DC BBQ

[BBhasin]

Anette's BBQ Heaven, Alexandria, Va.

I'd love to try this out. But, even though I live in Old Town, I hate driving over that way.

Is it worth it?

I like Anette's, though I cannot call myself an expert on BBQ, sometimes the meat in the pulled pork sandwich iskind of too wet as someone mentioned earlier. But I like their sides, specially the buttery roast potatoes and the okra with tomato. I guess its all a matter of individual taste, I was telling Anette about a rib sandwich I enjoyed at Rocklands and she felt that the Flavors at Rocklands were too strong. But both are popular and have strong followings.

Incidently Mike, you may not have to drive too far from Old Town. Rocklands were one of the food vendors at 'Art On the Avenue' on Mount Vernon Avenue and it is my understanding they may be setting up shop on Duke Street at Quaker Lane.

[bx23$qa]

*THE* place for q in the DC area is Pig N Steak just off 29 in Madison, VA. It's a great treat after hiking Old Rag.

The q is slow cooked over coals (you can look for the smokestack to verify) and is served dry. They have a variety of tomato-based sauces, but I like the Eastern NC-style with just vinegar. The q itself is smokey and usually comes with a lot of "outside," the blackened part from having been over the coals.

The hushpuppies are gigantic. They taste close to SC-style hushpuppies in that they have no onions and such, but they're not sweet like SC-style. I sometimes add sugar to my hushpuppies, but I'm a northerner so I can get away with that.

The fries are thin and crispy and are mounded over the q.

The beans are the best I've ever had: Spicey dark and sweet. Best side to get.

Finally, unlike a lot of rural q joints, especially in the South, Pig N Steak has beer--nothing good naturally. But I take the position with q as I do fro crab: any beer will do.

[brioboy]

Primative? You want primative? I got your primative right heah.

Ben's Whole Hog BBQ

7422 Old Centreville Rd.

Manassas, VA 20111

Phone: 703-331-5980

Styrofoam plates and an open buffet crammed up next to the bandstand - you just about have to get up on stage with whatever enthusiastic amateurs are playing that night to be able to get to the veg and meat. Brisket is good good good but the pulled pork ended a search a friend and I had conducted through DC for the acme of that viand.

Best in the city I concur is Rocklands although Capital Q in Chinatown is v. tasty if you don't mind the Hall of Shame photos of every troglodite politician Texas has graced us with grinning down at you while you try to maintain an appetite.

[Joe H]

At Johnny's you eat on picnic benches. Until recently the building was a cinderblock shack with the open pit in the middle of it.No inside seating only windows that you walk up to and order at. Most Charles County pits are literally cinderblock buildings with the pit attached and picnic benches outside. Few if any have inside seating of any kind.

[brioboy]

Ah, ya got me. Ben's even has electric lights. In the end it's strictly for tenderfoot wannabes I guess. Touche.

[Steve Klc]

So I e-mailed Rocklands with this link before I went to Chicago and I got this in reply:

"I read egullet all the time, love it, and am glad you gave me a heads up!  I thought I had figured out how and had posted my reply, but alas today when I checked it out, it was not there!  In response to CarrotStick...

This is a problem that we have run into over the years with CarPool.  While people coming in the front door (right at the cash register) should have no problem just picking up their food, sometimes the bouncers get overzealous and do not let people in.  Technically, no one under the age of 21 is allowed inside at night, but if someone is just popping in to p/u food, that is a different case.  This is a topic that has been discussed numerous times with the management of CarPool, and I think that over the last few years some progress has been made, but obviously it is something that still needs to be addressed.  I have shared this email with the management of CarPool and hopefully another stride will be made towards resurrecting this issue.

Steve, thank you again for the heads up.  I don't know if there is a way for me to get CarrotStick's email address so that I can contact him/her directly?  I would like to send a gift certificate so that he/she can give us another try!  (maybe with i.d. in hand!)

Thank you so much and please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.

Best regards,

Anne E. McAdoo"

[Joe H]

Two or three years ago Lem's was an awfully serious place for ribs. Leon's had really good sauce, too.

[hillvalley]

Where are Lem's and Leon's? Which would you choose?

[CarrotStick]

I got a very nice e-mail from Anne at Rocklands. As a result of my complaint/suggestion, they're going to update their web site to reflect the need for ID. I think that they are handling this very well.

She also said she'll mail me a gift certificate, so I will try the barbecue and report back!

Job well done in the customer service department, Rocklands.