First bites: Cody's BBQ, Riverhead

Cody’s BBQ & Grill, new to Riverhead, looks to be as much about scene as it is about ‘cue. Perhaps more. On a recent week night, the outdoor bar was jam-packed with a sociable crowd taking advantage of happy hour (two-for-one cocktails and half price appetizers).

At a deck table overlooking the parking lot, my dinner began on a promising note with smoky, crusty “burnt endz” ($12.95) -  chopped brisket ends with barbecue sauce and crispy-wispy “tumbleweed” fried onions. Depth of flavor, however, was missing from a combo comprising 1/3 rack of St. Louis-style ribs and half a BBQ chicken ($22.95). Accompaniments — ok coleslaw and cooked-to-a-paste mac and cheese —  were humdrum. And while a pulled pork sandwich ($11.95) had smokiness, the  meat was dry in some places, fatty in others.

Barbecue is an ephemeral art; what's perfect one day can be mediocre the next and vice versa.

Cody’s BBQ & Grill is at 65 E. Main St., Riverhead

Above: "Burnt endz" at Cody's, Riverhead