You know you’re getting closer when the unmistakable smell of BBQ meat is wafting down the street. It’s a nondescript street in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. It’s lunchtime on Sunday and the smoky smell is making you hungrier.
At Melt BBQ, we stuck (mostly) to the beef side of the menu. My friend who made us promise to hit this restaurant when we were in Paris, said the beef cheek confit was not to be missed (and she was right). Frank got the brisket –for him, good brisket is the sign of good barbecue. We added an order of Thai wings, just because. Currently they don’t have baked beans, greens or many traditional sides, so we settled on cornbread and coleslaw.
Both the brisket and beef cheeks melted in your mouth. Nice smoky flavor and tender meat. The barbecue sauce that went with both was really good–tangy and (for France) a nice spicy kick. Not gloppy and ketchup-flavored like it sometimes can be.
The BBQ beef cheeks made me miss my smoker, and inspired me to think about slowly braising them in a marinade in the fall, when I might feel like turning on the stove/oven again.
The Thai wings were good, but not great. They were big, but a little tough and stringy. There was a nice sauce with lots of garlic and cilantro to dip them in. This might be the American in me, but I’ve found that the better chickens, farm raised, free range, etc, tend to have long scrawny legs and wings—too much free ranging! Give me a couch potato chicken any day—juicy thighs and legs.
The cornbread was delicious. Imagine classic American cornbread made with and topped with French salted butter. What’s not to love? Coleslaw was okay, could have used more vinegar/flavor. Someone’s potatoes at the next table looked really good.
We will have to go back, as the pork and chicken sides of the menu beckon. Pulled pork, smoked chicken, ribs etc are waiting for our next visit.
There are a few Melt BBQ locations throughout Paris. My friend said to be sure to go to Melt Oberkampf because it’s their sit-down restaurant and luckily for us, enough of a walk from the hotel to burn some of it off.
MELT OBERKAMPF
74 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011 Paris
Tél : 09 81 36 42 76
Definitely! The beef cheeks are pretty amazing!
Our trip to Paris together! I love a good BBQ!