Ex-Cop Brings BBQ Back to Queens
It’s been rough for Queens barbecue enthusiasts. Since “English Bob” Pearson’s last outpost went under last year, there haven’t been any smoked meats worth eating there. But that changed this week, thanks to “Big Lou” Elrose, a six-foot-four former police officer who made his bones assisting Daisy May’s chef Adam Perry Lang in barbecue competition. Elrose has just launched Big Lou’s Breakfast and BBQ, a lunch wagon in Ozone Park open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On the circuit, Big Lou is known for prepping egg-and-bacon breakfasts for everyone. But his barbecue is the real draw here: pulled pork, chopped brisket, and pulled chicken, all slow-smoked over mild fruitwoods like apple and cherry, and served, with his original sauce, on soft but substantial Portuguese rolls from nearby Rosa Bakery. Add in a dollop of his homemade coleslaw and you have a sandwich worth driving to Ozone Park for.
Big Lou’s Breakfast and BBQ, Rockaway Blvd. at 105th St.