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    Willards Real Pit BBQ

    3.3 (195 reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque
    Closed 10:30 am - 8:30 pm

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    WILLARDS REAL PIT BBQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Only part of the menu board.
    Tim G.

    We stopped for the burnt ends, and they sure were good. The food is delicious and the portions are exceedingly generous. We had lots of food left over to bring home. The restaurant is small, but there are small tables where you can eat. It's clean, and the staff is very nice. All in all, a good experience.

    Aaron O.

    The sandwich combo at Willard's is one of the best bbq sandwich deals around. I think it's even better than any sandwich combo around. I stopped by the Reston location and had Smokey Joe's Chopped Beef Endz Sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy, and beans and rice as sides. I also ordered a piece of cornbread. The chopped brisket came in a generous portion. And since I was dining in, they served it and the sides on a disposable plate, along with a small container of gravy. Doused in their sweet bbq sauce, the caramelized smokiness of the meat really shined. Whenever I have a sandwich here, the filling always spills out onto the wrapper and, doused with more sauce, makes a good finale to the meal. The mashed potatoes were thick and well blended. Bits of potato skin were mixed throughout. The gravy was wonderful -- rich and slightly spicy. The beans and rice were good, but you should reserve a little gravy for this, too. The cornbread cube was perfect. Slightly sweet, slightly squishy, and slightly crumbly. The Reston location has limited seating and a weekday lunch crowd could easily overwhelm it. The Chantilly/Dulles Expo Center location is huge (years ago, the adjacent business space closed and they took the wall down between the two). The sauce selection is good -- I usually go with the regular sweet bbq sauce and sometimes add the hot bbq sauce to add some zing. Occasionally, I'll go for the gold sauce as well. If you like vinegar, they have a North Carolina version for you. What I still can't get over is the great price of the sandwich combo. It includes two sides and ranges from $9.79-13.99, depending on the meat. That beats out a lot of combo meals at places like Wendy's and Arby's ("we got the meats" my ass). Sure, you don't get a drink included with that at Willard's, but just bring your own water. Soda's bad for you, anyway. Arby's has its place (Beef 'n' Cheddar, limited time crispy fish sandwich), but, especially if you're at the Expo Center, if there's ever a choice between the two, it should be Willard's.

    Burnt Ends

    From Maryland and come to here for lunch whenever I'm in the area. Great food. Great portions. All the meats are good. Sides are great.

    Texas Sliced Beef Brisket Platter
    Claudia L.

    I can't quite claim to be a pit BBQ expert but for me, Willards always satisfies the occasional BBQ craving. I always order the brisket platter and recently tried their macaroni salad as a side - very tasty with a little heat! The cornbread is also on point every time. Staff are always friendly and welcoming.

    Ordering area
    Denise M.

    Stopped by and tried Willard's ribs today. Cost was decent. 35$ for a full rack two sides, 2 drinks and 2 corn breads. The ribs were about a 7/10, a little dry but flavorful. The mash potatoes and Mac and cheese were very good. The corn bread although huge pieces lacked flavor which was disappointing. The employees were very nice and helpful. The place in general can be a bit complicated to order from since there are a lot of choices.

    Texas Teaser Tray
    T.C. B.

    Stopped in to Willards for a quick lunch on a Friday afternoon. Thoroughly enjoyed my experience. The guys behind the counter were very nice and the food came out very quick. There's a decent amount of seating area if you want to dine-in. I got a tray with a bunch of different meats and sides. Standouts for me were the sausage and dirty rice. Brisket was good not great but the rib and pulled pork made up for it. Found this place to be very affordable as well seeing as I got a plate full of barbecue, a couple sides, and a drink for around $20. Will differently return for lunch again.

    a tray of ribs and sides

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    1 year ago

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    5 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Food was awesome and great kids meal prices. Would highly recommend if you're looking for a quick bite.

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Food tastes horrible. People are nice. Disappointed. How do you mess up bbq? Mac n cheese? Try harder!

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    It tasted like cafeteria food! The buns were pure slop. I had higher hopes . The potatoe salad was better than actual meal..

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Best brisket, ribs, pulled pork, corn bread in Northern Va! Have only done carryout, does not disappoint !

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Good prices, good bbq. Not the greatest I've ever had, but consistent and great value

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    7 years ago

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    Mission BBQ

    Mission BBQ

    4.4
    (103 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    There are restaurants where you walk out and say "this place must have incredible management."…read more Mission BBQ is one of them. We were greeted upon arrival and given a rundown of the menu options along with staff recommendations. Not only was the food served hot and delicious, we were gifted an extra piece of cornbread to prevent marital problems. Our 2 year old happily devoured pulled pork while coloring. Staff members were super friendly, checking in with us multiple times throughout our stay and interacting with our toddler. On top of this, the staff used their downtime between customers (we were having lunch at an atypical time) to keep the bathroom amazingly clean. Love the mission of the restaurant, love the hiring decisions that led to such a great atmosphere. I wish I lived in the area since we'd be here all the time!

    I'll give them one extra star because the staff was actually friendly and professional. Service was…read moreprobably the only good part of the experience. But the food itself was honestly disappointing. The BBQ tasted bland, dry, and nowhere near worth the prices they charge. For a place that talks so much about authentic American BBQ, military pride, veterans, patriotism, and all the "support our heroes" branding, I expected way better food. Instead it felt like the atmosphere and marketing mattered more than what was actually on the plate. The military and first responder theme is everywhere, but after a while it starts feeling more like a marketing gimmick than a restaurant focused on quality BBQ. Even online, a lot of people seem to say the same thing -- overpriced food, average BBQ, and too much forced patriotic branding. If the food matched the hype, maybe it would make sense. Right now it just feels expensive for very average BBQ.

    Photos
    Mission BBQ
    Heating element to keep boxes food warm
    Heating element to keep boxes food warm
    Mission BBQ

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    Willard's Real Pit BBQ

    Willard's Real Pit BBQ

    3.7
    (804 reviews)
    7.3 mi
    $$

    Everyone needs to get lunch at Willards! They have the most amazing lunch specials going, most in…read morethe range of $11.99 and maybe a few dollars more. This includes a main item, along with two generous sides. For $11.99, I had the pulled pork sandwich topped by two lovely meaty ribs. My sides were the mashed potatoes, which were fantastic, and the corn. The ribs were excellent. Loved the pulled pork. Could not eat it all, very filling. Willards is offering some highly creative and delicious sandwich and burrito combos. My daughter had the smoked meatloaf sandwich whic is topped with a chicken thigh, and my husband had a creatively stuffed burrito. Love the fresh lemonade. We did not make it to dessert, but their homemade pie selection is excellent. I can eat at Willards for less than a junky fast food chain, and I will get real, home-cooked food. This is a rare bargain, and the food is so satisfying, creative and delicious. GO!

    This was a great selection, dinner was excellent!!! The ribs were just how I like them, had to bite…read morethem and pull . I hate fall off the bone ribs, if I wanted stew I would order stew....anyway, back to my meal. Surprisingly, the sides were delicious, both the green beans and the greens were flavorful and the coleslaw was fresh and crunchy. Honestly, I didn't know which chicken was the jerk or the bbq, but at the time I didn't care I dipped them both in sauce and ate them . I tried all of the BBQ sauces and the name described each of them. I really didn't care for the hot because it was HOT!!!! Great BBQ spot, next time I am going to sit down and eat. No need to wait until I get home to eat!

    Photos
    Inside dining
    Inside dining
    1/2 BBQ Chicken
    1/2 BBQ Chicken
    Rib Pack for 2

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    Rib Pack for 2

    Willards Real Pit BBQ - bbq - Updated June 2026

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