Exactly one week ago new, diminuitive barbecue spot For Reno Provisions opened to the public in what will soon become Park Slope's new barbecue row (Dinosaur and Wild Whiskey Warthog are coming soon). By the looks of the online chitchat, practically the entire neighborhood has stopped in to the new place to sample the wares and file early reviews. And what's the verdict? Some are early fans, praising the pork, the ribs, the sides, the biscuits. Others can't get over the fattiness of the brisket, the size of the space, the prices, and the lack of preparedness in the kitchen. Quick, now, check out the initial reviews.
The Mostly Good News: Delightfully Dishy went this past weekend and was impressed: "I'm a firm believer that good barbeque is all about the meat on its own, and from the first bite of the pulled pork, I was very pleased, and may have even felt a glimpse of that Southern accent come back...We ordered a 1/4 slab of ribs - and they were very, very tender. Ribs are an art in and of themselves, and Fort Reno really did make magic happen. There is no question that these folks have the know-how where the preparation of authentic, smoked meat is concerned. For sides, my only disappointment was the beans. Although the idea was spot-on, the execution not so much. They simply weren't flavorful enough for my taste..." [Delightfully Dishy]
The Bad News: An Eater Commenter is not thrilled: "Went there last night and paid $11 for a 1/2 lb piece of brisket that was 80% fat and 100% inedible. The $4 biscuit tasted like unbaked flour. Mac/cheese and collards sides were decent, and the ribs were OK but this was takeout and I couldn't send the disappointing items back. Needless to say, I will not go back to Fort Reno and, with Dinosaur opening up down the block in a matter of weeks, I won't have to." [Eater Comments]
The Good News: But another commenter walks away happy: "Had dinner here last night and my friend and I left very happy. We shared delicious, well-marbled 1/2 lb of brisket, two orders of mac and cheese, collards and biscuits. I prefer my brisket to be on the fattier side; lean brisket is just not as flavorful in my opinion. The mac and cheese was the best we've had in a good while - real nice cheese flavor, a little crunch on top. Overall, nice space (though small), relaxed atmosphere and, with the great bbq, it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood. I'll be back for sure." [Eater Comments]
The Short But Sweet News: There's only one real Foursquare tip so far, but it's a positive one: "Great atmosphere. Try the pulled pork without the sauce first. Really tasty." Meanwhile a Gothamist commenter writes, "Been there twice already. Ribs are exceptional. Everything else was merely excellent." [Foursquare; Gothamist]
The Great News: The Yelp reviews are mostly positive with a dissenter here and there. Here's a rave: "Tiny place. Big BBQ. We checked FRP out on a Saturday night and it was hopping. We ordered a bunch of sides, bbq brisket, and their biscuits -- the latter of which made me a biscuit convert. Incredible. Oh, and the drinks were pretty great (though they took awhile to conjure up). We'll be back often. I'm so glad we have delicious bbq in our own backyard now." [Yelp]
The Overwhelmed Kitchen News: Another from the comments: "Stopped by on Saturday hoping to pick up some decent BBQ. At 6:00 they were already 86 Ribs and Brisket. That is not a good sign. I will give it another shot, but they gotta figure out the kitchen. With a menu with only 3 proteins on it, you can't be out of 2..." [Eater Comments]
The Not so Hot News: A Gothamist commenter likes some items, dislikes others and rates the place a C- overall: "Brisket: B+ Our piece was very fatty which gave it tremendous flavor, but a lot of...fat. It was slightly overdone to the point where it was falling apart and hard to slice without breaking into 1000 strands of protein. Pork: C+ Good smoke flavor on this, but meh non-smoke flavors. Ribs: A- Near perfect. It all worked...Atmosphere: D+ I think this place is ambitious. It seats maybe 15-20 people and one of the booths is extremely awkward. I worry that it's going to turn away a lot of people due to its line/wait. Value: B- The prices were fair. If you go with two people, you can get three meats, two sides, and a drink for $25 per person." [Gothamist Comments]
The Underwhelmed News: A Here's Park Slope commenter was hoping for more: "New restaurants are supposed to exude excitement - patrons should feel the eagerness, the hope from the owners. There should be some level of interest in the customer and a degree of appreciation for people who support them on their first night. Felt none of these things. Owner was on his laptop at the bar. Snooze. Food was good. Brisket was the highlight, albeit greasy. Mac and cheese wasn't bad but wasn't great. And the biscuits were not good. If you want good BBQ, try Georgia's on the LES." [HPS Comments]