Hugh “Texalina Thriller” Mangum
Smokehouse: Mighty Quinn’s (103 Second Ave at 6th St; 212-677-3733, mightyquinnsbbq.com)
Origins: Mash-up specialist Mangum grew up road-tripping with his dad across Texas in search of beef ’cue, then married a pork-loving North Carolina native, creating a holy barbecue union. In 2011, the Nougatine alum hauled a custom-built, 4,000-pound mobile smoker to Smorgasburg; last year, he rolled out a brick-and-mortar location—named after his eldest son—in the East Village. But he’s not resting on his laurels: “You have to be a masochist to do barbecue,” Mangum says. “Thinking you suck makes you get better.”
Pit hits: All-natural, pasture-raised meats like brisket, pulled pork and spareribs are cooked over oak in an enormous J&R smoker that runs 24/7. “There is someone here literally every minute of every day tending to the meat,” says Mangum.
Go behind the smoke curtain and find out what drives NYC’s grill masters. We check in with eight of the the city’s top pit masters, including pioneering ’cue biker John Stage (Dinosaur Bar-B-Que), new-school mixmaster Hugh Magnum (Mighty Quinn’s) and Oklahoma booster Jeff Lutonsky (Mable’s Smokehouse). Read on for the details on these best BBQ chefs.
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