Black Bear BBQ, Blacktown

MEEEEEEEAT! Got a craving for good ol American Texas style barbecue? Black Bear BBQ run by pit masters Ben Huppatz, Glen Ellis and Haydn Graham has got you covered!  I’ve been dying to visit but they’re not open on the weekends and I wasn’t going to risk travelling all the way out to Blacktown on a Friday night for hour long queues haha but the stars aligned when I had a week of funemployment and Raff and I drove off one fine Monday morning!

The area has an industrial zone vibe and driving past row upon row of smash repairers with cars and spare parts piled all haphazardly, I had such low expectations about eating barbecue in this area but oh how I was wrong! As soon as we exited the car, the heady scent of sweet sweet barbecue enveloped my senses.

Soon.

Slicing the brisket! Heh look at that grin, he knows my earth is about to be shattered.

Oh baby oh baby

We ordered a Beef Short Rib box ($25) and added an extra Chicken Maryland (I think this was $10… sorry terrible memory) instead of getting the chicken box deal ($15) knowing we needed to save stomach space and not let anything go to waste. All the boxes come with a side of slaw, pickles and potato chips. The skin on the chicken was so crisp and the meat so succulent my eyes closed involuntarily. I would’ve liked a bit more smoky flavour on the chicken but it was still ace!

That beef short rib though. I mean, look at that beauty! Look at that gorgeous smoke ring! So succulent, so juicy! Insert all the superlatives! The short rib was just incredible, tender enough that it could be cut with a spoon, and don’t get me started on the glorious pockets of creamy, buttery fat. And the bark! The bark had this incredibly intense almost candy like flavour with a black pepper bite, that made my eyes roll to the heavens and want to weep with joy. It was, dare I say it, almost on par with my fave barbecue joint in Texas- La Barbecue <3

The Hungry Bear Box ($25) comes with brisket, link sausage and pork belly. Barbecue nirvana. Slabs of sweet, deliciously fatty pork belly all a-quiver were phenomenonal and the thickly sliced brisket was so tender it threatened to fall off my fork before reaching my razor sharp teeth keen on masticating and being absorbed into my life force.

But the link sausage stole my heart in this box, it had a great smoky flavour and was so incredibly juicy especially with the surprise pockets of cheese waiting to be freed from their sausage prison and run into the sunset to my waiting stomach.

With Hughes Barbecue recently closing, I’d say Black Bear BBQ is the best barbecue in Sydney and well worth the drive!

PS. Dear Black Bear BBQ, please open on the weekend! Love, Suze

Black Bear BBQ
27 Forge Street
Blacktown NSW

Trading Hours:
Mon – Thurs: 6am – 2pm (or sold out)
Fri: 6:00 – 14:00, 18:30 – until sold out
Sat & Sun: CLOSED