The Best BBQ in Washington D.C.
The Best BBQ You Can Find in Washington D.C.
This week’s guest article is written by John Tanner, founder of John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog. John is based in Washington, D.C., and has been writing about barbecue joints, events, and notable people in BBQ since 2015. Today we are featuring his newest write-up about the Washington BBQ scene. If you would like to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.
Barbecue has taken off in Washington, D.C. When I arrived in 1974, the only way to get good barbecue was to make it yourself, as I did annually on Independence Day. Or you would head South. "Barbecue" places cooked with ovens or pots rather than over brick pits fired with hickory. Even at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the cafeteria initially served items like Bison with Chutney on a Brioche Roll and, even worse, "Lexington Barbecue" with a thick sweet sauce.
Since 2018, this BBQ desert has bloomed. There is genuinely good barbecue in the Washington area at places you wouldn't be ashamed to take a friend from Texas or Tennessee. Enough to make a list of "Best BBQ Joints" with a clear conscience.
The smoked meats at 2fifty are simply incredible. (Photo via 2fifty / Facebook)
Rather than listing them No. 1 through 5, I will instead sort them by category. Pork shoulders and beef brisket and pork ribs are entirely different foods, like apples and oranges — only tastier. How would you create a list of the best noodle-based dishes? It’s hard to rank, say, a brisket place against ribs place.
Brisket That Can Compete with Texas
Most barbecue places in the Washington area cook brisket, but no one does it as well or as consistently as 2fifty (originally 2fifty Texas BBQ). When Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn asked, "Has Texas Barbecue Peaked?" he might have been thinking of 2fifty. Debby Portillo and Fernando Gonzales, along with Debby's father, Samuel, have created a place that serves the best Texas-style brisket not only in Washington but well beyond. They also grind and cook the best sausages around. Really, they do just about everything well.
The pits at 2fifty are massive. (Photo by John Tanner)
But the brisket is the restaurant’s true glory. And to think, it was in 2019 that as recent immigrants from El Salvador, they started a pop-up on Sundays in a pizza place with a big custom smoker outside. Now they have a permanent location, a space in D.C. at Union Market, and they've taken over that pizza place. 2fifty now has two humongous smokers that stay busy to meet demand.
The brisket at Ruthie's All-Day is fancy and good. (Photo via Ruthie's All-Day / Facebook)
Ruthie's All-Day is another restaurant at which I've uniformly great brisket. Matt Hill has brisket down pat. Ruthie's is a full-service restaurant, where you can get a range of wood-grilled meats and fish, from steaks to octopus, and just about anything else you want. Managed expertly by Ron Sonderman, Ruthie's provides a broad spectrum of delicious and meticulously prepared meals, well, all day. My wife Nancy loved their salmon, and my friend Al Hudson was just bragging on their shrimp and biscuits ... but don't forget the brisket.
Mouthwatering Wood-Fired Pork
Joe and Mandy Neuman started Sloppy Mama's with a food truck in 2014 and moved to a former Pizza Hut in Arlington in 2018. I weep for the years I lost before I heard of them. Sloppy Mama's was the first place in the D.C. area to cook exclusively with wood (oak), and the Neumans have as a good claim to making the best pork barbecue in town as anyone — possibly the best claim.
Sloppy Mama's does great pulled pork and much more. (Photo via Sloppy Mama's BBQ / Facebook)
But Sloppy Mama's does much more. They have a fine moist brisket, good sausage, and turkey, and I once lucked upon a daily special, sensational barbacoa that could make burnt ends weep with envy.
Sloppy Mama's competition for best pork comes from the Federalist Pig's Fedmobile. The Federalist Pig folks have a brick-and-mortar location in the Adams Morgan section of D.C. (as well as other well-regarded non-barbecue places), but the barbecue at their stationary food truck in suburban Hyattsville is head and shoulders higher. The Fedmobile and its wood-fired cooker sit in a parking lot, along with some picnic tables, and I'm convinced that cooking with wood is what makes the difference.
The pork sandwich at Federalist Pig's Fedmobile is excellent. (Photo via Federalist Pig / Facebook)
Most recently from the Fedmobile, I had a big pork sandwich with the best Eastern North Carolina sauce in town, one that you could make money selling in North Carolina. Hats off to chef Rob Sonderman and co-owner Steve Salis. They own other highly regarded restaurants, but Washington owes them a special debt of gratitude for that wood burner.
Big, Meaty, and Smoky Ribs
I haven't said anything about ribs. Just about everyone offers ribs, but none can top the big meaty ribs at Rolling Rib Part II in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. They're cooked over hickory, just as ribs should be. It gives the tender meat a great bark and a lovely smoke-and-pork flavor. Ivory Davis, Jr. and Ivory III know what they're doing.
The ribs at Rolling Rib Part II are worth ordering ahead for. (Photo via Jeremy Royer / Instagram)
Two important things: order ahead. If you walk up, the wait can approach an hour. I can spend an hour chatting with other customers, and my wife can wait for her delicious smoked chicken while sitting in the car reading. Your patience may differ. And don't try to order after November 6, or you'll have to wait until March to get your order.
If you want the best ribs during the winter months, you have to head just across the D.C. metro area boundary to tiny Mechanicsville in Southern Maryland. The tiny Smokehouse BBQ Shack (which opens back up in February) offers big, meaty ribs with a good oak wood flavor and the best Pit Beef. Paul Thompson and Melinda will keep you fed and feeling like locals.
Here's to the growing Washington barbecue scene. At this rate, I'll be able to do a legitimate top 10 list in no time.
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To keep in touch with John’s travels, click “follow” on John Tanner’s front page to receive his blog posts in your inbox. Or bookmark his site and check-in from time to time. If you’re planning a trip, you can “Search” the name of the destination city, state, or country for good restaurants. And stick around for news, all manner of recipes, hotel reviews, the occasional book or movie review, and fine arts and architecture commentary. Comments, questions, and suggestions of places to eat or stories to cover are welcome. And check out John’s Instagram page as well.
John Tanner
Founder, John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog
The City of Roanoke has partnered with Chop Shop to host the 2022 “For the Love of BBQ Pitmaster Showcase.” This event is a guaranteed hot date for your valentine! Tickets are $85 and include unlimited bites from over 20 top-rated pitmasters, an event t-shirt, live music, cooking classes, and more. Learn more about the event.
—The Texas Monthly BBQ Fest is back this year, but will be hosted in Lockhart.—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Texas Monthly’s huge annual BBQ Fest has been hosted in Austin for more than 10 years. But in 2022, the event will move to Lockhart for the first time and take place on November 5-6. “I think it’s just overdue to change things up a bit,” Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn told the Austin American-Statesman. “The biggest impetus for the move was the fact that we wanted to make it more than just a one-event celebration and to do that we needed a bigger venue. And what better venue than the Barbecue Capital of Texas.” READ MORE.
Owlbear Barbecue, often ranked as one of the best BBQ operations in Denver, closed its doors for good this past weekend. Despite the reputation, the joint struggled to make the margins work with still-crazy-high meat and food prices. There were also sourcing issues, with the brisket company that Owlbear originally used going out of business during the pandemic. "It was a long time coming.," owner Karl Fallenius told Westword. "It was a hard decision to come to, but the biggest issue was food cost. … I love Owlbear, but I'm looking forward to not being stressed all the time." READ MORE.
Kansas City, which is home to great new-ish craft BBQ joints, has another exciting new barbecue option – Wolfepack BBQ at Callsign Brewing in North Kansas City. Pitmaster and owner Jared Wolfe previously worked as a pitmaster for Scott’s Kitchen, Jousting Pigs, and Fox & Fire before starting his own operation. Wolfe plans to offer high-quality craft BBQ but also experiment. “There are twenty different ways to make a potato salad—why not have some fun?” Wolfe told Kansas City Magazine. “We’re going to keep pumping out fresh stuff, and we’re going to have fun with it. We want it to be an experience every time.” READ MORE.
Miami’s BBQ scene continues to heat up. Its newest option is Smoke & Dough, where American BBQ gets infused with Latin American and Caribbean flavors. Owner Harry Coleman’s menu items include: “Brisket with Cuban espresso coffee rub. Mexican barbacoa style beef cheek empanadas. A ‘timba’ sausage (named after the cheese-and-guava paste two-bite snack) made with savory guava. And even a smoked fish dip spiced with Peruvian aji amarillo peppers.” READ MORE.
Post oak or mesquite? Pecan or hickory? Texas Monthly's Daniel Vaughn spoke to Texas pitmasters to get their vaunted opinions on which woods make the best smoked meats. READ MORE.
The quality of barbecue available to the residents of Katy, Texas is about to improve considerably. Roegels Barbecue will soon open its second location in the west Houston suburb following acclaim at its first location. READ MORE.
ADDITIONAL READS
Here’s a look inside Southern Foodways Alliance’s decades-long effort to build a barbecue trail.
After years of waiting, Meat Mitch Barbecue opens in Leawood’s revamped Ranch Mart North.
The Kansas City BBQ Festival will return to the parking lot of Arrowhead Stadium in May.
The Houston Chronicle’s Greg Morago writes about what it was like to attend Texas’ exclusive Camp Brisket.
Texas Monthly recently shared a guide to where to find the best barbecue in Dallas.
Here’s everything you need to know about brisket, according to Tasting Table.
When it comes to cuts of beef in barbecue, there are winners and losers.
Floresville barbecue restaurant Two Sawers BBQ recently closed, citing rising rent and meat costs.
Hudson Valley pitmaster Ed Randolph won another prize at the Poolside BBQ Battle.
Lillie Q’s Charlie McKenna developed the menu for Roux, a new Southern-style diner in Chicago’s Hyde Park area.
Weber issued an apology after an ill-timed “grilled meatloaf” recipe was shared the same day singer Meat Loaf passed away.
Thanks to our sponsor DennyMike's! Use the code BBQTOURIST10 to save 10% off your order on these great seasonings. Learn more about DennyMike's.
—Russell and Misty Roegels are about to open the second location of Roegels Barbecue in Katy, Texas. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)—
WATCH
Full Tour of the New Roegels Barbecue Co. in Katy, Texas — Kevin’s BBQ Joints
Misty Roegels gives Kevin Kelly a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Katy location for Roegels Barbecue Co. Get a chance to see the newly built bar, the full interior seating area, the line-up for ordering, how to order, the huge new pit, as well as the entire kitchen and back of the house space. The new spot is almost open and will have a full bar (with four beers on tap, frozen drink machines, and a wine list). This video is a truly unique tour before the doors open to the public. (The Smoke Sheet had a chance to visit in person and we were also impressed by this new location.) WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
Season 3 Kickoff — Tales from the Pits
After a whirlwind of travel and fun in Season 2, Tales from the Pits hosts Bryan and Andrew share what they have planned for Season 3. They reflect on 2021, highlight some of their favorite episodes to date, and provide details on some big show plans for the new season including a big announcement on their return to one of their favorite food events. They also spend time reflecting on some of the memories they have with two important figures the BBQ community lost recently — John Mueller and Packy Saunders. LISTEN HERE.
READ
Best of American Barbecue Smoker Cookbook — Will Budiaman
Heat. Moisture. Smoke. These are the foundations of good BBQ. And with the Best of American Barbecue Smoker Cookbook, you’ll discover how to control those elements and make barbecue magic in your own backyard. Along the way, you’ll also read about the history of BBQ, get expert advice, examine different heat sources, and so much more. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to prepare favorite recipes and BBQ staples from around the country. ORDER HERE.
Pitmasters from near and far will showcase their very best BBQ at the For the Love of BBQ Pitmaster Showcase in Roanoke, Texas. Learn more here.
—Chef Tom from All Things BBQ makes Smoked Tri-Tip Tacos using the reverse sear method.—
Smoked Tri-Tip Tacos
By All Things BBQ
For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we chose this recipe for Smoked Tri-Tip Tacos from All Things BBQ. Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers Flat-top Charcoal Grill for Smoked Tri-Tip Tacos using the reverse sear method. He shows you how to trim the fat cap and then marinates and seasons the tri-tip before smoking. You’ll definitely want to try this recipe the next time you crave tacos.
Learn more about Southside Market Barbeque.
—A lot of big barbecue events are planned for 2022. Let's go!—
January 29, 2022: Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival — Brooklyn, New York
The Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival in Brooklyn, now in its 13th year, will bring together hundreds of barbecue lovers, bourbon drinkers, and everything in between to the Brooklyn Expo Center. (Read more about the last Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ event here.) A VIP ticket to the event includes a souvenir tasting glass for the many bourbon vendors, three tastings at the Shrine of Swine (hog, beef, and a surprise meat), and many Southern BBQ dishes. MORE INFO HERE.
February 7-8, 2022: OnCue Business of Barbecue Seminar — Murphysboro, Illinois
OnCue Consulting, from Amy Mills and the 17th Street Barbecue team, hosts these popular classes each year. Register early to experience ribs, pork, brisket, and chicken demos with an emphasis on restaurant production and holding. Discuss branding, marketing, PR, vending, restaurant financials, resources, and suppliers. Tour behind-the-scenes of our restaurants and catering facility. Novices and veterans alike will leave with concrete ideas that will impact their bottom line. MORE INFO HERE.
February 12, 2022: For the Love of BBQ Pitmaster Showcase — Roanoke, Texas
The city of Roanoke, Texas will follow up on the success of last year’s inaugural For the Love of BBQ Pitmaster Showcase with an event held on February 12th at Historic Oak Street. This year’s event will feature 20 renowned pitmasters, many of whom were featured in the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ joints list. Attendees will be able to attend a cooking class from BBQ Brawl contestant Brendan Lamb and will be able to sample unlimited bites of barbecue. Tickets are $85 and include food, an event t-shirt, drink ticket, music, and more. MORE INFO HERE.
March 12, 2022: Tex Mex BBQ Festival — San Antonio, Texas
This fun event, masterminded by Miguel Vidal of Valentina’s Tex-Mex in Austin, will be full of food, education, and entertainment. The food will be executed by some of the most talented pitmasters, chefs, and cooks coming in from all over the nation, including Panther City BBQ, 2M Smokehouse, Burnt Bean BBQ, and Sugarfire Smokehouse. Mark your calendar for an amazing experience. MORE INFO HERE.
March 25-26, 2022: American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off — Kansas City, Missouri
The relatively new National Steak Championships from KCBS will have one of its biggest events thus far with the American Royal Steak Cook-Off in late March. More information will be coming shortly on this event but mark your calendars. MORE INFO HERE.
March 26-27, 2022: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Melbourne edition) — Melbourne, Australia
Meatstock will feature a stacked line-up of barbecue enthusiasts and bands. The two-day event brings American pitmasters Down Under; sees BBQ teams go head-to-head over the coals to be crowned the city’s best barbequers; and features live music, food trucks, and pop-up bars. Additionally, American BBQ joints such as Louie Muller BBQ and Blue Oak BBQ are scheduled to be there as well. MORE INFO HERE.
April 20, 2022: Brisket King NYC — Brooklyn, New York
If you love brisket (and if you're reading this you probably do), you won’t want to miss Brisket King NYC 2021 in Brooklyn. The event will be held at the huge outdoor space at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn. More than 15 chefs and pitmasters will be there serving up their takes on brisket and pastrami. MORE INFO HERE.
May 11-14, 2022: Memphis in May — Memphis, Tennessee
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is a four-day competition held in Memphis, TN. Teams representing the best of barbecue that have been honing their craft for years compete for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $140,000 in prize money. The Contest features championship pork categories of Ribs, Shoulder, and Whole Hog, as well as the ancillary competitions of Hot Wings, Sauce, and “Anything But Pork.” The 2022 competition will be held in the Memphis Fairgrounds due to construction at its normal home at Tom Lee Park. MORE INFO HERE.
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