Best Barbecue In DC
Lifestyle
Looking for the best barbecue in all of DC? With influences ranging from Texas-style brisket to Carolina-style pulled pork piled high on a sandwich, the local barbecue scene here offers a range of options that are sure to please.
When a craving hits, keep reading for the best spots to get your barbecue fix in DC (and the surrounding suburbs) today.
2Fifty Texas BBQ (Multiple locations): Oak smoke and fatty, wagyu-grade beef make the brisket stand out at this destination for Texas-style barbecue in Riverdale Park. Owners Fernando González and Debby Portillo are part of a large restaurant family in El Salvador, and their barbecue shop offers giant beef ribs, sausage links, turkey, and pork ribs, too. In 2021, the couple even opened a 2Fifty’s stand with a condensed menu in DC’s Union Market.
Cinder BBQ: Cinder has given Petworth’s main drag a place to get generously spice-rubbed barbecue from longtime mobile pit-master Bill Coleman. The space that formerly housed Latin American wine bar Ruta del Vino now serves rare whiskeys from the central square bar.
Fat Pete’s BBQ: From its perch in the hub of Cleveland Park, Fat Pete’s serves a wide variety of meats with a sauce selection that doubles as a regional draw. There’s Alabama white sauce, North Carolina vinegar sauce, Texas mop sauce, sweet Memphis sauce, spicy Kansas City sauce, and South Carolina mustard sauce. Ribs are the undeniable choice here, not to mention the speciality sandwiches that include a burnt ends grilled cheese.
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Federalist Pig: Rob Sonderman is one of the biggest names in DC’s barbecue scene. The pit-master was schooled at Hill Country and originally drew acclaim for brisket and fried onion sandwiches and crispy Brussels sprouts when he founded DCity Smokehouse back in the day. At present, he’s gained steam at Federalist Pig, where the wings are a hit, too.
Ruthie’s All Day: While this spot may not call itself a barbecue joint per se, it’s easily serving up some of the best smokehouse fare in the DMV. Owner and chef Matt Hill’s Southern-style restaurant dishes out meat and two (or three) platters with Sticky Spare Ribs, Wood-Fired Citrus-Marinated Chicken, and Smoked Brisket. You’ll also find traditional sides like chopped coleslaw and pulled pork pinto beans, but the hidden allure of this undefined barbecue spot is its Wood-Grilled Delicata Squash with hazelnuts and Charred Dirty Kimchi Rice.
DCity Smokehouse: Since opening in 2013, this spot has been serving a little bit of everything — wings, brisket, pulled pork, ribs, turkey, and a housemade half-smoke. Moving away from the traditional hierarchy of a single pit-master, DCity has a team that runs the smoker 24/7. For years, smoked meats, standout sandwiches, and plentiful platters have cemented DCity’s spot as a local barbecue heavyweight — and we don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Garden District: Everything is bigger at this popular beer garden and barbecue shack. Expect huge piles of meat on pulled pork and tender brisket sandwiches that should always be paired with hefeweizens served up in oversized mugs. The patio is the ideal spot for day drinking, barbecue, and good times.
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