On holidays I scuttle out of the city into the woods of upstate New York like a cranky hermit crab seeking a quiet, once-disposed-of but always-dependable mollusk house. Sometime during this long drive toward the unchanging hometown a familiar snack craving awakens, one that will only be silenced by grits and cheese.

In those parts, as far as I know, this decadently melty, creamy, cheesy, sticks-to-your-ribs, better-than-potatos dish can only be found at Max’s Memphis BBQ. Max’s, which resembles a glowing modern temple of worship that bathes in fragrant drafts of hickory-smoked meat, stands on the outskirts of Red Hook NY (about 90 miles up the Hudson - not to be confused with its Brooklyn counterpart).

For cheap eats, you can do no better than the pulled pork sandwich ($6.95), served with succulent, sandwichable pork and raw onion and a small side salad topped with dijon viniagrette, and a half-pint of said cheese grits ($2.50). If you’re going for take-out you may want the full pint for late-night refrigerator raids. If eating in, cozy up with one of the locally-brewed Keegan Ales on tap and you’ve got a mighty dose of supremely palliative southern-influenced upstate Comfort Food.

Max’s Memphis BBQ 138 S Broadway Red Hook, NY 12571
Tues-Sun 5pm-10pm