So, yes, there actually is a serious BBQ place in Chinatown. I hadn’t heard about it until I saw it on FoodTV, which was sort of surprising. Now I should put out the disclamer that I did not grow up in a BBQ area, nor have I actually seriously smoked anything in a smoker before. I have, however studied BBQ quite a bit, and have always sought out real BBQ. We should also define now that BBQ is not the same as grilling. BBQ to be is cooking a particular cut of meat over low temperatures (typically somewhere around 180 degrees, give or take), indirect heat, and smoke. Grilling is cooking over direct heat.
So anyway, until now, the only place I’ve found halfway ok BBQ here in the DC area is Rocklands. Capital Q BBQ is located right next to Matchbox in a small, unassuming space in the middle of Chinatown. It’s a Texas BBQ place so most of the stuff they have is beef. I’m a pork BBQ guy myself, but I digress.
I ordered the combo plate with three meats: pork ribs, brisket, and hot link (sausage). It’s served with your choice of two sides and either mild or spicy BBQ sauce. My observations:
~ Ribs: Surprisingly not good. I am one that likes texture and some chewiness in ribs. I know lots of people talk about falling-off-the-bone softness, but that doesn’t mean that the meat should be half-dissolved when you put it in your mouth. It was a very strange texture. I couldn’t tell if it was the sauce or if it was the ribs. They definitely had the smoke rings and whatnot, but they were just too soft. I much prefer dry ribs, anyway, and I’m not sure they there was any dry rub on the ribs anyway.
~ Brisket: Really nice. Very soft, tasted good, no real issues. I’m not a big brisket fan, but I would definitely go back for their brisket.
~ Hot link: Best damn hot link I’ve had since I left Chicago. It’s a pork sausage that’s been smoked and is really spicy. I am craving them already and want to go back.
The two sides I got were:
~ Baked beans: I think it was because we got there to eat at 11:30am, but the beans were still a bit crunchy. Not good. But well-seasoned… I think if I would have showed up later in the day it would have been fine. Would eat them again.
~ Home fries: I thought these would be french fries, but they are proper home fries like you get at breakfast, i.e. sauteed cubes of potatoes.
Portions were fairly large, overall the BBQ was good, but not the best. I think Rocklands’ ribs are better, but I want to go back already. Especially for their hot links.
707 H Street, NW
Washington, DC
in the heart of Chinatown – 1 block from the MCI Center
202-347-8396
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22Sep
10 Responses
A friend and I ate here one afternoon and I don’t think we could’ve been more disappointed.
Yes, we knew it was a BBQ place in Washington DC – strike one. And yes, it was in Chinatown of all places. Strike two. But why not give it a shot?
I went for the pulled pork sandwich (the first thing I’ll get at any new BBQ joint) with sides of mashed potatoes and black beans. I made sure to ask for some hot sauce as well, but I’m not sure I would’ve noticed if it hadn’t been there in the first place. The beans were tasty, as were the potatoes, but the sandwich was such a let down. The server simply slopped it out of the tray into the bun, leaving me with a soggy bun that was incredibly hot from the juice on one side, and quickly cooling off on the other.
My friend went for the brisket and didn’t find his as tasty as this one seemed to be. He had a similar complaint about the sauce – sure, it’s hot, but where’s the flavor?
The meal ended with us walking out and wondering just where they keep the smokers for all their meats. Out back? Is there an, “out back”? The lack of flavor on either of our meats just led us to assume that they don’t even smoke the meats, so what’s the point of claiming Texas Style BBQ?
Honestly, next time I want tasty BBQ in or around DC/Arlington, I will just go to Red Hot & Blue. It may be utilitarian and a chain, but it works.
“I will just go to Red Hot & Blue.”
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE EFFIN’ KIDDING ME!!!!!!
Pour some Kraft BBQ sauce over your mother’s left over roast and that’s closer to BBQ than what you get at Red Hot and Blue.
As a card-carrying member of the Memphis Mafia I can tell you that what Red Hot and Blue serves is not, I say again, IS NOT real BBQ. It is, on a very good day, a pale imitation of Corky’s BBQ in Memphis. And no true Memphian thinks highly of Corky’s. After all, ribs that can be purchased in the freezer section of Safeway or Kroger are not real ribs.
Next time you and your buddies go near RH&B, ask the cook how long he smokes the ribs. You know what he’ll tell you? About four hours. No way in hell can you smoke even a single rack of ribs that fast. Ribs take at least 12 hours to cook, and it’s better if they take 16 – 18 hours. Ribs are only cooked with indirect heat, about 180 – 210 degrees, and with real wood chunks, not gas. (It’s the smoke that gives them flavor, so the more smoke the better the ribs.)
Have you ever had ribs from RH&B that fell off of the bone? No you have not. That’s because they cook ribs like McDonald’s cooks burgers. Too fast and directly over the fire.
Another way they screw up ribs is with the sauce. Different people like different flavors of sauce, and that’s okay, but sauce is always put on the meat in the last 30 – 45 minutes of the process. RH&B puts it on almost from the start. Dry rub is applied to the meat before it is put on to cook, and maybe once or twice more during cooking and that’s it.
The closest thing to real BBQ in the DC area is at Rocklands. If I like you, as I do the reviewer that posted this article, I might on occasion bring you a few bones of the ribs I smoke in my back yard. Those are decent, but only because I brought a couple of pounds of Cozy Corner dry rub with me when I moved to DC last year.
When it comes to BBQ, those of us from Memphis know what we are talking about. At this past year’s Memphis in May BBQ Fest teams from all over the world competed, using over 280 tons of pork, and it was a local team that took home top honors.
Go eat at RH&B if you must. But don’t insult DCFUD readers by implying it is good BBQ.
TC
BBQ isn’t BBQ is why you’re not diggin’ the Capital Q
Capital Q moved into town with George W, and I’m assuming it wasn’t a coincidence. Capital Q is a superb Austin Texas style BBQ joint. If you want Memphis style, or Carolina style, or what-have-you style and it’s not Austin style? Don’t go to Capital Q and expect to get it.
I think RH&B is decent enough, especially those yummy potatoes, but I’m also a fan of Old Glory in Georgetown.
Oh, one disclaimer, I’m Muslim and don’t eat pork, so I’m only vouching for chicken and beef…
I’ve never been a fan of Captial Q — eaten there twice in the search for great BBQ, and have always been disappointed. If you have to have BBQ in the city, Rocklands is the best, and Old Glory is a decent second.
Red Hot and Blue is fine chain food, but not good BBQ. It’s worth the extra drive to Lefty’s or Dixie Bones. If you’re insistent on suburban BBQ, try Urban BBQ in Rockville — it’s ten times beter then Capital Q, but still can’t compare to Lefty’s.
Oh, self-righteous “I am from a different place than you” BBQ ranting? *YAWWWWWWWWWN* Maybe I’ll go look for a website where someone from Florida is whining about OJ from concentrate–should be roughly as fascinating.
I would agree that Capital Q is not all that special–a nice place to grab a reasonably-priced bite before a Wizards game, but I’d usually rather hit up Five Guys. I’ll make the Rocklands praise unanimous–damn good stuff. I enjoy Red Hot & Blue, but I’m not trying to say the ribs are as good as my dad’s or anything. It’s more about the sides & such–kind of like eating at a Chili’s or TGIFriday’s where the food doesn’t absolutely suck.
Try Capital Q’s Pulled Pork. Scruptious everytime, but Rocklands does compete. I refuse to go to Red Hot and Blue anymore…Just plain bad BBQ.
no love for Old Glory?? C’mon you gotta hand it to them for the six sauces and tootsie pop dessert.. But I cannot wait to try Capital Q! As a brisket fan, you got my senses stirring. http://thekitchenette.blogspot.com/2005/09/old-glory.html
IMHO, Rocklands is terrible. RHB is similarly terrible. As for Capital Q, it’s tolerable if memory serves me right. I don’t know about it being reflective of “Austin” barbecue because it seems to be a mix of influences. The proprietor was educated in Austin but is from East Texas, which has a different style of barbecue from that prevalent in the Hill Country. A better barbecue joint in DC proper is the Rib Pit in Petworth. Much better than RHB and Rocklands. Can’t comment on Old Glory. There is also Urban Barbecue up in Rockville/Bethesda, which is decent (better than RHB, Rocklands, and probably Capital Q). I would figure the serious barbecue is out in the boonies.
Try Riedel’s in Van Ness. It opened last winter. They make their own sauces but have tableclothes. They also have many non-bbqed items. Decently priced and friendly. I can only vouch for the Ribs and Brisket,you’ll have to add your own sauce. Wash it down with some bourbon.
http://www.riedelsrestaurant.com/
The Search for Great BBQ: A Clip Show Special
Several weeks ago, our own CZ posted a review of Capital Q BBQ, the lastest in a series of BBQ-related reviews we’ve done here on DCFUD and elsewhere. We’re always in search of the latest and best BBQ. Given that…