Big Easy Bar.B.Q & Crabshack - Chelsea

You're walking into something that feels like New Orleans decided to set up shop in Chelsea, all dark wood and that particular kind of loud that means people are having a laugh. The ribs are the real deal—fall-off-the-bone tender, proper smoky—and they're not messing about with the crab either. It's the sort of place where you'll end up with sauce on your shirt and not regret it one bit. King's Road location means it pulls a proper mix: suit-and-tie types mixing with actual locals who know their way round a platter of pulled pork. The cocktails are solid, the beer list is decent, and service manages to be friendly without being precious about it.