There are a bunch of reasons to appreciate Fette Sau, the Williamsburg barbecue spot housed in a former auto shop on Metropolitan Ave. There’s the casual, loft-like vibe of the place, with its communal picnic tables, scruffy staffers and industrial-rustic décor. There’s the excellent Red Hook-brewed Six Point Righteous Rye on tap, along with a handful of of other good beers that run a modest $5 a pint. There’s the fact that it’s a rare northeastern barbecue spot that eschews Southern-themed trappings like pictures of Mississippi barbecue shacks on the walls or expressions like “hush yo’ mouth” on the menu. And of course there’s the barbecue itself, which is generally quite good and occasionally excellent. (For example, a pork chop we ate there over a year ago and still think about. The pastrami’s good too.)
It’s the sausages, though, that earn Fette Sau a place in the Brokavore’s miserly heart. Fat links with smoke-burnished skins and a Berkshire pork pedigree, they have a deep, fennel-flecked flavor that resembles an Italian sausage. (Note: ignore anyone who tells you this is “inauthentic” and would not be served in Texas.) And they run a mere $2.50 apiece, making them a fine deal on an unbeatable bar snack when combined with a pillowy potato roll (and, if you’re inclined, one of the uninspiring barbecue sauces). To that end, an important detail here is that they’re served after the kitchen shuts down at 11 p.m. The price bumps slightly to $3, though you can get two for $5. And you probably should. Though you could also opt to combine one link and one of the diminutive-but-not-skimpy pulled pork sandwiches that make up the other half of the late-night menu, which go for the same friendly price.
Fette Sau, 354 Metropolitan Ave., 718-963-3404.