Best Wings, Pizza, BBQ & Beer in USA? A Northeast Food & Drink Roadtrip (2024)

With an 8am departure from Philadelphia, this tavern would fall perfectly into a lunch slot. It was a rainy and deplorable Tuesday outside and cozying up in this tavern with a French onion soup and order of renowned wings is just what the doctor ordered.

What makes these wings special? The preparation process was accidentally developed by a patron who, as the story goes, was often so sociable that his wings would get cold waiting for him at his table. He’d request they get tossed back into the fryer and a sauced a second time, which turned out to be a great combo. The second round of preparations created a fall off the bone wing and a crystallization of the hot sauce.

 

Personally I found the wings to be very good, but they wouldn’t top my best wings in America list. My wing obsessed friends have lead me to many wing joints over the years. In the Philadelphia area, Tavern on the Hill, Union Jacks in Glenside, and Tin Pan Alley in Huntington Valley would all share in the conversation of best wings. I think J Timothy’s would be in the same conveseration, but I’d ultimately prefer some of these competitors.

 

The decor in the pub was fantastic and I’d love to spend an entire night, late into the evening, with friends here. I hope to come back again, especially to give these wings an additional try.

 

 

 

Now THIS is a brewery. Oh my goodness.

 

Tree House is the kind of place that, if you’re anywhere remotely close to the area, you stop and you get enough for your friends as well. I have been lucky enough to be a receipient of Tree House beers by such generous friends. But I’d never experienced the brewery for myself.

 

This place channels some of the vibes I’ve gotten from places like Sierra Nevada brewing in North Carolina. It’s a bit of a spectacle to experience. It’s a large open concept. You can see the brewing tanks, have drafts, and even play pinball for free in a room furnished by the local pinball enthusiasts group.

 

Unfortunately this place gets so busy that you are limited to 2 (weekends) to 3 (weekdays) beers per visit and they strongly encourage to-go orders be placed in advance on the day you are intending to visit. The beer is great, the ambiance is great, the service is great — but you have a short limit to enjoy any of it. It’s a machine. It’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s worth it.

 

I’ll be back!

 

 

 

When I was researching Tree House Brewery in Charlton, many people recommended a stop at B.T. Smokehouse just down the road. A good BBQ spot always gets my attention and I couldn’t resist, even still full from my J Timothy wing experience.

 

At a new BBQ spot, I often like to sample as many of the meats as possible and the BBQ sauces. But when I saw the Brisket Reuben on the menu, I immediately made an exception and I am so glad I did.

 

This sandwich features brisket, swiss cheese, cole slaw, and pickled rye sauce on honey wheat bread.

 

I wish I was eating this sandwich right now. Among everything I ate on this road trip, which included many much more touted foods (such as the best wings in America at J. Timothy’s Tavern and New Haven style pizza at Frank Pepe’s), this was my favorite item.

 

The BBQ sauces I found a little sweet, but the sandwich didn’t need them whatsoever. I also regret being too full to try to any of the side items on the menu — which some would argue, is the best part of eating bbq.

 

In any case, between BT and Tree House, what a one-two combo.

 

I liked the casual ambiance here and the fact that the trash can was labeled “Boneyard” was also a nice touch.

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New Haven style pizza is an institution. While there are lots of great spots, there are 3 spots that are consistently in the discussion: Frank Pepe’s, Sally’s Apizza and Modern.

 

Having read several books about pizza over the years, in connection with my responsibilities as a pizza reviewer for the Wildwood Pizza Tour, I had heard the names of these pizzerias in the past. Pepe’s on Wooster Street is popularly considered the original New Haven spot and, in a documentary I skimmed, the New Haven pizzeria that my hero Henry Winkler, the Fonz, recommends! Say no more!

 

Trying to delay dinner as late as possible after crippling overindulgence and J. Timothy’s Tavern and B.T.’s Smokehouse earlier in the day, I walked into Pepe’s at 9:15 on a Tuesday night.

 

I ordered the classic pizza with mozzarella. On a cold, rainy New Haven night, a hot pizza from the Pepe’s coal fired oven really hit the spot.

 

 

Frank Pepe’s original skills came from being a baker, so the dough is one of the highlights. In the coal fired oven, it gets a bit of a chewyness and char.

 

If I’m being honest, I didn’t find this pizza particularly unique compared to other coal fired pizzas I’ve had over the years, but the ingredients are very good and it is done well. I imagine this place is very consistent in its preparation. As much as I love delivery, this feels like a pizza you have to eat in the restaurant right out of the oven for best results.

 

I should also note that the Foxon Park Diet Cola, served in Pepe’s since 1925 according to the menu, was surprisingly excellent — a highly unlikely possibility in my experience sampling colas made by companies I don’t recognize.

 

I questioned if I could possibly eat all three of New Haven’s most famous pizzerias in one night and that was not even remotely a possibility by the end of this day…but I can’t wait to get back and try the others some time in the future.

 

While in New Haven, I spotted some other food spots such as Louis’ Lunchbox (the proclaimed inventor of the burger??). It’s a tiny old place and it really intrigues me. New Haven seems like a good food town. I also had two excellent local IPAs at the Trinity bar — an Irish spot not far from Pepe’s.