REVIEW: JOHNSON’S BARBECUE, Tannersville
JOHNSON’S BARBECUE, TANNERSVILLE
Tannersville Boathouse, 27 Lake Road, Tannersville, New York | johnsonsbarbecue.com | IG: @johnsons.barbecue
Industry contributor: Dimity Jones
DISHING TAKEAWAY: After popping up all over Hudson last year, this year the wood-smoked Kansas City-meets-Central Texas Johnson’s Barbecue has a semi-permanent home at a lakeside Catskill dive bar in Tannersville. Doesn’t get better—or more upstate—than this. Using local wood in their Meadow Creek offset smoker, the Johnsons are serious about low-and-slow ‘cue.
Hours: Dive bar hours from 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday + Sunday; BBQ Counter 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or until sold out Saturday + Sunday.
We like it for: Drop in for a meat plate (served with bread pickles + sauce) on your drive to Kaaterskill Falls or Mountaintop Arboretum. A must-stop for lakeside relaxation: Eat brisket by the lake.
Must try: The fatty brisket; half chicken, ribs, pulled pork + homemade sausages. But don’t sleep on the chef-crafted sides: street corn inspired by Mexican street markets or cornbread with honey miso butter and sea salt. This is old school BBQ with New School sides. And try all the scratch-made sauces each with a distinctly different flavor.
Vibe: Relaxed. Summer Camp. Think 1950’s borscht belt. Great music, cold drinks. Easy, laid back + fun.
Style: Leans into casual, lakeside, camp aesthetic that feels both retro boy scout lodge and local hangout.
Service: Order at the counter, seat yourself, bus your own trays.
Good to know: Send a DM on Instagram or email hello@johnsonsbarbecue.com to pre-order!
Inside/outside? Dive bar in The Boathouse + lakeside seating
Parking: Onsite
INDUSTRY REVIEW: “With over 35 combined years cooking in some of New York City's most acclaimed restaurants—and building their own business in London—pitmaster-Chef Tadd + Chef Daisy Johnson bring a rare depth of experience to every plate. At its heart, Johnson's BBQ is grounded in Chef Tadd's Wichita Kansas roots, where great barbecue has always been about smoke, salt, pepper, patience, and tradition.
The result is old-school elevated by a distinctly modern point of view. Time-honored barbecue techniques meet refined culinary instincts, with thoughtfully crafted vegetable sides (like the little gem salad with toasted pumpkin seeds) and seasonal ingredients that push beyond expectation. It's barbecue that feels both familiar and entirely fresh—deeply satisfying, endlessly craveable, and unmistakably chef-driven.
Set against the backdrop of the Catskill Mountains, where brisket is best enjoyed by the lake, Johnson's Barbecue is redefining what barbecue can be: This is New School BBQ in Tannersville, New York.” - Dimity Jones, food stylist + creative director, Dimityjones.com
