Grub Guides

Ribs, Belly, Shoulder, and More: 14 Fantastic New Lamb Dishes

Dover is one of many restaurants serving lamb ribs right now.
Dover is one of many restaurants serving lamb ribs right now. Photo: Melissa Hom

A glance at restaurants around town would indicate that now, possibly more than ever, is lamb’s moment. Practically all of the city’s popular new spots have lamb in some form, whether it’s ribs, tacos, wood-grilled chops, and even something called “lambcetta.” This is a very welcome development, and we’ve rounded up fourteen standout, stick-to-your-bones dishes, so you can eat comfort food with little hassle.

Estela
The Dish: Lamb ribs with Charmoula and honey aren’t always on the menu, but if they are, they need to be on your table.
Cost: $19

Mission Cantina
The Dish: Danny Bowien’s pulled lamb-shoulder tacos are braised in beer, and then topped with crema, guajillo-pepper salsa, and onions.
Cost: $5

Dover
The Dish: The Battersby team’s new restaurant serves lamb ribs with eggplant, peanuts, and mint.
Cost: $28

Shalom Japan
The Dish: At this Japanese-cum-Jewish restaurant, panko-caraway lamb ribs are slow-roasted in the oven, blasted at a high temperature so they caramelize, and then topped with even more spices and breadcrumbs.
Cost: $16

Lao Dong Bei
The Dish: This Flushing restaurant serves a rack of Xinjiang-style lamb ribs, with cumin, chile, and other spices torched and fused into a hot crust.
Cost: $21.50

Cata
The Dish: Order the smoked lamb ribs with pickled vegetables at this under-the-radar Spanish gem.
Cost: $16

Telepan Local
The Dish: Bill Telepan offers lamb tartare with fennel and black olives at his new Tribeca restaurant.
Cost: $12

Marco’s
The Dish: Wood-grilled lamb chops scottadito translates to “finger-blistering,” which is exactly what you need in this weather.
Cost: $32

China Blue
The Dish: The proprietors of Michelin-starred Café China have a new Tribeca spot, and their extensive menu includes a lamb stew served in a clay pot.
Cost: $22

Grindhaus
The Dish: The menu often changes, so make sure to order “lambcetta” if it’s offered: A whole lamb saddle is deboned, the loin and belly get cured for two days with traditional porchetta spices, and then the lamb belly is wrapped around the loin and the saddle.
Cost: $27

Skal
The Dish: Nordic-style lamb loin comes with sunchokes, hazelnuts, and hedgehog mushrooms.
Cost: $29

The Cecil
The Dish: Up in Harlem, chef JJ Johnson (who just made it onto Forbes’s “30 Under 30” list) makes braised lamb shank with coconut grits, heirloom carrots, and purple sweet potatoes.
Cost: $36

Saul at the Brooklyn Museum
The Dish: Order the simply prepared Colorado lamb with potatoes, turnips, and mustard jus at Saul Bolton’s recently relocated restaurant.
Cost: $29

Martha
The Dish: Lamb meatballs with rice congee, black-ear mushrooms, egg yolk, and ginger-scallion puree. (The Underground Gourmet awarded this Fort Greene restaurant four stars, so you should expect good things.)
Cost: $14

Ribs, Belly, Shoulder, and More: 14 Fantastic New Lamb Dishes