The Early Word on Three Day-Old Pies 'n' Thighs

This week marked the wildly anticipated return of Williamsburg barbecue haven Pies 'n' Thighs, following a two-year hiatus. And judging from early reaction, the wait was worth it. Although long lines have marked the fried chicken mecca's first few days, the reviews have been mostly of the hyperbolic oh-my-god-I-think-I'm-going-to-die sort. Off to the early word:

The Bonkers News: Only two Yelpers have chimed in so far, but both were absolute, five-star raves. One Yelper loved everything, even if she thought the biscuits needed a tad more lard: “I AM RESTORED. Real fried chicken just reconstituted my soul. Three bites in, I was singing to myself and sniffling with sweet nostalgia. The biscuits are ALMOST there--need more lard, love--but are crumbly, soft inside and barely honey-tinged. The baked beans are tangily infused with pulled pork. Just make that slaw sloppier, serve me some --GRAVY--, and I swear, I will buy the owner of Pies n' Thighs a named constellation in the sky.” Says another: "I AM IN A JOY COMA due to the chicken n' biscuit. like, maybe i am going to die?” [Yelp]

The Mostly Good News: Over at Serious Eats, users were impressed with the return. One user found his late visit mostly successful: “Was there at 9 PM last night, and it was filled to the rafters. It took me an hour to finally get my order filled, but it was well worth it. Fried chicken was crispy and moist, even the breast meat. Biscuit had a nice crust outside, but was not as fluffy as I thought it could be. However, the bread itself was nice and buttery. Hush puppies were okay.” [SE]

The Bad News: In one of the rare pans, Eater commenter Lonely Tourist didn’t see what all the hype was about. “Went for lunch yesterday and was underwhelmed. The chicken was pretty good but nothing spectacular. I ordered the chicken box with a side and a biscuit. Was given a breast and a thigh with my mac n cheese. While I enjoyed the overall crispiness, the thigh was slightly undercooked and the breast slightly overcooked, bordering on dry in some spots. The mac n cheese was less than mediocre. Almost flavorless and I guess they realize it because they poured a bit of Tabasco on top. It did nothing to improve it. Elbows in a creamy sauce. No cheesy goodness here. [Eater]

The Great News: Three days in, Pies N Thighs has already racked up 40 check-ins on Foursquare, and positive notes from users across the board. One user writes, "I've died and gone to fried chicken heaven. With mac & cheese on the side. Stick a fork in me - I'm done." [Foursquare]

The Good News: Always Hungry NY welcomes back Pies ‘n’ Thighs with a food-porn-filled assessment of the place, saying that when the original closed “you felt as if a good friend who knew how to perform miracles in a kitchen smaller than yours, had moved.” Raves go out to the key lime pie (“as tart and refreshing as you remember”) and the collard greens (“intermingles with pulled pork in a homey broth that makes you wonder why others can’t make them this good”). [Always Hungry NY]

The Very Good News: One reviewer from the Eater tipline reports, "Just scarfed down my first meal from the brand new Pies N Thighs and I have to say it's every bit as delicious as I remember it. I got the Pull Pork Sandwich with a side of Mac n Cheese which was my favorite meal to get at the old location. (I know they are more famous for their chicken but I had to go with my fav) At $10, I think the prices has risen a bit (I remember it being $8 but maybe my memory is wrong). But it was worth that $10. Beautiful pulled pork slathered with vinegar bbq sauce, a nice diced coleslaw, and pickles on a standard bun. The bun didn't hold up too well to the moist pork, slaw, and sauce on the trip back to my apt and I live directly across the street. But it didn't matter because BBQ is suppose to be messy and the soft bun went well with the meat. [Eater Inbox]

The Twitterific News: Per @hamsandwich: “Pies N Thighs was just as good as I remember. I am in love.” Meanwhile, @sendmemedia has already declared a winner: “@piesnthighs is once again the champion of fried chicken in Brooklyn. Fact.” And @mallory_rice shares some words of wisdom: “the re-opening of pies and thighs taught us two things: 1. never ever give up on the things you love 2. god is for realsies.” [Twitter]
—Thomas Garry