The Infamous Chicken;



Brooks House of Barbeque, Oneonta,NY.



The main problem faced with living in upstate, is there is never really anything to do. We don’t have any “claim to fames” or anyone famous from here. (Unless you go over a couple towns and by that I mean a few hours!) However, each summer the small towns surrounding Cooperstown are flooded with baseball families, and so attractions come about. There are the seasonal dream parks, and seasonal restaurants and what not, but what about all the people that are left for the rest of the year? We have found many ways to entertain ourselves, and made restaurants last outside the “busy” season. The most famous place around is Brook’s House of Barbeque. Nearly everyone around for two hours has eaten there, and can agree that it is just delectable!

Brooks wasn’t originally a restaurant. Griffin Brooks married Francis McClelland, who both graduated in the 1940’s from Delhi College. (Brooks in animal husbandry and McClelland in food management) They soon after bought her father’s poultry farm in Stamford, NY. In 1951 Frances began her own catering business from her home, where they raised chickens for meat and eggs. This started with just a few catering opportunities, but by the mid 1950’s it grew to be accommodating most catering jobs in the area, including Saturday night barbeques at their farm stand from April to mid-September. Frances and Griffin long dreamed of owning their own restaurant, and have two very successful seasons of operating a concession stand at a local business enabled them to do that. Their first restaurant opened on June 10, 1961 very close to their current location. By 1965 Brooks realized that it needed a much more spacious area to accommodate their quickly grown fame. They then moved to their current location. In 1975 Frances and Griffin sold it to their son John and his wife Joan, and in 2005 they sold it to their son Ryan and his wife Beth.

Every time I’ve ever been to Brooks it was wonderful. You can always count on that same taste you’ve always had. Every meal comes with complimentary loafs of bread and countless sides of the famous Brooks Barbeque Sauce. I almost always get the half a chicken and a baked potato. The salad bar is also simplistically phenomenal. The prices are relatively cheap and everything you get is great! They cook everything in their charcoal barn, which contains the largest charcoal pit on the entire East side of the country. It is38 feet in length, and just about always running. You can smell the scent of their chicken cooking in the air when you get close enough!

I’m aware that everyone has different taste buds. I myself know a handful of people who don’t like it. Another problem that is frequent nearly all year round is the business. If you don’t go at the right time, you are almost positive to find yourself waiting in a line to be seated. It’s never tremendously long, and usually moves at a steady pace. However, if you’re not into the” hustle and bustle” of a large, loud restaurant, than this probably wouldn’t be your choice.

People from all over have been to this restaurant. They, throughout the years have kept their original style and décor. It really sets the chicken barbeque mood. They have held countless famous people while coming through the area for whatever reason. I encourage all to go and try this restaurant. It is located off of exit 16, on route seven in Oneonta, NY near Price Chopper.

In case you don’t trust my taste buds, you should check out Rachel Ray’s video of when she visited on her show '$40 a Day', and listen to her review of her experience below!