Federalist Pig — Restaurant in Washington

Federalist Pig is located in Adams Morgan off of the main strip and in a somewhat non-descript, industrial metal storefront. You just might walk past it without noticing it, but here’s why you should make it a point to stop in and eat here – they make great BBQ. There is an outdoor seating area, which is highly recommended for those nice weather days. But, if you want to take in the whole experience and atmosphere, eat inside (be forewarned, you will most likely smell of BBQ until you shower and wash your clothes). Step inside the metal-faced BBQ shack and you’ll find seating for approximately 25 people, funny BBQ-inspired drawings on the wall, and laughter and smiles abound. During popular times, you will find it hard to get a table or a seat on the bench that runs the length of the restaurant. And if you do, you will probably be cozying up to your neighbor(s)! The bustling kitchen is situated along one side of the space and open to the restaurant. A short wall separates the line to order BBQ from the kitchen, so while you wait, you will have the opportunity to take in the sights, smells, heat, and conversation of the kitchen. There are a few small fridges that have craft brews and sodas ready for your choosing. The staff members are very friendly, helping to create a warm and welcoming vibe.

After you order, they will call your name and you can grab your tray of BBQ. You’ll find lots of different BBQ sauces to try (sticky garlic, anyone?). Try a little of the BBQ without any sauces first so you can appreciate the taste. I’ve tried all of their BBQ meats and have been thoroughly impressed with the quality and consistency of flavor and taste. Their sides, like the brussels sprouts and mac and cheese, are great complements to the BBQ meats, but are on the small side. The Texas toast and pickles are great, little additions full of flavor. Don’t kid yourself into thinking this a healthy dining option – it’s terrible for you, but such a nice treat for your taste buds. Note that there are few options for vegetarians, and they are closed Monday and Tuesday. The food is a little more expensive and the portions are a little smaller than its competitors, but the quality is a cut above. It gets loud and crowded, so it might not be the best choice for a romantic, quiet first date. Instead, bring a friend or two, and get messy while you dig into some of DC’s best BBQ. After you experience dining inside the restaurant once, I would recommend sitting outside (when possible) or ordering pickup. Get there early, because they do run out...

My girlfriend and I came here for our birthday meal after walking around the zoo all day. We were ravenous and this place is awesome, it could not have been a better choice. For two of us we got the pick 2 meat special. Burnt ends and pork belly with mac and cheese and seasoned fries. Ox tail empanadas as well, which combined 2 foods I had never tried before, empanadas and ox tail. Everything was on point. The burnt ends I could not recommend enough. Fall apart tender in your mouth. Perfectly rendered fat. One dip in their mild bbq sauce and I popped it right into my mouth, as they were bite sized chunks. I was sent directly to meat heaven. I’d never tasted something so wildly flavorful and delicious. The manager (owner?) came to check up and I expressed that I regretted not getting a third or even fourth meat, as we were so hungry and I wanted to experience as much as I could of what they offered. He asked us what we would want, we said ribs and he brought us a complimentary portion! Plus some rib tips, I could not have asked for a better birthday gift! Very very kind gesture, as great bbq is never too cheap and this made him quite possibly my new best friend lol. We had before us a verifiable feast of the gods complete with sodas (they offered complimentary ice water to all in a ‘pour yourself a cup and welcome to the ‘que’ style drum) for a total of about $44 and change. Trust me when I say every single item was a treat, super tender and basically the stuff of my meaty dreams. The fries were so amazing, the mac was perfect, the empanadas so nicely fried and chock full of ox tail and potato, spices. Recommend dipping in the sticky garlic bbq sauce. Loved the spicy hot bbq sauce as well, a punch of pepper and flavor to clear your sinuses and liven your senses. The ribs were delectable even with no sauce added the flavor of the spice rub was like a luxury for my tongue by itself. Paired with a bbq sauce? Forget about it. Needless to say we finished our incredibly filling meal and wandered out like two of the most satisfied balloons you’d ever seen. Looking to really treat yourself? Come here, you’re invited to the barbecue and you’ll feel...

On a recent business trip to DC I was craving Texas Style BBQ so I turned to the internet to find out my options. The Federalist Pig was pretty close to my hotel and the reviews were great so I headed over for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant is a kind of "industrial" looking shack which looks great and there is plenty of outdoor seating. I arrived about 45 mins after they opened and was greeted at the door by a server asking if I was picking up a pre-order or placing an order. I was placing an order so I was provided a menu and told to let him know when I was ready. When I came to place my order the young man taking my order seemed very disinterested in engaging with me, never looking directly at me and rushing through my order. I ordered the 3 meat combo and chose Brisket (moist), Turkey Breast and Pork Belly with Mac and Cheese and Green Beans which ran $22.50. The food came out more quickly than I expected and was fairly well presented in the typical BBQ way, on butcher paper on a tray. Now, the food; the sides were both good and flavorful with the Mac & Cheese having a little bit of heat to it. The meats 'though were a little disappointing. The Brisket had good texture but no real flavor at all. There was no smokiness and no pepper kick that you expect from the bark of Texas Style Brisket, it tasted more like roast beef from the flavor stand point. I felt that the turkey was sliced to thickly and again it lacked any smoke flavor or seasoning flavor, but the texture was good and it was not dried out. The Pork Belly probably had the best flavor of the 3 meats that I tried, it didn't have a ton of smoke flavor but I could taste a little bit and the texture was good, it was nice and moist. Overall, I was disappointed and would not come back to eat here as the flavor, in my opinion, is the most important factor in good BBQ and that is where this was really...