Percy Street BBQ: Will Philly Bite on Texas BBQ?

So what, in the end, have these barbecue-seekers found?

“You can’t take Philadelphia out of it,” Erin says in the van on our way back to Dallas. “It’s got to be for Philly.” She’s already considering how to massage Smitty’s brisket into shape for the city’s palates, and, maybe more to the point, the feel of Percy Street into something we want. She’s adamant about being genuine, but she knows the city’s diners will demand not only salt, but also table service, a drink list, and the option of making reservations. Perhaps even clean walls. There’s a limit to how Texas we’ll go.

After three days of eating Texas barbecue, I still don’t really love it. I still don’t really get it — is the one thing missing from our culinary scene really … Texas barbecue? Then again, though Zahav’s unique Israeli cuisine makes it seem like a no-brainer now, the concept wasn’t so obvious before the success. That’s the point — you won’t know until you try. In the end, “authentic” is a perception, one Cook and Solomonov and O’Shea have to believe in before they can create it for the rest of Philadelphia. So, mission accomplished. Whether enough of the city walks through Percy Street’s doors to realize This is exactly what we needed … we’re about to find out.