[What You Should Order At...] Morgans Brooklyn Barbecue

WHAT YOU SHOULD ORDER AT... is a recurring column designed in kind for your opinionated asses and our lazy asses. When the mood strikes, we pick one Park Slope resto and recommend our favorite dish. Are we right? Are we wrong? YOU KNOW YOU WANNA WEIGH IN. 

When I saw Morgans coming to life on Flatbush and St. Mark's in August, I wondered if the neighborhood* really needed yet another barbecue joint, with Fort Reno, Fletcher's and Dinosaur all nearby, not to mention Fette Sau in Williamsburg, and the newly opened Hometown in Red Hook. How many platters of ribs, brisket and pulled pork can one borough handle??

I can admit when I'm wrong. Morgans is authentic Texas barbecue, with pitmaster John Avila coming directly from Franklin's in Austin. All of the meat is dry-rubbed (hey now), and as with Fletcher's and Fette Sau, you order by the pound. When I stopped by in late August, they were still working on the final touches before opening, but co-owners, Brooklynite Joel Bolden and Texas transplant Chris Morgan, took time to chat with me about their plans. They emphasized that they would be all about southern hospitality, from the food to the atmosphere, and that definitely came through when I went with the fam for my birthday dinner last Friday night. The first thing you notice is the rocking chair out front, which you can kinda see in this picture:

Image from Morgans Facebook page

The waitress was super-friendly, and the atmosphere is more homey than the cavernous, chain-y feeling of Dinosaur or the too-bright Fletcher's. We ordered the ribs, brisket, mac and cheese, and casserole (the classic green bean deal). We also ordered one of each of the desserts (IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY, DAMMIT) -- a cobbler (berry? peach? I can't remember.), pecan pie (bourbon pecan?), and key lime pie. There's a reason I can only vaguely remember two of the desserts: Holy key lime pie, people! Once I had my first bite, I may have called birthday dibs on the rest of it. Everything was delicious, but the key lime pie and the brisket were my faves.  

* Yes, I know Morgan's is on the Prospect Heights side of Flatbush. Don't get your panties in a wad. You know who you are.