These are the hottest spots for BBQ in the DC area
These Are the Hottest Spots for BBQ in the D.C. Area
This week’s guest article is written by John Tanner, a North Carolina-born and Alabama-bred blogger living in the Washington, D.C. area. A lifetime barbecue eater, John has been cooking barbecue seriously — six to eight pork butts at a go — for 44 years. John is the Campaign for Real Barbecue’s “Smoke Detector” for the D.C. area and all of Virginia. You can follow along with him at John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog, where he has been reviewing barbecue places and other eateries since 2015 (with 786 reviews and counting). If you would like to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.
Barbecue is definitely picking up in Washington, D.C. Until a few years ago, Washington was a barbecue desert — at least in terms of good barbecue. It was common to use automatic smokers like microwaves: punch in “popcorn” and “start”, and leave it alone unless you smell it burning. I was posting about “Why People Hate Washington” and “Washington’s War on Barbecue.” Even today I doubt there’s a genuine brick pit, the key to great pork barbecue, in the area.
Recently, though, there’s been an influx of craft barbecue: all-wood cookers and lots of time and attention. We now have good, and at times great, barbecue with a strong tilt toward Texas-style brisket.
Some of the best craft barbecue in the D.C. area can be found at 2fifty Texas BBQ in Riverdale Park. (Photo via 2fifty Texas BBQ / Facebook)
The consensus best barbecue in the Washington, D.C. area is 2fifty Texas BBQ in Riverdale Park, Maryland. Their wagyu and prime brisket are as good as any this side of Miss Tootsie at Snow’s. Like other great Eastern places, ZZQ Texas Craft Barbecue in Richmond and Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, there’s a Texas connection. The Gonzalez family sent Samuel down to Aaron Franklin’s school, and Samuel really paid attention. 2fifty Texas serves great brisket, standout sausage, and great smoked turkey — and the pork and ribs are very good.
Pitmaster Joe Neumann of Sloppy Mama’s BBQ in Arlington is serious about traditional barbecue. (Photo via Sloppy Mama’s / Facebook)
The same commitment to craft is evident across the river in Virginia, where Joe Neumann is intensely serious about his traditional barbecue at Sloppy Mama’s in Arlington: excellent pork, very good moist brisket, sausage, and turkey — and every now and then some wonderful barbacoa. And try their pimiento cheese and banana pudding.
The Virginia suburbs can boast more craft barbecue at Monk’s in Purcellville, with very good pork, tasty smoked chicken, and beautifully seasoned sausage. And there’s a new kid on the block in Arlington, Ruthie’s All Day, where my wife Nancy and I enjoyed a great Saturday brunch. The menu was, well, “brunchy,” but I enjoyed unsullied brisket by deconstructing a Brisket Benedict (biscuit and eggs on the side). Nancy loved the smoked salmon. I can’t wait to explore more of the menu and test for consistency.
It’s worth stopping in for brunch at Ruthie’s All Day to try the Brisket Benedict. (Photo via Ruthie’s All Day / Facebook)
Consistency is the hobgoblin of barbecue places around Washington, as it is elsewhere. I’ve enjoyed parts of meals at Texas Jack’s in Arlington, and at the Federalist Pig and Hill Country in Washington, D.C. itself. I’ve had two great meals at Hill Country, both during Texas events. My meals on other occasions there were disappointments.
D.C. area barbecue places don’t have that traditional Southern feel. They’re thoughtfully decorated, serve liquor, and are often pricey. There’s no real barbecue tradition in Washington. The closest you’ll come to the rib place in Netflix's House of Cards is Rolling Rib II in Upper Marlboro.
Now, Maryland does have a pit beef tradition. Pit beef is a Baltimore dish consisting of a thinly sliced bottom round of beef, usually served on a kaiser roll with a horseradish sauce. The best place for that is at the Smokehouse BBQ Shack in Mechanicsville.
Things definitely are on the upswing in Washington,D.C. and perhaps tradition is forming. There are more new places than I can track and test, especially with COVID restrictions. But then again, I do love a challenge.
John Tanner
Founder, John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog
—Moe Cason, a popular pitmaster who has been featured in several TV shows, said he plans to open his own restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa.—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Moe Cason, a popular pitmaster who has been featured on TV shows including Chopped and BBQ Pitmasters, announced he is planning to open a restaurant in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. He told his plans to the Des Moines Register, which also asked Cason about his career and the current BBQ scene in Des Moines. Cason didn’t hold back and trashed several popular restaurants. "There is no good barbecue in Des Moines," Cason said. "There just is not. I know who’s got trophies. But the barbecue just doesn’t speak to you." READ HERE.
A fire broke out last week at Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, one of the top barbecue joints in the New York City area, forcing the restaurant to close temporarily. No one was harmed in the fire and the restaurant’s owners said they will do everything they can to reopen soon. The fire reportedly started in the fire duct above the restaurant’s smoker. READ HERE.
With the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing in the Super Bowl this week (Ed. note: Go Chiefs!) , it’s no surprise that barbecue is back in the conversation. In a small bet, Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas will send barbecue to Tampa mayor Jane Castor if the Bucs win and Castor will send cigars and craft beer to KC if the Chiefs win. READ HERE.
Fresh Air Bar-B-Que, located 50 miles south of Atlanta, ended up in the top slot on a recent “best barbecue” list. The occasion gave the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the opportunity to spotlight the joint, which has been serving up BBQ for more than 90 years. READ HERE.
Popular Houston BBQ joint Feges BBQ is about to ensure that hard-hit hospitality industry workers can get a free meal the first Monday of each month between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Co-owners Patrick and Erin Feges said the meals are sponsored by a “friend of the industry who wants to remain anonymous.” READ HERE.
ADDITIONAL READS
A month after a New Year’s Eve fire, Hutchins Barbecue is ready to rebuild
J.C. Reid writes that lamb is a tasty addition to Houston barbecue menus
Forbes highlights delicious atypical items you can find at barbecue restaurants
Daniel Vaughn writes that Fort Worth pitmasters have perfected smoked chicken salad (and shares a tasty recipe too)
Panther City BBQ in Fort Worth is launching a school for aspiring barbecuers
Don’t miss this live talk with Adrian Miller, Dr. Howard Conyers, and Pitmasters Ed and Ryan Mitchell on the history of African-American barbecue
Central City BBQ pitmasters from New Orleans win Florida Barbecue Association’s ‘Butts and Clucks’
Tupelo BBQ restaurateur Clay Coleman dies from COVID-19 complications at age 49
—Chef Rob McGee shows how he prepares brisket and burnt ends at Q39 in Kansas City.—
WATCH
Famous Burnt Ends and Brisket Recipes from Q39 in KC — Meat America
The Meat America show visits Q39 in Kansas City, Missouri to learn brisket recipes for smoked brisket and burnt ends. Q39 is a from-scratch BBQ kitchen which pairs freshly smoked meats with thoughtfully crafted sides. They meet with renowned chef and owner of Q39, Chef Rob McGee, as he shares full step-by-step instructions for his famous burnt ends and brisket recipes. WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
BBQ Buddha’s Ray Sheehan — The BBQ Beat
With 20 years in the food business and a work ethic founded on the lessons learned on his Grandfather’s farm, New Jersey native Ray Sheehan of BBQ Buddha knows what it takes to craft creative BBQ Flavors and promote a BBQ brand. Ray’s story via his experience cultivating his BBQ Buddha brand covers lessons and key issues anyone serious about flavor creation and hard-won brand promotion needs to understand. LISTEN HERE.
READ
The Perfect Steak Cookbook: Essential Recipes and Techniques — Will Budiaman
From Bistro-Style Hanger Steak to Texas Barbecued Beef Brisket, The Perfect Steak Cookbook offers all the essential recipes you'll need to impress at your next dinner party or barbecue. Equipped with crucial information about beef quality, equipment, and storage, this steak cookbook will teach you how to pick the right steak and the best way to cook it. Explore the entire cow, from head to toe, taking you on a journey through all the primal cuts. You’ll gain expertise and confidence at the butcher counter, in the kitchen, and while grilling outdoors. READ HERE.
—If you are looking for an easy and delicious recipe to enjoy during the Super Bowl, try these wings.—
Easy Chicken Wings Recipe
By Fogo Charcoal
The Super Bowl is almost here and we thought you would want a delicious and easy recipe to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off against the Kansas City Chiefs. This is the one of the easiest buffalo chicken wings recipes you can make for game day. In this video from Fogo Charcoal, Ron shows you how to make the perfect spicy chicken wings that are loaded with garlic and have crispy skin for the perfect bite.
—Many of the largest barbecue events of 2020 have been canceled or postponed.—
In light of the constantly changing coronavirus crisis, we are leaving our events section blank for some time. We’ll be updating our events section on our website with the most up-to-date information as we have it.
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