Mookie's BBQ — Restaurant in Virginia

Let me start by saying I'm a huge fan of Mookie's. I waited somewhat impatiently for them to open once word spread they were coming and have enjoyed every HUGE & tasty meal there since.

This is why it pains me so to write this 3-star review.

The Missus reminds me often that people who leave reviews are more often upset about something than praising. I am guilty of this tonight as I wish I'd posted the deserved 5-star review before now. Alas I didn't and now I must post for disappointment rather than approval.

The Missus and I went to Mookie's tonight, arriving about 90 minutes before closing. Initial service was a little delayed but nothing that bothered us as the young lady whose table we were sat had a large table to deal with as well as the rest of the enclosed porch.

As the meal went on, however, it was becoming more apparent that this young lady was developing a blind spot in regards to our table. She was servicing the other porch patrons but skipping us and leaving our drinks empty (I'm still thirsty hours later as I only got one refill during the entire dinner).

After we finished she picked up a few dishes and took her time getting our dessert orders (brought eventually by someone else). She had dropped off the bill before our dessert arrived and we never saw her again after that. Well, let me clarify that. After we ate our desserts and waited desperately for drink refills and her to pick up the bill, we saw her get her dinner and head to the back corner with her chums to eat dinner. Clearly she had no intention of coming back. How were we supposed to leave when we couldn't get anyone to handle the bill?

I glanced over to where the crew was eating a few times, perhaps with displeasure on my face, and eventually a young man sitting across from her at the table got up and came over to take care of the bill.

I get it was Friday night, and I get that she might have had a rough time, but to just plop down in view of your customers to eat dinner when they still need to pay and would DESPERATELY like something to drink comes across as a mild f-you to the customer. We've had a rough day / week too and would like to go home and rest.

Perhaps we've learned not to come late in the evening to Mookie's when the staff is tired, or perhaps the staff shouldn't be eating dinner until their work is done. That's up to the management, but where our dollars are spent is up to us and poor service is not a invitation for us to...

I visited on a Wednesday evening to get some summery eats before a Filene Center show. I had enjoyed previous occasions where I sat outside, so I anticipated another positive experience. The clientele seem to be majority locals from the surrounding area. The staff seemed to know a good many of the people around the bar and conversed easily with those less familiar to them. The interior looked clean and well-maintained. Service was friendly and efficient with food arriving within reasonable times from ordering and drinks refilled without asking.

I ordered a chicken tender appetizer followed by a platter with pulled pork and turkey with fries and collard greens for sides finishing with an advertised special dessert of peach-blueberry pie. The tenders were a highlight with a crunchy exterior, light fry, and a warm juicy interior. The honey mustard sauce was good enough for me to take the remainder home. The protein and sides portions for the platter proved generous and generally tasty. The turkey struck me as a tad flat in taste even for turkey which ordinarily will need help with seasoning or something I realize. The sauces were welcome pickups for the turkey specifically and again so good I took the remainder home. The pulled pork was quite good in both texture and taste. Greens were not overly salty even with the bacon sprinkled throughout the dish. Fries were crunchy and warm and also not overly salty to my taste. My cornbread piece had a nice color and crumbly texture and just enough butter flavor to round out my entree. The dessert could have used more punch from the fruit, as I chiefly tasted pastry rather than fruit. The pastry itself felt house-made and had a satisfyingly light and flaky character.

My total bill came between $40-$45 excluding tip. All in all I felt like I received good value for what I ate and the accompanying service. The offerings here easily compete with most any of this food type in Northern Virginia with maybe one exception further west of this establishment. I could definitely return and sample other menu items and support a local business that seems well regarded by its patrons and from what I could tell for...

A few fellas and I decided on Mookie's BBQ to meet up before our meeting. The staff was incredibly friendly. They seamlessly accomodated 3 more unexpected guests in our party, and immediately moved us to a large table that could fit us all. Julia, our server, was phenomenal and knowledgable about the menu (which is really large for a bbq joint). She was also very attentive and funny! We never had to ask for anything other than the check because we were in a rush to make it to our meeting. The food? Great! There were 7 of us and I heard no complaints whatsoever...to be honest, conversation between us was minimal because we were happily mowing down the generous food portions. 5/5 stars for the service AND the food. Each of us had a different menu item, too, and the food was brought out to all of us within minutes...that's hard to do, especially during a rush period for the establishment. I had the Mookie's Burger (topped with pulled pork and onions rings...and yes it's manageable to eat with your hands), which was cooked just how I asked, seasoned well, and piping HOT. Spectacular!

Overall, I'm extremely glad we had decided on Mookie's, and look forward to returning often, as we have our meeting weekly up the street. Big thanks to all the staff, especially Julia, for making 7 hungry men fat and happy. I recommend anybody in the area to try Mookie's out, especially because they're a small business that can handle full capacities like the corporate...