DMV Dining

It’s no secret that I love all things barbecue, but let’s face it, up until the last few years the District has been devoid of some really good BBQ joints. That’s not a slight on mainstays like Rockland’s or Hill Country, they just don’t particularly move the needle for me. And considering that I have had some outstanding barbecue in places like Austin and Kansas City, I’ve been craving a place that can really fill that niche here in the D.C. area. (On a side note, I really need to check out KBQ in Lanham, which I still have sadly not been to and have heard wonderful things about).

Anyway, I had recently read Tim Carman’s review of DCity Smokehouse in the Washington Post and quickly made it a priority to check out this establishment, so a coworker and I headed to NoMa during our lunch hour a few weeks ago. Firstly, this is strictly a carryout venue. Sure there are four seats nestled inside the small storefront, but chances are that they’ll be occupied given the amount of people waiting for their orders near the pickup counter.

It’s hard not to fall in love with the aroma of smoke and hickory as soon as you walk in, making the choice of which of their 14 sandwiches to order from that much more difficult. On top of that, they offer combo platters, meats by the pound, wings, and even chicken and waffles.

I opted for the first sandwich listed on the menu – The Brisket Champ, because you can never go wrong with brisket when it comes to barbecue. The sandwich featured generous layers of sliced brisket topped with crispy fried onions and housemade pickles, and was sandwiched together by two slices of Texas Toast. After the first bite, I had fallen in love.

The brisket was some of the smokiest, most flavorful ‘cue I have come across in the District. A bit fatty in places, each bite was a mouthful of succulent, tender brisket gorgeously complemented by the crispy onions and crunchy toast. And that brisket crust, my goodness. This is how brisket is done, folks.

I also ordered a side of their crispy Brussels sprouts which made for a great side dish, though between the greasiness of The Brisket Champ and this, it was a little too much oil in one sitting. That’s not to say I still wouldn’t recommend them because they’re a great preparation, right up there with Red Hen’s in fact, but I would probably pair the sprouts with one of their sampler platters instead.

Meanwhile my coworker was raving about their BBQ chicken but didn’t really care for the smoky brisket chili. I tried the latter, and while it sounds decadent, you’re better off just ordering the real thing instead of its soup variant. Speaking of which, you should just order it by the pound. It’s that good.

DCity Smokehouse has been only open less than a year but already features some of the best barbecue you will find in the city. My coworker and I are already debating what to order on our next visit. I’m personally eyeing the Meaty Palmer, a sandwich of smoked turkey and pork belly with smashed avocado and jalapeno aioli. Tell me that doesn’t sound amazing.

Rachel and I have only lived in Silver Spring just shy of three months, but Denizens Brewing Company has quickly become one of our favorite neighborhood spots after just two visits.

The brewery, which opened in July, currently features two of its own beers as well as a variety of local brews on tap such as Port City, Flying Dog, and Devil’s Backbone, with all pints priced at $6.50 (you can also get sample pours for $3.50 or a flight of four for $9). A full lineup from Denizen’s is expected soon as their in-house brewing started last week.

The two beers currently available are their Southside Rye IPA and Lowest Lord ESB. The former was my favorite of the two – it had a nice balance of grapefruit and spice, so much so that it’s a quality contender for a locally brewed IPA.

The food, meanwhile, is provided by the guys behind BBQ Bus. Their preview menu (an updated menu is expected later this fall) features pulled pork, brisket, and chicken which can you order either as a sandwich or platter. They also feature baby back ribs and four sauces made in-house which pay homage to North Carolina, Kansas City, and Memphis. My suggestion? Try the brisket paired up with Sauce #5 as there’s nothing better than smoky brisket smothered with a sweet, tomato-based sauce. The pickled onions are a nice touch, too.

And while the beer and food is great, it’s the atmosphere of the beer garden that really stands out. It’s just incredibly refreshing to not only find a biergarten with a wide open layout, but one that is accommodating to both families and pet owners. Each time we have visited, the outdoor patio was packed with families and dogs, all enjoying the summer sunshine while partaking in a pint and some ‘cue.

In fact, it’s quite possibly the most baby-friendly brewery we have ever been to. Not only do they have changing stations in the restrooms, but there’s even Diaper Genies! As a family with a two year old, we greatly appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into this when Denizens opened up shop. They know who their clientele is and know how to cater to it.

With cornhole playing areas as well as being walking distance from the Silver Spring Metro, this is a great spot to have a brewery. And even if you have to drive, the Kennett Street Garage is right nearby and free after 7pm and all day during weekends.

Between the great beer selection, terrific barbecue, and super-friendly service, Denizens Brewing Company has already become one of our go-to places in downtown Silver Spring. It’s a great addition to the neighborhood and we can’t wait to see what’s in store once they launch their entire beer lineup and full-service restaurant.

Rachel and I had never tried Korean barbecue before, so when we saw a LivingSocial deal for the renowned Honey Pig last month, we were instantly swayed. We drove out to Annandale with our friend Betsy to finally see what all the buzz was about.

When we arrived, the place was full to the brim, parking lot inclusive. With K-pop music blaring and colorful menus affixed to the tin walls, brace yourself for sensory overload once you step inside. It certainly brings its own authentic charm to the restaurant as we have never encountered a dining environment like this before. Oh, and they’re open 24 hours a day.

Our wait was only 15 minutes or so, and then we were seated to our table – complete with portable butane grill. Our waitress introduced herself and then handed us a multitude of small plates (banchan) which ranged from kimchi to seaweed to apple & raisin salad.

After looking over the menu, we started off with the seafood pancake. Unlike the rest of the meal, this was the only dish that was prepared in the kitchen. Regardless whether it was cooked right in front of us or in the back, it was a terrific appetizer. The pancake was crispy on the outside but not too greasy. The mixture of shrimp, squid, scallions and carrots was very satisfying while the value was even better – the portion was tremendous for $6.99.

For our entrees, we went with the marinated short ribs, bulgogi, and of course, the pork belly. Our server started cooking away right in front of us, with oil splattering just inches from my face. The short ribs (kalbi) were sweet and savory and I really enjoyed dipping them into the sauce it came with.

The bulgogi (seasoned tender beef) was tender, but incorporating some of the lettuce and garlic helped bring out some more of the flavor. The pork belly (samgyupsal) might have been the blandest of the meats, but that may have been due to the fact that it was overcooked. It was the last meat to be served, but I think our waitress simply forgot about taking it off the grill while we were enjoying our other plates. By the time it was served, it was dry and lacking some flavor. I did however enjoy the kimchi, bean sprouts, and onion mixture that was served with the pork belly.

The service wasn’t the greatest as our waitress/chef was bouncing from table to table, not to mention the aforementioned pork belly oversight. But the price was right, especially with the LivingSocial discount. There were plenty of leftovers between the three of us, but after sharing three different plates of meat, it was hard to look at any sort of protein for a few days. On top of that, you’ll want to air out your clothes as they will instantly reek of Korean barbecue. I would have washed them when I got home, but I was pretty much in a comatose state after ingesting too much meat.

Rachel and I have been meaning to try Kushi for what seems like an eternity, and given that our LivingSocial certificate was about to expire in a few days, we had to act fast. We decided to make a reservation last Monday since it would not be as difficult as opposed to securing a table later in the week.

Kushi Izakaya & Sushi, which is a part of the CityVista complex, has garnered positive reviews since opening early last year and is the only Izakaya-style restaurant in DC proper. Considering that both Rachel and I are adventurous when it comes to food (which was taken to the nth degree at Sushi Taro), Kushi was right down our alley.

When we arrived, our waitress greeted herself while explaining the menu and how to order. For us first-timers, it was intimidating to say the least. The menu is divided into several categories which range from small plates to grilled skewers to sushi.

After taking a considerable amount of time to review the menu, we were finally ready to place our order. We started the evening off with the ginger fried chicken. The chicken must have come right out of the fryer as it was piping hot. Not anything amazing but the soy dipping sauce was rather addictive. We should have gone with the Kawa (crispy chicken skin) instead.

Up next was Onigri, or crispy rice ball. Kushi offers Onigri as a daily special and rotates what ingredients it uses – that night the kitchen used pork as its featured protein. Considering that it was only $3, this was more of my choice than Rachel’s as I was curious what it would taste like. While I enjoyed the texture of the grilled rice and how it created a cohesive outer layer around the pork, we probably could have done without it as there were simply better options on the menu.

Speaking of which, our next plate was the tuna tataki. One of the more authentic items of the night, I really enjoyed this dish as the ginger and vinegar hit a nice balance with one another. Rachel, on the other hand, initially thought it would resemble more of a tuna tartar so she wasn’t the biggest fan after a few bites.

While Rachel may have been disappointed with the tataki, we both adored the pork belly skewers. One of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, these were simply fantastic. Tender and succulent, these are a must-order should you ever dine at Kushi. Futhermore, our order of bacon-wrapped asparagus was on the very same plate. I don’t have to remind you that anything wrapped in bacon is automatically considered a success, do I?

Up next was an order of Japanese eggplant. While the sauce was a little too sweet, this proved to be another solid choice. The grilled eggplant was excellently prepared and nearly melted in your mouth. Highly recommended.

Continuing our selections from the robata (wood grill), our next plate was Geso, or grilled squid legs. The char really enhanced the overall flavor of the dish while the squid was not as chewy as anticipated. We were both very happy how this item turned out.

After several plates from the robata, we finally moved onto the sushi. The seared sea scallop maki was excellent – one of our favorite sushi courses of the night. Meanwhile the beef maki was a little too overwhelming, both in size and execution. Considering all the other plates we ordered, the beef roll was just a little too much and didn’t bring anything exciting to the table.

The seared fatty salmon nigiri was simply incredible, and I’m not even a huge salmon fan. The fish was lightly seared, bringing out more of the flavor while melting in your mouth.

We were tempted to order another but instead got the tuna sashimi. Honestly, I wasn’t too impressed with the quality of the fish and considering that we had a similar tuna dish earlier in the night, I should have just went with my gut and got that second order of salmon. Lesson learned, I suppose.

Just when we thought we were done, I was able to convince Rachel to split an order of the black sesame gelato. The only tip I can give you is this: order this as your dessert. There were hints of what tasted like peanut butter as we dug away at the generous scoops in what rapidly soon became an empty glass bowl.

Overall we had a great time during our first visit at Kushi. Granted, we went a tad overboard with how many plates we ordered, but the LivingSocial deal allowed us to sample more of their menu without taking such a hit in the wallet. This is a place that you need to visit several times as there is so much to choose from. All I know is that the pork belly skewers will be on the bill each and every time we visit.

When one thinks of Upstate New York, barbecue is typically not the first thing that crosses your mind. Yet when I had heard that Syracuse staple Dinosaur Bar-B-Que was opening a location near my hometown, I was pretty enthusiastic. Considering that we were in Albany this weekend to visit my family for Passover, this was an opportunity we could not pass up.

With several of my friends from home, we drove down to Troy for an early dinner on Saturday for our first experience of Upstate ‘cue. Situated right off the Hudson River in the former Fresno’s space, Dinosaur BBQ has an optimal location in the downtown area.

Once we stepped inside, we were overwhelmed not only by the massive space, but also by the wait for a table. Bear in mind that we arrived around 5pm, and there was already a 40 minute wait!

With our party of five in tow, we made our way towards the bar, which featured one of the better beer selections in the Capital District. New York State’s finest breweries were repped as Southern Tier, Ommegang, and Lake Placid were all found on the restaurant’s very impressive beer list.

It didn’t seem like too long of a wait, especially while enjoying a Southern Tier IPA draft, when we got the call that our table was ready. After looking over the menu, Rachel and I decided that we might as well sample as much BBQ as we possibly could and ordered the Extreme Samper.

It was an apt title for the combo given that it came with a) a half a rack of ribs, b) a half chicken, c) sliced Texas beef brisket, d) two sides, and e) corn bread. Yeah, you could say it was A LOT of food. But for $24.95 between two people, we weren’t really complaining.

So, how did this barbecue stack up to the likes of Kansas City, Austin, North Carolina, and even DC? I have to admit, I came away rather impressed.

Let’s just get right to the ribs: incredible. Honestly, these St. Louis-style cut pork ribs were some of the best I have had since Oklahoma Joe’s last year. The smoky, tender meat came right off the bone, and unlike Hill Country, you could take more than a handful of bites of each rib. And while I have grown used to dry ribs, I really enjoyed how Dinosaur’s were gently glazed with their homemade BBQ sauce. It was a beautiful mess.

The chicken was also a hit as both Rachel and I enjoyed how moist and delicious it was. Pit-smoked and apple brined, this was some quality ‘cue. There was clearly no way we were going to be able to finish a leg, thigh, breast, and wing in one sitting, but we (or mostly I) tried our hardest.

The only disappointment, at least for me, was the brisket. Now that may be because we have had sliced variations of this cut in other regions, but in all honestly, it just didn’t wow me. That’s not to say it wasn’t good, but Dinosaur’s version made me want to use more sauce instead of less of it. Hill Country did a better job in this department, both in taste as well as thickness.

As for the sides, we ordered the maple whipped sweet potatoes and the mustard greens. We devoured the former faster than the latter, and we would have ordered seconds had we had the opportunity.  These were arguably some of the best mashed sweet potatoes either of us have tasted. It’s a must-order when it comes to Dinosaur’s side items. Meanwhile the BBQ sauce wasn’t anything to write home about, although their Wango Tango variation captured a nice balance of sweet and spicy.

Overall, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que was outstanding. Our entire party loved it and walked away more than satisfied. Rachel and I probably consumed at most 60% of our plate, but my dad was more than happy to eat the leftovers once we got home. Considering that we are going to be in the Albany area until Tuesday, I will go on record and say that a second trip is a very, very realistic possibility.

Just a couple of weeks after its grand opening, Rachel and I finally had the opportunity to try NYC import Hill Country Barbecue Market. That’s right, I said NYC. And while Hill Country features Texas barbecue, this isn’t your traditional BBQ stand.

The space is completely massive, with the upstairs being completely dedicated to a huge dining room as a well as a bar in the front of the house. Meanwhile, the downstairs “club level” features more tables, a bar, and a stage for live bands.

When we arrived, we were greeted by our hostess who then handed us a “meal ticket”. Each person who dines at Hill Country receives a ticket as it is required by the restaurant to keep track of all of its orders. Even if your party only uses one ticket for the whole table, make sure to hang onto them regardless. Otherwise, you might get penalized with a $50 fee!

We arrived right in the heart of their happy hour which runs from 3pm to 7pm, seven days a week. Considering it was a Sunday evening, it was an added bonus. Hill Country featured specials on pitchers of Shiner, $5 margaritas, and two-for-one bottle specials. But as much as we want to discuss drink specials, we were here for one purpose: to eat some Texas ‘cue!

The thing that sets Hill Country apart from other BBQ restaurants is that the waiter only serves you drinks, not food. You’re wholly responsible for ordering and picking up your BBQ from the “market” located on the main floor. Customers get in line and then tell the pitmaster what meats they want, ordering by the pound. Then, patrons head over to a different counter where sides and desserts are served.

Being the incredibly indecisive couple that we are, we decided to go all out and order the Pitmaster’s Combo instead of individually select certain items from the meal ticket. For $24, you receive a quarter pound of lean brisket, one pork spare rib, one beef rib, a quarter chicken, and two 8oz sides. It’s an additional dollar should you choose sides from their “Hot Favorites” portion of the menu.  We did just that as we got both the campfire baked beans (with burnt ends!) as well as the collard greens with applewood smoked bacon. Still, for $26, it’s A LOT of food.

And how was it, you ask? Well, I was big fan of the brisket. Smoked for hours, it was incredibly tender and, despite receiving lean instead of moist (less fat versus more), it was delicious. It was the star of the show and some of the best brisket I’ve had in DC proper. The chicken was incredibly juicy, and while it didn’t capture the smokiness of the brisket, it was still very good.

While the beef rib tasted great, I’ve had much larger ribs elsewhere. The pork spare rib was even worse as there was barely any meat at all on the bone. Let’s put it this way: I’ve found more meat on spare ribs at Chinese buffets than what Hill Country served me.

I also have to admit, I was pretty disappointed with the baked beans. Considering that they were prepared with burnt ends, one of my favorite BBQ dishes (and a Kansas City specialty), these beans just weren’t very good. Too watery, barely smoky, and just not a whole lot of overall flavor. Considering I’ve had Jack Stack’s version of the dish, there is just no comparison. If you’ve had it, you know what I’m talking about.  Rachel thought they were good, but then again, she hasn’t been to KC. The collard greens weren’t bad, but it’s kind of difficult to mess those up.

Despite all the hype, I wasn’t really blown away. Sure, the brisket and chicken were great, but the mediocre spare rib and baked beans brought things down to earth. The meal ticket was also kind of a nuisance as we only ended up using one for our table but still had to hang on to the others when checking out at the register. It’s a similar gimmick Vapiano uses that I’m just not a fan of.

All and all, it’s nice to see another entrant in the DC barbecue market, but I think I’m just going to stick to Urban Bar-B-Que Company for now.

Hill Country Barbecue Market is located at 410 Seventh Street NW in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, DC.

I have been fortunate over the years to travel to many places across the country, but there have always been a few cities I have always wanted to visit. One of them is Austin, Texas, and this past week I traveled there for a meeting for work, and got to try some local favorites along the way.

I knew that Austin was famous for both its barbeque and Tex-Mex cuisine, so I had to make sure to try some of each at least once while I was there. Over the course of only three days, it is safe to say that barbeque may have won out.

On Monday, for a late lunch I decided to try some barbeque, and noticed on a map at the hotel that the famous Stubb’s Bar-B-Q and music hall was only a few blocks away. I went straight there and was surprised how empty the place was, but then again it was 2:30 in the afternoon.

I was told to order at the counter, and straight ahead of me I saw various options for platters. I was hungry by that point and wasn’t sure what to get, so as a last second choice I opted for the smoked chicken platter with a side salad, mashed sweet potatoes, and cornbread. It seemed like a lot of food, but it looked like the smallest option. Little did I realize till after I got my food and looked over to the right that I completely missed the sign next to the platters that was for sandwiches, which came with one side.

Granted, the chicken I got was extremely moist and delicious, prepared with a blend of mesquite spices and seasonings, but it was not the real type of Texas barbeque I was expecting. I thought it would be pieces of smoked chicken covered in sauce, but it was day one in Austin, so I figured that there would be plenty of time to try the real thing.

Later that night, we decided to get some Tex-Mex, and with a recommendation from our association’s president (and also an Austin resident), we headed to Guero’s Taco Bar in the South Congress area. It definitely seemed like a dive restaurant, but we were told it was a longtime Austin establishment and had great food and atmosphere, so off we went.

We each started off with a different type of margarita, as well as chips with three kinds of salsa. The menu was fairly large, but given that the restaurant has the word “taco” in its name, I figured I should try one of the tacos. I decided to get the fish tacos, which featured marinated and grilled fish, shredded cabbage and corn, topped with a chipotle tequila mayonnaise and served with black beans and rice. We had a choice of corn, white or wheat tortillas, and I went with the latter.

Some of the other diners had the carne guisada, which was marinated beef tips, and the al pastor, which was pork. Overall I really liked mine and thought the flavors meshed well together and weren’t too heavy. I added some extra salsa, black beans, and guacamole to the tacos, and it was a very satisfying dish. I’m curious how these tacos were compared to the many food trucks there were in the area, and the fact that most places I passed offered various taco dishes. But considering it was my only time having Tex-Mex food in Austin, I was happy overall.

The next day, I told my colleague about my meal at Stubb’s, and how delicious it was, but I wish I had ordered the beef brisket sandwich instead. She had no idea that the place was so close to our hotel, and I was happy to make a return visit. Again, the restaurant wasn’t crowded, and you could see they were already setting up outside for that night’s show.

This time, I got the beef brisket sandwich, with a side of Serrano cheese spinach. And what a great sandwich it was. The brisket was perfectly sliced with a layer of sauce on top and a toasted bun. Of course, I added extra sauce from the bottle on the table. The side I chose was really unique, it looked like typical creamed spinach, but the combination of the spinach with the spicy cheese gave it a nice kick.

Sadly, I have no dinner post to write about for that night, because Stubb’s was just that filling.

Last day, after going for a run on the trail by Lady Bird Lake, I decided to get some breakfast at somewhere other than the hotel’s fake Starbucks. Coming back from the run, I noticed a Jo’s, which I knew from the other day had great coffee. They also had a sign for breakfast tacos, so I figured I should have something more local for the last day. They didn’t have many pre-made, but were nice enough to make a taco filled with egg whites and cheese, from scratch! I ate it back in the room with fresh salsa, and it was a perfect breakfast treat with refreshing iced coffee.

I thought that would be the end of my Austin culinary adventures, but when I was at the airport, I decided to scope out the food outposts to see if there was anything decent to get for lunch on the plane. Sure enough, with Austin being such a great city, even the airport had local offerings, such as Amy’s Ice Cream, and their famous Salt Lick BBQ.

I had actually seen this restaurant on Yelp when looking up barbeque in Austin, and was amazed this actually existed in the airport terminal. I couldn’t resist, and bought both a beef brisket and a smoked turkey sandwich to go. Since Brett was drooling over my dining experiences this week, I figured bringing him back a sandwich was the least I could do. It was a tough call debating which BBQ was better – Stubb’s or Salt Lick. I guess we’ll have to try to head to Austin next year for ACL to test it out again.

Oh, and I got Brett this…

You could not have asked for a better day for this year’s Taste of Bethesda. The weather was perfect, there were new restaurants to explore, and most importantly, we didn’t have to worry about parking.

Fresh Grill: Our first stop was Bethesda’s latest burger entrant, Fresh Grill.They have received some praise over on Yelp since their recent opening, so I decided to check out what they had to offer. I usually shy away from using tickets on samples of a slider, but I have to admit, I walked away impressed.

The bun was fresh, the bacon was thick, and the beef was juicy. Now I want to know what an entire cheeseburger tastes like from this place. Good stuff (and no, I’m not referring to Spike’s).

Bistro Provence: This was supposed to be our next stop as I was very much anticipating Yannick Cam’s French cuisine, but much to our dismay, the bistro’s kiosk was nowhere to be found! Quite a disappointment as they were originally advertised to be a part of Taste of Bethesda. They were even listed on the map handouts!

Nest Café: Nest has proven time and time again that they are one of the most underrated venues in Bethesda. Not only were they offering an array of higher-end options at their booth, but they had separate lines dedicated to each of the entrees they were serving up.

The left line featured mussels which were being freshly prepared in what looked like a delicious broth.  I opted for the line on the right, which was not a sample mind you, but an entire serving of their “Drive by BBQ”.

Customers had their choice of meat (brisket, chicken, pulled pork) as well as sauce (I went with the brisket and Texas molasses-blend sauce), and let me tell you, it basically represented my lunch for the day and rendered all other tickets nearly useless.

For the cost of four tickets, which is essentially five dollars, customers received an overstuffed sandwich full of brisket, drenched in sauce, all atop a hearty bun. I had to sit down at a nearby table to consume all of it, but once again, Nest delivered.

In comparison, the same sandwich would cost you $13.95 at a table inside Nest, excluding the accompanying fries and coleslaw. Basically, it’s downright refreshing to see restaurants such as Nest actually take the time to offer a full portion of their menu’s offerings during Taste of Bethesda for such an unbelievable value.

Morton’s of Bethesda: For one careless reason or another, I decided to waste two tickets on their petit filet mignon sandwich.  Between the meat being well done (if you could even find it), and the oversized potato roll, this was a poor decision and even worse sample. For such a high-class establishment, I would have expected better from them.

Yamas: The newly-opened Greek restaurant was offering samples of gyros and falafel, so I went with the latter since I had already had my fair share of meat for the day.

The chick peas were fresh, crispy, and overall had good flavor. Not as tasty as Amsterdam Falafel, but I liked it. The size of the portion was fairy generous as well. My only pet peeve was the use of whole wheat pita. It just did not taste nearly as good as regular pita bread. The texture, dryness, and overall bland flavor just takes the entire dish down a notch.

Olazzo: I decided to use the last of our tickets at a neighborhood staple, Olazzo. I went with the Penne Rose with meatball for a cost of three tickets. Unsurprisingly, the dish was excellent. The rose sauce was thick and creamy while you could taste all the wonderful spices the house-made meatball was prepared with. The two together made for a great combination.

Overall, I’d say the entire day was a success. While there was only one misstep (Morton’s), the rest of the venues I tried were solid choices. Now if only people wouldn’t take their enormously-sized dogs that could carry small children on top of, I’d be a happy man.

The next stop on DMV Dining’s Kansas City BBQ tour took us to the equivalent of Ben’s Chili Bowl in DC. You know, an institution. That staple restaurant serving up what the city is fundamentally known for. Of course, I’m talking about Arthur Bryant’s.

The man behind the counter assertively slices the barbecued beef for an extended period of time before plopping it in between two slices of white bread. Then, he tops it off with an enormous pile of freshly cut French fries, not forgetting some pickles on the side. The result? This:

You know what the worst part about this was? Just like Homer Simpson’s senior yearbook quote: “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

I mean the picture speaks for itself. It was rather delicious. The fries were made to order while the layers upon layers of beef stacked on the sandwich demonstrated why Kansas City is such a great barbecue destination.

The only problem I had was the sauce. It just wasn’t very good. My coworker mentioned that people love to take Arthur Bryant’s meat and top it with Gates sauce. I wish I could’ve done this, but alas, we were eating in the dining room and were relegated to the three or so varieties the restaurant offered.

The Sweet Heat Sauce might have been my favorite out of all three Arthur Bryant’s has on their tabletops, but compared to the other KC venues, their sauce is by far the weakest.

It’s definitely an experience, and although I certainly paid a price throughout the day consuming the entire sandwich, you simply can’t find food like this in DC.

One of the perks of having to travel to Kansas City for work every so often is the chance to have some of the finest barbecue in the country. Yeah, I said it.

I’m not the biggest fan of Carolina BBQ, but that’s mostly because I prefer a thicker, spicier sauce. Kansas City not only offers that, but their meats are just so well-prepared in terms of smokiness and flavor.

I’ve been to Oklahoma Joe’s several times in the past, but I’ve always stuck to their trademark dish, the pulled pork sandwich.  It’s incredibly delicious as the pork is exceptionally tender while the in-house sauce is excellent yet just a step behind Gates (DMV Dining’s all-time favorite BBQ sauce).

Anyway, my coworker suggested that I should try the ribs this time around. We split a half a slab and, well, now I can’t go back.

Oklahoma Joe’s took great care in preparing these bad boys. The meat nearly fell effortlessly off the bone as they were slow-cooked to perfection as evidenced by how pink the meat was.

Between the smokiness and the dry rub used, they were arguably the best ribs I’ve ever had. I only added a touch of sauce because they were already that flavorful.

We also split a brisket sandwich which was, of course, top-notch. I added more sauce to this item since it wasn’t nearly as juicy as the ribs, but it was still good nonetheless. I even used some of their spicy Night of the Living BBQ sauce. When I was putting some on my sandwich, one fellow customer came up to me told me that I “was one brave soul.” I mean sure it had some kick, but it wasn’t like I was drinking the sun or anything.

All and all, barbecue doesn’t get much better than this. In case you’re unaware, Anthony Bourdain recently listed Oklahoma Joe’s as one of the 13 places to eat before you die. Sounds like I’m on the right track.