Addy’s is the spot with food from Minnesota and Kenya
You’ll know you arrived at Addy’s Barbeque in Edison when you spot the smoker in the strip mall parking lot.
That’s where owner and chef Addy Khan smokes the Halal barbecue fusion restaurant’s chicken, jerk chicken, brisket, burnt ends and ribs.
“I wanted to smoke meats but I didn’t want to do it like everyone else with the wood chips and artificial fire, so I did it in the parking lot,” Khan said. “This way, we can use real wood to smoke meats.”
But American-style barbecue is far from the only style of food found at the four-year-old restaurant. The simple, wood-paneled 60-seat spot is a comfort food haven, serving meaty dishes from all over the map.
Those looking for savory and indulgent dishes can find everything from East African-style street food mishkaki, which is marinated and grilled meat kabobs; a Minnesota-inspired burger with four cheeses stuffed inside a beef patty; country fried chicken served alongside mashed potatoes and gravy; fries tossed in Indian-inspired masala; and Asian bubble tea.
The menu reflects Khan’s own international career. He grew up in Kenya, studied math and physics in India, became a chef in Ireland, and married a woman from New Jersey. He lives in Metuchen.
In East Africa, mishkaki is served alongside sauces. But when Khan began serving chicken and beef mishkaki at Addy’s, he noticed that many people skipped the sauces. So he incorporated
them into the dishes.
“I reinvented the dish by mixing in the sauces and instead of serving it on skewers,” Khan said. “I served it sizzling and it took off. Even people from East Africa prefer it this way because it’s all in there.”
Addy’s also serves a rendition of the Juicy Lucy burger, a Minnesota staple with American cheese inside the beef patty. The patty is stuffed with four cheeses — Monterey jack, cheddar, mozzarella and American — and is also
topped with melted cheese and onion rings.
Although most American burgers feature toppings, East African foods feature sauces – which is why many Addy’s Barbeque burgers can get their kicks from sauces rather than toppings
The Amarillo burger at Addy’s is doused in a creamy mushroom sauce, and the blackened Cajun burger features a sweet and sour sauce and Cajun spices.
Khan also makes his own version of
chili with Middle Eastern, Asian and African spices that’s used atop the chili cheeseburger.
“I’m at a stage where I can make recipes in my sleep,” Khan said.
Once Khan moved to the Garden State in 2015, he opened Addy’s Barbeque in Teaneck and in Astoria, New York. Both of those restaurants have closed, but the smoker shows no sign of going cold in Edison.
“New York is very busy and too fast for me, but I think Edison is nice,” Khan said. “There are so many different types of people here. My food is for everyone – it just needed the right exposure.”
Go: 3 Stephenville Parkway, Edison; 732-906-9999, addysbarbeque.com.