The Hambone Opera

Ribs– 4 stars, chicken-​3 stars, pulled pork-​1 star, brisket-​0 stars. Recommend this place take pulled pork and brisket off the menu. Brisket was cut with the grain, chewie, I thought it was roast beef. So much for NJ BBQ.

My wife and I stopped at Hambone Opera today for the first time, after reading a review on Unilocal.An excellent gem and we are so pleased to have found it. Food is excellent, Chef Jeff generously offered us tasting samples before we ordered. He and his girlfriend Mary were very gracious, generous and kind to us. We will definitely go back.
Ordered 2 brisket platters with smoked beans and cole slaw. The brisket was very tender and flavorful. It was not drenched in sauce, allowing you to taste the quality of the smoky meat itself.
There are 2 choices of BBQ sauce — mild or spicy. We chose the spicy, which was very flavorful, yet not too hot.
We will become a repeat customer because of the great food and Jeff and Mary’s hospitality!

Today we stopped by the farmers market to check it out and we walked by Hambone Opera and the incredible smells pulled us in. As a southern transplant I am always in search of food that reminds me of home. Chef Jeff and his staff were super welcoming and gave us a taste test of their pulled pork, chopped chicken and baked beans. All were delicious but we selected the chicken and beans to take home for dinner. Great meal, southern approved!

I met Chef Jeff several years ago when he catered a Beer && BBQ event for Triumph Brewery in Princeton. Several years later I find myself working across the street from the Trenton Farmers’ Market where this Montgomery Township resident has setup shop.
The Hambone Opera is no frills. There is a small area nearby with tables and chairs but I generally get my meal to go.
The wood-​smoked baby backed ribs are delicious. I took home a pound and my 15 year old daughter and I packed it in.
At least once a week I stop in for a platter of brisket sandwich (I skip the large bun), smoked beans, and cole slaw.

Best in the county. Only open a few days a week, but well worth planning a Friday or Saturday visit around their schedule. Everything is smoked over a wood fire, for hours. Ribs, pulled pork, chicken, are all outstanding. Reviewed by the NY Times and described as one of (if not the absolute) best BBQ places in the state. Located in the Trenton Farmer’s Market, on Spruce Street. Help yourself condiment bar includes jalepenos, onions, pepperoncini: all the stuff one gets in Texas.
Really good; what else can I say?

Delicious pulled park sandwich, but a bit overpriced at $ 8. I can make it just as good at home for cheaper, but that’s not to say it wasn’t delicious, because it was!

Fantastic slow cooked bbq. I had the brisket, and it’s the best I’ve tasted in my life! Highly recommend.

Hambone Opera provided food for a large party that we had at home. We picked up pulled pork, brisket, beans, slaw and cornbread. Everything was delicious! Pulled pork was really moist, as was the brisket. I’m more used to sliced style brisket, but this was still tender and smoky. Slaw was nice and fresh, beans were a little spicy from some added jalapeño. Everybody raved about the cornbread, too. We’ll be back again!

I tried so many beef briskets in my life, I gave up on the fact that I liked it… until I tried it here. Man that was the beat brisket I ever had in my life!!! Not dry AT ALL and the smoky smell and taste? I’m so glad I work right around the corner from this place!!! Every Thursday, my goal is to get a beef brisket sandwich and put onions, banana peppers and pickles on top. I also don’t get WHY people love baked beans but his backed beans are to die for!!! This is a must goto place!!! So glad I bumped into it.

After reading some not-​so-​hot reviews of another nearby BBQ joint, I came across the rave reviews for The Hambone Opera. Lunch plans were set.
It helps to know that Hambone Opera has a stand in the Trenton Farmer’s Market, a fact I missed when reading through other Unilocal reviews. This also explained why they were only open until 4pm. Once at the market, we nearly walked right by the stand. I was just so excited for BBQ.
The menu was pretty basic, ribs or sandwiches. Platters came with cole slaw and baked beans. I went with the brisket sandwich platter. The brisket was pulled and covered in mild sauce on a kaiser roll. The brisket itself was very tender and juicy and didn’t really need the sauce. The cole slaw was nice and crunchy which indicated to me that it was freshly made. The beans were good but I later noticed big cans of Bush’s baked beans in the kitchen so I think they were maybe just doctored up.
At around $ 10 for my meal, I thought it was a great deal. They have a few tables and a counter and welcome you to stay there but meals are all packed to go. Don’t miss the fixins bar with homemade pickles, peppers and onions. I was happy to find something so good in Trenton.

Some of the best bbq I’ve ever had. Must go! JUST DO IT!!! Great people and clean eating station. I plan on going back next week.

Great BBQ. They served 65 people at a party at our house. Everything was a knockout (and I speak as an ex –Texan). Recommend to everybody.

Got a big mix of everything for the whole family. The bbq was delicious. Juicy, smokey and melt in your mouth tender. And the beans were the best I’ve ever had. Everyone left very full and happy.
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Had a craving for BBQ… found this place on Unilocal and LOVED it! The ribs and beans A+++++! Will be back soon!

Of all the times I’ve been here I’ve never reviewed this little gem. It’s one of my favorite things about the Trenton Farmer’s Market. The owners are some of the sweetest business owners I’ve ever dealt with and the food is out of this world. I’ve had BBQ down south in Tennessee and this rivals it! I’ll continue to come here as long as it’s open.

Without questIon, these guys have the best pulled pork or brisket or ribs you’re gonna find in the Trenton area. Add to that their special recipe for beans and cole slaw and you’re in heaven!!!

Seriously one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I have ever had. Found this place through a coworker and went twice already for lunch during the work week. Had to bring my husband to try it out and it will now be our new favorite place! So good!

Delicious and fresh– everything is perfectly prepared and served with a smile. I’m not even a big meat eater and I fiend for their brisket. My only complaint, and it’s really more of a suggestion, is that they only have cornbread on their catering menu, but they don’t serve it at the farmer’s market spot. They have typical deli tolls for sandwiches, but I like my BBQ with cornbread. Coleslaw is delicious and fresh– not a sloppy gloppy wilted mayo mess like most places. Beans are smoky spicy heaven. I love this place.

The best smoky ribs in the area. I’ve tried also the beef brisket and I would recommend it to everyone!!!

If you didn’t already have enough reasons to head to the Trenton Farmers Market (cheap produce, quirky retail establishments, the inimitable Halo store), here’s one more that’s alone worth the trip. Hambone Opera is, hands down, the best barbecue I’ve had in the Princeton area, with a friendly, family vibe. The pulled pork is flavorful and savory with a trio of worthwhile sauces; the beans are surprisingly smoky, spicy, and delicious. If you haven’t ever been to the market, lunch at the Hambone Opera is the best reason to make it part of your weekend routine.

By Central TX standards, this place is very good (hence the 4*‘s). For NJ, it is outstanding! Best bbq I have had north of the Red River and that is a very big complement.
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Haven’t tried the ribs yet, but I am guessing they are as wonderful as the brisket.
Sides are very tasty and creative.
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This place is worth driving past Famous Dave’s for.

I had pulled pork and baked beans from Hambone Opera today. They were both FANTASTIC!
Pulled pork was nice and moist and extremely tasty. The baked beans had great smoky taste and a bit of kick to it from a bit of jalapeño pepper mixed into it. It was delicious!
I highly recommend this place!

If you haven’t checked smoke chef Jeff’s barbecue yet, what are you waiting for? Try smoked brisket, sweet pulled pork, cole slaw that’s not from SAMs club, and smoked beans make this place the only one for barbq in this area! Thanks for the flavor :-)

This is a stand at the Trenton Farmers Market. I ordered some take out and was pleased with the results. I had an excellent brisket sandwich and an order of ribs. The ribs were smoky and moist without being greasy or overly wet. In, brief the kind of ribs I tend to like best. The brisket was flavorful and comparatively lean. I plan to go back and try more items.