I'll be in NYC this weekend for a few days with a friend and my 7 month old. I would love to have dinner at Dinosaur BBQ at 131st St and 12th Ave, but as soon as DH and my travel partner both heard 'Harlem', they squashed that idea flat.
The directions on the website say the restaurant is under the Riverside Drive Bridge, south of Fairway Market and north of Cotton Club.
Can anyone familiar with this area give me some feedback on the general safety of the neighborhood? We'll most likely be in a taxi going to and from.
Thanks!

The neighborhood is a bit sketchy, but only because there is not a lot of foot traffic - it is by a big intersection of the West Side Highway and 125th Street, the Fairway supermarket has a big parking lot, and there is a gas station and some warehouses - very little retail. there is another good restaurant/jazz club up the avenue (Hudson Terrace or something like that) that does a late night business, but most people arrive by car. It can seem dark and forbidding, but really only if you are unfamiliar with the area. But the supermarket is busy from 7:00AM to 10PM at night, and Dinosaur is quite popular. But you'll be fine if you take a cab to and from the restaurant - after your meal, if you wait for a cab right in front of the restaurant, one will eventually come. I might also take a car service phone number w/ me (like Carmel or dial 7 or allstate) just in case. The restaurant staff might help you get a cab too, if they are not too busy, but I wouldn't count on that.

I'm curious as to why you want to go to Dinosaur - are you from Syracuse? As the spouse of a huge BBQ aficianado, dinosaur is OK, but I think Blue Smoke, Daisy Mae's and Hill Country are MUCH better (and more convenient to midtown/downtown!)

Thanks - actually, only because I had a cookbook from the Syracuse location way before they were ever in NYC, back from college days. But I will definitely check out your other suggestions instead - I appreciate it!

yeah, I thought there might be something like that - I really don't think it's worth a special trip - we stop at dinosaur when we're shopping at Fairway or if we're driving by - but it's not worth much effort. If you're from Texas, and craving BBQ, I would REALLY recommend Hill Country - it's not Kreutz's but it's close . . .

Even for someone unfamiliar with the area, especially by taxi, you should have no hesitation. There are several upscale restaurants on those formerly derelict blocks.
Fairway Market, a place with a pretty upscale clientele has a large attended parking lot (attended so restaurant patrons can't use it) right across the street. There's a also a new park area with a pier on the Hudson River (that you can get to by walking through the parking lot).
By the way, the place gets crowded, even for weekend lunches, so make a reservation ASAP if you're even thinking about it.

I checked Hill Country's website and OMG they have Blue Bell Ice Cream!! I now have a new destination!!!

It is perfectly safe to go to Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem. It is crowded and without reservations it can be a long wait. As with any other part of NYC common sense will keep you safe.

As others have said, yes, it's safe; no, don't go without reservations.

Hill Country gets pretty crowded, so you might want to go early - and I guess if you're toting a 7 month old, you might want to avoid the live music, but for the most part, that's all downstairs. Enjoy yourself - get the ribs and brisket. And the beans are great.

we strolled around Harlem - i liked the area, some beautiful architecture
busy bustling with people...didnt feel unsafe at all!

Just a word about some recent inquiries about "safe areas". Yes - it is true that some areas do have a higher crime rate than others. But if you examine the details of those crimes you will note that they are generally crimes committed by people who know each other - within families, neighbors with some sort of vendetta - that sort of thing. There are hardly any reports of crimes against casual visitors to the areas - which is what concerns the inquiries we see. We do recall that some 25 years or so ago - there was higher incidence of crimes against strangers - muggings, etc. That's just not the case nowadays.

I have gone to the Harlem Dino since it opened. AND have walked "back" several times as well. Never any problems. The subway is right there as well, with only a couple block walk.

I've also eaten in Daisy Mae's and I happen to like Dino better.

They have fantastic greens and fried green tomatoes.

What I love about Dino is they have small, medium, and large rib portions so for me there is that rational portion in the middle. I love ribs.

you should not hesitate at all to go there because of safety, and cabs come and go from their location all the time because it is so popular with people downtown, and even the bridge and tunnel crowd. I also agree with jroth. NYC is extremely safe.