). Now about our waitress..Brittani! She was so bubbly and energetic! She danced, was very attentive, and extremely entertaining. She even sang for us. She is truly a sweet heart and my whole family, even my grumpy older brother, thought she was great. The bill came up to 300$ which wasn't bad at all considering all 8 of us ate and drank WELL! I want to go back soooo bad and I plan on it soon! I had a wonderful experience here and I wish more places were as lovely as this. All of the employees here were pleasant and friendly and they do a great job of making everyone feel welcomed and comfy. The food was delicious. Britt stopped and gave ALL of us a hug goodbye and truly made us feel like she cared about us. We couldn't get over how wonderful she was and the whole experience. I really love this place and look forward to coming back. I only wish I had seen the Neely's show on the food network prior to coming in. I never even heard of them but coming here makes me want to inquire.

    (5)

  • Kim L.

    So, here's the story, it's Friday night, it's freezing, we were hungry, and well, each needed to use the bathroom. We were near Neely's and said 'eh, let's give it a go'. Sadly, we're disappointed. I enjoy the Neely's show, and although I didn't have the highest expectations, I definitely won't return. The shrimp and grits, were mainly cheese with little grits, and lacking in flava. I ordered the blackened catfish..which was eh, although I did enjoy the mash served with it. Hubby had, i dunno, some bbq ribs and pulled pork..took a bit and that was all i needed..it was merely eh, as were the collards. Craving bbq, pulled pork, etc., head to the staples, Dinosaur, Blue Smoke, Hill Country..RUB we miss you.

    (2)

  • Kurvayshus B.

    Just returned from eating dinner here. I'm going to break down my review like this... SERVICE - Good. Had a very nice waiter named Maurice who basically served all of the tables on the top floor (about 5 parties in total). AMBIANCE - Warm and welcoming. Great place to have a get together with friends! The bar area downstairs was very chic. I would love to come back and enjoy a few drinks down there! DRINKS - Fairly priced and delicious. Pretty lengthy list of options for cocktails, which I like. FOOD - Here is where my 3 stars kicks in...Was not impressed. I ordered the "Blue Ribbon Chicken" with buttermilk mashed potatoes and cornbread on the side. Chicken and mashed potatoes didn't have much flavor. Very bland. Cornbread was great. Many people in my party who ordered chicken were disappointed in the execution. Those who ordered fish were highly pleased. If somehow I do return, I will make it a point to avoid the meats and go for salmon or catfish. OVERALL - Love the space and service, Not crazy about the food. I was happy to be supporting a black owned business but my palate left longing for something better. Much improvement needs to be made on their chicken options. Other than that, they are a nice spot to eat a last minute meal...I wouldn't write home about it...

    (3)

  • Thomas B.

    Went there for dinner last night. Great bbq, I had the smoked beef brisket and split the mac trio for an app. I like how you can choose your side with your entree although any of the choices that are tried (cornbread, buttermilk mashed and sweet potato fries). On the negative side the drinks were a little pricy for the area, and although they offer good deals on pitchers, their drafts were not working that night we were told. Service was attentive but forgetful which I can forgive since she looked new, but when the wrong appetizer came out before our meals it wasn't until our main courses that the mistake started to be corrected as the busboy and food runner who we both told about the error did nothing to fix it. Overall though a good bbq place that I would recommend.

    (4)

  • Patrick B.

    I understand that it's a Monday night, and we're 3 of 5 people in the entire bar... But playing RuPaul's Drag Race at full blast instead of music is quite distracting, and as a matter of fact, unprofessional.

    (2)

  • Jason M.

    Best barbecue ribs, pork ,mac & cheese I've ever had . Just go and find out for yourself!

    (4)

  • Michael s.

    I have no idea what these 4 and 5 star reviews are about.maybe we just ordered the wrong things I did look foreword to going to this barbrcue parlor and was completely, absolutely disappointed . The macaroni and cheese was disgusting the sweet potato concoction cloying You are charge for everything little thing imagine a restaurant that would charge $6.00 for a glass of country time lemonade. The catfish appetizer ok but more so because of the dipping sauce not the fish itself.I've eaten bbq all over this city but this qualified as one of the least enjoyable meals I've had. Before you and a friend spend $90 for a bbq meal , "that right 2 plates of ribs 1 appetizer 2 ice teas and really bad corn bread". think carefully .

    (1)

  • Nyota W.

    Not sure what's taken me so long to write this review, but I must start out by simply saying ribs. They were huge and tasty...now let's rewind and go into a bit more detail. I came in on a Friday night with my aunt and brother. We were looking forward to the meal, but I had some concerns after reading mixed reviews previously. First moment of excitement was learning that there was ample street parking available since we arrived right around 7 pm. Once we entered the restaurant I felt good about the decision. We were quickly acknowledged and escorted to our seat. The restaurant set up is warm, welcoming and stylish. It also has the perfect amount of lighting. Why do people assume that because its southern comfort food, the decor should be tacky? Sorry for the reaction to some complaints that I've read. I'm back now. I have to admit that the service definitely was a bit slow, but once it got moving, all worked out. We decided to order a few appetizers including the crab-cakes, and deviled eggs. we were totally satisfied with Everything, ESPECIALLY that sweet and spicy bacon. Yum! And yes, I'll have more"! We ordered lots of ribs. its hard not to when it seems like its there signature dish. they Offer different styles if ribs: Kansas city, st. Louis etc. I'll be honest- i couldn't tell them apart, but it wasn't for lack of effort. they were all good though. The sides that we Had were mac n' cheese, collard greens and rice. none of them were really great to be honest and I was also slightly surprised that cornbread or any type of bread didn't come with the individual meals or for the table, but we made up for that by ordering a side to share. The music playing n the background was pretty nice and made it into a festive dining experience. The prices were decent, bringing our bill up to around $140 for 3 people, but we only ordered one drink at the table, so if you plan to have cocktails, expect to spend more. The bathrooms are located downstairs and it seems as though you can enter Merchant's - the cigar bar from there. Interesting. If you hate cigar smoke, then skip the bathroom, because you will definitely smell it from the Neely's side as well. Overall, I had a great dining experience with a few hiccups along the way. Plus I was able to take in some great family quality time. You just can't beat it.

    (4)

  • Rose Y.

    I was soooo disappointed My Husband took me there to celebrate my birthday last friday. We had a travelzoo voucher. The appetizer we ordered were chicken wings & pulled pork sliders. the sliders were good, wings needed more seasoning. When we ordered the main course we were told that the southern fried steak which on the menu comes with mashed potatoes and seasoned green beans, would Not come with the potatoes & green beans- we would have to pay for them as sides. Who does this???? We ordered the sides..the green beans were barely steamed and not seasoned at all. (we took them home & finished cooking them the next day) My beef short ribs ended up being one huge rib which was mostly fat and had the consistency of mush...(gross). The cornbread was not totally baked. Overall it was not a good deal and we will never go there again...My recommendation is to stay clear of the Neely's.

    (1)

  • Clifflene R.

    This place could have been nice but.. as soon as you walk in all you smell is stinky cigars. I still went in because maybe they have proper ventilation at the tables in the restaurant...nope. I ordered the shrimp and grits entree and it tasted ok. It seemed to be missing something flavor wise as far as the shrimp. The grits were good but come on the portion size for the grits was super small. I left feeling hungry...imagine that at a bbq place. I decided to try the rib sampler with mac and the wings with bleu cheese for take out for my husband. The dry rubbed ribs had no flavor...bland like they opened the package and smoked it. The st Louis style was bland and the sauce was barely present. The mac and cheese was mushy, bland and creamy at least. For the money I paid I felt robbed. To top it all off my jacket and clothes smelled like a casinos smoking section. Horrible. This environment must have health hazards. Will I return probably not not even with the 15% off they offered on the next visit..Epic fail...should be renamed needy instead of neely

    (2)

  • Tanya N.

    i don't like the neely's cooking show, but was interested in checking out the food from their restaurant. holy crap, i've never had mac 'n cheese that good before. not only that, i just moved here from texas, and so i've had A LOT of bbq in my time. never though, have i had brisket so unbelievably tender & good. i was really, really surprised. i think based on the previous reviews, they must've just had start up problems, because we were seated immediately, food came promptly & the service was excellent. bar staff was nice, and drinks were very unique and really good. never thought i'd say this because i can't stand the show, but i highly recommend the neely's restaurant!

    (4)

  • Mike P.

    I was about to rate this higher until the late relief host staff, followed by the manager, gave me attitude as I was leaving. I couldn't believe that they would ruin a perfectly good twilight dinner for me. They couldn't at least be friendly and TRY to call me by my first name? Excuse me for consuming oxygen while trying to enjoy my Saturday evening! Next time I think that I'll wear a nametag.

    (2)

  • Roger B.

    It's true that we had high hopes for Neely's. Physically the place is pleasant and inviting. As is the case more often than not in New York, it was too noisy, but the room we were in was relatively quiet. The food was quite good. The deviled eggs with candied bacon was spectacular. The bacon was crispy and flavorful while the eggs had just enough punch. The fried green tomatoes were served with a cool Vidalia onion sauce that made them special. The brisket was perfection, moist and flavorful. Both styles of ribs were fall off the bone delicious and the pulled pork avoided the dryness that so often diminishes the flavor and texture. The blackened catfish BLT was crispy and inviting. Cedar planked salmon, ordered by a friend who is on special regimen, was nice if not really in Neely's wheelhouse. As for the side dishes, we loved the mac & cheese, sweet potatoes, molasses baked beans and coleslaw. The roasted brussel sprouts with bacon were too firm and there wasn't much bacon. The cornbread was tasty and moist. For dessert we shared Mississippi Mud Pie, peach cobbler and pecan pie. All were right on the money. My favorite was the mud pie, but others preferred the pecan pie. The reason for the lost star is the service. Our waiter, Maurice, was delightful and good natured, but the meal took us nearly 3 hours and the serving staff made some mistakes in delivering the various main dishes. They need to clean up the service. When they do, I look forward to adding that fifth star.

    (4)

  • Jojo D.

    This is my second time going to the Neely's and the drinks are like I remember them (strong...for me anyway), however I remembered the food being excellent and this time it was just ok. Their appetizers are better than their entrees like most places. I was please with how fast the food came out and we were a fairly large party and every order was right. The waiter was also very polite (I'm horrible with names). I might go back but just for drinks and appetizers.

    (3)

  • Alice A.

    Sorry not a fan of the food and I love the Neelys couple but the food was not appealing or worth the money. The staff was friendly and nice. I think this restaurant could have also been in a better location as there is a cigar bar next door and you can smell the fumes and odors in the ladies bathroom which is a bit disgusting. All in all I would never return to this restaurant food was bland no flavor. Your better off going to Dallas BBQ lol good luck!

    (2)

  • Emily B.

    So so terrible. The food was tasteless and came out slow. Only decent thing was the cornbread. Avoid the baby back ribs at all costs. We took one bite and sent it back. The mac and cheese was raw and salty. Good for drinks. Reasonable price. But alltogether a miss.

    (1)

  • Lauren D.

    Went here on a groupon and the food was good, but not great. If I had paid full price I probably wouldn't think it had been worth it. The staff although pleasant felt like nothing special. I really love when I go to a restaurant and the staff has favorites on the menu, but when I asked for suggestions they just said "A lot of people order this." There are much better southern restaurants around the city and I would suggest going to them instead. Like I said this place wasn't bad but for the price you can get better.

    (3)

  • Daniel J.

    This is a review for delivery. At 6:14, we place an order via the Neely's website, with an estimated delivery of 6:45. At 7:15, with no food, we call the restaurant and are promised that the delivery just left and we should have it soon. At 7:35, still with no food, we call again, figuring that it shouldn't take twenty minutes to deliver one bag three blocks. This time, we are advised that they are just now plating our dinner, that it would be delivered shortly, and that with regard to our first phone call, the restaurant had confused our order with another order from our apartment building. At 8:00, still with no food, we call a third time, figuring it couldn't possibly take twenty-five minutes to put some slop in a box and deliver it three blocks. This time, we are told that the delivery actually just went out, and that it should arrive shortly, seeing as we're only three blocks away. I told the restaurant that, given our proximity, I expected the delivery to arrive by8:05, else I would refuse delivery,cancel payment, and order a pizza. Naturally, the food actually did arrive at 8:05, albeit with a wrong item (green beans instead of collard greens - FYI, the green beans were pretty awful). It shouldn't take so long to box pre-cooked mediocre food and deliver it three blocks. There's no reason to lie to us repeatedly about the status of the order. And it's bad business to be so completely unapologetic about lousy service.

    (1)

  • Patty L.

    Date & Time of Visit: Sunday, Oct. 2nd at 10AM Service: BRUNCH The decor is minimal but I was more than pleased with their 4-star service and hospitality. My server was friendly and very attentive. The general manager, Chris, is gracious, knowledgeable of the food and has great front-of-the-house presence. The menu offers a variety of brunch and lunch dishes but the winning dish would be the Fried Chicken & Waffles. The skin is so crispy and light, the chicken tender and juicy, Waffle warm and soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. I love the sweet and savory combo + differences in texture. The cream gravy is a specialty all on its own made with organic goat's milk. Where in NY can you find another place that'll serve this kind of gravy?? Coming in at a close second would be the "Velvet Elvis, which is French toast stuffed with peanut butter, bananas & fluff served a side of with a side Jack Daniels custard sauce. Can I say - this is the best French toast combo ever. The French toast isn't too heavy and there is just the right amount of fluff, peanut butter and banana that makes this a winning dish. New Yorkers are big on their Sunday brunch - I am hardly a critic but those two dishes made this jaded New Yorker very happy.

    (5)

  • Yoon C.

    Awesome staff with extremely kind servers-- definitely agree with all the hype over their Mac and cheese. Their chicken wings appetizer was finger licking delish and honestly one of my most beloved drinks menu seen thus far! Their open door (?) cocktail with jack black infused with healthy portions of blackberry and raspberry blends was a great complement to their dishes.tge portions are refreshingly hefty, and you'll list likely be enjoying those delish ribs for lunch the following day!!!

    (4)

  • Terrance R.

    Ok. I'm a tough critic. Neely's has good food, and I love the ambiance. It's not great, but there are a few highlights. To start of, two words... Candy. Bacon. - Brought down from a kitchen in heaven. Baked Beans - very very tasty. Some of the best in the city.

    (3)

  • Drew A.

    Went into Neely's and was surprised when I didn't get the 'cigar stank' that others were talking about. I did eventually get some stank, but I'll discuss this later. We were seated quickly even though it was a busy Sunday and had great service. No problems in these departments. The food however, was just eh. I sampled the brisket (a bit tough), the pulled pork (ok), st louis ribs, some other ribs, mac n cheese, mashed potatoes and beans. Honestly, 'Meh' is the perfect descriptor for all of it. It was far from bad, but just as far from good. There are better places in NYC to get better food and while we were eating the Neely's eats, there was conversation at the table about how it's been too long since we've visited Dino BBQ. Mmmmm Dino.... So all of this would usually garner a solid 3 star review bc overall we had a fun meal....however...there was a bit of an issue with the bathrooms that needs to be addressed AKA The Stank. FIrst off, they are tiny. And the patrons here...are big. There are 2 stalls...1 was overflowing with s***. The other was gross and had no TP. Come on kids. Mc D's has better bathrooms. Welcome to The Stank.

    (2)

  • Jacob C.

    Really good drinks. The spiked Lemonade was rather weak to say the lease I didn't even taste anything. My GF got the sangra which she loved. Food was good I live around and love stoping by for some great food.

    (4)

  • Cathy C.

    Had a wonderful dinner here last night. We started with chicken wings and wedge salad, both were really good. We split the shrimp and grits and the fried green tomatoes which were wonderful. They are a little pricy especially on the wine. Our server Tyler could not have been nicer or more accommodating. I can't review desert because we were too full. Looking forward to going back soon.

    (5)

  • Marley N.

    The last time I was here was a few weeks ago when the Neelys themselves were present. I took my mom, her twin, and my great aunt for a great meal to celebrate my mom & her sister's birthday. We had a wonderful time and the staff, as usual, was wonderful. The food here is delicious--don't let the naysayers convince you otherwise. The one thing I will say about their food is that it isn't low-quality and grease-filled. In other words, if you're looking for garbage food that you've eaten in the south, don't expect it here. If you're looking for good down home cooking made with quality ingredients, then, yes, my friends, you must dine here. I really love pickles, and the fried pickles are great. The collards are also good and the mac and cheese is simply dandy. They have a happy hour where appetizers are very cheap, and I am constantly trying to come here with my coworkers, but I work in Harlem, so it's a bit of a trek. If you're fortunate enough to work closer, I urge you to stop by! Have an order of fried pickles for me!

    (5)

  • James H.

    I had the pleasure of having thanksgiving here with my girlfriend and it was great. The food, staff, music, and atmosphere is amazing!

    (4)

  • Anastasia W.

    A perfect 3 stars. The service was excellent. Decor / ambiance was great. The food: came quickly, as ordered and was not bad at all - it was A-OK... However, I've had better, more flavorful BBQ from a small truck stop behind my previous job in Seattle (and Seattle is most definitely not known for their BBQ). Good BBQ should make you stop and say "WOW - this is GOOD" and then all conversation should stop because you don't want to stop eating your BBQ...but this was not the case at Neely's. hushpuppies - were okay - needed to be a bit crispier candied bacon - this was really cool! and really yummy! spiked arnold palmer - very very good pitcher of drink - got 3 of us pretty happy brisket - meh pulled pork sandwich - meh I would go back if in the neighborhood, but I don't think I would travel out of my way to eat here again.

    (3)

  • Shaniqua G.

    Today the person handling to go orders is either new or doesn't like her job because she watched as me and another woman ordered from what is now an out dated menu..so why is it out? Also someone food carton is sitting on top of the menus. She is lucky I know my food will be delicious other wise I would have walked out after finding out I had to change my order.

    (3)

  • André G.

    A little pricey, but worth every penny! Got the pulled pork and a side of mac and cheese. Both were sensational, to say the least!

    (5)

  • Tariel T.

    I'm the type who love eating good food and enjoy new places to eat, Neely's was close to what I expected. The atmosphere is nice, but very tight. More like an upscale BBQ restaurant. I've been to other BBQ restaurants, and ordered pretty much the same thing. I had the BBQ ribs with a side of collard greens, it was ok. However the red velvet drink and red velvet cake was delicious. The drink, you can tell was made with fresh fruits, which is a plus for me. Would I go back, probably but, after I explore more places to eat.

    (3)

  • Cassandra N.

    My friends took me to the Neely's for my birthday. I had pulled pork and everyone else had ribs with a side of mac n cheese. Not much variety so I cannot speak on every dish. I enjoyed my pulled pork. I didn't love it and i didn't hate it. It was good. The ribs were okay as well. The mac n cheese was very creamy and dreamy. The food is nothing to rave about in my opinion. I am haitian so I am used to heavily seasoned food that has layers of flavor. I would go again for the ambiance and our waiter Mark was pretty cool too.

    (4)

  • Akelah P.

    Nothing to rave about. Ive had better barbecue. The mac and cheese was overly salty. Mashed potatoes tasted like powder potatoes. Probably wouldn't go again. They do have a real sexy cigar bar though but super expensive.

    (2)

  • Tara H.

    Always passed this place on the way into the city and finally tried it. I had the pulled pork platter and my boyfriend had the brisket. You get one side with your meal so we had the Collard Greens and the Mac and Cheese. The latter was AMAZING! But it's a little heavy so is recommend sharing it with someone else unless you want to roll out of the restaurant after your meal haha. Good service too and we got free cornbread. The ambience was impressive for a BBQ joint. Very nice inside. The thing that surprised me is that you only get one side with your meal. Most BBQ places I've been to give you two sides (one of which is usually cornbread). Not sure if everyone gets cornbread or if our waiter just brought it anyway. Overall, great pulled pork and Mac and Cheese that would definitely make me go back.

    (3)

  • Pamela S.

    Good bbq, good drinks, good ambiance. Nice date spot or hanging out with friends.

    (4)

  • Cherice A.

    My husband and I decided to take our 5 year old here for her Graduation dinner tonight. While the food was great, the service was honestly the worst I ever had in my life. Our waiter Ossama completely ignored us the entire evening and would continually checked on his other tables and not ours. At first I thought it was because he was busy but the restaurant was fairly empty at the time. Then when our section filled up, he repeatedly checked on all of the other tables and not ours. Granted, maybe he thought that because we came in with a voucher from Gilt City that we would be bad tippers. But regardless of how customers come in, service like that is unacceptable. And then we alerted the floor manager to the situation, all we got is a sorry about that, here's your pie and check. And to add insult to injury, he didn't at least have the courtesy to come say sorry or have a nice night. He completely ignored us as we left. My husband is in the restaurant business so I love to support new places but I will never come to Neely's again if this is how they treat customers. Very disappointing experience.

    (2)

  • Joanie K.

    came here for brunch, food was too heavy for what i wanted, but the rest of the table really enjoyed their slabs of meat and the growler of beer. sidenote, who drinks growlers of beer?! at 11am?!

    (2)

  • Julian B.

    This is some good BBQ. I had fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, and the Rib Sampler with a side of slaw. Delicious. The meat was fall off the bone tender and smothered in Neely's sauce. The fried green tomatoes were topped with a creamy Vidalia onion relish that had a nice vinegary snap to it. The fried pickles were the best that I have ever had (and I have ate plenty of fried pickles in my life). It came with a dipping sauce that I think had mayo, butter milk, tabasco, horseradish and BBQ seasoning. The sauce perfectly complimented the pickles. Also, the green tomato sangria is fantastic. My only issue is I think Bluesmoke's meat is smoked better and their prices are cheaper.

    (4)

  • Grace H.

    I want to stary by saying that the 3 stars is for the service and not the food. In particular, staff keep asking us have we paid our bar tap!! I am staying in a short term rental apartment nearby, and was meeting an old friend. Although she is American but she now lives in England and is fancying some good old BBQ. We had no reservation, just walked in, and were told if we wait for about 15 minutes, there will be a table ready. So we trotted along to the bar, the poor bar tender was working on her own, and it takes a little while for her to get to us, once she did the drink arrived quickly. When our table was ready, the host come to tell us that we have to settle our bill in the bar first. OK we cannot carry the bar tab over, fine no sweat. We did. After we did, I went to get her attention, she came round and asked again, did we settle our bar tab. I said YES YES, we did. OMG! For God all mighty. How many times do you have to ask? I was not pleased about that. Then I was led to a table that was right in the middle where kind of like in the middle of the street! No hon, that is not on, I picked another one on the side. The menu is good old BBQ fare, and the three of us had KC Style Ribs, it is more sweet and more meaty, and then the Memphis style, the cut of the ribs is different, and is more spicy, and a Beef Brisket platter. It is als beautiful. We ordered Mac and Cheese, Corncake and Colestlaw for sides. I have to say, it is even better than some of the BBQ ribs I had down south. I am definitely a fan of the food, but not a fan of kept being asked if I settle my bar tab.

    (3)

  • Susan K.

    Went on a Friday night. Made a reservation and was seated right away at a nice table near the window. Ordered the Pink pigitini drink. It was fair but decent. Service was excellent, waitress came right over. Our main entrees were the BBQ chicken and ribs, and the Brisket. Our sides were cole slaw, green beans, mashed sweet potatoes, and corn bread. The food was absolutely delicious! I would definitely go again.

    (5)

  • Janice L.

    Sunday Brunch: Not so packed. Seemed like there was only ONE waitress waiting for all tables inside AND OUTSIDE. She was very good at visiting us and making sure we were fine, however I can only imagine how crazy it must've been for her. The place was really nice, admired the dark wood all around and the sun was shining in. I had the sparkling Sangria to start - nothing special. There was no fruit in my sangria, it just tasted like spiked kids grape juice. I then had the Candied Bacon Benedict. Portion was good and the hollandaise sauce was yummy. The candied bacon, however, tasted a little bit too salty. Their home fries we SO DRY. I had to literally mix in the home fries with bbq sauce for it to have ANY flavor and a little bit of "tenderness" - I don't know if that's the right word but I do know I don't like my home fries dry. The waffles were bland - nothing special. My boyfriend had the Farmers Omelette - he didn't compliment or say anything bad about it, he also didn't like the dry home fries. My aunt had the Brisket Hash & Eggs, she also complained about the dry home fries and said that the Brisket was spicy. We then ordered the Cupcake Sampler for dessert. The cupcakes came and they were cold. We had a hard time cutting the cupcakes because the frosting was hard.. As I'm writing this now I'm realizing how bad it was.. I started this review with 3 stars and now I'm finishing it with 2. I am, however, still willing to try this place for dinner.

    (2)

  • Brigette K.

    I enjoyed the food at Neely's, and the restaurant itself is really cool. The bar area was a nice place to sit and relax while I waited for my entire party to arrive. Please note, you will not be seated unless your entire party is there. Once seated, the waiter was nice and our food arrived without much of a wait. The problem was after we told our waiter we wanted the check. It took awhile to arrive, and then FOREVER for him to come back and pick it up. Also, it was a Wednesday night and a total of 5 were in my party. The waiter added a 20% tip, which I don't recall seeing on the menu, and there were only 5 of us in the party so not sure why that was necessary. The tip would have gone down too, because of how long the final wait was for our check to be taken, run through, and brought back. I would come to this place again, but be warned about the wait for the check...

    (4)

  • Krista J.

    Though the food was A-OK, especially the fried pickles , the service was just SO slow. BBQ isn't my favorite, so I likely won't be back too soon.

    (3)

  • laura p.

    I crave Neelys brunch for the peanut butter fluff and banana French toast. It had been a while, but my friend and I made a plan to go today. Jokingly I said..LI hope they still have my french toast. I looked at the menu and it was gone! Why????

    (2)

  • Mary V.

    My husband and I went here for dinner on a travel zoo deal and had a delicious and huge meal! The place itself is really big but our waiter was very attentive and nice. I think the best part of the meal might have been the appetizers. We had the shrimp and grits and the bacon deviled eggs, which were some of the best I've had. We then had the ribs and chicken sampler. The chicken wasn't really anything special but the ribs were very tasty! Would definitely go back but will probably skip the chicken.

    (4)

  • Melissa H.

    I love the Neely's show on the food network so I had to go their restaurant. Their candied bacon appetizer is a Very good. Their ribs platter with Mac and cheese were good also. You have down home southern cooking in a fine dining setting in the middle of NYC. I have to try some of their drinks when I come back.

    (4)

  • Susie T.

    Okay, so maybe I am just a silly yankee, but I actually enjoyed the food here. Neely's used to be Merchant's way back when I lived in the neighborhood...The serving sizes of the sides were a bit small to share (that come with the platters), but I thought they were the highlight of the meal. The beans and creamed corn were very flavorful. The mac and cheese good too. I had the BBQ chicken platter and my boyfriend had the pulled pork. I wasn't thrilled with the BBQ sauces, but the mason jars for beer glasses were adorable. (Oh man, I really am a sucker after all!)

    (4)

  • Stacey H.

    After a week of meetings etc the food at Neely's was a much needed reprieve. The brisket melted in your mouth and the ribs just fell off of the bone. Instead of waiting for Thanksgiving for collards instead we chose to have them now and they too were delicious, don't forget the corn bread.

    (4)

  • Gamal H.

    A place to embrace your inner fat kid. I've been here a couple of times since the Neely's took over the space from Merchant's and each time I've left feeling a little excessive. Keep in mind the restaurant didn't do anything wrong. The staff is friendly and prompt, the drinks are good and the food is the essence of comfort fare. But it's too much. The drinks are served in mason jars and by the time you've had two of them you're going to be a little silly. One night I decided to skip the cocktail and just get straight whiskey. Instead of giving me the standard 2-3 finger pour, they basically just filled up my glass. Sobriety is not a virtue here. Neither is moderation. The portions are huge, everything that isn't fried has butter on it or it is fried with butter on it. There are four types of BBQ sauces at the table which is a little redundant since most things come with sauce already on them. By the time you finish eating, the desire to unbuckle your pants in public is fairly strong. When you leave, you will probably have gained 5-7 pounds. It will be a tasty 5-7 pounds, but you might not appreciate that when you try to put on your skinny jeans the next day. Maybe I just don't have enough experience with BBQ joints to put this in the proper context, but I try to avoid Neely's because of the way I enjoy it. If you have a better relationship with your inner fat kid, I suggest you take him to Neely's. He will thank you later. Have fun. G

    (3)

  • Henry F.

    I came here with friends for dinner. The service was slow. I got my drink almost fifteen minutes from when I ordered. I ordered the bbq chicken and ribs. The ribs are ok but the chicken was very dried. But the fries were good

    (3)

  • E T.

    My husband took me here for our anniversary. I was very excited about going since i watch their show. When we got there we was waiting for almost 2 hours ( we made reservations by the way). After that long wait we was seated in a crowed area ( wasn't very comfy). We ordered our food and the excitement went right out the door. My husband ordered the chicken and I ribs mac & cheese and collards for me string beans for him. The mac & cheese tasted like it came out of a box the string beans extremely salty my greens was extremely spicy. The chicken over cooked and my ribs was cold and hard. Not happy at all. I wrote an review on FB and I turned around to fix my spelling someone deleted my review. Neely's with all that bragging you guys do on your food I expected it to be the best food I ever had. And it was the worst. So not worth the money we spent will never go back even if they gave me free food. When I hear people talking bout going I point them at a much better and cheaper spots.

    (1)

  • Rene L.

    Went here for dinner. Service was polite and efficient and the atmosphere was buzzing with loud music and a full bar with football on several TVs. My wife and I shared a fried green tomato cobb salad and a full rack of baby back ribs. The ribs were fall off the bone tender and delicious. It came with sauce but they had three sauces at the table you could try. I've had ribs in Memphis, St. Louis, Little Rock, Chicago and these were right up there in terms of tenderness and flavor. The salad was good - the fried green tomatoes were tasty. Overall a nice spot for a casual meal or good place to watch a game over a beer and some tasty BBQ.

    (4)

  • Moshe Z.

    We were party of four and had no issue getting in, Place is big and tables are comfortably placed. We ordered 2 platters to share. One was Neelys Rib Sampler (2 times 1/2 rack of ribs) and the other was Pork Sampler Platter (In the menu it states, 1/3 rack KC style ribs, 1/3 rack of Baby back ribs and pulled pork). When we got our platters we were very surprised as the pork sampler platter had 1/2 of the rib sampler in portion and a tiny bit of pulled pork. We called the waiter and asked if that is the size, he explained us that in Nellys 1/2 rack is 6 bones and 1/3 rack is 3 bones, when I told him that it does not make sense and its not what's in the menu, he was a little surprised. When the manager arrived (after asking for her), she also did not understand why it does not make sense, after lengthy explaining them the math of if 1/2=6 ribs then 1/3=4 ribs, she walked away. 10 min later we got an extra plate with more of the ribs and pulled pork so we will not be unhappy (according to the manager), that was nice but I would just expect a restaurant to server what they put in the menu. I must say it was a nice gesture and we really appreciated that. The food is average but the attitude not the best. Enjoy

    (3)

  • Lisa J.

    I went here on 2/16/13. It did not meet my expectations. However, the appetizers were good. We had a pre-fix menu since it was Valentines Day weekend. I like all the apps except the catfish, it was very bland. The crabcakes were my favorite!!! The fried pickles and fried tomatoes were good also. I did not like the mac and cheese at all. The mashed potato and creamed corn were good. I was so full I did not taste my ribs, chicken, and brisket. The next day I had the ribs, which were okay. The chicken, I could have done without. The brisket was good. The service was okay. I will not be in a rush to come back here. Being a fan of the Neely's on the food network I was so excited to try their restaurant but I was very disappointed.

    (3)

  • Emmanuel J.

    service was excellent. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich which was ok. It was missing something.... oh yeah!! flavor.

    (3)

  • Terri C.

    Service is a little on the slow side but I keep going back for the Mac and cheese and cornbread... spiked lemonades are good too. Worth a try if you've never been.

    (4)

  • Craig S.

    Had an early dinner on a Monday. Reminded me not to go to restaurants on Mondays...you get reheated leftovers from the weekend. That's what it tasted like. And I'm from Memphis so I know barbecue and I know Neely's. Too bad.

    (2)

  • Kelsey E.

    Delicious. Had a Gilt City voucher for 2 for brunch. My boyfriend and I enjoyed ourselves immensely. The deal came with a pitcher of sangria (we got the sparkling) and it was awesome, and a lot between 2 of us, but we handled it. I got the Pulled Pork Hash, he got Chicken and Waffles. Both great, Chicken and Waffles were really, really good. We got cheesy grits and mac and cheese on the side (I know... its a lot of cheese...) which were both delightful. We also managed to shove a peach cobbler down too. Again, delicious. We rolled out of there quite happy and had to take a nap in the park because we were so full. It's a bit pricey so the voucher was good to have. I don't usually like to go to Food Network "stars" restaurants but I'm glad I did!

    (4)

  • Jules J.

    Pretty good brunch spot in the UES. I was a little skeptical when we walked in at midday on a Sunday and noticed that the restaurant was half-empty. The waitstaff was great; very friendly and accommodating to our constantly changing party size. (5 of us arrived first, and three others joined us later.) I really liked the decor, where each room is set up to resemble a room in someone's house. I was in the mood for a light brunch, so I settled on the smoked chicken salad. I was incredibly satisfied with this dish - lots of chicken over rice, with avocado, corn, black beans, and crunchy onions. I don't think it was necessarily healthy, but it was delicious. My friends tried the chicken and waffles, which they loved, and it was big enough to feed three people. The quiche was really good, too. I'm surprised Neely's wasn't busier, as we were all very satisfied with the food and the staff. I'll definitely come back the next time I'm looking for brunch in this neighborhood.

    (3)

  • Izzie W.

    Moving from Dallas to Brooklyn, I expect "southern food" to be bleh.....and it was for the most part. The drinks are good....and small and expensive. I got the southern fried steak, green beans, and mash....2x. It was basic. The catfish nuggets are amazing. Everything else I tasted was blehhhh. I'll continue to visit this place from time to time because I honestly want them to do better. Oh yeah by the way.....the waitstaff is amazingly AWFUL!!! Don't expect water, expect to know what you want a.s.a.p., and getting your check when your utensils and napkin are on your plate......(in true NYC fashion) fuhgetaboutit! You will have to hunt these puppies down. Update coming soon on the cigar bar in the basement.....yeah it looks sexy down there. Oh yeah.....best stove top mac-n-cheese hands down! That's why I keep coming back.

    (3)

  • Ebony C.

    Beef Ribs!!!! I'm jumping the gun, so let me back track. I heard that the Neely's now had a spot in NYC...so of course I've got to try it out. I did warn myself that they wouldn't be the ones in the kitchen so prepare for it not to be that good. I was wrong and it was great! We started w/ fried pickles.....YUMMY!!! When I saw they had beef ribs on the menu I sang ...YES YES! I don't eat pork so whenever you go to a BBQ spot they never have beef ribs. The ribs were dry rubbed & very tasty. Mac & chees and corn were my sides...both pretty tasty. For dessert, my friends & I shared the cheesecake w/ bourbon sauce. It was tasty, but nothing I will save room for. What I think ny'ers will appreciate are the $10 drinks in mason jars that actually have .....(drum roll) alcohol in them. Try the dads day off....lemonade, maple syrup, & Jim Bean....OH BOYO!!!! I will definitely go again for dinner....will try brunch soon.

    (4)

  • Leo S.

    Despite the bad reviews I decided to give this place a go and I am glad I did. I have even gone back and had great food and service on my second visit as well. Drinks: you must try to BBQ Bloody Mary or the Green Apple Sangria, both are excellent. For food, you can't go wrong with the fried pickles, bakes beans, pulled pork, or any of the ribs. Great addition to the neighborhood, hope it stays, even with the fickle yelp reviews.

    (5)

  • Roetta C.

    Yes the Neely' s BBQ Parlor has great tasty food, nice ambiance, yada yada yada - but a casual Sunday brunch should not cost $75.00 dollars for two people.

    (3)

  • Maisha R.

    Born and raised in Memphis I was super excited when I saw that Neely's was opening this summer, shortly after I moved to the city. I ventured there for the first time in August and had the Kansas City ribs which were good, but not great. The sweet potato fries were a little soggy and the red velvet cake was tasty but dry. The waitress was inattentive and the table was so tiny that my friend and I had to decide which one of us wanted to eat our entree first, as all of the plates would not fit on the table. The whole experience was disappointing. Wanting to give the Neely's another chance, I returned in October and much to my delight, the service and food had improved. Our waitress was absolutely wonderful. She was attentive, informative and very personable. The food was hot and fresh. I tried the Memphis ribs this time and they reminded me of home. The best thing about my second time there was that the manager came to our table and inquired about the meal. After prefacing my thoughts with the recounting of my first experience there, the manager offered us complimentary desserts and thanked me for returning. I thought that was a really nice gesture.

    (4)

  • Sydney T.

    There's a reason these Neelys had to come to NY to sell their bbq away from Memphis. One word: TOUGH! I should have known because the restaurant was half empty on a Saturday night that it wouldn't be good. My bf took me here as a joke because I am a native of Memphis and know that these Neelys aren't known for bbq. Pat and Gina would have done better doing soul food. Not bbq. The short of it: 1) Food was luke warm to cold. not just the BBQ but the sides too 2) Ribs were overcooked, burt, tough, and nasty 3) bbq chicken was cold and slathered in sauce to hide the rubbery taste 4) food came out 5 minutes after we ordered it so no secret it was just nuked for 30 secs in the microwave 5) horrible mac and cheese Redeeming grace? - Good pecan pie. Do yourself a favor and miss this place. Doesn't look like it will be around for much longer anyway.

    (1)

  • Valentina L.

    Best pulled pork sammie I've had in a while. The portions were generous. The pork was juicy and piled atop a fresh bun with fried onion strings. It was so good! It wasn't overly covered in bbq sauce, but there are squeezey bottles in the table if you want more. I stopped talking for a full 10 minutes to enjoy this masterpiece. Anyone who knows me knows that's a long time. They have a happy hour specials $4 drinks and apps from 4-7pm, and late night.I was only in for lunch, but would love to try their drinks soon!

    (4)

  • Agustin K.

    Found it unexpectedly. Wasn't expecting a BBQ joint in the UES. The decor is quite nice with multiple rooms decorated differently, we got the velvety reddish room. I saw one that is more country white. Spiced sangria - quite good with a kick at the end. Wish the pitcher was bigger. All the drinks are served in jars which was cute. Fried pickles - just ok, like the hooters version better. Baby back ribs - average but satisfied my craving. Country fried steak - now for this dish I will come back. Sides - Brussel sprouts with bacon and onions... very good. Mac and cheese - something was missing, super creamy but didn't hit the spot for me. Portions are big so better if with a big group and everyone can share. We spent $25pp and left full and happy.

    (3)

  • Roy R.

    Really solid BBQ spot. We went on a Gilt City deal. I had the chicken fried steak, while other dishes at my table were brisket platter, ribs platter, and chicken platter. Also had the catfish and bbq wings app. Had a dessert platter of peach cobbler and bread pudding and red velvet cake. Everything was great. The drinks were extremely good. They are all refreshing, as they are southern drinks, but with a kick. And they are either $4 or $5 during happy hr. Good to know lol. Service was a little slow but it was busy on a Friday night. But I could forgive it because we had one of the best waiters I've ever had in my life. He was so attentive and courteous. Both our table and the table next to us pulled the manager aside to tell him how great this waiter was. This place isn't Dinosaur or Smokin Als in terms of competition BBQ. I'm not rating it on that. But the quality of food and service gave me no reason to deduct a star.

    (5)

  • renje g.

    C'mon, it was that bad as the 2.5 stars rating says it is. The decor is amazing. I like the velvet interior and the separation between rooms. It is definitely a good place to have a proper party. You don't get bread here, only cheese sticks. That was kind of disappointing. Three people ordered the candied bacon appetizer to share. It was some damn good candied bacon, but it was amazingly overpriced at 7 dollars for 5 sticks of regular size bacon. I ordered the brisket and mac n cheese. It was adequate, but nothing to write home about. My friends had the two style of ribs. One, from Houston, thought the KC style was a little dry. The other, from NYC, enjoyed her sticky ribs. Their sides were just alright. WE also liked our green tomato sangria which didn't taste anything like tomato (good thing) and it had a spicy kick in the end (also a good thing). The service, from our waiter was terrible. He seemed to not be listening. He'd walk away before we were done ordering, He only seemed to be talking to me, when discussing the menu. He was probably the owner's nephew or something. I won't blame the restaurant for him tho. I did like the rest of the staff. The hosts and bartenders were very nice. We even had a maitr''d type fellow visit us periodically to see how our night was going. I haven't even had that at the best of NYC restaurants. Our red velvet cake for dessert seem boxed and mass produced. I don't know where people get that it the best red velvet in NYC business from. There was another order of blackberry cobbler that was very good. With that said, maybe it is worth the 2.5 star rating. In all, I fuss I can say it was a nice lace to bring my friend from out of town. Dinner for three plus a drink a piece only cost $101. I can't say that I hated it (which a two star rating would entail)

    (3)

  • Alison S.

    Recently ate here with my hubby. We had the applewood bbq wings for appetizer--very nice! I had the pork sampler, which consisted of pulled pork, baby back ribs and some other kind of ribs. It came with a choice of side dish and i chose the collard greens. OMG! the greens were slammin!!!!The pork was nice as well. But those greens! YUM!!! My husband had the chicken fried steak, which came with mashed potatoes and green beans. The cfs was okay. Neither of us was crazy about it. The green beans and mashed were very nice. I would like to go back just to try the shrimp and grits. even though I;m not big on shrimp, I bet it's tasty. The service here was very nice. The only thing I didn't like is that the bathroom is down 2 flights of stairs --when you enter you have to go up a short flight of stairs to the dining area or down a short flight to the rest room.

    (4)

  • Lourdes E.

    The appetizers here were excellent- the fried green tomatoes, sliders and shrimp and grits were excellent BUT the ribs were kind of tough and the chicken was nothing special and they only offer fried chicken on Mondays.. why? The cornbread was very good but the piece of pecan pie was like a 1/2 slice it was so think and for what they charge.. this was unacceptable.. Also our waiters English was not very good and when I asked him if the cole slaw had celery seed he said no celery but sure enough it had celery seed. Overall not worth a repeat.

    (3)

  • glenn m.

    I have been here a few times and the service and quality of the food has been on a steady decline. The ribs had more fat than meat, the beans were saturated with sugar and we had to flag down the bartender for service. Needless to say, we won't be back.

    (1)

  • Elisa H.

    We wanted to really be able to enjoy the neelys BBQ. We lived in south Texas for a while, so we have had some killer BBQ. The food was mediocre at best. The fried pickles had so much breading, that you couldn't even taste the pickle. Our service was terrible! We finally had to ask someone if our server was ever coming back? It really felt like we were inconveniencing her by being there. This place is going on our list of places we won't bother coming back to. It was good enough to eat at once.

    (2)

  • Daniel S.

    I loved this place food and drinks were great and the mac n cheese was awsome cant wait to go back ps try the margaritas

    (5)

  • Bonnie W.

    What a lovely al fresco BBQ place in the UES! We happened upon this place leaving the Clearview theater across the street. I love their Spiked VIP firefly sweet tea vodka/lemonade with peach puree (the difference between this and their spiked lemonades is the fruit puree). It was sweet and a refreshing respite from that days humidity. We shared the pulled pork sandwich which was topped with crispy onion rings and came with coleslaw and their Neely's burger which was topped with crispy onion rings, white cheddar cheese, bacon and caramelized onions. Both sandwiches were delicious and great for sharing.

    (5)

  • Arben S.

    Love BBQ!! This place was a let down to say the least!! Only good thing was our waitress was sweet as molasses. (pardon the pun)

    (3)

  • Danielle T.

    Went there with a couple friends and will say that it was a nice atmosphere. The food was ok at best. I ordered the brisket, greens, and mashed potatoes. The brisket consisted of 4 paper thin slices of beef so I was happy I ordered mashed potatoes so I wouldnt leave hungry. I was excited to visit the restaurant because I like their show but was definitely not impressed.

    (2)

  • Jadean F.

    I went to the Neely's Barbecue Parlor recently with a group of couples. We were in a semi-private room. The staff was welcoming and everyone seemed alert and organized. Overall, everyone seemed happy with the food. I ordered the shrimp and grits w a side of mac and cheese. The grits were Divine. Nice and creamy. The shrimp had a barbecue glaze that was quite tasty. However, the mac and cheese was very gummy. Instead of having a cheesy consistency, there was more of a liquid cheese sauce straight-out-of the-box taste present. Our waiter disappeared for about an hour and a half. By the time we flagged him down for the bill, I was pretty exhausted. Overall, it was a fun experience. I like the decor. It was a mix of grandmother's house meets chic boutique.

    (3)

  • Rich J.

    I'm a fan of the cooking show so, I really looked forward to trying the barbecue. Additionally, I've never experienced real "southern" style barbecue and I was expecting something special. Well, I was disappointed. The food was average. I had the Cornmeal Fried Mississippi Catfish appetizer and theTexas Style "12 hr" Smoked Beef Brisket for dinner. I did enjoy the catfish. It was moist and flavorful and the rémoulade sauce did not overwhelm the fish. So, I was especially excited about the Brisket, particularly because the menu indicates that it is "cooked low & slow for 12 hours." Well, I guess cooking it for 12 hours ruined the flavor because my brisket had absolutely no flavor. It was texture without taste. Additionally, the chef puts a gob of sauce on the meat. So, I had this flavorless meat covered by a very sweet and sour type sauce. Truly disappointing. Another suprise was that the restaurant doesn't offer cornbread or southern style biscuits for the table. Instead, they provide some kind of cheese stick things. I'm not a cheese person so I didn't try them. I was really hoping for some homemade cornbread. Again, disappointing. My wife was similarly disappointed in her dinner - Memphis style baby back ribs. She said that her ribs were tender and moist, but flavorless. I will say that we enjoyed the side - collared greens and macaroni and cheese. But, for the price, Neely's is no bargain.

    (2)

  • mel s.

    This was such a huge disappointment. Food at a T.G.I. Friday's in an airport is better. The only reason I give one star is that our waiter was just lovely. Food was less than bland. Not going back, will never recommend.

    (1)

  • Lisa Y.

    Here's what's good: The drinks!! I had the Screen Door which is Jack with lemonade and mashed blackberries. My friend had the green tomato sangria. The drinks are great!! The Pinto Beans with Burnt Tips : best side dish I've had at a BBQ Joint. I am not a rib expert but I enjoyed my Memphis dry rub ribs. Here's what's odd: No cornbread. Instead you get 3 cheese straws. Only one side comes with the ribs. The food arrives really quickly. You order and it appears. The three sauces all taste pretty much the same except one is hot. Here's what's bad: The noise level. Being packed too tightly in the dining room Smelling cigar smoke from the cigar bar downstairs. Having the Hostess mess up the RSVP. The Mac & Cheese. The waiter told us they had changed the recipe but I would hate to have experienced it before because it's not good at all.. Would I go back? Yes, it was good value and there is nothing else around. Plus, it is across the street from the Clearview Theatre. So, for being cheap and convenient -this place scores.

    (2)

  • Jennie F.

    Candied bacon is really good. A little like beef jerky and a candy bar :) Deviled eggs were good but nothing amazing. Ribs were definitely over cooked. The Brisket was like fatback...not good at all. Mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and bakes beans were all great. BBQ was okay hence the 3 star rating. If you're from/visiting Long Island you're better off going to Smokin' Al's. Sorry Pat & Gina I'm a big fan but I didn't see your touches anywhere...what happened to slow & low?

    (3)

  • Will M.

    I had the Pork Sampler, which includes spare ribs, baby back ribs, a good portion of pulled pork. Both ribs were super delicious and better than the ribs I had anywhere else in the area (not a connoisseur) and the baby back ribs were super tender. The pulled pork was not as flavorful as the ribs but was also great. The black eyed peas were like a nice chili, spicy with chunks of meat but without cumin. Service was fast and the ambience was comfortable. I had the Daddy's Day off cocktail (lemonade, maple syrup). I didn't really taste the maple, so ask for extra syrup if you want to try it. I would recommend making a reservation on OpenTable before going. A 3-person party arriving just before us was told there was a 30 minute wait around 7pm. Pork Sampler $22 Daddy's Day Off $10

    (4)

  • Trinaka B.

    Excellent food, atmosphere and service. Had a GREAT "Ladies Night"! Will go back for sure!

    (5)

  • Gabriel C.

    A great place to go the food and ambiance is good. The wings, ribs, bacon and etcc.... are all good

    (3)

  • Alexander N.

    Great brunch this past Sunday! Chicken and waffles defiantly was the dish to order and the grits were on point. I felt like was down south comfort food with sweet tea as a plus. I have to try dinner next time I visit this place!

    (5)

  • Jonathan C.

    Food and service was good. I especially liked the chicken wings in the chipotle BBQ sauce. The only reason why 4 out if 5 stars is that I've had way better BBQ at a more reasonable price. All in all I enjoyed my meal, but very unlikely I would go back for anything more than the wings.

    (4)

  • Cadalac M.

    I loved the fried green pickles with the chipotle mayonnaise dipping sauce. Mac and cheese was very nice.

    (4)

  • Erskine S.

    What can I say, here at Neely's restaurant on 62nd and 1st Ave ending 2014 and bringing in 2015 with the Mrs. and family. We started with drinks while looking over their 3 course New Years Eve menu. My food choices began with 6 Apple wood Smoked Chicken Wings followed by Memphis Baby Back Ribs (dry rub) with Collard Green and for dessert, blueberry cobbler. What a pretty scrumptious meal to bring in the New Year. It also included a complementary glass of Champaign. We could not have asked for a better server. He was attentive, enthusiastic, cheerful, and he made our dining experience fantastic. This place is okay in my book.

    (3)

  • Scott W.

    I went to Neely's on a Saturday night. The staff was very professional, though our arrival was a bit strange. We were late for our reservation, so we were asked to wait for our table. We went to the bar to get a drink, and were seated about halfway through that round. What was strange is that there were plenty of open tables where they sat us. It seemed that the staff was keeping one of the two rooms in our area full, which we observed through our meal. The ambiance is very cool, with a strong attempt to make the whole restaurant feel like a southern mansion. But, it is located above a cigar bar, which is a bit of a negative. We started with the pulled pork hush puppies and shrimp and grits. Both were good, but over-priced. For a main, we shared a full rack of KC ribs with sides of mac and cheese and sweet potato fries. The mac and cheese was strangely addictive. The consistency was right and it was very rich (and salty). The sweet potato fries were also good...thin-cut and cooked to a bit of a crisp. The ribs fell in the "just okay" category. The meat was flavored well, and the bones came out clean. However, you had to work to get all of the meat off of the bones. The real draw-back that I saw to Neely's is the barbecue sauce. I tried all three of the varieties that were at our table, and all three were LOADED with sugar. The sauce was so sweet that I would not use it. One of the main attractions to a barbecue joint (after the quality of its meat) is the barbecue sauce. I am not opposed to trying the restaurant again, and I would not sway someone from going, but I am not rushing back.

    (2)

  • Richard L.

    I took my wife to Neely's for dinner on 12/30/2012. What a MAJOR disappointment! The chicken fried steak she ordered was a poorly breaded NY strip as opposed to the more traditional cube steak. She sent it back and ordered the pulled pork platter instead. The pulled pork was actually carved chunks of pork rather than the coarsely shredded pork usually associated with that dish. My barbeque sampler was equally disappointing. In both orders the food was in front of us in less than ten minutes after ordering and lukewarm at best. We won't be back!!

    (2)

  • Phillip R.

    It has potential but misses on too many levels. Someone tell the hostess that: a) she should be welcoming and polite as opposed to clinical and morose. b) when a place is 50% empty, don't, after an interminable wait, bring your guests to the most dreadful table in the establishment. Managers in suits say, "if there is anything you need, please let me know". How would I find you, light a flare at my table in Siberia? Waiters, how about some enthusiasm with the menu. What's the difference with the BBQ styles? Hell if they know? Grandiose intentions. Mediocre delivery. Fix it or it will be no more.

    (2)

  • Jing X.

    Came back for those juicy ribs that I had last time and unfortunately.... _ Memphis Baby Back Ribs (full rack) $30, with side of mac n cheese -- overcooked and dry. Mac n cheese was creamy and bland like before. _ Cedar Plank Salmon $24, came with creamy corn and string beans -- salmon was also dry. Corn was quite good but string beans were undercooked. Service was also very slow for an empty night. Neely's, what happened!?!? Your _ pulled pork wasn't that great last time and it looks like your ribs and salmon also joined its league. Decor was classy as usual.

    (2)

  • Steve S.

    I had a weekend brunch at Neely's for the first time. This used to be the old Merchant's Bar. The decor is classic old-style Southern and we were excited to try out BBQ since the neighborhood is lacking (nearest one is the Dallas BBQ @ 72nd/3rd). Neely's seemed to be trying to differentiate itself by providing a more enriching BBQ atmosphere. First thing I didn't like about the place is our weekend menu was regulated to the brunch menu only. We couldn't order off the regular menu and we didn't feel like having steak & eggs or Fried Chicken Waffles for Breakfast. We ordered some Sticky Ribs, Tomato Onion Salad, and Pulled Pork Sandwich and a side of Collard Greens & Sweet Potato Fries. On an overall basis, we would rate the food as below average. Our first issue was the portion sizes. When we go to a BBQ restaurant, big portion size is a MUST and Neely's failed in this aspect. Especially when you compare to the juggernaut that is Dallas BBQ, Neely's just didn't look good. The Sticky Ribs were thin, not a lot of meat. The meat was strictly ok but nothing very unique about its flavor. The tomato onion salad was COLD. I know it's a salad but the tomatoes were still slightly ice cold. The icy tomatoes also made my salad a bit watery. So my salad was both cold and icy. Salad sauce was actually good. This dish needs just some tightening up and it would be good. Pulled Pork Sandwich had a slightly spicy taste to is . The sandwich bun was nice and butter and combined well with the pork. The sandwich was an average size, slightly bigger than a BK whopper. Coleslaw was ok, nothing special. We enjoyed the sides. Collard Greens, although watery, was tasteful and pleasing. Sweet Potato Fries were very good- crisp and delicious. Once again, if I had to say anything, portions were on the small size. We had an upside down cone ice cream for dessert, very underwhelming. Ice Cream cone tasted like cardboard and the Ice Cream was Haagen-Daaz. Service was ok. This place is new and it has some kinks to work out. My biggest is with the menu selection (let us choose from the main menu on weekends) and portion sizes (more is better, and we're stick thin people with huge appetites). I wouldn't recommend this place in its current configuration. If I had to spend $60 on BBQ, I'd still head on over to Dallas BBQ. I'll still come back in the later future to see how things have improved, if at all.

    (2)

  • Kat C.

    i want to love this place.. it's got southern charm and excellent food and decor. however, the prices are really high for lunch and the wait for food was very long... it's a fun, family friendly spot that's different from the typical sushi, italian, french restaurants in the area

    (4)

  • Poppa T.

    I don't know why everyone is so mad i had a great time! I ordered the beef rib... when i tell you that the meat fell off the bone.... lawd. Please forgive my fatassedness. It was tender and very filling. I can't remember my sides which is why i took one star off but the candied bacon, the beef rib, and the pecan pie. It was the perfect ending to my day. I'll definitely be back again... and again.... and again.

    (4)

  • katie j.

    Great place for a birthday party. We had a party of 15+ celebrating a friend's bday and were comfortably seated in one of the private dining areas. There were two other large parties separated by curtains/wall dividers and it was surprisingly easy to carry on a conversation. Faced a long wait to be seated and served which was fortunately recognized by the staff and amended for with free appetizers (2 plates of fried pickles and 1 plate of wings, all of which were delicious). Really appreciated the waiters' cheery dispositions. The Foodnalysis: - Memphis Ribs, half rack served "wet" (i.e. sauce served on the ribs on as opposed to on the side) - Had low expectations, but these were surprisingly good. Not the juiciest or meatiest ribs I've had, but much better than I thought they'd be given the earlier reviews I had read. Try the original, sweet and spicy sauces served on the table (I'd recommend the spicy). Came with a side of mac and cheese which was extremely delicious and extremely rich. - Country Fried Steak - Lucky to get one of the last ones available for lunch! Very, very filling. Fried and smothered with gravy, although it could have used a tad bit more sauce. Served with biscuit, home fries and eggs. A delicious and hearty choice. - Desserts - The waiter gave a complimentary dessert platter including a humongous slice of red velvet cake (excellent), smaller slices of mud pie and pecan pie, and blackberry crumble. The Bottom Line: A very enjoyable place for large groups/birthday celebrations with accommodating staff. Try the ribs or country fried steak and red velvet cake.

    (4)

  • Ronda M.

    The staff were attentive. The crab cakes were delicious here (meaty, moist, and a good portion). Although the meatloaf was good, I was disappointed bc I thought the meatloaf slice would be wrapped in bacon. Instead I received meatloaf with one slice of bacon on the top (really?). I didn't like the mash potatoes and the string beans bc both tasted artificial. Overall it was an ok experience.

    (3)

  • Ranah W.

    I'm going to first name the things that were great: The drinks, the red velvet cake, and the blackberry cobbler were FANTASTIC. However, this is not a dessert spot. It's a BBQ spot. So, I expect good, if not great BBQ. And in my opinion, and the opinion of my friend who ate with me, the BBQ was just not all that. I'll take it a step further and say that the KC sticky sauce ribs were the worse tasting ribs I've ever eaten. The ribs at Houston's are waaaay better. I tasted the Mac N cheese and it too was delicious. But the ribs...the ribs sucked. Sorry. Would I go back??? No.

    (2)

  • Jane S.

    I have NEVER written a review before-------BUT this place is NOT good. The service was terrible, the salad came without dressing and worst of all the WET baby back ribs were very dry---even when I smothered them in sauce. Then---- I was eating in the bar area with lots of nice high tops---they all of a sudden thought were were in a CLUB---and turned the volume up so high that we couldn't get out of there fast enough. They WILL NOT MAKE IT TROUGH THE SUMMER

    (1)

  • Jack s.

    I went to Neelys Friday at 12:30 to find out the don't open till 4pm . Came back at 4pm and the hostess ask if i had a reservation ????? after a few words they decided to seat us. We was in a room with a fire place and they were trying to light it the whole time we was there, not to mention it was 87 outside and the air condition was on and was very comfortable inside, I loved the Hushpupies the rib sampler was nothing to brag about, the pulled pork was not very hot and the ribs baby back was not falling off the bone the st Louis style was not falling off the bone. guess they need some time. the mac and cheese and no taste or flavor i had to to use the salt and i never use salt but it didn't help . the collard greens was also bland and my friend had the mash potatoes and she said nothing to talk about. Also notice on the way out was only about maybe 40 people in the place lot of different rooms was only 4 in the room i was in and seating for 16

    (2)

  • Angie J.

    Took my BFF here on a birthday celebratory trip to NYC. Took us an hour and 15 min to get here from where we were but came anyway becuz we'd heard such great things. When we arrived we were surprised to see that there was only one other occupied table in the entire restaurant! The Good: I had blackened catfish w/sides of mac and cheese and greens. They were good but not the best I've ever had. Service was friendly and efficient. Drinks were yummy. The raspberry lemonade was delicious! The Bad: Unfortunately my BFF had the cedar planked salmon. To say the sauce was bland is an under-statement. Tasted and looked like cornstarch and water with NO flavor. The fish was also lacking in any flavor. The corn pudding was good. But the visit to the restaurant was supposed to have been the hi-lite of our day-trip. Sadly it was very disappointing. Maybe this is what passes for Southern fair in NYC but it won't fool a real Southern person. The Okay: For appetizers we had the catfish - decent flavor, but I think we got nothing but the tail ends of the fish. There was very little fish in our 'nuggets.' Also had the jumbo shrimp and grits (Again, we both felt the grits were a little bland but .... the shrimp were tasty. Originally I was going to order the shrimp & grits as a main entrée but decided against it after tasting the appetizer.) Neely's I loved your show and have even used some of your recipes. PLEASE stop by your restaurant and do a food quality check to bring it back up to par!!!

    (2)

  • Winston R.

    It's a shame when the best item on the menu is the sparkling water. I ordered the pulled chicken sandwich w/ "white BBQ sauce" -- aka mayonnaise (they should just call it mayo as some people don't like their food bathed in mayo) and the Mac & Cheese. Everything lacked flavor. The butter that came with the cornbread had more flavor than my entree. Sace your time/money and go somewhere else for BBQ. DEFINITELY do not recommend.

    (1)

  • Jenn C.

    Eh. I went with my sister because she raved about the place but wasn't really impressed . I had the shrimp and grits with macaroni and cheese which was good but nothing I'd ever run back for. The manager was really nice but the hostess was cold and wait staff was mediocre. All and all it seemed a bit gimmicky to me but what did I really expect?

    (3)

  • Christine C.

    Gina and Pat are so cute on TV that who wouldn't want to go hang out in their restaurant. The food is good at most, but service is D+ for disaster plus more disaster. I think I heard the waitstaff use the word "Sorry"17 times throughout the night to 6 different table including mine. I took my sister here since she loves watching Gina and Pat on the Food Network. But it turned into a logistical nightmare, the odds of getting things wrong so many times made it seem like it was intentional. Basically what we should have done was give the waiter full freedom to bring us whatever he wanted and hoped that it was something that we would like. We were seated in the back, where it just felt 'dirty' I sunk into my chair as I sat down and there was a strong unpleasant scent. We were seated next to this couple that had already ordered. Five minutes passed and some guy just rushed to our table and sets down a plate of chicken wings. Strange - we didn't order wings, but the table next to us eyed at our wings and said they had ordered wings, ok no biggy it was a honest mistake. They polish off their wings and we are waited for our starters for 20 minutes of shrimp and grits and the catfish. Again the guy rushes in and sets both appetizers on the neighboring table without even asking, the couple laughs and passes our starters to us. I knew at this point that they must have the table #s mixed up and was half predicting they will mess up our bill. Next they bring out the main course and tried to set the ribeye down on our table but I explained to them nicely that it was not our order. That was the first sorry. And started the cannon of other mistakes and sorrys I overheard across other tables as I waited for our main course. There was sending back of wrong salads and cold food. Our adjacent table cut into his meat and said it was too well done and not medium, another sorry from the waiter and steak sent back. What is disturbing is that the manager is pacing back and forth with a smile on his face and all the mistakes doesn't seem to faze him, really weird. Now we get our food which was 35 minutes after the starters. We are happily chomping away at our BBQ and Gina's specialty at this point to which we didn't even care why it took so long. Then our waiter comes over and like whispers to my sister if her meat was cooked properly and asked her to cut into each piece of her steak. Shouldn't he know this before sending out our food? We said it was fine and just wanted to eat after the long wait. Everything was a long wait and more sorrys here and there, wrong salads and forgotten dishes. Worse was the neighboring table left and then we got our bill which as I called it was the other tables bill, it took another 10 minutes to flag down the waiter to correct and the correction took another 15 minutes. Really? So the moral of the story? If you have a crazy amount of time to kill you should try the Neely's. If you don't mind getting wrong food, ok try them out. If you like sinking into your chair then yes try it. And if you are going to try it, please don't let them seat you in the back, I have a feeling that the long wait time had to do with the fact that we sat near the corner behind a curtain so there was no way for the waitstaff to see at what points we were at in our meal. Which really meant they should have checked in on us more. The other thing I will say is this, they have no problem saying "Sorry" but when you say it that many times it's just a word.

    (2)

  • Michael L.

    I came with a group of five friends who were craving good BBQ. We ordered the wings, fried green tomatoes, and fried pickles for appetizers. They all were great I wish we had ordered more of the wings though! The food was pretty good. The Collard greens tasted like my mother cooked it. The corn bread was a little too sweet for me. It tasted a little like cake. I ordered the sweet and sticky ribs and one of my friends ordered the memphis baby back ribs. The server mixed up and gave me the memphis ribs and gave my friend the sticky ribs even though I told him I ordered the sticky ribs and asked if he was sure this was it. He didn't offer any apologies for the mix up or even ask if he could fix it. I didn't let that get me down though. The mac & cheese was awesome! If you love peach cobbler then you must try the warm peach crisp. Overall I had a great time and I enjoyed the separate rooms. I will definitely be back for seconds!

    (4)

  • Jake S.

    We began with something that i had never had before of: frickles. These fried pickles tasted quite good, but when dipped in the sauce (i believe our waiter said it was mayo and sirachi) they were great. The ribs were quite good. They had a nice smokey flavor, and were definitely not dry. The brisket, however, was the best. It had a nice smokey flavor, and unlike most briskets I've had, it was quite moist. The pulled pork was a little dry, but when you drizzle some of the sauce on, it becomes 5x as good. My favorite was the red velvet cake. It was moist and fluffy with the great chocolate flavor. I liked the cream cheese frosting, but it could have used a little more cream cheese and a little less sugar. I look forward to coming back and trying their fried green tomatoes, the people across from us said it was the best thing they ever ate.

    (4)

  • Kim D.

    call a million times before you travel far to eat here, to confirm and confirm and remember to confirm your reservations, who ever they employed that are suppose to be managing their reservations, needs some serious training. If your meet & greet / service staff are not on point then what's the point.

    (1)

  • David C.

    My wife liked the Mac n cheese. And she's picky. The brisket was tender and tasty. Texans will not be disappointed. Shoutout to Ralph who hooked up the green tomato sangrias. Great service all around.

    (3)

  • Robyn H.

    Yum! Went for brunch. We got the Memphis style ribs for the table to start- awesome! I got the chicken and waffles and it kind of blew my mind. There was a green tomato sangria involved. I had a lovely afternoon.

    (4)

  • Robert A.

    As a fan of the Neely's show on the food network, I went to the new Manhattan restaurant with great expectations. I was disappointed. The staff was very nice and the food was ordered and served promptly. The food, though, was just okay. The Pork Sampler came out with a slab of ribs and a pile of pulled pork. Everything was dry and a little chewy. The sides were pretty good and the salads were large enough to be shared by 2 or more. The best thing was the pulled pork sliders. They were juicy and tasty. We had Missippi Mud Pie and a Berry Cobbler for dessert. Nothing special. Beer was served in mason jars. In general, it's an okay place. The portions are large and prices reasonable.

    (2)

  • Mono P.

    I was looking forward to having dinner here. I had reservations for 3 people at 8.15 pm on a recent Friday night. We got to the restaurant at about 8pm, but were seated at 8.30. I really liked the design of the restaurant--there are a number of different rooms, each with their own vibe and decorations that sets them apart from the others. It almost looked like 3 or 4 mini restaurants within the one establishment. We were seated in the second-to-last room in the back. That room had far too many tables squeezed into that space. We were being bumped on all ends--from the people sitting behind us, to the server trying to reach the other tables in our room, and by people moving in between the rooms. I understand that it's a Friday night, and they want to bring in as many people as possible, so we stuck it out. Our server was aloof and not very interested in us or our dining experience. He didn't really greet us, just placed menus at our table and then returned to take our orders. He never asked if we had questions about the menu, nor did he offer any advice. He only checked on us once after we got our food. I'm not really complaining about this, since it allowed us to make conversation and enjoy our meal uninterrupted, but it made it difficult for us to get his attention for more drinks and dessert. For someone more impatient than I am, I can see how this can become a problem. I had the KC style ribs with mac and cheese, and they were delicious! I tried a baby back rib, and my friend and I agreed that the KC ribs were far superior. I would highly recommend that. The drinks were good, I had a Screen Door. It tasted good, since there were some muddled fruits in it, but at $10 a pop, I'm not sure I need more than one. We shared some desserts, which were also good, but unnecessary. At that point, we were full from our meals (generous portions!), and the taste of the mud cake could have been better. Though maybe our stuffed bellies had more to do with our enjoyment of the dessert! I'd be willing to come back here, but there is a lot of room for improvement. I think that the restaurant has been open long enough for it to have hit its stride, and while I didn't experience any major problems, I do expect better service from a restaurant headlined by celebrities like the Neely's.

    (3)

  • Mars O.

    The service was great, the food was not. I live down the street and have been excited to try this place since it opened. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and was not impressed. If you are searching for some flavor you will not find it with this dish. The meat was dry and I kept having to add one of the sauces they provide on each table to every bite. That is never a good sign.

    (2)

  • Tom S.

    we have not been here in a while so we gave it a try last thursday this a big place with lots of nooks and i think we may have got lost in after being seated it no one came over to us so i had to go to hostess to send us a waitress it was busy but not that busy we had no time for an app so we had ribs which were good and thats about it sides were ok all in all this was not a good time and not cheap may be awhile before we go back (but we will)...

    (2)

  • Anna Y.

    Unimpressed. Fried Pickles - good. Fried Green Tomato - good. Cornmeal Catfish - overcoooked (dry) and bland. Neely's Rib Sampler - dry, served room temperature, small serving size. Pulled Pork - dry, cold. Mashed potato - too salty Mac n' Cheese - bland. Cole Slaw - it was cole slaw Location - middle of nowhere. Overall, it just didn't live up to the Neely's hype. Aside from the Opening Day hiccups, the food was not impressive. For $30 I expected a lot more food for the Rib Sampler. Nothing spectacular about the ribs or bbq flavor. We asked the table next to us how they liked the Red Velvet Cake, and their response was, "It was okay". That pretty much summed out my dining experience. * Just as a side, I was surprised the Neely's were not present for the opening night. If it was my name on the sign, I'd want to be there to make sure my restaurant ran smoothly and my staff knew what they were doing for the first few days.

    (2)

  • Tara S.

    Quality and service has diminished. The place was kind of empty for brunch even though they requested for reservation for a large party.Currently under new management and waiter service. I went with my women's group today and was extremely disappointed. The food took a long time , and when it came out several of the food was cold, waffles, creamy gravy for the chicken and waffles. They kept messing up my order for fried chicken, charged us for corn bread without our knowledge. The waiter staff wasn't pleasant or smiley like previous experiences. The manager never came over to apologize for the service. We used to enjoy Neely's not sure what happened today; bring back the other management much more congenial.

    (2)

  • Clavius L.

    Not good, not worth it.

    (2)

  • J S.

    My husband and I went here for the first time this past Thursday. We loved it so much that we came back Sunday for brunch. DELICIOUS!! Mac & cheese is awesome. The ribs are great and you MUST try the Beer Roast chicken. AWESOME. the one complaint that I do have is that our server today wasn't "Neely" worthy. She seemed annoyed and wasnt very friendly. I love my girl Gina Neely and think that she should have someone with her same zest for life and gift of making people feel welcomed to have part in the selection process for the employees. All staff should represent the Neely reputation WELL!! All said and done....you MUST visit this place! :-)

    (4)

  • LaDonna F.

    The food is only Okay. Looks better on TV than it taste in person. The ribs are the best thing going at this joint. However, I do love the mix of music. Blues, gospel, rock, and a splash of R&B. This is my second visit, and once again the service in the bar area is only subpar.

    (2)

  • Karen B.

    Wanted to write because of all the very mixed/leaning toward not great reviews on here. Based on these , was hesitant to even try it, thought it looks inviting from the outside ,so have always been curious. But finally I did . The place is very clean and very friendly service and nice, spacious atmosphere. The menu has everythig a BBQ place could have . Had Hushpuppy appetizer-- tasty ( very fried of course, but tasty breading ). Loved my blackened catfish dish wiht delicious mashed potatos and steamed greenbeans. My bf had the bbq short rib-- was HUGE portion and very smoky flavor.Was a dry rub and I think he was expecting my BBQ sauce taste-- but you could add your own . We saw otherr people's dishes of ribs literally falling off bone, lemonades in mason jars that all looked fantastic, lot of unique appetizers ( deviled eggs , othe things not sure what they were- but all nicely presented and people seemed to be enjoying everywhere we looked. Good size portions on everything . The side order of mac and cheese we had was very delcicious ( crumbs on top and blend of cheeses ) .. Id try it again to try more typical dishes like chicken and ribs or bbq brisket. Id give it 3.5 -4 stars ... certainly worth going if you woudl like BBQ in a nice atmosphere ( not so many in NYC) - and enjoyable meal - and nothing to complain about !

    (4)

  • Alicia A.

    I have ate at the Neelys earlier this year and the food was great and this is why I wanted to hold a dinner party there. After leaving three messages with no return phone call , I decided to call back on Sunday 3/25 and I finally got a manager named Chris. Chris stated he would email me a party menu and I can call back to discuss options . Well it's Tuesday 3/27 and no email. How can a new establishment be so un professional. No return call or emails . Do the Neelys not want business ???? This is the beginning of summer/spring parties and I will be sure to NOT recommend Neelys. What's so disappointing is I love Gina & Pat!!! In NYC a restaurant has to be on top of their game otherwise you fail.!! Would love to hear from the Neely's Shea30@ptd.net Alicia Anderson

    (1)

  • Danielle W.

    Mac n cheese delicious but salty. Waitress very nice, hostess not so much. Tables awkwardly small. There are a lot better BBQ places in Williamsburg - wasn't bad, but based on competition, wouldn't go back.

    (3)

  • Toni D.

    Brisket is very good as was the lemonade and pecan pie with ice cream. I felt a little cheated as most meals are served with TWO sides. You pay extra for the second and then the sides aren't tasty. I'm glad I didn't go there hungry. Will not be going back on my or any ones $$$$.

    (2)

  • Stephanie B.

    I went to neely's to celebrate my birthday in December 2011. Upon arriving the hostess had no tables available and knew nothing of my reservation. The restaurant was fully booked for a private holiday party. The reservatoin was for 11 people who had all arrived promptly and were eagerly awaiting a meal. After a lengthy discussion with a manager they let us into a small private room where we ate a delicious dinner. I had the barbeque wings and they were awesome. So besides the disorganized staff the restaurant is pretty stellar.

    (3)

  • Ricki W.

    I really wanted to like this place, but they really missed the mark on quite a few things. If you are expecting a southern style barbecue place, then you'll really be disappointed. Good Decor: The place looks amazing. I love how the various spaces are decorated differently. Drink: Spicy Passion is a great drink with a little kick and plenty of sweetness. Staff: Very nice and accommodating and took our complaints seriously, which is why they still got a pretty good tip. They also removed the items that were unacceptable. Food: Pinto beans were very good. Bad The only thing that made it to the table hot were the fried pickles. Everything else came to the table on the cooler side of warm, which is a problem. The catfish was bland, the KC ribs were not all that tender, and the mac and cheese left a lot to be desired. The red velvet cake arrived with the styrofoam still attached to the bottom. At first we thought it was white chocolate until we tried to cut and taste it and discovered it wasn't for human consumption. MIA Where was the simple BBQ chicken? That Blue Ribbon Chicken is NOT an acceptable substitute for barbecue chicken. What about a bread selection? Cornbread? Biscuits? I think in their attempt to cater to the NY market they strayed pretty far from their "roots". I've talked to people that have been lucky enough to dine at their Memphis restaurant and they all say that the food is great. Maybe I'm being overly critical because my family is from the south and fish fries and barbecues are a way of life. We looked for reasons to fry up some catfish, snapper, and perch and to fire up the grill. I really want this place to make it, but at this point my southern sensibilities are kinda offended. I'm hoping they revamp the menu, start serving HOT food, and add some seasoning to their catfish. I'll give the food another try in a few months, but I might be back sooner for the drinks.

    (2)

  • Martha Z.

    Great place close to work. I'm definitely coming back and will take advantage of their happy hour. Food was all around very good and the drinks. Service was also on point.

    (4)

  • Lynn C.

    We went on Mothers Day, very surprise by a few things. The front of the house staff to us were not dressed professional. The waiting area was tight with a stool that was unstable. The bathroom was small dark and smelly downstairs. We were seated in a room which looked as if they tried to replicate different types of dinning rooms, some rooms had mis match chairs and heavy drapes which separated the dark rooms. Our chairs were metal slippery chairs , my mom asked for a real chair. The selection of food was ok, the sides were better than the meal it's self. I didn't understand why they did not bring hot cornbread or bread as you waited for your food.the blue suede shoes drink was horrible but the screen door!!!!!!! Now I would go back for that screen door!!!! I think the man walking around too many times was the manager, not sure why he didn't ask how everything was??? The following day we all had heart burn and tummy aches. This was not what I expected for the "Neeleys" I don't plan on going back (except for that screen door). Hey Neeleys, figure out the decor...

    (2)

  • Andy K.

    This place is horrible. We started with deviled eggs & fried pickles. The eggs (2 for $7) were tasteless & bland. The pickles were better but not great. My wife ordered the beer can chicken and and it was so dry you could choke on it. I ordered the rib sampler, they were fatty and overdone. I would have been better with a McRib from McDonalds. Now for the sides, we ordered creamy sweet potatoes with pecan butter. They were cold. We asked for them to be replaced and they did with another bowl of cold potatoes. The creamed corn was blah, I have had better out of a can and the mac & cheese was creamy but tasteless. And how can I forget the brussel sprouts with bacon & onion which had neither bacon or onion. The sangria was good, I guess they figure if your drunk you won't be able to tell how bad the food is. I told the waiter this is horrible and can I have my check so i can go out to eat and the manager came over to apologize and wiped $15 off my bill. It still came to $80 with tip. I would have been better off burning it. it would have tasted better. Steer clear of this place

    (1)

  • Beverly J.

    I was a bit afraid after reading the other reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised. The food was very good-I went with a group of friends and we ordered the fried green tomatoes, hushpuppies and fried pickles as appetizers. For the main course I had the Memphis baby back ribs wet and the macaroni and cheese. The waitress was friendly and the manager came and checked on us which was nice. I would go back.

    (4)

  • Kay P.

    Went here for a weeknight dinner with my husband. We had the black pepper flounder, which is served with the whipped sweet potatoes & brussel sprouts leaves with country ham. Delicious. We also got the KC Style ribs with a side of macaroni & cheese. The ribs were very good. The mac & cheese, which I personally was most looking forward to, was disappointingly bland. The service was excellent (probably helped that we were there early, before 6pm) and very friendly, and we had a nice romantic table in front of the fireplace. It's probably a little pricey for southern food but for the most part the quality of the food and portion sizes were solid even considering the price.

    (4)

  • Bita Miranda H.

    Whilst I was walking in the Upper East Side hungry last nit, I happened upon this place with my bro and his gal pal. From outside, the menu looked ok so we decided to give it a try. We started with drinks: I had a Left Hand Milk Stout\ which was served in a little jar. Southern & sexy. My dining companions both had margaritas which were also good and came in a more petite jar. For dinner, we ordered a bunch of small things and one entree and split everything. The chopped salad which we ordered sans meat was ok. A touch overdressed but not dreadful. Also not very aesthetically pleasing. The steamed green beans were good, just plain haricot verts on a plate. What wasn't cool was the small amount of grated yellow cheese that was randomly on the side of the dish. The beer can chicken was moist and flavorful, although the skin wasn't nearly as crisp as it should have been. The accompianing sides of mashed potatoes were a little too instant potato tasting and the macaroni and cheese was bland and overcooked. We also ordered a side of black eyed peas with bacon and ham. Good flavor but a little too salty and the texture was a smidge off. The best item was definitely the cornmeal crusted catfish app with remoulade sauce. Crisp as fuck and served in a diminutive cast iron pan. Very rustic yet sensual as well; a clear winner. We also ordered a slice of cheesycake to take home which proved to be overly tart and too small for its $7 price tag. Overall, I can understand the poor reviews for this place. I would not go out of my way to go here again but if I happened to be in the UES an was with someone who wanted to, I'd consider it. It is probably a better place for drinks and apps than a full meal.

    (3)

  • Aliya F.

    I must say that The Neely's Barbecue Parlor is truly a taste of southern hospitality! I came in for a takeout order and when I got home, all the way up town in Harlem, I realized that my order was wrong. When I called the restaurant they were apologetic and sent my order to me within the next thirty minutes. Normally a restaurant would have offered me something on my return visit but they actually made right their wrong, right at that given moment. Service like this warrants my business and I will pass the word on to everyone I know. Way to go Neely's staff!!!

    (5)

  • Ashley H.

    I have to rave about the food as well as the service I received at Neely's. I made reservations for a party of 8 for my birthday, but an error on my end resulted in the reservation being made for the incorrect evening. The manager and hostesses had my entire party seated on a Saturday night in less than an hour in a private dining area and were constantly checking up to make sure I was enjoying myself. We laughed, we danced, we sang, we ate AMAZING food and had fabulous cocktails - I will be running back as soon as I can!

    (5)

  • Debra S.

    We arrived exactly 15 minutes late for our reservation and they had given the table say saying they have a "10 minute policy". They were rude and didn't even try to find us a table. All they said was that it would be 90 minutes for the next table. Clearly they feel they don't need to provide any customer service. I will not be back.

    (1)

  • Kathy F.

    This was our first time here so we were excited about the idea of dinning at the Neely's. As we normally do, we decided on two different dishes that we would share/sample. First we started with the Candied Thick Cut Slab Bacon which is bacon strip coated with brown sugar & slow baked until it's crispy and it was definitely crispy. We then settled on the Pork Sampler Platter of Spare ribs, baby back ribs & pulled pork and the famous "Blue Ribbon" Chicken (Aka Pat's beer can chicken) a free range chicken cooked with a pabst blue ribbon beer can in its belly! The chicken came with 2 side dishes and the pork sampler came with one side so we had the delicious corn bread, the southern creamed corn and the sweet potato fries! The chicken was great1 It was moist and juicy and I added the Neely's Spicy sauce and all I can say is hmm hmm good! The corn bread was delicious (which actually isn't considered a side we just made it one of our sides) as were the sweet potato fries! For me the southern creamed corn wasn't all that creamy but, none-the-less it was good. To read more: bit.ly/uXmvNk

    (4)

  • Jon B.

    Got the pulled pork which was pretty good, the bread had a nice buttery crisp to it. My sister got the "wet" rips which could have had more sauce on them. Her side was the Mac & Cheese which was fine but nothing special. Would have loved to get some corn bread but didn't see it on the menu. I may try it again but I like other places in the city for BBQ like Hilltop.

    (3)

  • CE C.

    Didn't really know what to expect from Neely's because of the wide range of reviews on yelp about this place, it seems like you hate it or love it. First of all, I hate the Neely's show on food network, they are just too much and overly saccharine. However we had some bbq lovers so decided to give it a shot. The space itself provides a nice atmosphere. They start off with these cheese sticks which I didnt try. We had the fried green tomatoes which were pretty good. For dinner we tried the pork sampler, the kansas city ribs, the deep fried sirloin steak, and the neely's sampler. Sides were cole slaw, creamed corn, sweet potatoes. We really enjoyed the sides, the cole slaw was crunchy, creamed corn wasnt too creamy but the corn was fresh, and the sweet potato fries were great. The pork sampler: pulled pork dry, the spare ribs and baby back ribs were ok, not too dry but not full of flavor as well. The kansas city ribs were probably the most flavorful because they were slathered with sauce, again the meat wasnt completely dry but wasnt moist either. I was not a fan of the deep fried sirloin steak, I feel as though it just makes the meat too dry and what a waste of a perfectly good piece of steak. It came with these green beans that my dining companions kept saying tasted like they were canned beans, I have never had canned green beans so I didnt know, but they were not good! Dessert: pecan pie and mississippi mud pie. They seriously cut us the smallest sliver of pecan pie. Definitely pass on dessert. Although this place got really harsh reviews, it really isnt that bad, we definitely have had worse and dont think that the place warrants its 1 star rating. Nevertheless, glad we tried it but will probably not return.

    (3)

  • Christian V.

    The painful truth: On our very first visit, and shortly after marrying on 7/24, we thought we'd head up to UES to check out this place. It was a rainy late afternoon, so we had no problems being seated by a very friendly hostess. Taking the first glimpse at the menu, I immediately commented that this place might have difficulty surviving in this area. Though not indicative of my personal sentiments, the food seemed a bit too common for the area (NYC is a very harsh restaurant scene). Anyhoo, we ordered, and while waiting for our food, were sent over two complimentary glasses of champagne to celebrate our recent nuptials. The food was just OK, and, again, I thought: How will this place survive with this type of food? The service was adequate, but akin to those places that have difficulty attracting highly skilled FOH staff. We left remarking the place is cute, not elegant, but cute, and the affiliation with Merchants Cigar Bar seems a bit bizarre. Labor Day Weekend: We returned with friends in tow to experience this place again. We did not express any of the reservations we had about going, as to not taint the experience from the beginning. We sat in a semi-private area that was much too dark for our liking. There was a bowl filled with faux crytals that exuded tacky, not kitschy, as the manager hinted. After sitting, most of us immediately removed the napkins from the table for use. They were atop the table in the cutest ceramic pig napkin holders. Well, our waitress returned to the table to inform us that she would have to collect "those." We thought she meant the napkin holders, but then she added, "and the napkins too." We didn't know what to think about that, but agreed it was quite tacky: if you can't pull something off properly, then don't attempt it at all. This gesture left much too much for us to speculate about. I love a smattering of horseradish on my BBQ, so I requested it from the beginning. I waited and waited before deciding to dive into my food. At the end of the meal, the waitress returned with tartar sauce: "We don't have horseradish, so the kitchen suggested this." On what planet does tartar sauce on BBQ sound appealing? One guest was without cutlery, so he was given a knife and fork being held in the hands of the server by the end in which you must stick in your mouth. While we wanted to enjoy the experience, it was quite painful; one where you didn't want to order anything extra because you were afraid of the hassle that accompanied. We were offered dessert, but I'm just not that type of person; I want to see this place succeed, and for a manager to think the panacea to a disgruntled guest is to simply give something away is quite a shame. They need a drill sergeant to come into this place and whip it into shape. I didn't eat any of the desserts, but my friends all said they were delicious. If I return next time, I think I'll consider the bar; service might be better, and certainly a few cocktails make the entire world more tolerable.

    (2)

  • A S.

    I love BBQ so I was excited to see this place open nearby. The hostess and staff are friendly, and I liked that they didn't just hire 18 year old model wannabees, they had real people who were real friendly - refreshing. But the food quality is just not up to par. The baby back ribs were pretty plastic and the mashed potatoes were only okay. The sauces are not that great either, they tasted cheap. McDonalds BBQ sauce was tastier. They get points for free soda refills, but in terms of BBQ, Hillstone and Dallas BBQ (nearby on 72nd and 3rd) do it better.

    (2)

  • Ree R.

    Had a reservation for opening weekend and still had to wait. Waited 45 minutes for food. The fried green tomato app was good. Hushpuppies were dry and dense. I am from Memphis and was excited to get some authentic babyback ribs. I ordered them wet and they were like jerky. I could hardly cut through to get one rib off and couldn't even choke down the first bite. Our other entree was the pork sampler. The spare ribs were so dry and with no meat that you couldn't even chew it meat after soaking it in sauce. The manager comped our entrees and admitted that our ribs looked really dry and they were 'still trying to figure out their smoker.' If you don't know how to cook your main entrees then you shouldn't open your doors. It was disgusting. I wouldn't even stay for the offer of a free dessert. 3 tables around us all had issues. No one could finish their ribs and food was cold. The managers definitely had a busy night running around apologizing to everyone. No one in our back room looked happy at all. It was a total waste of time and was a disappointment. Do not even bother with this place.

    (1)

  • Krista W.

    I too was looking forward to eating at this restaurant because of the Neely's cooking show.....and I was deeply saddened after eating there. The mojitos that my friend and I had were sent back because, bottom line, they just weren't good. We asked them to be sweet, they weren't, and the first one, I don't even believe had alcohol in it. I felt like I was drinking seltzer water with mint leaves swished around in it. For my entree, I had the chicken, which wasn't terrible, but definitely nothing to write home about, the macaroni and cheese (FAIL), green beans that I sent back because they were so salty that I couldn't choke them down if I tried, and to replace my green beans....baked beans. These baked beans were so sweet it felt like with every bite, I was literally eating diabetes. I've lived in the south for many years and I know what good southern cooking is......and if you want it, this is not the place to go. TRY AGAIN.......just not here.

    (1)

  • Liz S.

    So I'm gonna start by saying I wish I could like and dislike reviews on here, and anyone who didn't like the Mac n cheese DO NOT listen to there reviews cause clearly there taste buds suck! Me and my friends went there tonight after walking 20 blocks craving some type of feel good eats and we found it at neelys!! We ordered as apps the shrimp and grits and omg the three of us were ready to lick the plate clean! I deff agree it should be a main course I deff could eat a massive bowl of them! We then ordered 2 racks of ribs and Mac n cheese. Omg the Mac n cheese was amazing! We dug into the ribs and were a little disappointed after a few mins of debate we decided to say something and send them back( I never do that ) but they just weren't up to pare. With in 2 mins the manager came out and apologized, after a few mins they brought out 2 new racks and we were damn happy we had said something cause the second set were to die for!! With out a doubt redeemed our faith in there BBQ! The head chef then came out and also apologized for the first round of ribs but by that time we were too busy singing his praises to even care about the mishap earlier! The whole staff was so nice and the chef even explained each dish in detail as we finished our amazing cobblers and red velvet cake. All and all great food!great staff! And it didn't break the bank! We deff found a new spot for girls night!

    (4)

  • Gail S.

    Went here tonight and sat at the bar. Took awhile to figure out Neely's was named for the food network show. Ok! So got 3 pork sliders, good stuff...only meant to eat one. Had beer, all the drinks looked good. Foody friend said catfish and shrimp and grits were good last time she was there. Lots of tv's for watching games but mellow non sports bar atmosphere. I think the previous reviews are too critical. Kids, I know a lot of you know your bbq, but the staff is really nice, the place is ok ambiance-wise and the food was pretty good. If you show up w 20 ppl the first week/month they open, yeah it's probably kind of overwhelming. I think they're good now. I'll definitely go back because my friend lives around there. Basically, it was fine. (I'm only writing this because I was surprised by so many negative reviews, usually I only write if I really love or hate a place). Yelp is pretty useful so I'm just adding my two cents.

    (3)

  • Jonnathan B.

    Randomly stopped in for brunch because it's close to my hotel and was welcomed by our hostess, who was very friendly, and received consistently good service by our server Jean. Ordered the brisket hash and eggs and it was absolutely delicious. Soft eggs, great texture from the crunchy diced potatoes and tender beef. Had the unlimited sangrias and tried all three flavors: green tomato, sparkling and spice fairy. In order of favorite flavors, I'd rate spice fairy first, then green tomato and sparkling last as it was the most simple in flavor. Definitely stop by for brunch!

    (4)

  • Krystle C.

    Took forever for food to come catfish was basically just bread crumbs n salt no fish And when i asked to swich my salad to somthing else they told me my salad was already done they already made it ? Really ??? Then how come it took 30 minutes for my already made salad to come out???!!! Dont waste ur time here everyone was pissed that food was taking a long time meanwhile place was basically empty, what a joke

    (1)

  • Joelle G.

    The Gina's pigtini? Amazingly good. The name? Not so much... Place is sufficient. The service though is deathly slow. It amazing how the caliber of a place foretells you about their service... But I've been quite addicted to the BBQ chicken wings lately...

    (3)

  • Jennie S.

    Neely's is ok. It is fine, I have never had a bad experience here but never an exceptional one either. The food is fine although I feel there are not a lot of options. Most dishes are slightly different versions of each other. This is located close to my work and home and often it is just the easiest place to go for happy hour and a bite to eat. The happy hour deal is quite good, half price off all drinks and apps, which I think is very reasonable. I have had one experience where we walked out because after sitting for 25 minutes and not being served at all, we just left and went down the street to Baker Street.

    (3)

  • Peter S.

    Mac n' Cheese (General comments) There are three types of mac. While they're tasty, they can all use improvement due to three things: 1) Neely's uses thick elbow noodles, imparting a chewiness to the mac which I dislike. They should use thinner (but larger) noodles which wouldn't be so damned chewy. 2) The cheese is too mild. Almost flavorless. I would like to see sharper cheese. Maybe cheddar. 3) How can anyone claim to make a good mac and _not_ have burnt cheese crust on top? Good God, man! That's the most important part of mac n' cheese! There's no crust here! Candied Bacon Mac: B- Aside from what I mentioned above, I didn't care for the sweetness. I think putting crispy pieces of country bacon would've been a better fusion of bacon and mac. Lobster Mac: B Good, but too salty. Also note my 3 comments above. Jalapeno Mac: B+ The best of three. If the noodles hadn't been so chewy, the cheese sharper, and some burnt cheese crust on top, I would've given this an A or even A+. Collard Greens: A- Terrific! The small spicy kick finish at the end is a very nice touch! Love it! I can't identify the meat bits. Looks like beef, tastes like pork. It's probably pork because my *only* complaint is that the dish is too salty. Less salt would've made this an A or even A+ dish. Ribs: B- I've had all the ribs here. I prefer the dry rubs over the BBQ sauces, which tend to be too sweet for me. The meats here are good, but not great. The ribs could use a little broiling to caramelize the sugars a bit more. The meat could use a bit more marbling. The dry rub could be a little more savory. If they marinated the meats more, they'd be more tender. Unfortunately, Neely's makes it a business of getting orders wrong. I've been here four times, and they got my order wrong on all but one order. They were gracious, offering to give me what I ordered, which was greatly appreciated, but I really didn't want to wait for a new dish to be cooked. Overall, between the mac and the ribs, I'd say the food here is good, but not worth the price they charge here, and not worth the calories. There are *much* better ribs and mac to be had elsewhere in NY. I think part of the price you pay is for the "celebrityness" of the owners. Honestly, I would've expected better from a "famous" chef's recipe. I think "Meh, (it's OK, but) I've had better" is a great way to describe the food here.

    (2)

  • Christopher V.

    Bought a Groupon to come to Neely's and I came with my boyfriend and his sister. We arrived before our reservation and we were still seated promptly, thankfully. Our waiters name was Jean and he came to the table quickly and took our drink and appetizer order, my boyfriend and I had the frozen margarita and had the Applewood Chicken Wings and Deviled Eggs for appetizers. We weren't fans of the frozen margarita and had them changed for the Green Tomato Sangria and the Sparkling Raspberry Sangria which were Fantastic. The chicken wings were also great while the deviled eggs lacked flavor. For dinner, I ordered the half rack of the KC Spareribs and half rack of the Memphis Baby Back ribs - both of which were great (not to mention, the French fries were delicious). My boyfriend had a Neely's cheeseburger, which he liked. My sister in law had the fried chicken which she felt was overly fried, for sides she had the mashed potatoes and mac n cheese - both of which were SOOOOO GOOD!! Highlight if the entire meal was the cornbread!!! That said, even with the Groupon that took 30% off the entire bill, it was still a bit high. Also, gratuity was added to our bill, which was fine with us but just a heads up for anyone else. $30 Off your 1st Uber Ride: THWOX

    (3)

  • Kristina S.

    This is my favorite place for Southern food in NY. Neely's is always consistent and whenever I am in the mood for comfort food, this is where I go. A few recommended appetizers: Fried pickles (sauce is fab), hush puppies, bacon deviled eggs (seems like an odd choice but you won't be sorry), fried green tomatoes (the relish is spot on), cornbread is great and they do make a great wedge salad. Entrees: My absolute favorite is the country fried steak. The breading is always crispy and the steak cut and cooked to perfection. The ribs and bbq chicken are huge portions and the sauce on both are incredible. The brisket is melt in your mouth and you can never go wrong with a pulled pork sandwich with plenty of crispy onion strings! Try the Mac and cheese, baked beans, cream corn, sweet potato fries and green beans with bacon. I have never made it to dessert at Neely's so will have to put that on the bucket list. As an added bonus the service is great and they are always able to accommodate.

    (5)

  • Thea Z.

    Giving this place a solid 4. I could have given it a 5, but those are very hard to come by from me! Decided to give this place a go after purchasing a GILT City Voucher, because who doesn't love half priced meals? I was a little nervous seeing the mixed reviews, but went in there with an open mind. I made sure to try everything that touched our table so I could get a good, honest review out there. Food Went through my fellow Yelpers reviews to get a pulse on whats hot and whats not on the menu. Started with the fried green tomatoes which seems like its the lottery winner of the apps. Crunchy and tasty with a delightful tarter-like sauce. Pulled pork was a bit saucy for my taste. The baby back ribs were on point. The KC ribs had great flavor but were a bit dry which makes me sad. My husband ordered BBQ chicken and although I was at first disappointed with his "normal" choice, it was a good decision! Smoky and meaty. The collards were just fine, they were cooked perfectly and had a nice subtle flavor. The coleslaw was a refreshing addition to the meat, so consider that when ordering. We got dessert with our voucher so we indulged in some apple pie. Yeah that was some serious pie! Save room for a bite of that. Drinks So I felt a little funny ordering the "Dad's Day Off" because I am not a Dad nor was I on a day off, but the promise of bourbon with maple syrup was enough for me. I also think the waiter enjoyed how I ordered it. Husband got the "Screen Door" which offered some refreshing fruit in the midst of the bourbon. Both good, both something to try. Service Sunil was a very competent waiter. Hooray for someone that has opinions about the menu and suggestions for our tastes. He was attentive the entire evening and earned himself a 25% tip. Generous I know, but I felt like I had to encourage him to stay in this job because he was that good. The only odd thing was that he said he was doing us a favor by giving us a side, but the voucher clearly indicated we would get one. Head scratcher there. Decor On point! Whomever made the decor choices, kudos to you. There was enough variety to make each space unique but there was an overall theme there. Oh and if you want to catch a game at the bar, every which way you turn there is a TV there. There is some good stuff going on here, enough to want to make me recommend this to friends. Just a quick suggestion, can you serve some corn bread when you sit down or with the meal? That would add such a nice touch! Also, the plates could use some type of garnish when served. I had 3 piles of meat, not that I minded, just felt it could use some Gina Spice Fairy lovin. Thanks Neely's!

    (4)

  • John Anthony D.

    To start, i just wanna say that the food is fantastic! The service, however, blows. Im giving them the benefit of the doubt, since today is memorial day, but the service at this place is foul. We made reservations for 7:15 and arrived promptly and was seated quickly. No one came around to take our orders or greet us for a full 10 minuted. Within that time, a party of 6 sat right next to us and their drink orders were taken quick. We finally put in our order, and the appetizers came quick. The entrees took quite a while. When they finally came out, my ribs were cold. The waiter was very unattentive and we had to go to the bartender to pay for our bill. If it wasnt for the food, id probably never come back.

    (2)

  • Sandra M.

    Impromptu brunch at this place was great! Very chill, laid back; the hostess was sweet and made you feel welcomed. The waiters are friendly and attentive making the unlimited sangrias well worth it. Their food is well portioned and filling! Sit at bar for cute friendly waiters like Jean .

    (5)

  • Inara N.

    It's as bad as everyone makes it out to be, perhaps even worse. I came here for a friend's birthday who sworn this place is legit despite bad reviews and has amazing drinks. All I could think during the night was WHAT WAS I THINKING ? Drinks were terrible, there was so much sugar in them, I felt like I was drinking liquid diabetes. Everything I tried was like drinking maple syrup with a shot of alcohol. Do people really like their drinks that sweet ? I had three each time hoping for the best and I was ill by the end of the night. Food - uneventful. Seriously 18$ for a salad with grilled chicken that looks like a lettuce came from a cheapo supermarket bag ? I am a baller but not that kind of baller. Also the salad HAD FRIED THINGS ON IT DESPITE THE FACT THAT ON THE MENU IT WAS LISTED AS THE ONLY SALAD WITHOUT FRIED ADD ONS !!!!!!! I'll never be back but the memories will hunt me.

    (1)

  • K P.

    Great service very attentive, professional and friendly. Spiked lemonade pitcher is a must! Wings and sauce was great! Tried country fried steak for the first time was a little too heavy for me. Large portions great for the price. Overall a good time. Good place to stop by after a casual day.

    (4)

  • Cathy H.

    Enjoyed some of the best BBQ in the City. The ribs and brisket can give Hill Country and Jimmy's a run for their money. Nice atmosphere (not the frat boy vibe that many BBQ places have) from when it was Merchants. Service was attentive and prompt--Tracy was a great waiter. I highly recommend Neely's.

    (5)

  • Henry P.

    The bartender was attentive. My girlfriend and I went for a drink and an appetizer. We ordered the pulled pork sliders. Unfortunately, upon second bite I found about ten+ staples inside the pulled pork slider. When I first felt it under my bite, I thought it was a bone perhaps. But no, it was actually a clump of staples. The one star is for the bartender.

    (1)

  • Yvette S.

    I've read the reviews and it seems like it's a hit or miss. But for this review its a HIT. maybe it was the people I was with. Maybe because I was in a festive mood being it was New Years Eve. Maybe it was the prix fix deal. Either way everything was really good. For the deal I ordered the chicken wings to start which were finger licking good. As my entree I ordered the dry rub ribs which were on the small side for a full rack but they were moist and tasty. The one thing I ordered and didn't like were the collard greens. I was pretty disappointed because I actually follow The Neely's recipe when I make mine and these were just blah. For dessert there was a berry a la mode cobbler which was ok. The service was quick and our server was funny, pleasant and attentive. I know this is not like most of the reviews but it gets 4 stars and my recommendation to GO.

    (4)

  • Peter K.

    I will say the best thing I can say about Neely's Barbecue Parlor right now. It did not give me gastrointestinal distress. Honestly, I can't think of anything else to say that would be complimentary to this so called sports bar/restaurant/barbecue joint. I knew from the start that this meal would be disappointing. I tried to convince my friend to go elsewhere, but for some reason, he had his heart set on Neely's. After seeing Guy Fieri's place in Time Square flop harder than a fat kid on a high dive, I am more than a bit skeptical when it comes to restaurants opened by Food Network celebrities. I especially dislike the show "Down Home with the Neely's" for it's cringe-worthy, yet often comical interpretation of Black Southern Cuisine as viewed by White Corporate America. A perfectly good cooking show by two mildly entertaining people is ruined with script so disastrous as to induce PTSD in anyone other than the most clueless of it's viewing audience. So it is with that preconceived notion that I begrudgingly patron this "parlor" with my friend Sunny S. Notice, that I have given you his name. We started off with cocktails which were about $13 a piece. Standard for a New York speakeasy or cocktail focused bar, but a barbecue joint? Nevertheless, we ventured forth and ordered two. I had the Memphis Mojito and Sunny had the Dad's Day Off. As I had suspected, these drinks were made by amateurs. The flavor was entirely too sweet and had very little booze. You'd think if you paid $13 for a drink, it would, if nothing else, at least be stiff. Nope. For food, I was not feeling the barbecue, which did not look good coming out on the plates of other customers. My friend got the fried chicken, for no other reason than it being the only meat he could eat. Why did we come here? I ended up getting the fried green tomato salad as I had read that the fried green tomatoes were good. The salad literally came out with TWO slices of fried green tomatoes. TWO slices on a $19 salad. Seriously? Is there a green tomato shortage that I'm not aware of? You're charging me $19 for lettuce and assorted vegetables and you can't throw in a respectable portion of THE ONLY REASON I ORDERED THIS STUPID SALAD? Please just die and be buried with the money you've ripped off of your naive unsuspecting fans. My friend's chicken was okay according to him. And I've said it a million times before, but I will say it again. It was not as good as Bobwhite's. My drink and salad ended up costing me $45 with tax and tip. It was honestly the most regrettable $45 I have ever spent on a meal in this city. Oh I forgot, the service was not bad. Our waiter was nice, and at times, almost truthful with us about what an abysmal restaurant this is. Final Verdict? Value your friendships, never bring them here.

    (2)

  • Jason S.

    What happened to this place? This used to be an evening I looked forward to. I now look forward to not coming here again. The waiter, when he did show up to the table, was flummoxed. The food took an EXTREMELY long time to come out. The waiter never came over to give us updates. We sent two runners to try and find him to ask. One of the meals came so over cooked that shoe leather would be supple compared to it. When it was pointed out to the waiter he responded he could see that now that he was looking at it. Why he hadn't looked at it earlier I couldn't say. Three of the five of us had unsweetened ice tea. The refills came back sweetened, and it took us 10 minutes and another server to get this corrected. The fourth guest never did get a refill on a soda. The fifth didn't risk it. I can't explain what happened in the restroom. The floor was covered in puddles of water. Hopefully no one ever has to use a stall because there would be no way to sit down without soaking your clothes. The good news is that the music was cranked up so loud that you can shoot someone without the person in the stall next to you hearing. Of course he probably would've drowned anyway. I'm giving a star because my fried chicken was at least good. As of this writing we have been waiting 10 minutes for someone to come pick up the check so we can pay it. I can't state my disappoint strongly enough. What a shame.

    (1)

  • Jay W.

    I would give the service four stars, but the food and look of the place was just OK. The minute you arrive the staff is attentive to your needs. While waiting for the rest of my party to arrive, the manager came over to offer me a beverage and chat. Everyone is super friendly, professional, and helpful. The place is really dark and then at about 8pm, the lights were dimmed to make the place even darker. I thought it was too dark. The bathroom was cramped and also very dark. I had the salmon, mac/cheese and something else (I can't remember what it was). My friend had the fried chicken, mac/cheese and greens. Nothing stood out, but the corn bread is REALLY good. I was expecting the food to wow me because it's The NEELYS and it didn't.

    (3)

  • Deborah M.

    Have been going almost since they first opened and most recent visit for a friend's Friday night birthday dinner was so disappointing. Made a reservation for 7 people via Opentable on Wed, got a call Thu confirming & was then told they need a credit card to hold reservation. Never heard that before & was told it's their new policy. I refused & cancelled reservation, since they haven't been busy in months. My friend whose birthday it was called to make a reservation for 8 people a few hours before we went - not asked for credit card info, and we were given a private room. Spoke to the manager on arrival and apparently it is NOT their policy to get patrons' credit card info for reservations. The food was fine, but service way too slow for a place that was half-full. If it weren't for their bacon & eggs and raspberry Spiked VIP drinks, would never go back. Next time will be for bar service only. Very sad to see the decline of this place - seems like it's on their way to closing.

    (1)

  • R J.

    This place used to be Merchants, and then converted to Neelys. It's a South comfort food restaurant started by two TV personalities. Never seen the show, nor do I care about it. The only thing I care about is their food and the bar. The food is usually very good but it prices a lot of people that visit the bar area from people I've spoken to. Make smaller sizes of your mail entrees for the bar area and make the cheaper so people can snack and drink. That being said you can try their appetizers for half off at the bar, so there are affordable option you just should won't get a filling meal. I love the friend pickles and the catfish. The fried chicken is making me hungry as I write this post but at $20+ a pop, I usually pass on it and get the wings. Management is generally horrible. The owners have their douche bag friend come and test the drinks and critique the bartenders. He acts incredibly obnoxious at times. They should learn to do that nonsense when there aren't many guests. I had to sit there forever because he kept interrupting our drinks being made. My girlfriend was really pissed at one point that she almost said something. Luckily the bartender notices and got back to serving us. They have great cocktails and if you do their happy hours they are reasonably priced. This place is poorly laid out. You sit at the main bar area and you need to turn your neck to the right or left to watch a game facing the bar. Or you can sit with your back to the bar and watch the big screens. Useless layout. Management needs to work on getting people in the door. I haven't seen anyone with an effective strategy. Their music is great, their happy hour is priced right, and the food is good. Why aren't you getting people in the door to the bar area?!! Or even the restaurant on weekdays?

    (3)

  • Shanique P.

    I had a great time here on Wednesday night. I went with two friends and we were concerned about not being to get a table because we randomly decided to go. When we walked in, it turned out we had the place pretty much to ourselves. We had the Apple Smoked BBQ wings as a starter and they were delicious! We also shared a pitcher of the Spiked VIP (lemonade and sweet tea mixture with vodka) and that was very good as well. Our waiter was great and was very attentive. We all enjoyed our food and would definitely come back as we don't work far away.

    (4)

  • Sharon W.

    I must say the shrimp and grits were pretty good! But I felt that it was much too small... I know it's just an appetizer but the plate was a rectangular size of my hand (basically the size of a CD case) and they only have 3 shrimps -_- The wings were very good as well! My friends and I basically came here to snack but they could have given us a bigger portions. I would come again to try actual entree dishes though

    (4)

  • Dayday S.

    The food is simply not good.

    (2)

  • Sahara D.

    I really hate writing about places I don't love, but I have to say that I wasn't really impressed with the food, the place is decent, the service was very nice! But the food... Was so off, I did like the mashed potatoes , but that's not saying much because I've had better Mac and cheese was pretty good! The wings had tasty flavor but were very dry, my friends had the pork ribs, I think they liked that, and then we had red velvet cake, that too was pretty dry... I was surprised but I guess that's what it is. Coffee was good nice and hot! Service was nice, pleasant and attentive I hope the place does better in the future, because the negative reviews are adding up

    (3)

  • Smiley B. G.

    You must try their sangria selection ... Unexpected great taste... And when those rib cravings come ... The Memphis style ribs were awesome .. Fall off the bone finger licking deliciousness .. Great drinks , great good ... And happy hour is almost ... All the time ... I've popped in several times .., the food is always great and there's always something new to try .

    (4)

  • Ronnie G.

    My girlfriend and I stopped in just for a quick drink after a fun day in the city and ended up staying and eating. We had the fried pickles and friends green Tomatoes. They were so good we ordered and another round :) by far the best fried pickles we have ever had! We will be definitely hitting this spot again on our next adventure to the city.

    (5)

  • Meredith C.

    Living in Manhattan, I miss BBQing, especially during the summer. After seeing the Neelys on TV, and courtesy of a Travelzoo voucher, my husband and I "chowed down" there Saturday evening. No eating, no fine dining, we chowed down like cattle. The dining room was dark and loud, great for a group but not Saturday night date. Our table was sticky from the previous occupants, and begrudgingly the waiter, contacted the busboy to clean. I presented our voucher to the waiter, and he informed us that 6 items were not available for us to order. I re-checked the voucher and pulled up the travelzoo information on my ipad. In spite of no restrictions on the printed page, and travelzoo description, we were informed we could NOT order various selections. Hoping to salvage the moment, I realized that I came in was for BBQ ribs so I ordered the combination plate, as did my husband and fries. The portions were huge!! My baby back ribs were okay, a little cold. The spare ribs were INEDIBLE. DRY to the bone. In spite of the various mustard based BBQ sauces we slathered on top, we could not eat them. My husband said the ribs were probably cooked weeks ago and re-heated numerous times. The fries were chewy at best. (chewy french fries???) With all the good BBQ restaurants in Manhattan, skip this one. Trust me, your stomach will thank you.

    (1)

  • Jesse K.

    This was one of the worst meals I've ever had on the island of Manhattan. Our food was cold, undercooked, and inedible. Our drinks took 20 minutes to come, and the service moved at a snails pace. The bartender was particularly rude and slow. I'll never eat here again.

    (1)

  • Tea K.

    Went to Neely's with a git city coupon. Service was great, and me and my friend didn't feel like we were treated any different from customers paying full price. Side dishes were wonderful (fried green tomatoes and corn bread, yum!), but the barbecue was just okay. Drinks were served in a small mason jar, and my friend who had the margarita told me that it tasted great. (I grabbed a soft drink, so nothing different from any other place)

    (3)

  • Vivian S.

    I went to Neely's Barbecue Parlor for lunch with a couple of coworkers and it was okay. I ordered the Mississippi catfish and did not think anything special of it. The food was a bit pricey as well. The restaurant was comfortable and spacious. Although there was hardly anyone in the restaurant when we came for lunch, it took them a while to bring our food. I would most likely not return again unless returning with a group for a special occasion.

    (3)

  • DK N.

    Service issues. We've been there on tues night 11/11/14. Waiter spilled beer on my pants. The same waiter dropped the tray with my friend's dinner right in front of us. There was a commotion then they cleaned it up. Then in a few min manager came over and said:" obviously you've seen some commotion the food will be in the next 5 min". Borderline rudeness... When we hinted on any possibility of complimentary drinks to cover up the mess the servers created. The same manager just laughed back to us and said something like" yeah right". Menus were left in front of us while appetizers were being served. I had to ask bus boy for refills of my PBR. Complete lack of attention from our waiter. And we were a big party of 10. We left him a good tip though just out of courtesy. On top of what they alrdy included for a big party.Won't be coming back to this place.

    (2)

  • Kamilah G.

    This was the fastest for service turn around time I have ever experienced. Our server Avia was a big ball of bubbly personality. Our appetizers took 7 minutes tops. The only low light that I can mention, would be the upkeep of the restrooms. The ladies room was beautifully decorated but unclean and located two floors below the dining area. Overall, wonderful experience and I will definitely be returning.

    (4)

  • TJ R.

    I do enjoy me some BBQ. I've caught the Neely's on Food Network, and have enjoyed them on TV. The reviews for Neely's (NYC, other locations/states are also available) initially we're mixed. With the reviews (thanks Yelpers) I stayed away. Recently I have been on a 'try a new place when I dine out' kick. A friend invited me out to eat, Neely's was on our path and they asked if we could try it. Sure! We dined outside, it was a beautiful Sunday evening. (Except for the skeeters, with nice weather comes skeeters). Our waiter, Taylor I believe, was very nice and accommodating. Service was good and responsive. Now the meat and potatoes of our story: I was hungry but not looking to go all out. My companion was into sharing whatever we ordered. We went with: Chicken wings Hush puppies Mashed potatoes Corn bread Mac and cheese The best thing on the list was the hush puppies - crunchy little morsels served with a mild red pepper jelly. My least favorite was the chicken wings. (My BBQ comparison would be Dinosaur BBQ.) These were drab wings served with nothing else. It was weird because our serving plate was half empty like they forgot the crudite. (I did ask to exclude the blue cheese, not sure though it would take up half the plate). The food wasn't brought out that quickly so the next line of this review is inexcusable. As we were eating the wings they seemed less and less cooked thoroughly as we went through the pile. Hmm The mashed potatoes were fluffy but a tad bit bland, better than overly salty though. The corn bread served with spreadable butter was fine, I've had better though. (Dinosaur and Amy Ruths) The macaroni and cheese was not bad, elbow pasta was a bit larger than I'm used too, and a bit thick. With a petiter pasta it would probably be more enjoyable. Overall the service was fine, the food though leaves a lot to be desired. I waited a while to try Neely's, the wait wasn't worth it, I prefer Dinosaur BBQ. Added observations/notes: There was a SWF sitting across from us when we first sat down. I thought to ask her how her meal was, but upon observing it seemed she was having issues with the way her steak was prepared/cooked. The manager even comp'd her glass of wine for her troubles. She wound up bagging her food to go. The support staff, bus boys? New waiters? Kept bringing the wrong dishes to the wrong tables. Funny but lacking organization. One of the wait staff had strong BO and when he would pass it would fill our air. Lol. I don't mind it in general but when people are eating ? mark

    (2)

  • Bing R.

    I ordered half dry ribs. It was good but it looks like it's been sitting out there. Not freshly cooked but it was good. Not bad. They should always have freshly cooked ones even if I have to wait a fee minutes.

    (3)

  • Ashti D.

    Not the best bbq...I expected a down home southern taste instead it was a generic version of bbq. We had the pork sampler w/ mac n cheese and the short rib w/ baked beans and collard greens. The catfish and hush puppy apps were good. What stood out to me and my party was the staff...great service, super friendly and welcoming!!!

    (3)

  • Jen B.

    Vacationing in New York and stopped here for brunch. The food was amazing and the service was great!!! I got a peach margarita in a cute mason jar. I ordered The Big Easy (it was delish!!!! ) large portion. Sit in the bar to have Jean serve you. He was very nice and attentive (and cute ). The host was a sweetheart. Definitely worth every penny!!

    (5)

  • Alex B.

    I chose Neelys as a place to go out with some co-workers one friday night. A few of us got there early so we sat at the bar and enjoyed their happy hour specials. I made the mistake of getting a whisky sour (more sour than whisky) and a mango margarita (way too much mango juice-overly sweet). however, a coworker seemed to enjoy his regular margarita and vodka tonic. the best drink i had there was the pigatini, which was a peach martini - that was very good. we eventually got to our table and had our food. i was extremely disappointed with the ribs - they were extremely dry. the best part about the whole experience were the staff at neelys. everyone seemed to be having a good time, whether the bartenders or the servers. and when staff has a good time, they do better work. i would go back to neelys for their happy hour specials, but i would be very particular about what i order.

    (3)

  • Ani V.

    Neely's is your typical upscale southern inspired restaurant. A lot of fried with a touch of funeral food.They offer fried pickles, baked beans, creamed corn, chicken salad, country fried steak, pulled pork salad, corned bread, ribs, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, beef brisket, mac and cheese, blackened catfish and fried green tomatoes and an array of southern cocktails and desserts. Personally I prefer Fette Sau in WIlliamsburg for BBQ but the entire eating experience was pleasant. Neely's also serves filet mignon, sugared bacon, salmon cooked on a cedar plank. There is a menu to suit everyone. They have quieter rooms if one wants to escape the bar crowd in the larger room. The waiters aren't standing over diners and water is refilled quickly.

    (4)

  • Sam T.

    Order the country fried steak- it's incredible! The Mac & Cheese is a fan favorite, although to me it's way too salty. Interesting thing we discovered though, when we took the mac & cheese back home, put it in the fridge, and microwaved it the next day it actually tasted better - go figure Great drinks, incredible food, and the best part is the service and overall environment is just a place that you want to be I'd be happy to return to the Neely's BBBQ Parlor

    (4)

  • Jennell F.

    I took my mom here for her birthday. She is a huge fan of the Neelys. Well when we got here the place was empty on a Sunday. (Big sign) We were seated right away. I looked at the menu and it wasn't what I thought it would be. Since the Neelys are great cooks I thought I would be wowed with the menu. Typical bbq. I ordered the 1/2 rack Memphis ribs with baked beans. Well the ribs had hardly any flavor or rub. The beans were good. My mom had bbq chicken. The skin looked weird and my mom said it tasted funny. My bro ordered the rib sampler. The Memphis ribs was tough. My bro felt like he was going to loose a tooth. We were not happy. Then I got the check and our waiter is outside on a break and I had to wait for him to pay our bill. I have never seen a bbq place like this. The Neelys need to take their picture off the wall.

    (2)

  • Khomari F.

    Ahhhh Neeleys, this place almost never lets me down. If your on your vegan, gluten free diet then this place is not for you. However if you still eat meat then my friend you are i luck. With a menu full of options from chicken, beef, ribs, pork etc etc etc. They have it all and more. Their fried chicken is exceptional but sometimes seems like a waste to order that from a location with so many options. My last time there i had the brisket, mac n chesses plus corn bread. Awww man everything was really good and the service was on point as it typically is. This spot is good for groups and celebratory dinners so make sure to go with a plan of action and a huge appetite!

    (4)

  • Zena M.

    Wasn't really impressed food was type bland and service slow... The ribs were decent didn't really like bbq sauce flavor... Waiter was very accommodating but once pace picked up he seemed m.i.a all in all I've had better bbq in smaller establishments so prob will pass next tone only plus is there is a haagan daas three blocks from here

    (3)

  • Rina S.

    Came here with a group of four other people for brunch yesterday. Even though my entire party had not yet arrived, I was seated promptly. There is a great brunch selection to choose from. I stared with the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer. They were so good. They had a nice crunch to them and the tomatoes were very flavorful. I had the shrimp and grits for my entree. The grits were so creamy and the shrimp was very tasty. The only thing I didn't really care for was the BBQ sauce that was put over the dish. They have unlimited sangria for $18 that I took advantage of. Love, love, love the green tomatoe sangria. I also tried the sparkling and also the spice fairy sangria. If you are looking for a strong drink try the spice fairy. Very spicy! Our Waiter was very attentive and we receive excellent service from the entire staff. My reservation was for 11:45 am and it was quite empty so I'm not sure how the service is when it's quite busy but I would definitely suggest Neely's as a great place for brunch. I will be back very soon to dine at dinner time. Oh and I also tried the red velvet mimosa. Was very disappointed. I expected it to be sweet like red velvet cake and it definitely was not!! A waste of $13!

    (3)

  • Jenny T.

    This place has a down home southern atmosphere and isn't too crowded during lunchtime. It's nice and air-conditioned. They have a really good lunch special that's a three-course deal for 22 bucks highly recommend it!

    (4)

  • Marilyn S.

    Neelys is fantastic! I don't understand some of the negative reviews at all! I've come to Neelys with my family probably about 8 times over the course of one year, including 2 birthday celebrations! The food never disappoints! The Memphis Style BBQ baby back ribs are my favorite! Moist, tender and flavorful! My husband always orders the brisket, which is delicious also. And the sides...to die for! Mac and cheese, we've decided are the best we've ever had, and the buttermilk mashed potatoes are the best also! So light and fluffy. The cornbread, a must have also! I really don't get the negative reviews at all, and wonder if they may be coming from jealous competitors! We'll be back!

    (5)

  • K D.

    I'm updating my review! The last time I came for brunch and was not very impressed, but my friend wanted to come back, so I was expecting another "eh" meal. This time I came during the week for lunch and it was SO much better! I ordered the pork sampler, which gave me 1/3 rack of BBQ ribs, 1/3 rack sweet & tangy ribs, and pulled pork. Everything was cooked perfectly - the pulled pork melted in my mouth and the ribs fell right off the bone. This entree came with my choice of side, so I opted for the Brussels sprouts that were cooked with bacon and onion. They were so delicious - crispy on the outside - perfect. I would give this 5 stars because it was so delicious and reasonably priced, but because of my last visit, I'm keeping it at a 4.

    (4)

  • Jessica F.

    I have mixed feelings about this place. On a positive note, the food was great and our waiter was very nice and helpful. On a less positive note, they seemed off their game. There was bbq sauce on the wall from previous guests, the toilet paper holder was broken, and there weren't many other people there for how big the place is.

    (3)

  • Whitney L.

    UPDATE!: Honestly, this place is STILL getting my order wrong. No matter how many times I write it CLEARLY online, or call, or come IN PERSON to clarify. It is ALWAYS wrong. I am so tired of it. The last time I placed an order for pickup (sorbet... ALONE) and came to pick it up after 10-15 minutes, they tell me they didn't put my order in because they didn't know what flavor I wanted. So NO ONE COULD HAVE CALLED?????? But I was charged anyway. And then I waited HALF AN HOUR for 1 scoop of sorbet. REALLY???? Another time I placed an order online and they sent me the wrong combination but because it was my first time ordering that item I had no idea it was wrong, so the next time I ordered the item again and called them to complain that it was not the same as my previous order. The manager was just so belittling and rude to me and his only excuse was "well someone must have given you the wrong thing the last time". No apologies, no offer to send me what I want. NOTHING. It's just ALWAYS bad customer service in that regard and it's for THESE reasons that I will not be ordering from this place ever again. Whenever THEY make a mistake with giving me the wrong thing they don't even offer to deliver it, they have me COME IN... AGAIN. Like I enjoy walking there twice for no fault of my own. They just aren't accommodating. The food itself is great, but completely inconsistent. Sometimes they do something one way, the next time it is different. Sometimes the mac and cheese is aldente, sometimes it's soft. I'm just not going to continue to support a place that isn't kind to customers.

    (1)

  • Andrew M.

    OK. Went here with a Groupon. Food was decent, just your typical BBQ dishes. Food was great, but portions were extremely big. The place seemed nice on first inspection, but our table was next to a wall covered in splattered BBQ sauce. Looked like it had been there for a while... Server was excellent and walked us through the menu and our Groupon deal. Food came extremely fast. No complaints on service. Kind of a pain to get to this place and I am not sure I would make the trip again. Place has an "old school" New York feel and has not evolved to the current city. Also $14 for a bourbon on the rocks. No thanks! Won't be coming again.

    (2)

  • Saleema M.

    Great food!!!!!!! I've watched the Neely's on the food network so I had to come here. Alex is a great bartender, very nice! The wings are delicious, the catish is fried just right. I can't wait to eat my dinner!!! $

    (5)

  • Kelley A.

    For the past few months I saw Neely's on Reserve through Groupon. The earlier your reservation you make is, the better percent off your bill is. Our reso was for 5:30 and we got 30%, plus, tip was included in bill. All for free because I stumbled upon it on Groupon! Great deal!! To start we tried the fried pickles (TO DIE FOR) absolutely delicious, the sauce I wasn't a huge fan of -strong & horseradishy, but overall excellent app. The three of us then shred a wedge salad and house salad. I preferred the wedge salad, but the house had nice texture! For entree we split the Neely Sample (1/2 rack of each type of ribs - Memphis and their original). I loved both, but the sweet tangyness of Memphis was awesome !! We also ordered three sides (1 came with entree) of mac and cheese, brussel sprouts, and sweet potatoes fried. No complaints there. WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT THE MAC AND CHEESE IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE. I swear it was the best I've ever had out to eat. And really set my standard for southern cooking. To finish, we had the caramel apple pie. Seriously amazing. Shortbread cookie outside with soft and creamy insides. Amazing. It was also a la mode with a vanilla black bean scoop. That obviously put it right over the edge. The service was prefect. Our food came out all at the right moments, nothing was rushed. Our server was terribly patient and fun .. He seemed like he truly enjoyed making sure we were 100% satisfied. Also had a run in with the manager. So nice and helpful. Another genuine employee. The Neely's should feel so lucky to have people like them running their business. Overall : YUUUUUMMMMMMM Definite return for me.

    (5)

  • Shalisha A.

    UPDATE: So as you know I posted a poor review for this restaurant based on the fried chicken dish that was not cooked completely and had blood in it. I waited a couple of days and went into the store and explained to the manager that I was disappointed with the chicken dinner and why. He immediately embraced me with a warm smile and genuinely tried to understand my disappointment. He then offered to comp me with another plate of fried chicken and mash potatoes. I couldn't believe how kind and generous he was being. I wasn't expecting that. Most places will tell you to "suck it up" but not this restaurant. I'm very happy to say that my chicken dinner was cooked well and still was crispy and moist on the inside. I will definitely come back to this restaurant. Their mashed potatoes are out of site. I've eaten their fried fish, macaroni and cheese and collard greens. Those dishes are outrageous!! Lastly, the red velvet cake is so creamy and moist, it will melt in your mouth. I'm so happy the manager took care of me. I look forward to continuing to dine at Neelys.

    (5)

  • Chris G.

    Let's cut to the chase. Very nice atmosphere in the dining area. Bartender was also cordial yet attentive. The wait staff was very quick on the draw with the water and attention. The food was delicious and the overall ambiance was inviting. If you have never been here, order the rib sampler platter and don't skip dessert. Order a pitcher of drinks and fill up a few mason jars with the sweet nectar. Since my friends and I are lushes, we went through a few of these. Whether for a romantic dinner or a night out with friends, make a trip down to the Neely's and enjoy some tasty southern treats.

    (4)

  • James S.

    Very very average, run of the mill barbecue unfortunately. It's not bad, but its no more than I would expect to get at an Applebees or a TGI Fridays. I will say they have incredible specials in the bar area any time football is on, especially on drinks and apps. Great location as well. The place though, being a big fan of the Neely's on TV, was underwhelming to say the least. I could talk about all the things I tried, but when push comes to shove, everything was alright, but nothing will blow you away.

    (3)

  • Cherelle H.

    I have been here twice and I was not disappointed either time. I am mainly vegetarian/pescatarian so I was a little skeptical when I came here at first thinking they would not have anything for me to eat. I ordered the blackened catfish w/ mashed potatoes and it was so good! The cornbread was phenomenal and I had the peach mason jar lemonade which was great also. The interior is great and the restaurant is connected to a cigar bar so when you go downstairs to the bathroom you can smell the cigars. But the bathroom is VERY small so be prepared.

    (4)

  • Alycia W.

    This place was disappointing. Although I didn't have high expectations when it came to this tourist attraction, I still thought it would be above average. I sat in the bar area for happy hour/dinner. The service was slow! There were a handful of people in the dining area and four people at the bar. My drink was watered down and the drinks were subpar.

    (2)

  • Alicia J.

    I use to watch the show on the food network so that made me in my bff go there. The service was good but the food was some of the worst I have ever had. Maybe it was that day . No who am I kidding. The waiter staff sneaking and eat and drama in the background not a good look at all. The bathroom was hot not air and the best thing they had was the smoke room downstairs. For all you cigar lovers.

    (2)

  • LaPecosa B.

    I went on Friday night without a reservation and was seated right away. This was my second visit. The drinks are like candy and the food is delish! Our waiter Jean was adorable, friendly, and professional. I had the BBQ ribs and my friend had the fried chicken, so of course we had to share. We are constantly trying new restaurants and have had our share of disappointments but we actually hi-fived on the way out. Cant wait to go back and try the pulled pork.

    (5)

  • Linda Z.

    Food is fine but for takeout they really really make you wait. Ordered pulled pork and it took them 50 mins. Aren't they pre made already? Why it took so long?

    (2)

  • Venus R.

    This place is off the chain!!! 18$ for unlimited brunch drinks. I have the spiked VIP in peach it was great. Had the brisket hash with poached eggs for my meal and it was so delicious! A friend had the fried chicken and waffles and the fried chicken so was good!! My bf had the big easy which was also good! So far everything we tried was amazing!

    (5)

  • Andy B.

    Hire a babysitter who takes off work early, get on the B up here in Harlem, transfer to the downtown 4, get off at 59th, and walk over to 62nd& 1st Ave, just to see on the front door of Neely's, "Closed December 7th for a private party. Sorry for any inconvenience." Now do the above list in reverse order. 1hr 50min. all for nothin'... I was on their website several times today, and it didn't say anything about being closed tonight. So if ever going to Neely's, call first, apparently they rent the place out. I didn't call because I just thought I'd get a seat at the bar by myself. Oh well! I was really looking forward to going there, and finally had the opportunity. Maybe some other time. I just gave them the current average of three stars, because I don't want to effect their rating.

    (3)

  • claudia R.

    great!

    (5)

  • Damaris F.

    This place is great. It's not too dressy so anyone can be relaxed, but it's nice enough to feel like you've done something special with yourself. Coming from a southern upbringing I am highly picky with southern food (which everyone is when it comes to their own food), but Neely's did a great job. Everything from their lemonade to their peach cob-lah (emphasis on the cobbbbb-La because the chef threw down) was great. I took my extremely meticulous friend and she loved it.

    (5)

  • Tiffany L.

    Poor Neely's isn't doing so well in the yelp-o-sphere. I'm here to give it a vote of confidence. We came on a Sunday for brunch with a party of 18 to celebrate our friend's birthday. Yes, despite the fact we had a reservation, there was a little bit of a wait. And yes, after placing the orders there was an even longer wait (30 minutes). But what rescued this deplorable wait time was our stellar waiter who apologized profusely and hooked us up with some complimentary fried pickles and wings (smokey and so good). If you're going to be egregiously slow, you can at least comp us with some food, and the waiter knew how to sweeten our hungry tempers (lots of mixed metaphors there, just go with it.) McNeely's is HUGE! Tons of private rooms sectioned off with heavy velvet drapes which lend a great air of intimacy to your party. You get the feeling you're in the home of a rich southern gentelman... or maybe his front parlor, haha. I shared a few items with those near me and the big winner was the chicken and waffles (HUGE dish. Would easily feed 2)! The waffles were especially good: crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. Second place went to the wet ribs. Each brunch item is around $15. At the end of the meal the waiter surprised us with a huge dish of red velvet cake and a few other desserts. He was awesome! Wish I'd caught his name.

    (4)

  • Jessica A.

    Great bbq, wonderful deep smoky flavor in the ribs, blackened catfish was spicy hot and beautifully cooked. Maurice was terrific - exchanged my salty margarita without hesitation and danced to the music like a man enjoying his job! Love to see that! ONLY problem is the separate cigar bar on the ground floor seeps its exhaled fumes into Neely's and you go home stinking of cigar smoke....big ugh...

    (4)

  • Jaimee A.

    We went here for our mid-week anniversary celebration dinner with our two girls. Let me start by saying the service was EXCELLENT. The servers recognized that we were with two young children and had a limited amount of time to eat before all hell broke loose. They came out with my daughter's mac n cheese as soon as we ordered it. The fried green tomatoes and shrimp with grits were very tasty appetizers. The sweet potato fries were also very good. The hubby's sweet and tangy ribs were so so. There was a funky spice that took away from the flavor. His beans with molasses were pretty good.The stand out yummy entree was the pulled pork sandwich. That was great. I ate half and the hubby ate the other half. The red velvet cake was okay at best. Honestly I couldn't tell if the frosting was cream cheese or not (which isn't a great sign). If you go to Neely's get the pulled pork sandwich, you won't be disappointed.

    (3)

  • Heather C.

    Being that I am from TEXAS, I am very hard on BBQ spots. This place was horrible. Food was cold, and reminded me of fast food. Service was so-so, waiter wasted collard greens on me and was told the meal was on him. Well that wasn't the truth. Manager came over and was like this only looks like 10% off. I was like I am not looking for a free meal, just apologize. But when she said, well okay no 10% off I told her I would be sending her the bill for my dress cleaning she quickly removed the meal. Will not go back again for fast food bbq. Had better McRibs then the ribs here.

    (1)

  • nicole t.

    I wanted to love this place, but unfortunately, that just wasn't in the cards for us. The interior is really cute, it has a very New Orleans type of feel. However, that's about the only good thing this restaurant has going for it. We went with another couple on a groupon deal. There was a lot of food, but it wasn't very good. The killer was when my husband found a giant clump of hair (which definitely wasn't ours) in his collard greens. The sangria was made with very cheap alcohol and I broke out in hives after having a glass. Never, ever, ever again will I go to this place. It might have been the worst place that I have ever been to on the island of Manhattan.

    (1)

  • Denise M.

    If you want good bbq but can't travel to Texas, just come here. From the sangria to the "bacon and eggs" to the Memphis style ribs.....all incredibly delicious. The meat from the ribs just falls off the bone. And the cornbread melts in your mouth. Go. You won't be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Jon F.

    Where is Pat & Gina?!?!?! I ignored many of the negative comments about Neely's and expected Neely's to become my favorite BBQ in NYC. I was VERY disappointed. Decor and service get 5. We sat at a cocktail table by the bar and our server was great. She was on top of her game, provided suggestions, and had a great smile. Now let's talk about food and drinks: The Green Tomato Sangria was good as were some apps; Fried Pickles and BBQ Chips. I'd stop in for happy hour but that's it. Here is where I was disappointed: dressings and other items on the menu are not freshly made; salad dressings, ice cream, and probably more - they buy premade products. We tried the pork sampler which comes with pulled pork and 2 different style of ribs. The pulled pork was dry and had tons of fat. The baby back ribs were very, very dry. The spare ribs were not as dry but certainly overcooked. We had Mac N Cheese as the side and it was horrible - It was mush with little flavor. I'm a big fan of Pat & Gina so it hurts to write this review.

    (2)

  • Bob B.

    Like a training ground for diabetes. The formula they follow is to keep adding sweetness and then counterbalancing it with either spiciness or tartness/vinegar. But the two contrasts are as severe as can be imagined and the net result is overpowering. Candied Bacon - the sweetness is over the top. Pulled Pork - same approach. In both cases, they use a foundation of fattiness that again is too fatty. Texas Toast seems to be hiding a stick of butter. Sauces are labelled and the regular is cavity forming so can't imagine what the 'sweet' does. Good service and quality ingredients but they are aiming for a very different palate than mine.

    (2)

  • Kate P.

    Went here with my Mother after visiting my Father in the hospital. We really needed some good food and cheering up. Place was not too busy so we were seated very fast, which was great. Our waiter was a real sweetheart. He was very kind, offered good suggestions and good service. I had the blackened Catfish which was very good. The collard greens were good, but slightly too salty for my liking. Mom had the Memphis style ribs with a side of Mac & Cheese. Really big portions & so we tried a bit of each others food. OMG the Mac&Cheese was so delicious. Drinks were also very good. We saved room for desert by taking home food (which was still tasty the next day). Peach Cobbler was warm, sweet, and amazing alongside the cold vanilla ice cream! No doubt, lots of calories, but they were yummy calories. This is a good place if you've been dieting and want to have an indulgent "cheat day" and enjoy good comfort food.

    (4)

  • Simone B.

    Went to Neely's on Friday with a group of friends, three of which are from the South, and needless to say I've had better food from the grocery store. The only good things about this restaurant were the drinks - I had the green tomato sangria!! #Delish - and the service. Our server, Monica, was so helpful and accommodating. She gave us cheese sticks to eat while we waited on our food since Neely's doesn't offer any cornbread or biscuits for the table. She also brought out some maple bacon for us to try since our entree took a while to come out. My experience here was completely disappointing.

    (2)

  • Jose M.

    I tried the fried steak which was horrible . Got sick later in the day . Can do better at other resturants then this place .

    (1)

  • John P.

    I came here with a friend that had some sort of group deal for the restaurant. We really enjoyed most of our meal. The green tomato sangria tasted awesome, definitely recommend starting with a pitcher of it. We started with fried pickles and bacon and eggs. The candied bacon and the deviled eggs were really good, and the fried pickles were perfect for sharing. Our sides were all very good too. I don't remember everything we ordered, but i remember everyone loving the mac and cheese. The meal started going downhill when the entrees arrived. We had bbq chicken, pulled pork, brisket, and kansas city style ribs. The meat wasn't hot when it arrived and everything was so dry. You really had to tear at the ribs and brisket. After everything else tasted so great, it was disappointing that our entrees were so terrible.

    (2)

  • Monica R.

    I adore the salads-yes salads-here and the ribs are great! The problem is the service...if I order a cocktail I do expect it to be served before the appetizers are finished!! In 3 years they have never fixed their poor serving problem. Do yourself a flavor and order in from seamless instead of going in person and getting stressed.

    (3)

  • Christina Y.

    I came here for a friend's birthday and had a great time. Walking in, I can see what people are saying about it being a little musty with the cigar shop below - the smell wasn't offensive, though, and I don't think I would have noticed it if I hadn't done my homework. The decor is very well done, and the place is humongous, as people have said. The great thing about the layout is that the restaurant is composed of many semi-closed off rooms that are decorated uniquely and all have a comfy feel. We were able to get one of the back rooms to ourselves - the perfect space if you have a party of ~15 and want some privacy while everyone makes inappropriate jokes. As for the food...meh. This is actually the second Food-Network-associated chef restaurant that I've been to (after going to Aaron Sanchez's Centrico) and it's further affirmed my suspicion that Food Network personalities are just....that. Personalities, that is. I tried many of the appetizers/sides, including the candied bacon, and left with the overwhelming feeling that I could have done better at home. The BBQ, while not worse than I could have conjured, is mediocre (coming from Texas), and a little too sweet for my taste. The desserts were overall okay, though you can get much better red velvet elsewhere. Yes...I did have a bite of almost everything on the menu...hangs head in shame Overall, a three for food and, just so I'm not a negative Nancy, I'll give half a star for the great environment and it being a celebrity restaurant.

    (3)

  • Randy S.

    We've had better BBQ than this. Probably more geared toward tourists.... it's good, but not worth a wait if you ask me.

    (3)

  • On W.

    Not even close, the food was not what I would expect in terms of quality taste. You could get this service from a takeout.

    (2)

  • Paul G.

    In short, had an excellent time and great food. My wife and I were watching Food Network all day on a Saturday and got a craving for BBQ. She called up and was able to get us a reservation for that Sat night. We showed up a few minutes early and were immediately seated. The place is great, many small rooms, feels like you are eating at someones house. We ordered the Candied Bacon and Fried Pickles to start. The bacon is served cold, 4 strips thick cut, in a mason jar. It's sweet at first, then you taste smoke, then pepper. Highly recommended. The fried pickles are coated with a cornmeal-based breading (which to me is best for fried items like pickles) that tasted great, even without the dipping sauce. I also ordered one of the traditional margaritas on the rocks. It was a tad sweet, but you can taste the difference in that they use fresh juices to make it, served in a mason jar. For dinner I had the Pork Sampler with Spare Ribs, Baby Back Ribs and Pulled Pork, all were excellent. Great smoke flavor and the meat just fell off the bones. A little light saucing (your table has Original, Sweet and Spicy style sauces) and it was perfect. My wife had the brisket which seemed to come with two cuts, flat and point. They were great as well. We ended with a slice of the Mississippi Mud Pie, creamy filling, excellent chocolate cookie crust with a hint of butter flavor. Service was great, attentive too. Our table was a bit small so it was great to have our plates cleared on a regular basis so credit to the busing staff as well! If you are craving BBQ or southern style food, I'd definitely recommend this place.

    (5)

  • Michael S.

    Go on Monday so you can get the Chicken and waffles!!! But be careful of the Jalapeno Lemonade - I had to give it a try, but my eyes are STILL watering. ;-)

    (5)

  • G M.

    I was really disappointed in the food when I was here. I ordered the fried chicken and it was just fried chicken, no sides or even garnishes so it didn't look incredibly appetizing. And unfortunately, it wasn't at all appetizing. It was very dry and very greasy, I ate only one piece and stopped. My friend ordered the beef brisket and it was so fatty that she could not eat most of it. I definitely wouldn't be returning - the applewood smoked chicken wings were not good enough to warrant suffering through the main courses.

    (2)

  • Ms J.

    I didn't eat anything but appetizers here, and I'm vegetarian, so this review is not so much about the food. Went here with a group of fellow teachers on our last day of school, so of course we drank and drank and drank. Happy hour, from 4-7, features the DELICIOUS sweet tea-flavored vodka and lemonade drink (can't remember the name) for $4! There were other drinks and appetizers on the $4 menu, like fried pickles (yummy), hush puppies (first time I've even had them at a restaurant in my 12 years in NY), and the catfish that some of my friends got. The few food items we got were tasty. Aaaaaaaand they cost $4, so they did their job of soaking up the inappropriately massive amounts of spirits that we consumed. Space was nice and airy, and service was great, but we came early (right after 4) and had left by 8. It was starting to get crowded, so I could see how a long wait might be part of the dinner experience. GO FOR HAPPY HOUR!!!!! You'll probably see me there...

    (4)

  • Tesheca L.

    My sister and I went here 2 weeks ago for late lunch. Restaurant was a bit on the empty side, which is fine for me. Our waiter was friendly. The food was delicious. I had the pulled pork sandwich which was so good for someone who doesn't eat swine a lot. The mac and cheese was okay, the fried green tomatoes were heavenly. Yum! The iced tea was more like sweet tea. My sis had the blackened catfish, which was so tasty indeed. Cooked to perfection. I would definitely be back for southern cooking if I am in the city again.

    (5)

  • Thuy N.

    The decor was beyond amazing. It felt like I was actually at "Down Home With the Neely's" home! The food was amazing and the drinks! I ordered the KC Style "Sweet & Sticky" Ribs: St. Louis Spare ribs basted with sweet & tangy BBQ sauce. It was grilled to perfection! And I ordered His & Hers Margaritas, which was made with herradura tequila & fresh squeezed juices. The Blue (His) one was really strong! The Pinkish (Hers) was a bit sour, but it was delicious. Overall, the food, drinks, and service was amazing! Will stop by again whenever I am there.

    (4)

  • Nick B.

    As a vegetarian, i like the idea of BBQ but, obviously, there is usually not much on the menu. My lack of food is often offset by good company, the ambiance of the place, service and just a fun night out. At Neely's, I did have all of the latter, but not much of the former; the food that I ate was good, but it was very limiting. Like I said, I am not going to a BBQ with friends and family for my benefit, but when I have, I usually have found a few things on the menu. Not so much here. Maybe a little more main course things to accompany the side dishes would have been nice. Again, for those in my group who were carnivores, they loved it.

    (3)

  • Billy L.

    Opening up a family themed restaurant with ties to television generally alienates a lot of New Yorkers with expectations of mind blowing cuisine. And yes, the t shirts and spices for sale don't help Neely's win over many New Yorkers who despise tourists, but I give this place credit for a few reasons: 1. The food is fine. A bit on the pricey side, yes, and it is not the best bbq in the city for sure, but I don't think it really tries to be. I went with the pork plate and burnt beans as well as the wings for an appetizer. We cleaned our plates and felt the pulled pork and ribs were pretty much what we expected. 2. The decor and theme is fitting for the crowd it attracts: families. The place has a great chandelier and pictures that make it very homely, plus it is on top of Merchant's Cigar Bar in case you want a little bit more adult themed entertainment (meaning no kids). The drinks are pricey and nothing special but the service was quick and the amount of negative reviews is not justified. Neely's upholds the image you'd expect from a tv cooking couple and if you don't know that before walking in the door, your ass is in the wrong place.

    (3)

  • N R.

    My husband and I went to Neelys last night for dinner. I was expecting great things knowing that the owners have a show on the Food Network, however we were greatly disappointed. We were first greeted by what looked to be as the manager wearing an extremely low cut shirt that was completely inappropriate; not a good look for her to say the least. The restaurant overall was noisy and the service was awful. We ordered the hush puppies for an appetizer and for our meal we ordered the pulled chicken in the pulled pork. Two couples were seated after we were and had dinners delivered with appetizers before we even received our first appetizer. When the manager noticed that we were just sitting there she finally brought out the appetizer hush puppies which were cold. The waiter came over and asked us if everything was okay and I told him that the hush puppies were cold. He then proceeded to tell us a lie saying that they make the hush puppies on order. However when you look at them they were perfectly round and you could tell were store-bought. Not only were the hush puppies cold they were dry. Our main dish was out within minutes after receiving the appetizers; again another cold meal. Our waiter's name was Ossama; probably the worst waiter we've ever had. He never once asked us if we needed anything nor re-filled our drinks. We gave him a mediocre tip and as we walked out the door the manager who was standing there did not ask us if we had a good experience nor did she even say goodbye. We will never go back. I would have expected more from a Food Network star restaurant.

    (2)

  • Jessica H.

    Happy hour review. It's not best location but very nice place. My friend and I sat outside bc it was a nice day and the happy hour specials apply to anywhere in the restaurant which I thought I saw a review that it's only by the bar. I got the sparkling sangria and it was great. My friend tried the spicy sangria and green tomato sangria. They were both good and a fun twist on sangria. You can't beat $4 drinks.

    (4)

  • Peter G.

    Top Notch Barbeque. It's a sloppy, spicy, yummy affair. Spectacular choices of southern ribs, both with sauce or dry rubs. Some of the finest side dishes north of Memphis, especially the collard greens. Many rooms offer romantic, private settings. Bar is open and bright. Specialty cocktails are bourbon-driven and have pop. Every staff member is polite and cordial. A wonderful southern "Food Channel" gem hidden on First Avenue a few steps from the Roosevelt Island Tram.

    (4)

  • Adrienne M.

    I've read a lot of mixed reviews about the Neely's BBQ Parlor, and I'm so glad that I didn't let the negative ones deter me from checking it out for myself! I'm happy to report that I had a fantastic dining experience there. The decor: The place is huge. It has various neatly decorated dining rooms, a lounge and a spacious bar. My dining buddy and I had drinks at the bar after dinner. The food: We had no major complaints. Started with the Wedge salad and the Chopped salad. The salads are huge and one is plenty for two/three peeps. The Wedge was so fresh and that dressing... if I was at home I would've licked the plate clean! We also had the perfectly prepared salmon and mashed potatoes and catfish strips with baked mac & cheese. Yes, the mac & cheese is baked and served in a skillet (cool points for that) and it is rich and creamy. However, as a self-proclaimed Mac & Cheese connoisseur, I have to be honest about the dish. On a scale (1-10), I'd give it an 8. It just needs more cheese, Gina & Pat! For dessert, we shared the Peach Crisp with vanilla/caramel ice cream. This dessert is SLAMMIN'! Next time, I will not be sharing! The drinks are also very good. We tried the Spiked Sweet Tea, the Green Tomato Sangria, the Overton Park, and the Bourbon Mojito. All winners in my book! The service: We received excellent service but we were there on a Sunday eve. There was a good crowd but it wasn't packed so I'd be interested to see how the staff performs on a busy Fri/Sat night. Overall, we had a terrific time at the Neely's and we will definitely be back soon!

    (4)

  • Leo O.

    Giving this place 4 stars because of their spicy sangria (according to my co-workers) and fried pickles at happy hour price! I thought they were really good. Staff is very nice. Love the natural lighting in this place. This place is lucky that it's on the corner so they could have lots of windows. Lots of seating. You can actually sit down here and have dinner with the family. I'm not sure how good the food is but I know it is kind of expensive for dinner and from my prior experiences with food, I probably would give this place 3 stars for the food.

    (4)

  • Two Park Av E.

    Service was ok. Mac and cheese was good. Other food items were not very good. For the money, you can get much better else where. Won't go back.

    (2)

  • Tiffany W.

    I can't believe this place only has 3 stars. I went with my mom and good friend and we were all blown away at our meals. Every single thing was amazing...even something as simple as creamed corn. The place definitely lives up to its name and I will gladly go back and tell everyone about it! Loved it! BEST SOUL FOOD I'VE EVER HAD!!!!

    (5)

  • Bruce B.

    I love the Neely's recipes when I cook at home, so I had high hopes for this place. While the food was good, I was a bit disappointed as I expected it to be better than what I make at home using their recipes. My son and I both had the ribs and neither of us was impressed. One person in our party had the fried chicken and said it was very good. Another had the pulled pork and I had a taste of that, which was very good.

    (3)

  • Meg H.

    I think that this restaurant might have gotten a bad rap because it might have had a rocky start it's first few weeks being open however I did want to post a review based on my recent (last night to be exact) good experience at the restaurant. My boyfriend and I went and everyone was very nice and friendly to us- my glass of water was kept filled the entire time we were there which was great because I drink a ton of water. We were placed at a table that was a little bit of tight squeeze for us between two other tables but not too bad- it lead to closer conversation between my boyfriend and I. Ok- now we ordered the fried pickles and pulled pork hush puppies but got the pulled pork sliders instead. I read the terrible Yelp reviews this place was given so rather than send them back we just ate them and chalked it up to a simple misunderstanding. Our food was delicious! Our orders were correct and I ordered the Pork Sampler which was A TON of food and my boyfriend ordered the Brisket which was delicious as well. I think because they have been getting such bad reviews the manager walked around and checked in on everyone and also was pushing the up-sell of dessert which my boyfriend fell for. The red velvet cake to be exact which was delicious and we were given a HUGE helping. Try the fried pickles and the green tomato sangria those were both awesome! I'm also looking forward to going back and trying their brunch

    (4)

  • Food E.

    I've seen the Neely's show on food network and saw the restaurant open a while ago but never ventured to try it. It's not a great location on 1st Ave behind the 59th St bridge. Not really a destination location you seek out. If they were located in the theater district I honk his place would be a hit. Anyway back to the review. This is a large restaurant and has a nice feel to it. Some other reviews have described at as having a southern home feel to it and I agree. It's definitely a step up from most BBQ joints in the atmosphere aspect. It wasn't busy at all when we went midweek and I think everyone was seated in the more casual room in front but that was ok. Service is also warm and friendly, another plus. Unfortunately we thought the food was just mediocre. I had brisket and have definitely had better - dinosaur and definitely hill country to name a couple. My friend had ribs and thought they were decent but didn't think they were all that special.

    (3)

  • Imani B.

    Food was decent...service was just OK. The bar area looks promising, like a fun place to hang out with friends for happy hour. There also is a cigar bar, as well. All in all...not overly impressed, but will give it another try.

    (3)

  • Sonya F.

    Great food! I can't wait to go back there. The drinks options they have are so broad too. We ordered one of every appetizer and they were all delicious! The shrimp and grits and the hush puppies were banging. They also put us in a private room where we could play our ipod. It felt like having dinner at a friend's house. I loved the whole experience. :)

    (5)

  • David G.

    Took our son there on Monday, September 17th for his 18th Birthday . Been wanting to go for some time now, glad we had the opportunity to finally get over there and check the place out . Not sure if I personally would run back there for seconds!! I have had way better BBQ elsewhere !! Not that the food was bad or anything just not up to some of the best I have been to over the years ... I ordered the BBQ short-rib, very dry and hardly had any BBQ sauce on it , not what I expected from this establishment . Every one else in compnay ordered the BBQ RIBS, no complaints from anyone!! . First time having the Fried Green Tomatoes, they were good as well the Deviled Eggs . .

    (3)

  • Alex F.

    Neely's has DELICIOUS food. The barbecue ribs are obviously amazing, baked beans and corn bread so yummy. You come here and get an entree and some sides and it is SO much food, you will feel so full. But how can you have ribs without all the fixings??? It's definitely a once a year kind of place because of the insanely high caloric content of all of their entrees and sides. You can tell everything is ladden in sugar, fat, oil, salt. Delicious food. Ver pricey, possibly overpriced. You can get very good Barbebue at BBQ for half the price, so.... Also service is constantly slow, and I think the waiters are noticeably put off when you don't order alcohol (for me this is not an alcohol type of place at all, it's a huge family place in the style and ambiance of Red Lobster or something....or Friday's)

    (4)

  • Nicole F.

    I went on a trip to NYC and was blown away by the food! I had the beer can chicken, which was moist and delicious! I also had the macaroni & cheese which was AWESOME! I had the brussell sprouts and hush puppies...it was really good! Would definitely recommend and would go back!

    (4)

  • You Y.

    The food is good and loved the pulled pork but the cigar bar entrance next door wafts in lots of smoke and it's pretty thick and bad for my asthmatic friend. We had to move from the balcony to the back of the restaurant.

    (3)

  • Matthew H.

    Damn delicious!

    (5)

  • Sonny G.

    So as I set off to visit my possible future graduate school Hunter which is with in blocks, I decided it would be the perfect time to hit the Neely's BBQ Parlour. Despite the overall 2.5 stars rating I still came with high hopes, due to my LOVE for the Neely's and my best friends good word! When we first entered I was little surprised at the décor, more so unimpressed...it just wasn't what I was expecting, nothing wrong with it, just different. It doesn't make you think you're at a "southern BBQ joint". Its dimly lit with a lot of deep reds, browns, wood fixtures, a huge red chandelier, a semi spiral staircase (two levels and a basement), a main dining area, a bar (the nicest part), and private rooms for reservations/private parties. When me and my friend went on Tuesday night around 5pm there was only one other party in the entire place; just them and us. The party consisted of about 15 African people celebrating two birthdays. While I'm not racist by any means, these people were overbearingly loud, and their gracious celebrating was done in an African tradition/language. It was very obnoxious the WHOLE ENTIRE TIME we were there. I was wondering why none of the staff moved them to a private room as they did for my best friend's family, when they attended a birthday dinner (non-reserved) for her future sister in law (see Brit A's review). As we dined here over an hour, none of the private rooms had been in use. They could have definitely been moved where they would have the ability to shut the door or at least be with in a non disturbing amount of feet away from us. Our waiter came, he was decent. We had these little fried catfish tid bits for an appetizer; cost: $10. Some restaurants really don't know how to get the earthy taste out of catfish, but this chef succeeded in doing so. For an entrée I ordered the flounder which comes with Brussel sprouts and ham, but being a pescatarian I asked if I could substitute two sides, and got the buttermilk mashed potatoes and creamy corn. My friend got the full rack of ribs with a side of Mac &cheese. The sides were DEE_LISH_ISS! The creamy corn was so unique with its bursting hints of Jalapeno, and the Mac & cheese was a velvety pile of awesomely, creamy, rich, drenched elbow noodles. The mash potatoes while great, tasted like my own! My friend said the ribs were some of the best she ever had. My flounder was pretty good. The gravy that covered it was exceptionally better (wish they gave me more!). Let's talk about bang for your buck...not here! That's one thing that led me to give three stars. I no it's the city, UES at that, but seriously we all know every area in Manhattan has its cheap eats as well, and for this particular type of place (family style southern restaurant) I would expect A LOT more food for what I paid. My meal was $22, and my friend's was $29. I felt like I was in a French restaurant where presentation of the meal was most important. I had a skimpy long flat piece of fish which layed on the mashed potatoes/corn. The "full" rack of ribs was depressing. If I can split an appetizer, eat my whole meal, AND dessert that means I wasn't given a lot of food. 90% of time when I go out to eat I wind up eating less than half, and taking the rest to go. When we finished our skimp ass meals we opted to indulge in some (not needed) dessert. The peach crisp sounded delish, warm with a blob of caramel ice-cream. We order that, and the waiter says he forgot to tell us that it's the ONLY dessert they don't have ...BOO! We got the blackberry cobbler instead. My friend didn't like it at all. She didn't like the little seeds in the blackberries so guess who wound up eating the dessert? Independent of the vanilla ice-cream, which I did finish, I would not have eaten the blackberry cobbler alone. While the two paired well, the remnants of the sour, grainy, bread/biscuit like cobbler remained lonesome in the tiny white dish. I wouldn't come back here. The food was good, but so not worth the $$$. On the flipside they have free refills (drinks can get COSTLY seriously), but still I'd rather they provide more food than option to drink as many soda's as I'd like for one flat price. Lets face it, as previously said, better soul/southern food is available just a few train stops away, so when your portions are rather hungry looking time to KIM --Keep It Movin!

    (3)

  • D. B.

    First off, I will preface the review by saying that the service was GREAT, so this in no way reflects the service. Our waitress was awesome, bus boys were attentive etc. Also I would give 1.5 stars if possible. I'm a HUGE fan of the Neely's just based off seeing them on the Food Network. Because of this, my mom bought me $100 in gift certificates to go there. Unfortunately, this restaurant's food was severely sup-par. My date and I opted for just samplings of many appetizers instead of the huge entrees. Below they are reviewed: Catfish appetizer: decent, but much better with the barbecue sauce at the table than with the dip provided. I've had better at other places. Fried green tomatoes: Not too great. Pretty flavorless, smothered in super rich sauce, most of which I left on the plate. Hushpuppies: overwhelmingly onion-y, without the smoked flavor stated in the menu. However, they were incredibly light and fluffy. BBQ deviled eggs: basically your run of the mill deviled egg that I coulda made with a tiny bit on barbecue flavor. Again, better when the barbecue sauce at the table was added. Essentially they spent about 20 cents to make this appetizer, as there were 2 eggs on the plate, and it was $6.25 and not even very yummy. Sweet potato side dish: delicious, but very sweet. The only thing we ordered that was prepared very well. (Also the only thing aside from the hush puppies that tasted fresh and not like it was just taken off a line and pre-made. Seriously, everything else tasted pre-made, AND it came out SUPER fast despite a PACKED restaurant, which supports that theory. Blackberry cobbler: AWEFUL!!! And I LOVE desserts, and will finish mediocre ones. My date and I split this. She had 2 bites, I had a few and left over 1/2 of the dessert. It WAS NOT a real cobbler. It was blackberry compote that was EXTREMELY bitter with what tasted like store-bought pound cake underneath it. Inexcusable. Drinks: Coco-jito: My date had two of these. They were very good. Lemonade: I was given a plain lemonade when I ordered a spiked peach VIP. The lemonade was super tart and sweet at the same time. Not bad, but it wasn't what I ordered. Overton Park aka tequila w/mulled peaches: very strong, but the mulled peaches were a bit much for me. Pretty good though. Put simply, this place is NOT worth going to, even though it is reasonably priced. The coolest thing about it is the family portraits and how the inside is sectioned off and made to look like a house. Such a shame my beloved Neely's would put out such blah food and such a horrid "cobbler." Seems like their idea of "A Neely in every restaurant" (to ensure authenticity and quality) died when they opened this one.

    (1)

  • Acholi S.

    I love it here! The atmosphere is great, the waitstaff was really nice. The food excellent. I love the mashed potatoes and pulled pork.

    (5)

  • Sans P.

    This review is for brunch..... The ambiance is very nice. I came here for brunch for my birthday with a group of people. I had the beer chicken sandwich which was a bit bland for me, however the sauces on the table made up for it. I loved the blackberry margarita in the mason jar and the alcohol balance was on point. I will come back again to try something different.

    (3)

  • Maria M.

    Casual and comfortable. Friendly staff. Dry rubbed ribs were delicious. Mac & cheese is a must. Corn bread was great. Oh the fried catfish was yummy too. I'll be back for more.

    (3)

  • Chevon B.

    Not a bad place to eat but I wouldn't call this great bbq. The atmosphere is nice and some of the signature drinks are pretty good but with places like Fatty Cue, Hill County and Blue Smoke in NY the Neely's should've come better. However, I will say that their fried pickles, mac & cheese and chicken fried steak were pretty tasty and again some of their cocktails are pretty tasty as well.

    (3)

  • Penelope J.

    My good friend and I decided to go and have dinner at the Neeley's BBQ parlor for dinner. After reading what my fellow yelper's wrote, I was a little uncertain that I would have a good dining experience. I am glad I did not take some of the bad reviews to seriously. The building sits at the corner of the block. The staff was very friendly and allowed my friend and I to change our reservations because we were running late. The hostess who sat us explained the decor and why some of the sitting rooms were designed differently. We sat in the parlor. Our server, Udayam was super attentive. He gave us suggestions and remembered my friend who had dined there the night before. We all ordered the beer can chicken, with mac and cheese, candied yams, collards and cole slaw. SUPER YUMMY. The yams were smack yo momma good. Our crab cake appetizer had chunks of crab. The mac and cheese creamy and delicious. The drinks I ordered (dad's day off) had a weird taste to it, as did the mojito. We changed the drinks for the frozen margarita with no prob. For desert, we ordered the peach cobbler and caramel ice cream. OMG My inner fat kid was dancing a jig. I ordered takeout for my kids. They got the rib sampler. It was more than enough to share and extremely good. The only reason I gave the BBQ parlor 4 stars is because the sides were small. Other than that, I am looking forward to visiting again.

    (4)

  • Liat K.

    I was actually pleasantly surprised by this place. I am not a BBQ fan, but went there to meet friends. Place is classier than most BBQ joints, so that was a plus. Came for happy hour so $4 drinks was awesome. Had the tenderloin with mashed potatoes - it was tender and really delicious. My husband had the salmon which he really enjoyed. Overall, nice place.

    (4)

  • Sam F.

    Oh so disappointed in this place! Although I find this couple to be quite annoying on their show, some of the stuff they cook look really amazing. My friends and I stumbled here after the half marathon and we were so excited that we decided to do after marathon brunch here. The line outside of the local diner across the street from them should have given us a hint. 1) I ordered 3 eggs over medium, no home fries please. I get 2 eggs well done WITH home fries. 2) My friend ordered 3 eggs over medium. He gets 2 eggs! 3) Buttermilk biscuits- bleh. hard and dense. Where was all the flavoring and "sugar" that they always put into their food??? 4) no refills on waters and this place wasn't crowded at all- BECAUSE all the people went to the diner across the street! 5) My other friend ordered a waffle. She happens to live with her fiance on a college campus and said they cafeteria waffle was way better than what they served. 6) PLUS- their drinks were nice and strong. 7) Service- spotty. So sad, I love southern food (I'm a GA peach) but Neely's- you've embarrassed me.

    (2)

  • Paul D.

    One of those outings that started off with great and attentive service, then deteriorated. We arrived early, before Neely's was officially open, but the staff sat us at the bar, and made sure our hungover asses had plenty of coffee and water. Once we sat at the table though, it was kind of a mess. Ordering was fine. But when the food came out, it all came out at different times, the servers had no idea what went where, and several people were without side dishes or condiments for far too long. (Dry waffles) We had a large group, but it wasn't the size of our party that screwed things up, but the quality of the service. Food was okay.

    (3)

  • Emily M.

    I love you Neely's! How did you let this happen?? Get to NY, and fix this right away! After reading all the negative reviews, I assumed all the yelpers were nutso bc the Neely's are awesome, and would never have a bad restaurant. As soon as I walked in I was let down by the overwhelming odor of a scented Yankee candle that must of been called gingerbreadcinnamonvanillacookie extravaganza. I nearly vomitted. I'm sure that it's a well known fact that scented candles and dining rooms should never meet. Let alone, this particular horrific scented candle. The decor is either eccletic or bipolar, but definitely too goth. As for the food, MEH. We started with pulled pork sliders, which were not notable. Plain, sweet, no spice at all. My cobb salad was above average, but Julian M.'s ribs, while cooked beautifully, had NO flavor. No spice AT ALL. The Neely's three signature sauces on the table, had different names, but they were all the same sweet molases-based bbq sauce, with aboslutely no kick. The "Spicy" sauce may have been the sweetest one. Please Neelys, don't be those people who think that in order to please northern diners, you have to make your food more mild. I KNOW you would never eat bland ribs. I just know it! I promise that NYC can handle real Memphis bbq if you just give us a chance!!!

    (2)

  • Al G.

    Amazing food, Amazing Service, amazing ambiance and decor - what more needs to be said. We had a party of 8, ages between 8 and 48 for the Saturday brunch and everyone loved it. Between us we tried to get one of everything on the menu and like a typical Italian family shared everything. Every dish was delicious. I could have made a meal out the side dishes they were all so good. We had a small private room for the party that I would highly recommend. The staff was very attentive but not intrusive and seemed to know what we were going to ask for before we said it. Overall I would highly recommend this restaurant when in NYC, I plan on going back. Al G

    (5)

  • Dio M.

    My brunch experience was OK. The food took a long time to come out, but the portions were a decent size. The KC style ribs were a huge disappointment - there was no meat on the bones whatsoever. The waitress was sweet and the drinks were tasty. Try the Tennessee honey julep! I would probably return for brunch if I happened to be in the neighborhood.

    (3)

  • Gary H.

    First time I've ever had dinner at the Neelys Barbque parlor The service was top notch the staff went out of there way To help with extra towels to clean your hands from the juicy Barbque sauce. The Red Velvet cake has to be the best I've Ever had it was so moist and not over done with cream cheese Frosting. I thought the prices were very much in line With Smokey-Bones. Plenty of food for the money

    (5)

  • NYC A.

    The fried green tomatoes were really good and so were the wings. I also love the that the drinks come in mason jars! But service was a little slow. I will return though.

    (3)

  • Amy W.

    "But its Memphis style bbq, it is supposed to be dry, you get to add your own sauce, maybe its just this rack of ribs....................." These were some of the many excuses why the ribs werent as appetizing as they should have been in the BBQ parlor. The reservations were accomodated even when we added one more person which was very gratifying! One yelp star! We even got one of the private rooms which was an added bonus! Two yelp Stars! Now my third and final yelp star is for the sides and non BBQ foods! The catfish, shrimp and grits, the smoked chicken wings, fried green tomatoes, country fried steak and the salmon were stellar! The sides of mashed potatoes, corn, collard greens and macaroni and cheese were top notch. Not so top notch were the tired pork sampler with the very dry ribs and the memphis style ribs. Not that they were inedible but, not the type of "down home"BBQ" that is expected of this place. In our party of 7, we all were in a unanimous agreeance that the BBQ items were in need of some "help"! I'm gonna just attribute the dry and tasteless ribs we had to a bad "batch"........(side eye). *Prices are above average, best to come in large group to sample all they have to offer*

    (3)

  • LaKesha W.

    Went for their Thanksgiving meal. The restaurant is nice and cozy, the colors and decor are warm and inviting. Wait staff was nice. Now on to the most important part....THE FOOD. Their wings - appetizers- were great. The child and I enjoyed those. Meal portion size is good. You'll be full if you ate it all. If I say because I couldn't. The dinner plate came to the table piping hot, with delish looking food had me anxious to dig in. So I did and that's when disappointment began to set in. My stuffing while coated in heat was cold in the middle, as was the rest of my food, except my yams-which were pretty good. I did not care for the cranberry sauce either. Let's just say the experience did not live up to expectation. Nothing to write home about. Maybe the Neely's need to take their cooks down home with them to show them how cooking should be done because that experience did nothing but dim the lights on their name. Maybe I'll go back one more time and just get the bar-b-q...after all it's called the Bar-B-Q pit, maybe that's it's forte.

    (2)

  • Tasha H.

    Went here for dinner with a group of friends for hubby's birthday. I really don't understand all the negative reviews as we actually had a fabulous time. The food was great, and the server was attentive for a group of 15. Most ordered the ribs and I got the country fried steak. Their catfish & hush puppies were out of this world! We will definitely return for a more intimate date night.

    (5)

  • Brandi S.

    i went with my family and close friends to celebrate my birthday, the "pig-a-tini" cocktail was good and the brisket and sauces were very flavorful. I do think the side dishes could use a re-vamp. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that the recipes changed a little once they crossed the "mason dixon" because they cant serve those greens and mac-n-cheese in Tennesse :-/ I'm a huge food network fan and a foodie to boot, so i'm glad i was able to show some support to Gina and Pat, but i dont see me becoming a regular here.... the service was good and we increased our table number a few times with no problem, so to that i would like to give them kudos :-)

    (3)

  • Christine C.

    Eat up! Can't go wrong!

    (5)

  • Jessica B.

    My sister came into town for business and was staying at the Bentley Hotel on 62nd and York ( ill write a review for that place later). After a day of travel, work, and fighting the crowds of the typical touristy spots we were almost desperate for a tall drink and a good meal. Our hotel frontdesk suggested Neelys because it was in walking distance and had good reveiws The building is quite large and on the corner of the block, although we did, its hard to miss, There is a flatscreen television outside of the front door featuring the actual Neelys cooking show which ads an element of fun to your dining experience. Walking in, it did smell a bit musty like an old cigar, and for dinner hour, it was rarther quiet. The bar looked interesting but we really didnt head over in that dircection, we just chose to be seated at a table in a quaint dining room filled with aged wallpaper, sconces you would find at your grandmothers house, pictures of birds in aged frames, and square tables with mismatched chiars, The waitor was very nice and told us a bit of background about the set up fo the resturaunt, every room in the resturaunt was designed after a room from the Neelys original home down south. Fun fact! Now to the food. The drinks were decent but the size of them could use an upgrade so the waitor doesnt have to make 10 trips to the table just to refill a glass of water. I ordered a half a chicken meal with two sides, black eyed peas, and mashed potatoes. Everything seemed to taste fairly real and the chicken was falling off the bone :) I def, had a take out box waiting for me! My sister ordered Brisket with mashed potatoes and cornbread, she couldnt finish half a plate but everything was overall pretty good. I would visit again with family.

    (3)

  • Scott B.

    Had delivery from here tonight, very disappointing. Ribs were over cooked and dry. The sides were mediocre and small for $5.25. The blackberry cobbler was unimpressive and approximately 3/4 cup for $7.00!! Embarrassing that celebrity chefs are serving this.

    (2)

  • Eric S.

    Place is ok...nice spot...Food is not bad...think its definitely banking on the popularity of the name tho...not anything special...

    (2)

  • Eugene K.

    What the hell is everyone's problem. At first glance, was a bit skeptical given the rating but then saw that everyone who hated on this place were noobs and/or 1 review scrubs. You got hate in your blood. But once I cleared that up, I made an executive decision to go ahead with it and test it out for myself. First off, a beautiful interior. Very southern. Multiple rooms of varying colors, looking a bit plantation-like. I also loved that there was a lot of room separating the tables so you won't feel like your neighbors are sitting on you. It's happened. Trust me. Walked in for dinner without a reservation, was told by the hostess that a party of 2 would be 30 minutes and that would could hang out by the bar (the wait ended up being only 15 minutes). Staff is very friendly and accomodating. They also seemed young and new but hey, the restaurant just opened 2 weeks ago. What's the problem. Elected to go with the chicken wings to start, the rib sampler, the chicken fried steak and the pecan ala mode. Also ordered the green tomato sangria, the spicy sangria and the VIP firefly(?). Sides included/ordered were the macncheese, mashed potatoes, collard greens and green beans. The portions were more than expected and all the other diners around us seemed happy. Saw a lot of people packing stuff to go, which wasn't surprising since we also packed up our monster ribs. Loved the sauces lined out on the table, including tabasco. The table is a bit on the small side (party of 2) but it's definitely manageable. Don't pay attention to the negative reviews until you try it out yourself. Stop hating. My biggest love for this place is that the drinks/cocktails weren't $10+. Good value. Stop hating.

    (4)

  • Sarah R.

    For brunch I had Biscuits and Gravy AND The hash dish (I like my options) accompanied with a Pomegranate mimosa and the bloody mary. Delicious!! Too bad the service sucks. We saw our server for drink orders and food orders only. Otherwise, it was the busser or somebody else. We waited maybe 20 minutes after everybody was finished with their meal and had to go up and ask somebody for the check... Food amaze! Service blows.

    (3)

  • M J.

    Mac and cheese was bland, BBQ chicken tasted dry and like the BBQ sauce was just poured over it.. the food overall tastes like its been sitting for a while...didn't taste fresh.

    (1)

  • T L.

    Cocktails were poorly made. Chicken wing appetizer was OK...the only decent dish we had. Ribs were burnt and sent back to the kitchen. Two pieces of chicken on chicken & waffles entree were burnt. Macaroni and cheese was WAYYY overpriced. And the service SUCKED. Save your money!!!!!!

    (1)

  • Kristin G.

    I went for a quick Sunday brunch with a friend and although it wasn't a 'wow,' it was perfectly fine. There were a lot of tables of girlfriends and it wasn't noisy or super crowded, so it was a nice atmosphere. My friends and I shared a brisket hash, which was fine. Again, not 'wow.' It had SO much sauce on it that it was really hard to taste any other flavors. The 'corn pudding' turned out to be grits and not at all like the corn pudding we were expecting (what we grew up with.) Overall, a little pricy for what you get, but if you're a fan of the Neelys, you might be able to overlook it.

    (3)

  • Nicky L.

    OK so I was waiting anxiously for this restaurant to open and was VERY disappointed reading these reviews after opening night. SO i decided not to go until one of my close friends told me how amazing the food was. I was torn but decided to check it out last night. WOW. Sometimes places need time to get it together i guess. We got there on a Friday night at 7pm only 30 minute wait for a table of 5 so we went to the bar for a drink first. All of our drinks were really good and creative concoctions. I had the green tomato sangria. YUM! I ordered two appetizers... Crab cakes ( huuuge chunks of crab no filler and a yummy sauce just like MD style yummy!!! And i ordered the shrimp and grits.. WOW best shrimp and grits I've had hands down. All of the flavors married well. I would order two plates of that next time. My friends ordered the pork hush puppies which they said were tasty however i cannot rate since i do not eat pork. They also ordered the the country fried steak. Great! Memphis ribs....i was told these were good too, and the catfish nuggets which were tasty. The collards were really good. Mac and cheese tasted like jazzed up Velveeta. Overall i enjoyed my experience. Everything we had was good and service was great. One thing that did annoy me were these old white ladies prob from the UES complaining how loud it was and giving all the tables dirty looks lol UMM.. look around.. its a BBQ joint. What BBQ place you know is quiet?? Take a seat and have a few drinks like the rest of us! I also think that a lot of people have OVERLY high expectation of the place. Do not listen to these reviews and try it for yourself. I usually trust yelpers but they got this one wrong IMO. Maybe i went on a good night... maybe they changed the recipes or the neelys were in the back cooking last night i dunno but for those who didn't like it, go back give it a second chance.

    (5)

  • Leslie D.

    Went tonight and I'm on the fence with this one folks! Despite the bad reviews, I love the Neely's and the show... so i wanted to experience it myself. Location Confusing to say the least. Upper East side BBQ joint = disconnect. Its hard to grip what this restaurant wants to be. -High end?- ok but that's not the image or brand the Neely's portray on TV. -Low End?- ok then why was I on the UES? I was just confused. Decor/atmosphere TIGHT! They need to space some of the tables out- My GOD! It was beyond "restaurant intimate". The vibe when you walk in is GORG.. but as you sit to dine.. only the ceiling and bar area are worth mentioning. Service was good. drinks were good. Lots of variety. "YUCK FACTOR" we watched one of the bar maids make a pitcher of something, taste the drink off the wooden spoon and put the spoon back in the pitcher..and the waiter just took the pitcher to a table. Yikes! FYI it was the "non-cocoa" bar maid. :) Food App: Thick Bacon. YUMMY. We were taken off guard how fast it came out. Literally, we said yes and the mason jar was in front of us. So they must have some sort of storage or something @ the bar. Made me wonder. Portions are substantial. he sides were enough for two to share. I had the scallops- plating was strange, succotash wasn't what i was expecting. I like creamy succotash.. this was more of a corn relish. We also had the ribs.. the MEAT was decent and meaty, but the ribs were a little too charred for my liking. I like my meat to fall off the bone. Mac & Cheese- FAIL- PURE cream cheese!! Beans- YUMMY We skipped dessert. Overall.. I still love the Neely's, but they better hire the best publicist and come cook themselves.. because this just didn't cut it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. No wow factor.

    (3)

  • Marie Prys W.

    After a hilarious time at dangerfeild we worked up an appetite. Unfortunately it was a let down. The place is gorgeous. The private dining rooms are great, minus the cameras above our heads. Fried pickles were delicious. 7 girls who love to eat left unhappy.

    (3)

  • Nancy O.

    Great place for brunch. Love their sparkling sangria. I wish the wings were included though. If you go when it isn't brunch get them.

    (3)

  • Samantha B.

    The only reason I am going to give this place 2 stars is because the wonderful hostess was very kind and offered us free drinks AFTER waiting for over an hour for table (having been told it was a 5 minute wait... nice). Look, I realize places are busy-- but if I ask you for an honest assessment of the wait, don't lie to me multiple times. Also, 2 stars because as resident New Yorkers, we just should have known better than to go here. My bad. So, one star on me. The food was abysmal. I would say that the decor was the only redeeming feature of the entire experience. The servers were inexperienced (I don't think a waiter ever asked us for our drink order and brought water AFTER our appetizers). The restaurant also ran out of their version of "bread," and did not offer a replacement. In addition to being dripped on by an air conditioning vent throughout our meal, ignored by our server, hit by a falling glass that then shattered (okay, so this was more to blame on provenance than the restaurant), and served oddly room temperature food... What else to add? For shame Pat and Gina Neely. For shame. I don't think I can ever watch your show again now that I've begun to wonder if the food you cook on tv is as bad as what was served to us...

    (2)

  • Andrzrej K.

    just called to make res for Fri night.... and guess what... The phone girl sounded soso southern! hell yea. Cant wait- i dont care what southern BBQ snobs say, to a Northerner-Yankee DOGG like me- Neelys is great. I had it at the spots in Memphis years ago, and it was sososo JUMP Off- so much meat on that plate and taste on my palette. Hope its good on friday- but as for the phone reservation system- 5 stars

    (5)

  • Courtney B.

    I feel bad writing this. The decor was great, interesting setup, sort of like a maze, but the food is what I came for.... The hush puppies had no signs of corn or pork, the pinto beans were so spicy I couldn't enjoy them. (I love spicy) The mojito was made with bourbon which gave it a strong liquor flavor. (I prefer white rum) The shrimp and grits were delicious, and the ribs were ok. But all over the food was not memorable. They need to work on their recipes. I grew up eating soul food, so I know what it should be. They need a grandma to tweak their recipes. On a good note, The staff was amazing though!

    (2)

  • Mike S.

    I've had a lot of BBQ in my times but this was the BEST I've had...ever! Everything we had was delicious. The candied Bacon is amazing! The catfish was delicious! The drink where STRONG and awesome! Already made reservations to come back. But the best thing was the Blackberry Cobbler. You will think your grandma is in the kitchen making this for you. It's perfectly cooked, not too sweet, and just right after ribs. The service was excellent and with the host coming to our table several times to make sure we had what we needed. We will be back and will recommended this to friends.

    (5)

  • Lindsay F.

    "We have to go somewhere with outdoor seating because I want Lucy to come, too," I said to my two Upper East Side-dwelling friends. The plan was to meet for brunch. In their neck of the woods. An area that I rarely frequent in my free time. After going back and forth, I learned that Neely's, a BBQ joint that I had long been wanting to check out, had outdoor seating. "Oh, that place is great," Robin said. "We go there for happy hour a lot, and both the food and drinks are delicious." Sweet. The three of us, plus Lucy, arrived at Neely's sometime after 12pm last Sunday. I told the girls to go inside and inquire about an outdoor table while I stayed behind with my lil' pup. Moments later, they emerged with a hostess in tow. "Sit wherever you'd like," she said. After I tied Lucy's leash to one of my chair's legs, we plopped down at our spacious four-top table, underneath a sun-shielding umbrella. Our friendly server immediately approached and handed us brunch and cocktail menus. "And I'll be back with a bowl of water for you, Lil' One," she said to Lucy. Awe! Served in a salt and lime-rimmed mason jar, I got the party started with a passion-fruit margarita. And before you go and judge me for ordering a margarita at a BBQ joint, let me just say that this was one of the best versions of my favorite cocktail I've had in a restaurant (vs a bar). So there. "We have to start with an order of fried pickles," Robin said to our server. "But I don't see them on the brunch menu. Did I miss something?" Our server explained that the pickles aren't offered at brunch, but that she could see if the kitchen would make us a special order. "If not," I chimed in, "we'll take the fried green tomatoes (available at brunch)!" About 10-minutes later, my eyes followed a kitchen-runner as he got closer and closer to our table. With plate in hand. "Enjoy ladies," he said. And there they were. The golden, fried pickles in all of their calorie-laden glory. (Angelic choir music playing in the background...) Served atop a rectangular plate was a bowl filled to the brim with fried pickles, plus a side of spicy-ranch dipping sauce. Warm, perfectly bite-sized, salty, briny, and encrusted with a dill-infused batter, these morsels were a true show stopper. So much so, that we ordered *another* batch. No wonder my pants are fitting so tight this week... Adding insult to injury or, in this case, pound on top of pound, I ordered a lumberjack-sized entree: 1/2 rack of "wet" Memphis Style Baby Back Ribs. I chose the macaroni & cheese for my "choice of one side." Oh, I'm not done yet, folks. Add to that the biscuits I ordered. You can imagine the horror when my two girlfriends each received their egg white omelettes. Yawn. I quickly stopped feeling guilty about what I had ordered after I took my first bite. Each rib was enveloped by a generous amount of smoky, moist meat that had been crowned with a sweet 'n tangy BBQ sauce. And, because I'm such a sauce fanatic, I made sure to sample each of the varieties on our table. This included spicy, sweet, and "original." For those of you mac & cheese fans out there, Neely's makes a mean version. Elbow noodles are drowned in a creamy roux of cheeses, before being baked and topped with bread crumbs. And the biscuits? Oh, forget it. These were, hands down, the best biscuits I've ever had. In my life. They were so warm and moist on the inside, and perfectly crisp on the outside, that I did not even have to use the accompanying butter! I loved every last thing about my meal at Neely's. First and foremost, a big 'thank you' to the staff for being so accommodating and not FREAKING OUT upon seeing my sweet little dog. I was blown away by their compassion and warmth. Our server was a doll and I wish that I could clone her for every future restaurant that I visit. And the food/drink? Seriously fcuking delicious. I know that there are some Neely's critics out there, but y'all are just jealous. Or insane. Because this is some solid Southern cooking and hospitality! Amen.

    (5)

  • Boogie N.

    Situated diagonally across from Bed Bath & Beyond at 62d/2d Avenue, the Neely's have taken over the space occupied by the former Merchants restaurant. The Cigar Bar below is, thankfully, intact. And while the entire experience wasn't bad overall, I would say it was probably more disappointing than anything else. The food was above average -- for a down-home BBQ joint. Personally, I prefer Brother Jimmy's on Amsterdam. The ribs were good -- albeit not quite as much so as those at Dino BBQ all the way uptown. And the service was well above average, almost too much so -- we had a visit from a gent wearing a suit/tie...in a BBQ joint? I think what works for the Neelys in this particular venture -- them having their show gives instant cred -- if not curiosity -- to visiting their NYC haunt. However, said show also works against them -- this place is almost too refined and sophisticated for a drink item called a "Pigatini." Bottom line: regardless of whether you love watching the Neelys or if they are as irritating to you as Guy Fieri and Aaron McCargo Jr., this place is a bit of a disconnect to what you'll likely experience. It's not a bad thing, so assuming you go with limited expectations and put them and their personalities out of the equation, you'll likely enjoy your visit. I wouldn't kill myself getting back here, however; Dino is a longer ride and a longer wait but definitely more worthwhile, and while I wish the Neelys success and luck in this venture, I wouldn't be shocked if they're out of this space -- and NYC -- within a year or two.

    (3)

  • Pamela B.

    Attended the opening party last night, and the food was very interesting, albeit a tad too sweet (e.g. spicy candied bacon! gravlax on some pancakes!). The layout of the restaurant is a bit strange, as it consists of several rooms--it almost looks like a converted apartment, although a restaurant called Merchants was here prior to the Neelys moving in. I hear Merchants is retaining a cigar bar in the basement of this place. Anyway, I have nothing but nice things to say about the Neelys, and the only disappointing feature about this place is that the Neelys probably won't be hanging around when I return.

    (4)

  • Latoya W.

    Great ambiance! Love the intimate dinning areas! Food was good. Crab cakes are delicious (great small portion appetizer). Ordered the pork sampler two types of ribs and one side. Yea, their entree's come with one side. Mac and cheese is taste, and the greens are ok. Coci-jito...REALLY good! U can taste the fresh coconut! Peach cobbler...eeehh it was ok... nice and smooth but missing something. Overall, this is a great restaurant.

    (4)

  • C. E.

    The decor reminds me of southern comfort, but the food not so much. Out of my party of five, only one person enjoyed their food...smh. The service was ok, manager accommodating but nothing outside of basic.

    (2)

  • Gary O.

    One star and that is being generous. This place is an absolute disaster. A couple of my southern friends wanted to give Neely's a try and now I wish it never happened and the entire experience was a bad dream. I just read the other reviews and I agree with their assessment. The food is terrible but the service is atrocious. We had an 8 pm reservation and we finally got seated at 8:50. What is the point of reservations if you cannot seat people close to their reservation time. The food was terrible. Our appetizers were cold and we had to wait an additional 10 minutes for utensils. The main course was cold and bland. I ordered the baby back ribs and ordered them wet and they were essentially dry, cold, and had a lot of fat on them. They brought our first round of drinks AFTER our main course was served. The servers never asked us if we wanted another round and that was because we never saw our servers again after the main course was served. I actually had to ask for our tab to be delivered to our table so we could pay for some of the worst BBQ in NYC. Also fr the amount of food that you got it was very expensive. There is a $72.00 steak on the menu. Are you kidding me. Avoid this place at all costs. What a disappointment. UPDATE: I just love the 5 star reviews from individuals who just joined Yelp and their only review is Neely's. Seems a bit suspicious. Pretty lame when the restuarant or their employees have to come onto Yelp and create fake reviews about how wonderful their food is.

    (1)

  • Alicia P.

    One word to describe my experience: "HORRIBLE". I don't understand how you can open a restaurant right above a cigar bar and expect your diners to enjoy their meal, the smell of the cigars was too much. The bathrooms were small and not well kept. Neely's had plenty of waiters, all were smiling because they didn't know what they were doing. The manager came to our table and said: "Thank you for experimenting with us on our first night." I couldn't believe he actually said that. I am not there to experiment or to be experimented on. I am there to taste the food that the Neelys are known for. Should I talk about the food? When my friend tasted the "Mississippi mudslide", her first words were: "That's nasty!". That's exactly what I said when I tried their sparkling sangria. We all ordered BBQ Plates. I didn't know that ribs and pulled pork were served cold in the South. The appetizers were more like tapas, and were missing some major seasoning. Where are the biscuits? and the grits? None of that! The "mac and cheese" was bland. My list will go on, but I highly recommend Blue Smoke, they serve biscuits, and their food is hot and delicious!

    (1)

  • E W.

    Long time reader, first time yelper. We went on a Friday night despite the negative reviews for two reasons: I love the Neely's tv show, and I was on a flight with them a year ago from Memphis to NYC where I'm sure they were coming up here in preparation for this restaurant. I'm originally from the South and know what BBQ is supposed to taste like. Most restaurants in Manhattan have left me unsatisfied. But I knew Pat and Gina would not disappoint. A visit to their restaurant in Memphis will tell you that. Forget all the stuff about decor, table waits and server issues. The food is the star and that's what matters. Give this place a try if you're on the fence. I'll be back. we had: fried green tomatoes, pork sliders, beef brisket, Mac and cheese, country fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, blackberry cocktail, and Mississippi mud pie (which will be eaten later because we're stuffed).

    (4)

  • Roxy M.

    I was extremely disappointed with my meal here. Like beyond unsatisfied. I came here for brunch on a saturday and the place was basically empty...this should have been a warning sign which I mistakenly took for luck. We sat, looked at the menu choices and at the moment I thought the menu was fairly priced. That was until we got our food. I ordered 3 eggs with sausages(2) and potatoes and my boyfriend ordered the southern breaded steak which came with gravy and potatoes. The only edible thing on both our plates was the potatoes which had a little spice to them. Everything else failed as a meal. The steak tasted basically like oily card board, there was no flavor or any sign of spices to it at all. Ive had better gravy come from a frozen dinner box and the sausages on my plate were equivalent to the frozen maple sausages I make when im too lazy to go out for food. As for the eggs they were pretty much ordinary nothing special or memorable. I definitely will not be returning. Oh and forgot to mention how hard the biscuit was that came with the steak meal. So hard and not buttery soft like biscuits should be that I had to stab it a couple of times before it just crumbled apart. Dissapointment.

    (1)

  • Joe D.

    Finally some good BBQ on the UES!! I have been waiting for Neely's to open since I first saw the signs. If you live in this neighborhood, as I do, you know the it lacks in authentic BBQ. We had a large party of 8 with some kids, we were seated in an amazing semi-private dining space. The ladies loved the decor, all I could think about was tearing into some of that food that I was smelling. Food: We ordered the Pulled Pork Hush Puppies, Fried Pickles and Fried Green Tomatoes for apps. We LOVED them all. The Hush Puppies are a MUST! The kids meals are well priced and a great selection for kids. All of our kids ate their entire meal. I'm no food expert, but I eat a lot and have travel specifically for BBQ places and this food was top notch! We all ordered something different and shared around the table, ribs, pulled pork, brisket and salmon. Everything we ate was full of smoky goodness. They make three sauces and our favorite was the original followed by the spicy which added just enough kick. Gotta have the cobbler or pecan pie in a place like this, neither disappointed. Staff: Friendly, attentive and quick to respond to requests. The manager stopped by and chatted with us a few minutes, very nice guy. Atmosphere: Some of the other reviews talked about a cigar smoke smell, I could not smell anything inside the restaurant except smoky goodness. You do catch a bit of cigar odor right by the host station, but it was not bothersome to us. The decor is very cool, it's like being at your old southern grandma's house. Warm and inviting with lots of wood and rich colors which added to the flavor of the meal. Overall: If you like BBQ go here to eat. We had no issues as I imagine they have gotten a lot of the kinks worked out as its only been open a few days at this point. I can't wait to go back!

    (4)

  • Mike W.

    Found Neely's walking up 1st Avenue and decided to drop by. Walked into the restaurant and noticed the decor was very old school with a lot of heavy wood furniture. Everything was mis-matched from table to table which gave it a nice flair to it. They sat us down in the middle of the room on the only round table for 2 in the area and when we plopped down, the seat basically enveloped us, it was that soft. We ordered the food, I had the pork sampler with mac and cheese and my friend had the brisket with the collard greens. The food came out rather quickly which was a bit disturbing considering bbq is normally that quick. The food itself is decent. I wouldn't say it was anything special and I've been to my fair share of bbq places. The pulled pork on my plate was decent with a hint of flavor but wasn't too palatable without being drowned in their spicy bbq sauce which also wasn't really spicy. The baby-back ribs were also decent and so was the spare ribs. My friend's beef brisket looked decent enough but she said it was a bit dry. The mac and cheese I had was also ok, no real flavor, either. I wasn't sure what happened with this place nor if it received much hype but if it did, I would say it wasn't worth it. The Neely's television personalities and cooking styles make it seem like the food would have better flavor than it did but all in all, I would say the food was very blah with definitely more seasoning needed. Maybe that was what the sauces are for but for a place that would rely on sauces to make the meal, I'd have to say I'd go to Hill Country in Chelsea.

    (2)

  • John M.

    Went here with a group to take advantage of a gilt city deal was less then impressed. The decor is cool and the staff was friendly but the food was uninspired and lame. The ribs were dry so was the chicken and brisket, the best things on the table were the side dishes. Would not go back too much good Q around here to waste time on the bad. Mr Neeley step your game up

    (2)

  • Shiny T.

    Being from the south and loving the Food Network, I couldnt wait! Then...I went. BOO! 2 friends and I sat at the bar and had a happy hour sangria. It was yummy. However, the one bartender took 15 minutes to notice us after I was literally waving my arms. We were the only ones at the bar but she was busy washing dishes. God forbid we wanted a second drink. We tried to get one, but gave up after continuing to wait. Finally we got the check and we werent charged happy hour prices. After getting the barback's attention so he could go find out mystery bartender she fought with me about the prices till she realized she was wrong, rolled her eyes, then corrected it. We sat for dinner, I had the memphis ribs, which were yummy and cost appropriate. My friend had the swordfish which was rubbery and TINY for $24. The other friend had the brisket which was 'meh'. The sauces on the table were blah and tasted bottled. I have no interest in coming back.

    (2)

  • Mimi S.

    We went to Neelys last night, despite hearing some not so great reviews. Let me tell you... It was awesome! We started out with the pulled pork sliders. They had a perfect amount of moisture and sauce. They literally melted in our mouths. We then split the full rack of Kansas City ribs. So tender! They were crispy on the ends. The manager came over to us and asked a lot of questions and seemed to be very knowlegable on bbq, as dis the waitress. As someone who makes ribs all the time, I loved it! Would definitely recommend this restaurant!!

    (5)

  • Tiffany B.

    I have a pretty sweet spot for the South: the Best Friend is from Tennessee, and I love anything fried or barbecued the Southern way. So when I heard about Pat and Gina Neely introducing their Memphis-style barbecue to New York I couldn't help but jump for joy. The chicken fried steak with black pepper cream gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans was the epitome of comfort food. The steak was so perfectly cooked (medium-rare) and juicy in a fried package with buttery, melt-in-your-mouth gravy, it automatically set off my taste buds. And as if that weren't enough of a delectable surprise, the green beans were not only served with thick-cut bacon but also overwhelmingly infused with the flavor itself. Personally, I would have preferred a thinner cut steak for a crispier, crunchier chicken fried steak. Then we chose to try some Memphis style baby back ribs. The meat on the ribs were very well-seasoned, flavorful and tender -- could have stayed in the smoker for longer but it was fine. I finally stuck a pin on the exact flavor: like summer sausage. Then of course I went with the spicy barbecue sauce, and the combination of the Memphis dry rub and sauce was something like fireworks.

    (3)

  • Kelly B.

    I loved my meal. Best ribs I've had in a long time. Such a difference between ribs from a chain place and ribs from this place. You know that's what they do and it shows. I ordered the KC sweet and tangy ribs and they had a thick layer of caramelized, sweet stuff. The side of mac and cheese was phenominal. Creamy and heavy with panko topping- just the way I like it. My boyfriend didn't love his pulled pork. It wasn't great. Flavorless. I agree. The cole slaw was decent, nothing to rave about. The app was hush puppies with pulled pork. Very good although I didn't really see or taste any pork. The place is somewhat odd. Looks more like a steakhouse or fancy French restaurant than a rib joint. Thick curtains, small rooms in a huge maze, fireplace. Very dark and romantic and the squirt bottles of BBQ sauce on each table seemed out of place. The service was excellent. The price was the biggest surprise. I expected to pay a lot more for a Celeb Chef Manhattan restaurant. The prices were NOT NYC prices and really was very affordable. The $10 margarita was a let down and tasted more like a fruity mixed drink. Somehow they put either midori or peach schnapps in it (???)and it was too sweet and very small for the price. I will be back. Try it. You won't break the bank.

    (4)

  • Tiffany G.

    I had very high expectations when I saw the Neely's brand. I wanted to say everything was amazing but I can only say it was good. I would return but I'm not in a rush. The decor is very nice. If you like to smoke, there is a cigar room downstairs.

    (3)

  • Gilberto G.

    We found another good eating establishment on the Upper East Side, in walking distance to the Roosevelt Island Tram, for a conveniently located and affordable good meal. We both tried the BBQ chicken with two sides. I had mashed sweet potatoes and string beans as sides, and Jeff had macaroni and cheese and string beans. The chicken was moist and tasty and the string beans were cooked just right, not overcooked. We both agreed the others two sides were also very tasty. The food portions were generous.The service was efficient and very friendly, and the informal atmosphere screamed 'family welcome.'

    (3)

  • Christina C.

    Neely's for Sunday Brunch was just what the Sunday Funday Footbal Doctor ordered prior to hitting up the Skins bar a few blocks downtown. Cute Southern manse style decor with semi-friendly staff. I was a little put off by our miniature Indian waiter as he had no idea what was actually in some of the grown up punches, but he had a smiley attitude and tended well to us without chasing us out. I had several Screen Door cocktails that boast freshly muddled mint and blackverries not to mention Jack Daniels Honey, all served in a mason jar. A table of four split the brisket hash with poached eggs, fried chicken & waffles and a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. Coffee was complimentary and we event got to sample the Green Tomato sangria, which was a huge surprise hit! Will certainly consider going back!

    (4)

  • Corey S.

    I wanted to go to johnny rockets because though not good it certainly is food. My Bf's mom wanted to go to somewhere nicer and so we ended up at Neely's. Upon entering you are greeted with the smell of stale smoke from the cigar bard next store. Yum, but luckily it does not follow you throughout the restaurant. The service here is so bad. The wait staffs has obviously never eaten here and probably for good reason. You would think that they would be able to fudge there way through it after seeing it every day but no. She was able to tell us which one was pork but so did the menu. When our food came out it went to the wrong table first. The Sangria was good but incredibly small for 32 dollars. It was served in champagne flutes and we barely had enough for 4 gasses. We ordered a chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans, A full rack of Memphis ribs and a half rack of the "sweet and sticky" ribs with collards. The chicken fried steak consisted of a very tough and dry sirloin steak dipped in batter and fried. The breading was good but that's all that was edible. All the sides were from a box, bag or can. They did put some pork in the collard greens but that didn't do much for the the tin taste. The sweet and sticky, were that, and also dry and chewy. The Memphis ribs were by far the best thing we tried. They had a nice bark on them and for the most part were tender. They should have been cooked longer so more of the fat could render but I could at least chew them. If this had been Johnny Rockets at least it would have been cheap. For 99 dollars I left hungry and dissatisfied. Shame on you Gina Neely.

    (2)

  • Joab E.

    I came out here to celebrate a birthday after seeing a discount they offered on Groupon. We were all pretty excited to try this place after seeing the Neely's on TV. I enjoyed the eclectic ambience and our waiter was pleasantly cheerful and courteous. The food was great; we ordered the wings as well as the fried pickles and the fried green tomatoes. The tomatoes were definitely a home run. I kept reaching over to my brother's plate to take his. Their mac and cheese side was also phenomenal. Their only miss was their chicken fried steak. I'm a big fan of CFS and a lot of Yelpers raved about the steak at this place but when I received mine, I was disappointed. The steak just slid out of the batter like it was a brown paper bag. What's more, the stiff batter was a lot bigger than the steak itself. That aside, the steak itself was pretty great. Their jalapeño lemonade is also wonderful, not too spicy but plenty of jalapeño flavor. Will definitely consider coming back, particularly if they continue to offer the discount.

    (4)

  • Cynthia M.

    I went here with three of my girlfriends on a Tuesday night and it was pretty crowded considering. The restaurant is a maze of rooms, but I actually liked that about the place. Made it a bit more intimate and comfy. As other reviewers said, the service is attentive and excellent. Honestly, I think that makes such a huge difference when deciding whether or not to return to a place. We decided to just order a bunch of apps and cocktails and maybe because I read so many bad reviews I didnt have my hopes up. I was pleasantly surprised tho because the food was not too bad. Cocktails: Margarita - friend ordered two so I think it couldnt have been bad Spiked Arnold Palmer - my other fried LOVED this Jack Daniels Honey and Diet Coke - first time trying this combo and I was quite pleased Food: Fried Green Tomatoes - was served with a remoulade (not a relish) but it was tasty Deep Fried Pickles - served with a dipping sauce as well that was like a remoulad, but overall not bad. I would prefer a different sauce however. Pulled Pork Hushpuppies - served with a spicy honey mustard, would prefer just honey, but these were ok. A bit on the dry side, but a nice snack. Candied Bacon - some at the table liked, some didnt. I like my meats on the sweet side and I love jerky so I did enjoy this. Three Little Pigs - Tasty but would have liked it a bit more saucy. The BBQ sauce on the table complimented this. Mac and Cheese - a bit too heavy for our taste. kinda just sits at the bottom of your stomach. Sweet Potato Fries - ok, but my friend commented that these would be best served with a honey maple butter dipping sauce. hey neely's if you are reading, might wanna give this a try! Overall, I give this place a high 3, low 4 stars. Its a bit out of the way, but if I were in this area, I would definitely drop by again for drinks and snacks. I think this place is definitely worth a try at least once.

    (3)

  • Chandy S.

    Say it ain't so Pat and Gina, say it ain't so...smh. I really do like the Neelys. I think they're quite the charming couple, and the food that they cook on TV always seems creative and tasty. Some things are best left in fantasy land I guess. I like the decor, love the velvet touches all over the place. The staff were attentive (for the most part) and very helpful. The meal however, was terrible. We weren't terribly hungry, so my guy and I decided to split 2 appetizers and 1 side. For the appetizers, we ordered the Pulled Pork Hushpuppies and the Candied Thick Cut Slab Bacon. For the side, we split the Mac and Cheese. We were imagining luscious bites of pork sticking out of these tasty little hushpuppies. What we got were hushpuppies with nary a piece of pork in them. Very disappointing start. The Mac and Cheese came, but we were still missing the Bacon. I reminded the waiter the the Bacon was MIA and he promised to get right on it. The Mac and Cheese was nasty. I was expecting it to rival some of the homemade mac and cheese that I've had, or at least rival the mac and cheese from Smac. Yeah, not really. It was overly cheesy in the worst way, bland, and just yucky. I stopped after two bites. My guy didn't even think it was worth polishing off himself. So if you're counting, that's two unfinished plates left on the table and...still no Candied Bacon. We reminded our waiter again, and a few minutes after he excused himself to get it, the head waiter came out with the Candied Bacon and comped us because it took so long. Point for the Neelys team! The presentation was cute. It was served in a mason jar and looked promising. Uhhh...no...again. It was lukewarm also. Borderline cold. I was still game to taste because the description sounded delish. It might've been good had it been warm...or maybe even served hot. Odd concept, I know. I'm glad that we didn't order much because I would've hated to spend...I mean waste...any more money than we did.

    (1)

  • Maria T.

    Amazing! Great Service And food! Try the BBQ wings and whipped sweet potatoes!!!!

    (5)

  • mike d.

    Had dinner last around 6pm. I was a little concerned based on all the bad Yelp reviews but decided to go anyway. First, we had a 6pm reservation and we were seated by 6:15. I was a little skeptical since the hostess didn't seem to really know when we'd be seated. She also tried to jam five of us on a four top but I asked for another table. That also took too long for them to decide, eventually (maybe 5 mins later) we were able to sit at one of the 2 available 6 tops to the right and left of us. That's an easy star deduction. Once seated, our waiter was friendly and efficient. For appetizers we had fried pickles, crab cakes, and shrimp and grits. All we good. For dinner our group had baby back ribs, which were well cooked and seasoned, country fried steak, which was also good, and the chicken, which was moist and flavorful. The side we tasty as well, including the mac/cheese, green beans and fries. Overall the food was good, but if you're looking for memphis, go to memphis, you won't it here or anywhere else in nyc.

    (4)

  • Meg M.

    Food was terrible, sadly. It looks like a great place, but not so much. The chicken's taste and texture was as if it was boiled and mixed with a mystery sauce.

    (1)

  • Diana P.

    I was a bit skeptical in coming here based on the mixed Yelp reviews but since I had a Gilt voucher that was soon to expire, my husband and I ventured out to get our bbq fix on. Through fellow Yelpers, we knew the fried green tomatoes would be a sure hit with its rave reviews and it surely did not disappoint. The crunchy exterior combined with the just-ripe tomato paired nicely with an onion sauce drizzled on top. The brisket offered a nice mix of lean and fatty meats which were both flavorful and tender. The fatty cut was a bit too fatty for me but the texture was perfect as it literally melts in your mouth! The rib platter was served in a very generous portion and was covered in a finger-licking sauce. To balance out our meal, we ordered a side of collard greens which complemented the meats nicely. If you're a fan of collard greens, I'd recommend giving this one a try! Don't forget to try their spiked lemonade as well! The peach and jalapeño were both refreshing and oh so yummy and if you dare have any room left for dessert, go with the chocolate cake! Bon appetit!

    (3)

  • Matty D.

    Well, listen, I am provincial brosephs and brosephinas so it takes something significant to get me to mosey on over to the UES from the UWS ya smell me? She was craving BBQ and this place just opened so I figured "what the hell I am clinging to?" Well, after a 30 minutes cab ride, we got to Neely's at 4pm (they had just opened and it was PACKED. We opted for the bar seating, as per usual. She ordered a couple of cocktails that were really quite delicious - this from a non-drinker, mind you. Green Tomato Sangria - WOWOWOWOW! You just will have to go there and try it - it was SOOO worthy it. Memphis Mojito - made with Sweet Tea Bourbon...really refreshing with no sweet...great! The food: - Appetizer - Sautéed Jumbo Shrimp & Grits (Spicy sautéed shrimp served over Anson Mills grits with grilled scallions) - really scrumptious...never had grits before (funny I should try them for the first time in NYC!) but I would DEFINITELY eat these again. Shrimp was a little overdone but I wouldn't send them to the outhouse over it. The sauce on the shrimp popped the wheel of the axle fuh sho -Entrees -KC Style "Sweet & Sticky" Ribs (I did the Half Rack - Basted with our sweet & tangy BBQ sauce) - pretty good...some parts of the rack were slightly overcooked but was pretty good...plenty to share... -Smoked Beef Brisket (Cooked low & slow over select hickory & post oak hardwoods for 12 hours) - beef was overcooked but still pretty decent -Sides -Gina's Collared Greens - slap YO momma good fuh real though - probably the best item I had herrre -Black Eyed Peas with Pork & Bacon - very tasty - would've made the South proud -Molasses Baked Beans - little disappointed here - little too much tomato flavor for my taste - I like smoky sweet baked beans... Skipped dessert here so I could go bust my sweet nut at Dylan's down the road. HOLLA! Listen, homies, this place was pretty decent. It's pretty much brand new so they are still working out some kinks (heard several patrons complain about getting cold food but one dude was trying to milk free drinks which is helluva janky but that's another story for another time)...I would try it again a few months down the road for the food but the drinks we tried were really delicious. *****Rating - drinks 4*, food 2.5-3* - overall 2.5* with upside potential Decide for yourself though... Great eating to you!

    (3)

  • Nigel T.

    Sellout is what comes to mind. The Neely's have obviously licensed their name because whoever is running this place is useless. The ribs were rubbish and the whole concept is a joke. Shame on you Neelys. Memphis BBQ is something special and you have squandered the opportunity to introduce it to NYC.

    (1)

  • Elita S.

    What a wonderful experience. I was expecting a hectic experience being it was Easter Sunday but to my surprise everything was on point. My family had a table for eight and the service was impeccable. We came for brunch. The food was great and all of us enjoyed it. Or waiter was great and the manger (patrick) was a delight. Patrick came to check and chat with the table and upon returning to our table he brought my six year old son a bunny cookie. I don't know about anyone else but when you make the kid happy I'm happy. What I found odd was the cigar lounge in the basement near the rest room. The stitch of cigar smell was reeking from the closed doors even though it was empty. The cigar lounge would not cause me to not return but I do wonder if the smell is overpowering in the evenings when patrons are there.

    (5)

  • Justin C.

    Brought to you by the husband and wife Neely team from the Food Network, this upscale barbecue place has some extremely solid food. The backbone of any good BBQ place, the ribs, are fantastic. The Neely's cook up some great ribs with a delicious sauce. The menu from there is pretty well rounded, with good dishes really easy to find in most categories. For Apps, classics like wings and crab cakes are accompanied with more southern treats like hushpuppies, candied bacon, fried green tomatoes, and fried catfish. Besides ribs, theres Pat's beer can chicken, brisket, some fish, and a great country fried steak - as well as sandwiches like pulled pork and a house burger. Random dish that was surprisingly great: iceberg wedge - blue cheese, fried onions, ranch, tomatoes, and candied bacon. Ridiculously addicting. All the classic barbecue sides are here too - cole slaw, sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, string beans, black eyed peas, and the rest - all here. Overall, really good upscale barbecue joint. The food seems to be a little more authentic that your average place. It's pricey but worth it, and it's kinda cool to get dishes you've seen made on TV served.

    (4)

  • C W.

    Update March 2013: We don't go here much anymore. While the food is still good, the service has definitely declined to a sad level. The attention level is not there and they don't seem to care. We sat in the bar area, which we like to do, but there was no waitress so the bartender was waiting tables. They had run out of salmon (it was Saturday afternoon so what were they going to do for the rest of the weekend?) and also ran out of iced tea. I could get past the salmon but they served a tiny glass of iced tea and each request for a refill was met with the answer, "They're making more." They never made more and they still charged me for the iced tea. The old Neely's would have offered me something else or not charged me for it. The bartender was rude and not helpful. The manager used to walk through the restaurant checking on tables but not any more. A couple more visits with servers who where never around made us give up on Neely's. And so, four stars for food, two stars for service. _______________________ We were really excited when we saw that they were opening in our neighborhood but all I could think was that no one told them that no one comes all the way over to 1st Avenue for a restaurant unless they live here. They came. It took a couple of weeks before we could even get in. The food is great: pulled pork, baby back ribs, salmon, sweet potato fries. And the staff is so nice that it always makes us wonder who hired them ( you did a great job! ). We like to sit in the bar for dinner and come back whenever we can.

    (2)

  • Shirl V.

    I went to Neelys on 11-11-11 b/c it was my hubbys bday and I know he loves ribs. The host forgot to mention to our waitress tht it was his bday(no bueno). I had the overly salty brisket, no need to add tht chipotle sauce it wasn't needed. The his/hers margaritas were good. I've been to way better bbq parlors. The decor is memorable, thumbs-up. The highlight should have been his bday song/cake but it was our waitress who took a hot plate from d servers tray almost dropped it near the guest all d garnish was on the floor & the guests were concerned for her scorched fingers. She needs more training.

    (2)

  • Khadijah H.

    Decided to visit Neely's with a friend. If you love southern cooking then this is a great place to come. I had shrimp and grits, my friend, flounder with sweet potatoes. We both shared fried green tomatoes. The appetizer and entrees were amazing. The drinks were grear also very southern inspireded. Everything was very tasty. My mississippi mud pie was ok. The greeter was really nice. I am giving them 3 stars because my waitress sucked. Her name is Ashley B. She talked and gossiped the entire time about her self taught photography career to another table. I wanted a cup of coffee she was so focused on talking the entire time to someone else that she completly ignored our table. Would I come again maybe but. I will never sit in her section again

    (3)

  • Murielle H.

    I experienced Neely's for the first time early last year. The food was so good that I went back the following night. A year went by and I decided that it was long overdo. This time the food was just eh. I was craving the crab cakes but only to be disappointed when told by the waiter that they no longer serve two cakes but now just one. What?!?!?! We ordered the the applewood smoked chicken wings as an appetizer. That was the best of the night. The macaroni and cheese was ok. My baby back ribs were dry. I was not impressed and definitely had better elsewhere. My friend ordered the fried steak with mashed potatoes and greens. The mashed potatoes were cold and the greens tasted overdone. She was able to get macaroni and cheese as consolation for the cold mash. The strawberry lemonade was delicious. Would I go back. Most likely not.

    (2)

  • Renee L.

    Went in with my family around Thanksgiving. Cool decor and the drinks were great.. but I wasn't very impressed with the food. My daughter had a pulled pork sandwhich, which we thought would be really good. But my 11 year old was disappointed. That says something. Everything was okay.. but we expected more from the food.

    (2)

  • Chris K.

    At the price point, mediocre food gets two stars. Great atmosphere, unfortunately the most forgettable BBQ I've had in a long time.

    (2)

  • Joe D.

    Wow talk about a disappointment. When the best thing you can say about a restaurant is "Nice decor" you might as well hit White Castle for a few sliders ... . Nothing seemed to be clicking on the Sunday we went to Neely's. The wait at the host stand and the place was empty. The menu outside was different than the brunch menu presented at the table. Why would they not have all menus posted outside with times? The bloody Mary lacked spiciness. We inquired about a few missing menu items like fried pickles and the waiter responded " The chef may put them on the brunch menu in a few weeks".... What? The waiter was a nice guy but it seemed as he heard this issue before and just had enough. The fried green tomatoes lacked a good coating and a proper cooking technique. The Ribs were less than average but there are a lot more places with higher quality food. No need to get dessert at this point. Funny when the bill can it was accompanied with a card requesting your email address for their list. They should have a guest comment card to gather feedback. Maybe its true that many celebrity chefs have other people doing the cooking behind the scene's. That would make this experience understandable.

    (1)

  • Eva M.

    What were they thinking when they opened this place sharing space with a cigar bar? The smell hit me as soon as I walked in, it was strong even though they were downstairs. Every newborns daddy must have been in there that night...LOL. I was really looking forward to this place. The food was ok, i ordered ribs. The meat was drier then i expected it to be and a bit chewy. My sister ordered a chicken burger and there was nothing amazing about it according to her. It was dry and hardly any taste so she dunked it in sauce. Don't even get me started on our waiter. It was not a busy night and the place wasn't full, but it took us a while to get any service. He sat us down, gave us menus and vanished. Then some other server comes, gave us our water and said we couldn't order with him. Our waiter was nowhere to be found so we asked the guy to please find him for us. It was nice of him to do that even though it wasn't his job. The waiter didn't show for another 10mins. By the time we got our food i was starving and in a slight hunger rage, lol. I was surprised to see how small the portions actually were and for the price too. Then I was dreading on having to ask our waiter for our check cause i knew he would disappear for another 20 mins. And guess what he did just that and vanished... It probably would have been better if it hadn't felt like we were in an ash tray. There wasn't ppl smoking around us, but there was that stale ashy smell. Anyway, decent but not great.

    (2)

  • Dede O.

    The Neely's should really reconsider some things as it relates to this location. I wasn't impressed with the cuisine...the best moment of this dining experience was the friendly bartender and the awesome drink I had. Eh I will keep it moving to another spot if I get the mood for southern bbq.

    (2)

  • Shameka B.

    Drinks were delicious but food was tasteless. Macaroni and cheese and the chicken lacked flavor. Very disappointed. I definitely wouldn't recommend this place to a friend.

    (2)

  • Scott P.

    Maybe for the bar, not for the food. Great space, great bourbon list, crappy food. Most things on the bland side. The "Spicy pinto beans with burnt ends" needed a liberal helping of tabasco to get enough heat to balance the sweetness. All the meats tasted of artificial smoke more than anything else. Maybe if you completely avoid BBQ, but at that point, why would you come here.

    (1)

  • Tom F.

    Food was mediocre at best. Service was good, but only because the waiter was so scared from being screamed at by the customers who had just stormed off before we arrived. Apparently, they were very unhappy with the service he didn't provide. He gave us free wine - but he told us it was the glasses he had brought out to them just before they left. I can't drink white wine. So... thanks?

    (2)

  • Angie A.

    Hands down great service and great food. Shout out to my server Juan who made my visit to New York go from hating it to loving it in just a matter of an hour. He was very knowledgeable about all the food and drinks. He made some great recommendations. I had the pork sampler platter with creamed corn "corn not my fav" then some mac n cheese... Yum! I had a spicey jalapeño cock tail delicious then finished with the push cobbler. No complaints here. I'm glad I made this a must visit while in town.

    (4)

  • Ann N.

    We were so looking forward to having a good barbecue place in the neighborhood and judging by the hype and wait when it first opened, we thought this would be it. So we made a reservation and were looking forward to our dinner here. While some allowance can be made for a restaurant being new, the problems here went beyond that. First of all, we didn't find the place comfortable at all. People were crammed into way too small tables with little space between them - servers couldn't even get through - and it was so, so loud. Then it was just utter confusion. I understand a couple of slip ups, but they were consistently delivering the wrong food to the wrong tables. Most shocking of all was even after placing it down and being told by various patrons that "this is not what we ordered,' they would leave the food to go try to figure out where it should go, return to the wrong table and take the same food that was sitting on someone's table to another table. I never did get what I ordered, but we were tired of trying to figure it out and just wanted to eat something and get out of there. And finally, the food is just not that good. Meat was quite dry and tasteless. The appetizers and sides we tried were just as bland. Prices are pretty hefty for the entree, and yet they include no sides. It's one thing to pay for a side, but the portions are tiny for a "paid" side. There are much better barbecue restaurants in Manhattan with much more reasonable pricing.

    (2)

  • Daniel G.

    Eat the pulled pork sliders (3 little pigs), but do resist pulling those delectable onion rings off before sinking your teeth into yumminess - the onion rings cut through the sweetness of the sauce. The Texas Beef ribs were meaty and tender. The iceberg wedge was crisp, the bacon smokey nd the bleu cheese dressing had an unexpected, but welcome bite. They might consider adding a ribs bucket. Typical opening night mayhem. We will definitely return, probably often...I look forward and expect to raise my rating to 4 stars once all the kinks get worked out

    (3)

  • Khamlah K.

    I don't know why this place doesn't have more stars! I really liked it here! The mac and cheese was really good. Portions are pretty big. Me and my 2 friends shared a meal (not because of price, but because we were advised the portions were a good amount). We all loved it! LOL. Staff was very friendly (and hot ;)) On our way out, my friend said "Wow, they're so nice here." I replied "Duh... it's that Southern hospitality." lol. Seriously, tho. I felt like I wasn't even in NYC anymore due to the kindness and positive attitudes of the staff. Not to mention, the atmosphere was pretty casual yet intimate. I liked this place a lot. I wish we could've gone here for brunch.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth G.

    I was very pleased with this selection made by a friend. The food was amazing and I cannot wait to go back there soon. Staff was very cordial and tentative. Great job

    (5)

  • Andrew V.

    For the past few months, I've driven by Neely's Barbecue Parlor anxiously awaiting their opening in July. Last night a friend and I walked into Neely's at about 8:30 without a reservation (I honestly tried to make a reservation the night before on Open Table but it stated Neely's wasn't using Open Table currently). The first woman said it would a two hour wait, I said no problem. I think they were shocked that I was willing to wait. I insisted on giving my name to the other hostess so I could "get-in-line" and proceeded up to the bar to see if there was any other bar seating available. Much to our surprise, within four minutes the hostess came and told us our table was ready. Once we got back into the restaurant we could clearly see that there were countless open tables (we counted six near our table and another four across the restaurant). All in all, the atmosphere is great it looks nice and had plenty of servers running around although they did look a little confused; I chalk it up to just working out the initial opening kinks. Last year, I had the opportunity to spend a bit of time in Tennessee which is where I first came across Neely's. I instantly fell in love with the wings and ribs so naturally I wanted to try the same thing at the new location. Before ordering I asked the server if the wings were the same as they were at the other Neely's locations and he assured me they were the exact same. Unfortunately, this is the not the case! Don't get me wrong, the wings were okay, but it's a different recipe and a tiny portion size. On the positive, they were delivered almost five minutes after placing the order which was a nice surprise. My buddy had the brisket for an appetizer which was tasty but not as good as the Neely's Tennessee brisket. For dinner, I ate the KC Ribs which had a nice rub on them however for "wet" ribs they were dry so I ended up putting sauce on them. The Mac and cheese was very tasty along with the maple beans. All in all, it was so-so experience. To me, the food did not taste at all like the wonderful Neely's Barbecue that I had in Memphis. Based on my expectations, I must honestly say the Barbecue Parlor failed to deliver and the Neely's should seriously reconsider using their name on such an establishment. Do not expect a ton of room; the tables are tiny and cramped like most restaurants in NYC. To b fair I must admit that I docked one star on my review based on the woman who tried to push us away since we didn't have a reservation, not only was she rude she was acted like they were doing us a favor even letting us into the establishment. Based on some of the other reviews, you may want to try another barbecue establishment in the city and if you go expecting the food to taste anything like Neely's from Tennessee you'll be disappointed, Good Luck!

    (2)

  • Fran D.

    I went for my son's 18th birthday and we were all disappointed. I guess I was expecting it to be GREAT, considering it is owned by the Neely's. The food was so so. We had the ribs and they were dry. We had to add the BBQ sauce that was on the table. How does a southern BBQ place ruin ribs? We were also disappointed that they had no bread or biscuits on the table. The service wasn't that great and they had to change my table 2 times because the table was wobbly. Would I go back? No not really. I guess I was expecting more from the Neely's. Oh well!

    (2)

  • Jeff G.

    NYC has a number of good bbq spots, unfortunately Neelys is not one of them. We had dinner there last night and found the food fair a best. However, I do give the restaurant high marks for location, and atmosphere.

    (2)

  • Gary M.

    Living just a block away from Neely's, I occasionally will stop by on my way home to grab a drink and dinner at happy hour and about every other month, we will hit the happy hour as a group. The food is decent and the service is generally ok. This evening, I wanted to hit their second happy hour and grab dinner after a late night at work. I sat at the bar for 5 minutes looking at the menu without any visit from the bartender who was not busy at all and made eye contact with me a few times and then redirected her attention to staring at the bottles of alcohol at the back of the bar. Realizing that getting service at the bar was futile, I moved to the bar area to watch the basketball game on the TV, sitting near people who arrived a few minutes after I did. A bus boy dropped off water and a menu for me after I sat down. I watched the last 5 minutes of the NBA game and the subsequent overtime, when I looked at my watch and released that 35 minutes had lapsed since my arrival to the restaurant......still with no service. Hungry, tired and frustrated, I sought out the manager. Despite 3 waiters talking and laughing at the bar (including the one that waited on the couple next to me), it wasn't until another waiter from the other part of the restaurant came up to me to ask if I needed anything. The manager, Steve, was apologetic and seemed genuinely annoyed that I spent almost 40 minutes in the restaurant without any service. He offered to have a dinner on the house but I declined, since I was too upset to even stay there another minute. I would highly discourage anyone who just wants to sit at the bar/in the bar area, watch a game on the television and grab dinner and a drink. There are many bars in the area with much better service.

    (1)

  • Bill D.

    Any kinks this place had at the outset have definitely been worked out! Their ribs are pretty much the platonic ideal of ribs - fantastic when you have them at the restaurant and then still even better when you eat them as leftovers! And they run the gamut - KC babyback, Memphis dry rub, Memphis wet rub, beef shortribs. All done pretty much to perfection. Oh, and the portions are gigantic. Their half-rack pretty much matches other places' full rack. I would say I'm an idiot for always ordering the full rack, but, like I said, the leftovers are magnificent. They have a terrific selection of sides, including cole slaw, mac and cheese and surprisingly tasty collard greens. Friendly wait staff and a nice ambiance, generally. About the only problems I can identify are a bit officious hostesses (they asked about reservations when the place clearly didn't have a crowd) and the awkward location of the bathrooms in the basement (the restaurant itself is on the second floor).

    (4)

  • Tatianna M.

    I really enjoyed myself when I went to Neely's. The food was great and the manager Chris was so nice and kind to my family and I. And the red vevlet cake was AMAZING!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Vin S.

    The restaurant was not bad for out of towners but it certainly does not meet New Yorker expectations. The atmosphere was inviting but the food was very blah and tasteless. The ribs were tender but again very tasteless. The pulled pork was terribly dry and I needed to add a bit more BBQ sauce then I wanted. They need to hire some experienced waitstaff that know what they are doing. Our main course did not come out timely. Some guests needed to wait some for their courses to arrive. Sorry NEELY! You need to come to town and teach the manager how to run a restaurant.

    (1)

  • Alex E.

    My family and I were pleasantly surprised as the Neelys themselves welcomed us to their restaurant. They both hugged my mom whose birthday we were celebrating, chatted it up like we were familiar folk from church, and snapped plenty of pictures with us. * Atmosphere: A. This place is unusually huge by NYC restaurant standards. There's a full bar, outside seating, lots of seating, lots more seating, a smoking room, and mini lounge. It can host parties of 1 or 10+. There's merchandise to purchase as well. * Wait time to be seated: Under 2 minutes * Wait time to be served: Under 15 minutes. * Food Quality, Taste, and Presentation: B, B-, B * Service: B+. * Restroom Cleanliness: B+ Overall Impression: The food is not bad. The mac and cheese, grits, salmon, french fries were really tasty. The meats could have been more juicy and tender( ie the ribs, pulled chicken, pulled pork). The candied bacon tasted ok, but reminded me of Beggin' Strips for dogs. I would not serve them in open jam jars. The bill was about $110 for five people with no drinks and dessert. As for service, the manager checked in on our table 2x. I assume this was special treatment bc the Neelys were there. The waiter was attentive for the most part. We brought our own birthday cake. They presented it lit and even cut it and served it to us. Return Visit? Yes. I do not smoke, but I would have some drinks and a cigar in the cigar bar. It seems so James Bond cool down there. I would come on a date or with a gaggle of friends or coworkers.

    (4)

  • J F.

    I came here again with the same friend and had a great time. I think they're definitely hitting their stride. This time I had the sweet and sticky ribs, which were DELICIOUS and my friend again had the brisket (this time he remembered to ask for no sauce). The hostess was very accommodating when my friend asked to be moved to a new table (they originally sat us in a room in back and he wanted to be near a window) and our waitress was sweet as pie and very personable. This time around I had an incredible blackberry cobbler for dessert, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I do think they need to eventually upgrade to larger tables for two because it can be a tight squeeze with two entrees, side dishes, drinks and the standard bbq sauce selection. Just something for them to consider in the future, and my only "complaint" if you can call it that.

    (4)

  • JR R.

    Given the only very average quality of food and the prices charged, falls in at 2 stars. Service is good enough but kind of a "wise-ass' kind of attitude. Won't be back.

    (2)

  • Nicole J.

    I'm not a native Southerner, but my family is of Southern descent so I'm not new to Southern food. This restaurant was fabulous. We didn't have reservations so the wait was kinda long(45 minutes). Once seated the service was excellent, the drinks were great and the food was slap your Momma good. I wasn't a big fan of the mac & chees, but the shrimp & grits is to die for. The catfish was moist and full of flavor. The hush puppies have a sauce that really makes the dish. I even enjoyed the fried green tomatoes. The Neely's are doing their thing in New York, I just hope that they continue.

    (4)

  • Harmony I.

    I read the reviews before coming, and was hoping that I was going to have a different experience. I did not. We had a party of 20, and we were actually seated quickly and the service was impeccable. We never went without drinks and they were quick to pick up dirty plates. I would give 5 stars if it was just based on service. The food? Ugh. The iced tea was so sweet it was like sucking on a sugar cube. The pulled pork hushpuppies are a ripoff, you don't even taste the pulled pork inside and they were dry. Fried pickles, boring. Wings, chewy skin but decent flavor. For my meal I got the pulled-chicken sandwich. It came with french fries, which were overcooked and crispy and some pieces were so overcooked they were dark brown and inedible. The chicken sandwich was a DISASTER. The chicken tasted about a week old, with that "freezer-burn" taste, and I had to keep spitting out hard pieces, they were like joints or cartilage or something...and was just so disgusting. I tried some of my friends beef brisket and it was dry. Another person was eating the ribs and I saw no bark, no smoke ring and the meat was NOT falling off the bone. How could a BBQ restaurant (and one carrying the name of multi-millionaire Food Network hosts) be so terrible? The Neely's specialize in BBQ! My sandwich turned my stomach with the old chicken and bits of hard pieces, which is inexcusable. Overrated and not worth it. Go to Dinosaur BBQ on 125th Street for EXCELLENT food.

    (1)

  • Robert M.

    We had a groupon and it gave us a lot food. The mac and cheese was very good. The Hush Puppies were also very good. In addition, we liked the baby back ribs. The server was very nice and efficient, however, it lacked something.....maybe atmosphere. Also, the Kansas City Ribs were hard and rubbery. Chicken was okay, nothing special. They gave us dessert to take home and it was ice cream?!!!!

    (2)

  • Josette B.

    this place is amazing the food the drinks the staff

    (5)

  • Ash D.

    Completely underwhelmed and I didn't even have that high of expectations. I love bbq and was so excited when Neelys opened in the neighborhood. My boyfriend and I had dinner at the bar one night - shared the pork sampler platter and a couple sides. The sampler platter was terrible...the meat could not have been more dry or flavorless...the sides were what you would expect, nothing special...and the sweet potato fries (which the bartender highly recommended) were soggy and cold. Pros: Great space Cons: Not so great food... Definitely will not be back.

    (1)

  • Joseph R.

    Food was average. The environment was great.

    (2)

  • Khalid B.

    My friend is from Memphis and wanted to come here as he went to the one in Memphis. Overall the food is pretty good. He stated that the food was similar to the one in Memphis (just more expensive). I felt the food was good, just a lot of sauce used (which is apparently the way they cook BBQ in Memphis). In my opinion I can get better tasting food for a cheaper cost (hence the three stars) however I must say they make very good drinks here

    (3)

  • Empress R.

    I was very optimistic about trying the neelys restaurant despite the negative reviews I read. But now I see why there were so many negative reviews. My boyfriend and I ordered the chicken wings and deviled eggs as appetizers. The chicken wings were Luke warm but the sauce was good overall they were just okay the eggs were nothing special I ordered them only because I thought Gina stated they were unique and going to be famous so Not. Our main entrees were down right gross my bf ordered backyard BBQ chicken it was bland and under cooked some parts were not edible because it was raw and slathered in BBQ sauce ewwwww!! I ordered Memphis style ribs and they were not fully cooked either!!! How can you sell undercooked Pork!!! My ribs were pink!! So disgusted Neelys should be embarrassed to have their name associated with this place.

    (1)

  • Ajaya W.

    So I have been excited to go to the parlor ever since I signed up for email notification. I am a big Neely fan from their show and have always looked forward to going out to Tennessee and having their food. First off I am just happy I trusted my gut instinct for brunch yesterday and went here. Lets just say we were in the establishment for about 6 hours!! My friend and I were trying to get together for brunch for the longest, and were not disappointed from beginning to end. We started off in the back room which was a lil chilly, but the host was gracious enough to seat us in the front. Good thing because we needed elbow room for the full experience. Started off with a pitcher of sparkling sangria with extra fruit that was very tasty. We were so hungry that we ordered the Mac & cheese to start us off. All I can say is that they just need to make it bigger, and I am good to go. Mind you if I am saying I like the mac its good cause I am picky about my mac. With the awesome recommendation from the manager Chris we both went with the Fried Chicken and Waffles and was not disappointed at all. Seasoned just right and accompanied by this not too creamy but tasty gravy, we couldn't stop eating the hearty portions. With the positive vibe in this place it took us awhile to leave even after we finished our food. With a little walk around the block, we decided to come back in time for the Cigar bar downstairs and have an afternoon cap. Chris the manager was so gracious, he hung out and just kicked it with us a little, telling us all the good stuff about the Neely's and the restaurant. He wouldn't let us leave without trying the red velvet cake.....to DIE for!! I have had cake from all the spots including our well know "Make my Cake" & "Cake Man Raven". This cake can go up against any of them. Not too heavy, light and the cream cheese frosting is just right. All I can say is that it sure was not 6 hours wasted.

    (4)

  • Jazzy J.

    I had a good dining experience here. Was very excited to try out the restaurant as I am a fan of Food Network. I am a sangria lover. I often make my own at home vs purchasing them in restaurants. Mostly because restaurants don't make the sangria potent enough. That's a whole 'nother discussion for another day. First thing I saw on the drink menu was the Green Tomato Sangria. I looked at the waiter and turned my nose at her. She gushed and said the drink was really good and it was one of her favorites. She was right. . The Green Tomato sangria came in a mason jar and was topped with orange, lemon, tomato chunks, and basil pieces. The drink is sweet and fruity. It sneaks up on you. I ordered 2 glasses. I was feeling a good kind of buzz when I left two hours later. I was with a group of 8 and we all ordered a dish to share so I had the chance to taste several menu offerings. Fried Green Tomatoes - Pretty good. Sliced on the thin side. The challenge is always getting the breading to stick. This challenge was successful. Came topped in a mayo/onion kind of sauce. You get 4 in a plate. Mac and Cheese - beautiful presentation. Come on these mini cast iron pans. Taste: Ugh! Way too cheesy. String beans - Steamed with a crunch. Nothing to write home about. Catfish - Came in bite sized pieces with a dipping sauce. Breading was flavorful. I enjoyed this. Fried Pickles - Again my first time. Thinly sliced into dollar coin size with accompanying dipping sauce. The pickles taste good alone. The breading was perfecting. It didn't flake or crumble in my hand. These can be addicting. Crab Cake - I didn't get a chance to jump into the crab cake but judging by the empty plate and the scattered forks, it must have been a winner. Ribs - I am not much of a red meat eater but I just had to try it. That dry rub is the bomb! Very, very, very delicious. Yes. That's all I am going to say about that. BBQ Sauce Original: Yuck Sweet: Delicious and tangy Spicy - Where is the spice fairy? The "kick" was light. My dining guests and I commented it had a sweetness to it. Which was great but might as well just favor the sweet bbq. Please, bring the spicy bbq up a notch Red Velvet Cake: I've never had red velvet before. I commented that it "taste just like chocolate". Not sure if that's how it's supposed to taste but it was pretty good. Thick, moist, with cream cheese frosting. Blueberry Cobbler: Presented in small cast iron pot with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top. That cobbler was the business!! Next time, I'll just ask for the ice cream on the side. It melted pretty quickly and made the dish less desirable to eat as time went on. My server was awesome and adjusted well with my large party. The restaurant is packing. It's kind of dark for my taste. Saw Tony Neely while I was there. Waiter commented that he dines there all the time. Price wise... it's not horrible. Pretty standard. Depending on what you order, you can get a lot of food for your money. Some of my dining companions could not finish their plates. I would come back. Next time I'll try brunch. See how that rates.

    (3)

  • Hilda R.

    We went here for an early Sunday dinner. We were so disappointed. The best part of the evening were the drinks, the worst part was the food. The Sweet Potatoes Fries were of a small portion and very small cuts fries, I was expecting at least a thicker cut in order to get the sweet potatoes taste, since Candied Yams are not the menu. The Mac and Cheese were not your Southern Mac & Cheese and not delicious at all! The Green needing to be season better so they were not tasty. The Ribs was the biggest disappointment nothing to rave about to say the least. We came in with so much expectation, we wanted to experience the Neely's "Soulful Cooking". Wrong, Not the place to get it! On the positive side the service was Excellent! I wish only the Food was also.

    (1)

  • Frickle C.

    The frickles (fried pickles) at Neely's are ok. They get a 3 out 5 according to the frickle chick's rating system. The best part was the atmosphere and the worst part was the texture of the frickle. If you want to check out our full frickle review of Neely's, check out our site at fricklechicks.wordpress.…

    (2)

  • Rob S.

    Eh.....no. The place has a very weird feel when you walk in; kinda dark and not inviting at all. The food, not very good. The fried green tomatoes were mushy and drenched in a white relish that had no taste. Fried green tomatoes should not be drenched in anything. The hush puppies were OK but the jelly based dipping sauce was a little odd. The deep fried pickles were good. I usually don't like them sliced into chips, I prefer the fried spears. But theirs works, just enough breading and frying and you still get the bite of the pickle as opposed to it being friend straight through at other places. Dry pulled pork and the ribs were nothing special. Very disappointed, however, one bright spot, they had Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap! I never had it on tap and , even though I am an obnoxious beer snob, I loved it! The rest of the beer selection was crap though. Next time I need a BBQ fix I think I'll head to Dinosaur.

    (2)

  • Yve L.

    Neely's Barbeque Parlor. Yes, I had high hopes; after all, I love this dynamic duo. I couldn't wait to sink into one of my all time southern favorites, Shrimp & Grits, which was a featued appetizer on the main menu. The decor is certainly reminiscent of the south's antebellum mansions, which can be a "con" for some. The menu? On the pricey side. A separate waiter and waitress for drinks and food were assigned to our table - unusual, but I was going along with the flow. Unfortunately, my mood quickly changed when the waitress informed us that the kitchen was "shifting" from brunch to dinner and that the appetizers were not available. It was 3pm and the dinner shift began at 4pm, so I inquired about the possibilty of still ordering the Shrimp & Grits. She told me that it was not possible. After taking a few more minutes to decide, I ordered the mac & cheese (no way can the dynamic duo, the Neely's, go wrong on this) and cole slaw. My friend ordered a half rack or ribs and a side order of collards. To our surprise, the order only took a few minutes to get to our table (pro or con?). The mac & cheese was served in a cute iron skillet, but "looked" dry and clumpy and the cole slaw was served in a small bowl, drowning in liquid. Bite by bite, I struggled to keep a happy face as I dug into the clumpy pasta. My friend's expression was no better. The ribs also "looked" dry. I didn't ask about the greens. I also ordered a special cosmo drink, Gina's Piggatini - the highlight of my meal! It was a sweet, "lemonady" cosmo with a kick. Overall, the experience was not thrilling, leaving me with a lackluster first impression.

    (2)

  • Gabe S.

    This place has WAY too many bad reviews. Understandably most were within the first week of opening..but i went here tonight (almost didn't because of all the bad reviews) and it is just a flat out SOLID spot. to start - like a good douchy new yorker - we had a drink at the bar. Drink menu is awesome. TONS of bourbons to choose from or specialty drinks. After i tried a few of the specialty drinks we had the green tomato sangria..yes..it was awesome. I still cant understand how a green tomato sangria could be good, but it is. then we were seated by more friendly staff. The place is beautiful. not overly done up..just nice and cozy. we sat had some awesome appetizers and then some great ribs blah blah blah... im too full to keep typing because i ate one of everything.....and then some. but i felt the need to contribute to correcting the rating that Neely's currently has. ZZZZZzzzzzzzz g'nite.

    (4)

  • Shannon O.

    Some friends and I opted for a BBQ delivery last night. Frankly, I'm surprised about the mixed reviews, because we all thought the food and quick service were super-awesome. We put in a large order and it was delivered fast. The ribs and blackberry cobbler were so-so, but the mashed potatoes and PBR chicken tasted phenomenal! The catfish was extremely delicious: crispy, juicy, succulent, perfectly cooked and seasoned. Not overpoweringly salty. Cheesecake = heaven on earth. Two thumbs up.

    (4)

  • K aulin W.

    Very good I will go again

    (4)

  • Gary W.

    Maybe this restaurant had a rough start or something, but it sure has turned around. I was a little hesitant to go (with all the bad reviews I read), but being that it is so close to my apartment I decided to give it a shot. I've got to say that the food was very good, it's a definite repeat. My wife and I loved the drinks and the sides were very tasty. I had the baby back ribs, they were spot on. Service we received was great, from the hostess to the waiter, everyone was very friendly. We were seated right away, no waiting. Loved the decorations. I'd recommend giving it a try. If you've gone before and had a bad experience I say come back and try again, you may be surprised.

    (4)

  • Nancy M.

    We had a 9pm reservation but that didn't help matters. Finally they seated us at a hightop at the bar. We deferred and requested a table and they put two tiny round tables together (?) for our party of four. Three of us ordered the pork platter with two kinds of ribs and pulled pork. We all found the meat quite tender but absolutley dry. There were bottles of sauce on the table which we needed to use profusely. The decor and layout is quite a puzzle. Who would think that you need curtained private rooms in a barbecue place??? And no hint of the Neeleys though it was opening week. I give this establishment another 6 months at best.

    (2)

  • Peter Z.

    After a two-month delay this place finally opens. After much anticipation and even a little excitement, my wife and I finally ate here on their fourth day of operation. They seem to have a lot of inexperienced people here and the hostess was no exception. We had reservations for 6:45 and waited 10 minutes despite there being several open tables visible to everyone. But anyhow, the employees were very polite and friendly so no real problems there. The problem was the food. It wasn't bad...just very bland. The ribs were dry and completely flavorless, even the KC ribs with sweet and sticky sauce tasted just like the dry rub and the baby backs. It tasted like they added liquid smoke and little else. The cole slaw and mac and cheese sides were the same. That was very disappointing. This place is known for ribs yet it was the most ordinary item on the menu. The appetizers however, were fantastic. We had the hush puppies and the shrimp with grits and both had some serious spice and flavor. Yet because the ribs were, at best, ordinary, we probably won;t be going back. We didn't even finish our meal, which is a rarity for us. This place just doesn't live up to the hype. There are many other rib joints in Manhattan that I'd rather go to.

    (2)

  • Ari M.

    Salmon was dry & corn pudding could have hung wallpaper - yikes!

    (1)

  • Michael B.

    So, after traveling all over the country and experiencing Neely's BBQ in Memphis, I would consider myself someone that can say if the BBQ is good or NOT; I was SUPER excited about visiting the BBQ Parlor upon my business travels to New York, until I began reading some of the reviews from yelp.com , YIKES!! Wow, was the operative word that comes to mind that I used ... But I didn't let it detour my dinner plans. Now, let me just give this disclaimer, I'm a true-blue southern man, so I LOVE BBQ and good tender meat and southern style food ... I will just say this, I was a bit let down with my experience here. The fried green tomatoes, OMG were AWESOME - The sauce over that appetizer was great. The candied bacon ... Good idea, however I wish that it was served a little warmer, however I understand the concept as to why it should be served cold. Everything else, I could've made for you, "at the house", LOL!! I was not impressed. Oh, and please, please, please STEER clear of the "Kick yo Ass" hot sauce, because that just ruined what was left of getting any credibility of the word "GOOD" from my meal ... Gina and Pat, I love y'all but you STRUCK out on this one!!

    (3)

  • Charlie A.

    While it's hard to find good 'cue in NYC, there's no shortage of bad. The new Neely's BBQ place on the Upper East Side is among the worst. Four of us went there a few days ago for dinner and the joint was jumpin'. Mostly as we discovered from people actually expecting to see the Neelys in person. But no-celebrity chef sighting for us. We wanted their Memphis-style 'cue. We each ordered something different to get a taste of the menu in general. Across the board the food was waaay salty and stringy. The ribs were dry and left a strange aftertaste. Almost like hint of charcoal lighter fluid. The best thing I can say about the pulled pork was that it was...pulled. Dry, with no depth of flavor. My order of spicy pinto beans with burnt ends was neither spicy nor could I find a single burnt end. The mashed potatoes were a fluffy mound of salt. The service was efficient and friendly and most definitely "get'em-in-get'em-out." As my wife would say, we've been there twice. First and last time. My suggestion is not even make it a first.

    (1)

  • Amy D.

    I'm from the south so I know what's up in a bbq parlor and this food was FANTASTIC. The candied thick cut slab bacon, deep fried pickles, mac and cheese, and Texas style smoked beef brisket were all mouth wateringly good, like..nothing left on the plate good. I went with my roommate relatively late one night and we sat at the bar. The place had only been open a month and the service was great, which is impressive. The bartenders were more than happy to share the whole Neely's history with us as well as their knowledge of the menu and general shooting of the shit (we were the only ppl at the bar). The atmosphere is very creative and cozy. They have several different rooms/alcoves filled with mismatch antique looking furniture and dim lighting, great set up for larger groups or dates. The admittidly dwindling crowd was your typical UES'ers and old time frequenters of "Merchants"..which the cigar bar is still open downstairs. Price is on par with what you would expect in the neighborhood/quality of the food and is definitely worth it. I wouldn't necessarily hop borroughs to go here but it's good if you're in the area.

    (4)

  • MS H.

    I had my boyfriends 30th birthday dinner there and it was amazing. The managers were amazing. They helped me though the process of picking which pre fixe would be good and food to serve and also with pricing. I had about 25 people and it was great. The service was great too we had one server that was very efficient and he did not miss a beat he made sure everyone was happy. The food was great as well I will definitely be retuning.

    (5)

  • Marie S.

    The best red velvet cake in America! However I didn't enjoy the ribs and mac and cheese.

    (3)

  • Cameron Y.

    We had reservations for 4:15pm today and were seated shortly after we arrived at 4ish. Like previous yelpers have mentioned, the staff here are "nice", but most of the time they don't know what they're doing. For example, the hostess had problems finding our reservations after I told her I made it through opentable. Similarly, our waiter took away our utensils w/o asking us if we were done with our food. He also messed up our drink orders and the entree orders at our neighboring table. When our check came, we had to point out that he didn't correct our drink orders and that we were over-charged. In terms of the food, the green tomato sangria was very refreshing and the macaroni and cheese was also delicious. Other than that, the spare ribs and pulled pork were both very dry. The steamed green beans were unseasoned and had no flavor. The ice cream on our pecan pie a la mode was already half-melted when brought to our table. In short, if you're looking for some good BBQ, you're better off going to Hill Country or even Famous Dave's. I'd be surprised if this place will still be this busy after all the hype for the Neelys dies out.

    (2)

  • Mitch K.

    This place is actually really nice, the decor and atmosphere is up there food wise, I got the KC ribs and i enjoyed them. the brisket is good too, very tender. pulled pork hushpuppies have next to no pork in them, so unless you really like hushpuppies avoid em. shrimp and grits is delicious. mash potatos are avg at best and the collard greens are not so special. this place mainly gets 3 stars cause its a nice place and the Ribs were pretty good. other than that not much to boast

    (3)

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