Bodean’s, Muswell Hill

The neighbourhood of Muswell Hill is one that few people visit unless they live there. Given that it’s so near to Alexandra Palace, the only visitors it tends to receive are when people get lost on their way to the darts. It’s possibly something to do with the fact that it is at the top of a large hill, the closest thing that London has to a mountaintop village. Except for small huts and yaks, it has a Boots and a Pizza Express. It’s a very charming area, very green and leafy and now home to the latest branch of Bodean’s, the barbecue outlet.

The branch is very easy to find, near to the broadway and has a very pleasant intimate atmosphere. My companion and I started off with a respective choice of the smoked chicken quesadilla and the Bodean’s Nachos Supreme, which came with grilled cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa and jalapeño peppers. My companion was exceedingly enthusiastic about her choice, praising the depth of flavour in the meat and the abundance of cheese that managed to be generous but yet without making eating too much of a sloppy spectacle. The nachos were pretty reasonable although no more than that. It’s hard to mess up combining all you need for this dish, although some places I have visited have gone out of their way to do so.

For the main course, my companion and I set our sights on taming the Boss Hog Platter. Essentially a greatest hits of the rest of the menu, this featured burnt ends, pulled pork, ribs, smoked sausage and chicken. The quality of the meat was fantastic, and it came in unrelenting piles, all tessellated perfectly. My particular favourite was the pulled pork, the texture of which was wonderful, along with the chicken which had been expertly prepared. Unfortunately, it proved to be too much for my companion and I, but we were able to leave with enough leftovers to possibly pass onto our grandchildren.

We finished up the meal by sharing a bowl of honeycomb and vanilla ice cream, which was the ideal way to round of what was a very accomplished meal. Muswell Hill can be an uneasy place for a barbecue joint to find itself but Bodean’s has enough charm and quality to make sure that it finds a good home in these parts.

Bodean’s
348 Muswell Hill Broadway,
Muswell Hill
N10 1DJ