I've been searching far and wide for the best bbq in DC, from the calming corners of Cleveland Park, to SE, to the...eek...suburbs...all the way back to the farthest regions of Columbia Heights, with many stops in between. So, when I saw a new bbq joint with rave reviews, I had to get there stat. The "decor" is kind of perfect, dark, dank, with no seating in sight. Yes, it's carry out only, so don't bring a date (unless you order so much you need help carrying it). The sign on the door says, "If you didn't call in, don't bother coming in." Take that to heart, because they'll make everything fresh, which means even a smallish order during non-rush hours can take 45 mins or so. But the wait is worth it.
Given that I wanted to see if they were worth all the 5 star reviews, I knew I needed to sample a broad swath of the menu. $80 later, I was heaving a massive feast to my dining room. I have to say, even for the price, the portions are generous. I ordered four entrees and four sides, to be shared among 2 people, and it lasted one large lunch, one gluttonous dinner, and a decent sized second lunch before we made it through everything. The clear star was a shocker: the braised chicken. When it comes to bbq I usually figure why bother with chicken, but this is dang good. Even though braised, the skin is crispy and full of flavor. Top notch chicken. I was looking forward to this entree the least, but it was the most satisfying to me. Chicken taken to the next level. I can't stop saying chicken. It was that good. Some of the other entree highlights include:
+ The beef brisket is tasty, pounded very thin.
+ I also had some St. Louis ribs, which had a good amount of meat on them and come with a bbq sauce of your choosing. They recommended sweet and spicy, and that was a good call. Delicious sauce. The ribs weren't bad, either.
+ The half smoke sandwich is great, moist, no unpleasant tendony pieces, and tons of smoky flavor. It has nice onion bits on it, on a potato bun, and with side cups of chili and cheese. I'm not a big fan of nacho cheese on my sausage, so i just did the chili. I wish I would have ordered an extra cup of chili because the sausage is real thick and overpowers the chili, but it is still real tasty and recommended.
+ For sides I started with some baked beans. This was the clear winner. It is filled with burnt ends and I believe some small pieces of bacon. This is as complex as a baked bean side comes, and it is delicious.
+ The corn bread is surprisingly large with prominent jalapeño flavor. It's still sweet and delicious.
+ The collards are very large and covered in pieces of bacon.
+ The mac n cheese, though, is pretty standard, just ok. No crispy crusty top, which might have brought it up a notch. Check out the jalapeno mac at kangaroo boxing instead.
And that brings us at long last to the fries. They are phenomenal. Some of the best fries I've ever had. They're thick, full of flavor, and generously salted. They come standard with a select number of entrees, so I would highly recommend choosing one.
You get your pick of slaws with each entree, too. What a feast. They offer two, and both are good, and I'm not even a slaw man. But these are unique and tasty. The standard is the apple, which has small diced up apples with cabbage and mayo. It's not apple sauce like I expected, it is real fresh apples diced up, and they thankfully avoid an overwhelming amount of mayo like most slaws. It tasted fresh and fruity. The second slaw is called the mother in law, which is a Caribbean style with mango and papaya flavor. It's peppery with a little spice. Not bad, but the apple is where it's at for me.
Bonus points for many flavors of virgils soda available. I'm not a big soda guy, but their cream soda is out of this friggin' world. Extra bonus points for a super friendly staff working the place. If you made it this far, you will see that all my favorites were the ones I was not expecting to like - a lesson in life, and a lesson in exploring a menu both learned in one dining experience. Take that to heart and get ordering! read more