Pork Barrel BBQ — Restaurant in Alexandria

Unrealistic Expectations or just bad?

First, Let me start with some context. I smoke my own meats and my main two are brisket and pork butts. I travel a lot so I have a smoker for the road and 3 at home. About a year ago, I wanted to do a brisket while I was in the DC area. I did not have any of my normal rubs, so I figured I would try something new. I stumbled across Pork Barrel BBQ rub and gave it a shot. We absolutely fell in love and its now a staple in my smokes. So, when I found out they had a restaurant here in the DC area, I knew we had to try it.

Now for the review - We ordered 2 pick 2 plates and got Brisket and Pulled pork. For sides, we had the Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw and BBQ beans.

The meats in my opinion had technical issues, first for the cost 15$ per plate, we received about 1/4 lb of each meat. Barely a handful of pulled pork. When I opened the foil of the pork, I first noticed a glistening pearly white meat shining in the mid day sun. Red flag number 1, I know from my experience, during the pulling process the meat picks color from the bark. The other issue was about half the contents were pure unrendered globs of fat. Now, fat is normal, but if properly smoked and pulled it should have very little to no globs of fat. I pulled out a piece that was from the outer edge and tasted, absolutely no flavor. It felt like they boiled the pork and pulled it. I broke my own rule, I grabbed a BBQ sauce and smothered it. The sauce was not bad, but the meat should carry enough flavor to not require it. Ok, that was disappointing, but lets try the Brisket. Color was there, but it was clear there was no bark on the edges. Also, the fat was hard and would not scrape off with a fork. From a tenderness perspective, it was spot on and pulled apart very gently. However, the flavor was bland so out came the bbq sauce again.

Sides, the Mac and Cheese was different and at first it was not that great. With in a few moments I noticed I had finished it. It was not bad, and somewhat addictive. The slaw was not good, I didnt get past a couple of bites. The seasoning they put in had an off putting flavor for me. The beans were amazing.

Conclusion, I wont be back. After a year of using the rub in my own cooks I had a specific expectation in flavor. Knowing the owners are competitive BBQ'rs I expected the flavor to pop. But to have bland, boiled meat texture and flavor it was extremely disappointing. From a cost perspective, it was not horrible, if there was more meat. 2 slices of brisket and a small scoop of pork was a bit pitiful. I gave 2 stars due to the beans and flavor or the sauces. Again, if your bbq requires sauce, you are...

Love this place. The BBQ is so good and the prices are so reasonable. The setting is very casual so you can enjoy good food with family and friends. Service is a cashier where you place your order, but always friendly. This last time my wife and I had the brisket grilled cheese with smoked cream corn while my son had the nachos.

I think the food here is fantastic. Everything I’ve tried has been great. The flavors are on point. For service, you’re going to order at the counter (fast food style) and wait for your order to be called, but the staff are friendly. The atmosphere is very casual (again, similar to fast food) but for “fast food”, you’re getting a ton of flavor at a great price. This last go around I tried the chipotle chicken wrap and baked beans. The chicken had tremendous flavor and I loved the French fried straw onions to add a little crunchy texture. The beans were slightly on the sweet side but still very good. My wife and son both tried the special, a brisket grilled cheese, which they really enjoyed. My wife also took slices of her cucumber salad and added it to her brisket grilled cheese for crunch and a different flavor profile. She said it really worked.

Amazing! While there’s street parking available, you’re better off parking behind the restaurant in their parking lot, and it’s free. When going in, plan to order at the counter and get seated. Meaning plan on a casual meal, but enjoyable. Plan on what i think is some of the best BBQ in the area, and for very reasonable prices. Even better. I had the Cowboy Cuban, which was great (and my wife loved most). My wife had the brisket sandwich (which was my favorite). And son the Redneck burrito (also delicious). Bottom line, everything was...

This is a great neighborhood place for meat lovers. While I wish the bar was a little more late 20s early 30s with a cute bartender that's just not the vibe here. So come when you're in a chill mood, casual clothes, and maybe want to fall into atypical DC convo. No one here is leading with what their last name is or who they work for. The local police are in here regularly, it's a nice scene.

There's interesting selections of beer and apple cider but the cocktail menu is non existent. It is not a full bar.

The burnt ends are great, get there early if you want a lb. regularly on the weekends a 1/4 lb is all that's left by 7 PM. Their regular brisket is also very tasty. I regularly pop in to order from the meat counter at the back. You can't order ahead unless it's a large, very large order. But you can always ask if they have the amount and cut you want! I'm a fan of their sweet potato fries also :) the sweet potato fries have to be ordered from the bar when you're ordering "to go".

There's outdoor seating options, booth seats, high tables, and the bar. For a game this is definitely packed by the locals.

Note: if you're picking up weekdays around 5 PM double-check your meat- sometimes it's left over from lunch and the brisket can be way too...