Rocklands Barbeque & Grilling Company — Restaurant in Arlington

Balmy November Thursday, headed to DMV @ Clarendon, only got a hot minute for a good lunch… where?!?! Ah-ha! ROCKLAND’S BBQ YES DEFINITELY! 🤠

Nicely done up Catfish Sandwich, blackened evenly, not too salty (as can sometimes happen). Heaping side of mashed potatoes and another side of rice & beans made a really great meal standout in an otherwise difficult day.

Only (minor) issue? Soda fountain defunct, which meant no tap water in a cup. Only option the “cajero” offered was to pay for a bottle, which goes against my wish to avoid bottled water and avoid paying for what Arlington County gives the locals pretty reasonably.

Still, a truly fine luncheon before a necessary bureaucratic run down. Rockland’s… y’all rock!!! 🙏💛

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Warm autumn evening. Stopped in to see the “John”. (Not available, though I can contend is, from past necessities, “clean & welcoming”.) Decided herein to get a fine to-go done up for me & the Mrs. back home in Falls Church. So many options!

Blackened catfish, two sides. “Fish Sandwich, with bread asked not for.” (…basically, or so it seems, and I had to inquire of Soliloquy Xavier to explain for me.) Still, enough and absolutely delish as all get out! With a side of warm and syrupy baked beans and another of crisp fried okra — we chowed down together on our back porch thanking God in Heaven! 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻

Yep, I need to stop in here more often. Especially… when potential for cool new friends get made? #LookingatGabby

Rockland’s Wash Blvd. — Quite reasonable hit on the wallet; forever exceptional quality Southern-style fare. [Try it yourself; you know you want to!] 🙏🤠💛

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Totally great and delish comfort food, served with cheer by really cool and friendly people. As i tell my friends, "Can't beat the BBQ experience as presented by Rockland's, Arlington!" Snedden & his crew put their heart and soul into making the anytime-mealtime enjoyable for people of all ages. My two petulant teens never enjoyed restaurants (unless boring fast-drive-through) yet now anytime we are near Virginia Square, a shout comes up for "Rockland's please, daddy?!". Try the pulled chicken sandwich (my fave), or the rack of ribs (my kids choice), with the mac & cheese and okra. You will not find a better family meal anywhere in...

My friends rave about this place as if it’s the best BBQ in NoVa. I really want to like this place, but in 3 of 3 visits to Rocklands in the last 2 months, I’ve been utterly unimpressed.

If you’re looking for true Texan brisket, look elsewhere. Every time I order their “moist” brisket, it’s been very dry. No flavor, no juices, bone dry. We’ve always come during dinner rush as well, so it’s not as if the meat has been laying out. The brisket’s rub is not flavorful at all. Their chicken is also bone dry. Seems like they’re overcooking the meats to an extreme degree. If you like your meats well done and have a phobia of food-borne illnesses, this place is for you.

In all 3 of my visits, I had 3 different cashiers, and each one acted like they didn’t want to be there. My friend (who loves this place) had a question about a menu option, and the cashier responded as if she didn’t understand how to read English. Very rude. The serving staff on the other hand is excellent, attentive, and very nice. Props to them.

The sides are decent, albeit very small portions for the price they’re charging. The baked beans are unimpressive. The best thing is their corn bread, which is ironically more moist than their brisket.

Their homemade BBQ sauce is unique in that it’s served in a communal pot. But again, it could use a lot more flavor.

5 stars for atmosphere because it’s always clean and nice outdoor area. For some reason Rocklands is always packed with families with young children, so it’s a good place for young families to meet up and socialize. Their mini bar area also brings a cool vibe. This and the moister-than-their-brisket cornbread is what brings my review to 2 stars.

Would I ever willingly go back? No. If you’re a brisket lover, you’ll be...

Rocklands has some pretty good barbeque and is quite popular in the neighborhood. My husband and I stopped for a bite last night before heading over to the Arlington Planetarium for a show. The location has parking on one side and there is a Giant across the street with a large parking lot. Once inside we realized we had arrived at a peak time, since almost all the seats were taken. We did find a couple bar stools along the wall in the rear dining room. You order at the front and they bring your meal to you, which is nice, since the location is small enough that traffic jams in the front would be a problem. They also have a small bar serving local craft brews on tap as well as cocktails and wine. The menu is quite extensive; so if you want something other than barbeque, they have that as well. There are plenty of condiments near the bar and dispersed on tables in the dining room. I ordered the three meat platter and my husband ordered the ribs and chicken platter. The meat was tender and the sauces were good. It was not the best barbecue I've ever had, but it was satisfying. The mac and cheese is really cheesy, which I liked. The broccoli and bacon mostly tasted like broccoli salad, but I like broccoli; so it was fine. My husband ordered the mashed potato and baked beans. If we had it to do over, I'd probably order the cream corn side. Overall, we enjoyed the food and beer and the staff were great to interact with. Thank you for a...