Fat Pete's BBQ — Restaurant in Washington

Let's start with half the negitave posts Pete's is getting the last few weeks. They have nothing to do with delivery services that cold food, missing sides, or what have you. They don't run those services, nor does any other restaurant in the city. That said, you should be leaving a honest review about the quality of the food. Now on to the food review:for the last 16 wks or so, I have worked in a specialized group for the covid pandemic. We have ordered from Pete's around a dozen times. The food is very consistent in quality of the bark, the smoke ring and outright moist meat. You can see in the included pictures of the ribs and burnt ends, the smoke ring and bark very well. The flavor profiles they have are outstanding;from the different types of wet or dry meats, to the amazing amount of BBQ sauces they make.

I have been smoking meat for about 15 yrs, not a pro but no means a rookie. Have a cpl friends who have won large championships in BBQ and they have seen and agreed the quality is high. As far as one review complaining about the "pull" of the meat. That's a competition pull they have on thier done meat. This is a BBQ house not grandma's kitchen where the ribs are finished( after 1.5-2hrs smoke) in the oven and they fall off the bone.

Customer Service: Jenna during the day and Johnathan I believe at night. Both have given very gracious service, expecially in the beginning of the lock down and they had basically no customers and Making pretty much nothing at that point, but always smiling, extremely helpful in selections as far as describing tastes and profiles of the meats.

As most can see, I review A LOT on Google. I say this to you about reviewers, take them all In, think about what said reviewer says and ask your self" is that relevant to the food or service from the company??"

One other thing I suggest is to look at the amount of reviews said person has. Do they review a lot? Do they have many views of thier pictures? If so, then personally, I tend to go with those reviews rather then the person who was maybe already having a bad day and decided to bash said company about something they my not be educated in or the company had no control over. Just my two cents.. And no I don't get anything for reviewing. I find that true honest reviews helps everyone find or avoid services that they might not have been willing to try before. To all Stay safe...

First thing I noticed when I sat down at the table: they have white sauce.

NOBODY in DC serves white sauce; it's been such a long time since I've had it that I was floored to see it in bottles there, out in the open.

The brisket was excellent. Good amount of smoke, nice ring, enough of leftover fat cap to keep the meat moist and absorb some of that delicious hickory smoke. Went great with their "spicy" sauce, which had a nice bit of a kick - but the fattier chunks were great by themselves, even without any sauce.

The chopped pork came out a little wetter than I was expecting, but the place is new and if that's my only gripe, I think they're doing just fine for a place only a few weeks old. It was a dream with the white sauce - peppery, a little vinegary, a bit of kick from horseradish and garlic. The staff recommends the white sauce only for poultry, but as a fan of chopped BBQ pork, I can tell you there's no flavor quite like the lean, smoky, slow-cooked meat with that bit of cream, vinegar, pepper, and horseradish. It's like all the best parts of a Carolina sauce, only with more style and character.

The collards were pretty awesome, nice and juicy and with just the right amount of chew left in the leaves. Not at all overcooked or dry.

The hushpuppies were equally good, nice and crisp on the outside and tender and chewy on the inside. And the honey butter was creamy and sweet, but not too sweet.

I can a harsh critic when a place has shortcomings, but this place is clearly run by people who realize they need to make great food first, and everything else is just the details.

Hill Country downtown still has the best Texas-style sliced and chopped barbecue in the DC area, but there's enough room in this town for more than one quality 'cue joint.

Fat Pete's is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. If you love barbecue as much as I love barbecue, and if you can't help but shake your head and grimace each time that place whose name starts with "R" gets voted by the locals onto all the "best of" lists, make sure to try Fat Pete's - you're gonna love it.

And try the...

For DC this is four star Texas style bbq. Anywhere else three stars. The meat has flavor which is good, the problem is the way it is cooked and what is served. The person who packed our order really messed things up too.

The bbq sauce caps were not put on and it soaked the bag and made a mess. They also did not include the baked beans, but that’s ok sometimes you forget food.

The real issue is the actual food. The pork belly bites were just fat, no actual meat or bacon. We threw them out after trying them because there was literally just fat. The burnt ends had flavor but were so burnt they could barely be cut with our steak knives. I chopped them with a butcher knife. I’m guessing they overbooked everything yesterday because the brisket was also over done and had zero smoke ring. It was moist but very over cooked. If it was done properly it would have been melt in your mouth delicious. It was likely a very off day.

The corn bread was perfection and the pulled pork was as expected. DC does not have good bbq, so if you’re craving Texas style bbq, Fat Pete’s is your best bet and to be honest, you won’t be disappointed. Once they figure out temperatures and when meat is done, they’re going to be amazing. The seasoning and flavor are there, it’s not learning meats, what to serve vs discard and when to stop cooking it.

Ohh the bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers were perfect. I loved them!!! ...