Any good BBQ places in the DC/MD/VA area?

Any good BBQ places in the DC/MD/VA area (Annapolis, DC, Northern VA, etc.)? And PLEASE do not say Red, Hot and Blue..............

I am from Mississippi, originally and lived in NC for 6 years. I need to find a GOOD place around here for NC style BBQ (pulled/chopped pork) and southern BBQ (ribs, brisket, etc.).

Unfortunately, Red.............. is about it. This area doesn't have much in the way classic BBQ. Course, you are getting just my opinion.

Some friends highly recommended Rocklands BBQ in Arlington. I haven't tried it, but they're big fans. Although I don't think they're bbq snobs like myself.

I did have some dry ribs from RH&B the other day and they were fall off the bone good. They now have a Carolina-style sauce that's pretty good. RH&B pulled pork was ok, but I've made better pork shoulders myself.

If you're ever in the Frederick area I would recommend, make that highly recommend Mountaindale BBQ. Located a couple miles off Route 15 on Mountaindale Road, the place is a BBQ shrine IMHO. I usually gravitate towards pork bbq, but Doug makes a mean brisket sandwich which is about the best I've ever had. The pork is good too, they have ribs, and the beans w/molasses are really good too. If you venture further up 15 towards Pennsylvania there's another 'cue joint- Chubby's which isn't too bad either. Once I got a really good pork sandwich there, and another time just an average pork sandwich, albeit still better than anything you'll get at Famous Dave's.

Bubba's BBQ in Fairfax/Merrifield can be good. It is on Lee Highway/Rte 29 between Merrifield and Falls Church next to a Burmese restaurant (how about that?) Bubba's has pulled pork, ribs, and such that have helped scratch my BBQ itch. They also have a bazillion-and-a-half pig thingees everywhere like statues, pictures, and a porcine weather vane.

Rockland's near Ballston didn't really do it for me. It is a good place to hang out and drink beer but I the ribs were sort of dry and bland when I have had them. In spite of that, the beer was good and I have always met fun people when I go.

Annette's BBQ heaven on Van Dorn St near Landmark Mall has some good eats. I have been a few times - the Q is good and there are several side dishes to go with. It isn't fancy at all - it sort of looks like a picnic setup inside the restaurant.

Flavors is a soul food place near Bailey's Crossroads and it has a cool, funky kind of vibe. They have some no-foolin' pulled pork sandwiches as well as ribs that have been tasty every time I dropped in. As with Annette's, there are a bunch of side dishes - they aren't at all healthy but they sure taste good. I think the place is really laid back and worth a visit.

Incidentally, there is a little Kabob house not far from Flavor's on Columbia Pike. While the kabobs are OK, the bread is great. It is very simple bread, cooked in a Tandoor, but it is perfect to bring home for BBQ Bible recipes like Bengali shish kabobs or some of the Greek dishes.

I have also heard there is a great place in Chantilly called Willard's. I have never been there, but a few of my friends have said they really liked it. Ditto for a place called Dixie Bones in Woodbridge - I'll post a review if I ever make it to these places.

I have put on several pounds discovering Beltway area BBQ joints, and I hope this write-up helps. I pledge to continue selflessly abusing my waistline in my ongoing quest for acquiring and sharing BBQ knowledge.

I live pretty close to the Arlington Rocklands (I think there's one in DC too, up Wisconsin Ave near Pearson's liquors). I once had a great lamb sammitch there, years ago, but I have not been back there since becoming a pitmistress. Unfortunately, stuff that I used to enjoy (like RH&B ribs and pulled pork) now seem so inferior to what the WSM can crank out.

Bare Bones (in Ellicott City and in Gaithersburg) used to be my very favorite rib joint. I haven't been in years and years, but I bet they're still good. Get the onion loaf---trust me on this one. Woof!

I've got to try Annette's sometime, and maybe I can hit that one in Frederick sometime on the way to Charles Town for a little slot play.... And all the Bailey's Xroads places. Good to know all these places are around! Thanks!

Glad to help. By a strange twist of fate, we wound up having Dixie Bones at work today and I am happy to say it was yummy good. We had BBQ chicken and pulled pork sammitches that totally did the trick. 2 thumbs up for Dixie Bones!

I have also heard there is a great place in Chantilly called Willard's.

I've been there, Stickman, and they're pretty good. They are adjacent to the Dulles Expo Center (not by Applebee's and the fast food ghetto, but attached to the expo building).

Hi 502mids and the rest of the NOVA/DC/MD crowd. I went to Willard's today and am glad I did. The dry ribs were good but not great - the ribs were tender and the flavor good, but they didn't have a crispy spice crust and there was some sauce on them. The sauce was good, but I like dry ribs really dry and I was hoping for a bit more smoke in the flavor. In any case, the rib platter was worth the price with something like 5-6 ribs on it, 2 sides, as well as cornbread and wound up being about $13 (adding in a soda).

HOWEVER, what really struck me about the place is:

*) There are a lot of yummy sounding things on the menu AND
*) The people that work there are as nice as can be

The menu includes brisket, NC pork, pulled chicken, etc. and other goodies. I also asked the employees questions about the way they Q and they seemed happy to answer. For me, the service alone makes it worth going back, but I enjoyed the food and am additionally motivated to try some of the other menu items.

I'll try the pork sandwich next time, and if the flavor is as good as the service, then Willard's will get 2 thumbs up from me.

Stickman

Stickman, I was almost to Willard's tonight, mostly because one of the owners is a big Red Socks fan. I'm sure he's in a great mood tonight.

I didn't know he was a Sox fan or I would have helped celebrate. We long-suffering Sox fans can finally clump together and be happy!

Go Sox

OK, I hope you guys don't think I have hijacked the thread but I like sharing BBQ experiences with like-minded folks.

There is a place in Alexandria on Duke Street near N. Quaker Lane called Kenny's BBQ, I drove by the place a hundred times before I really noticed it (this is as much a function of my driving style as it is the size of Kenny's building, but I digress). I have been meaning to go to Kenny's for a while and tonight I finally did.

I really liked it. I had the rib platter, which comes with 4 ribs and 2 sides - I think it was about $9.00 or so. The cole slaw was nice and fresh and the green beans were tasty. The ribs were wet-style, tender, and had a rich smoky flavor. Much good.

I talked with the guy behind the counter about their equipment, how they cook, etc. and he was very pleasant. You might expect the place to be run by a big guy named Bubba (or even Kenny), but a Korean family owns it and as an unexpected bonus they offer a few Korean items on the menu such as Bulgogi.

The pulled pork I saw looked a bit soupy for my taste, but I definitely enjoyed the ribs. I recommend a visit; just be sure your car has a drag chute so you can make the quick turn off Duke Street into their little parking lot .

Stickman

PS: Here is a quick thanks to tu94alum for starting the thread - it is fun.

Capital Q
707 H St NW
Washington, DC 20001-3792
Phone: (202) 347-8396

It's in china town, just north of the MCI center. Best beef brisket I've ever had.

Lefty's BBQ on Rte 5 in Waldorf Md does a great job on Q and the rib and chicken lunch is hard to beat, They are closed on monday and you have to try the mild sauce you will gladly buy a quart of the sauce to add to your own Q.

Adams Rib near annapolis is the best hands down for ribs. They also have a place in severna park. Try it, you won't be disapointed.