I feel that barbecue is subjective and kind of depends on your personal preference if you like it or not. My idea of good BBQ may not be yours. That being said... I LOVED this place. My brothers and I were in the area and one has been craving BBQ something fierce. Walking in, the place smells like heaven. We probably ordered way more than we should have because if we weren't hungry before, we definitely were when we smelled how good it smells here. We all ordered the pulled chicken sandwich, soda, cornbread and we each ordered different sides: baked beans and corn pudding, yucca fries and fried okra, and onion rings and macaroni and cheese. We also had a side of coleslaw to share since BBQ sandwich + coleslaw = perfection. You order at the counter, stop to gawk at the biggest selection of hot sauces I have ever seen for sale, grab your plastic ware and fountain soda, debate if you want pickled jalapeños, pickled onions, hot pickles, (hot pickles were AWESOME!!!!!) and then have a seat. They brought us the food pretty quickly and we dug in. We found their original BBQ sauce, found on the counter in a giant cauldron thing, a little too sweet and tomato-y for our likings (although I did enjoy digging the sweet marinated onions out of my cup of sauce, because those were great with the pickled onions and hot pickles), but they had a smoky and sweet one on the tables that we really liked. The onion rings were so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and tasted amazing. I dipped one in his macaroni cheese and that tasted pretty darn good too. The fried okra is a huge portion and is also perfectly fried. The yucca fries were also wonderfully crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and not at all greasy. The baked beans are a little savory and a lot sweet. The corn pudding is very soft and fluffy and tastes like a hush puppy without the hard exterior. The coleslaw is delicious. They add super crisp peas and carrots to the normal cabbage. More places should get on this because it adds sweetness and texture and it is fantastic!!!!! The cornbread is amazing! I have no idea how they make it so fluffy and moist but WOW. I may carry honey in my handbag in case there is ever cornbread and I have never been so happy about my weird tendencies because YES!!!!!!! The pulled chicken was juicy and tender and smoky and so good. The buns they use are perfect for standing up to the saucy goodness. We really wanted to try some of their pies and banana pudding, but we couldn't eat another bite by the time we left. The portions were very generous, you couldn't even close the bun around all of the chicken without it jumping ship. You definitely need a fork to scoop up all your fallen chicken, which is also how I like my BBQ... I really wish we lived closer to this place because it was delicious and I would probably feign being too tired to cook dinner at least once a week so we could come here.
Linda Wilkoff
Had a great day sitting outside with our grandkids.The food was great and the company grand.Thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pulled Pork Sandwich Platter, Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, Sandwich, Brisket
Joe Martinez
I have ordered a few times. The food is always consistently good. High quality meats and excellent preparation.Always ready when promised for pick up. Excellent choice for
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
M London
Great options and quality BBQ at decent price. I recommend full rack of rips and brisket.
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Coleslaw, BBQ Sauce, Brisket
sharilee Stafford
We love the food here and especially the pearl. The service is always excellent.Parking: Parking is tightKid-friendliness: They have accommodation for kids.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, Mac & Cheese
C. L.
The meat was good but the fries are soft and not crispy at all, the onion rings super-spicy. Wouldn't go there again, the overall experience was mediocre.
Food: 3
Service: 3
johnny schmuff
You want real bbq this is the place go there at least once a week never disappointed will recommend to everyone this is the best bbq around in va ty Rockland bbq do not change anything ty againVegetarian options: Colard greens the best I ever hadParking: Alexandria RocklandWheelchair accessibility: Ramp up to restaurant outdoor seating as well
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chopped Pork, Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, Sandwich, Brisket
T-LO
If you have never tried their Rockland Pearl you are truly missing out. It is so delicious! What’s not to like about a container layered with pulled pork, Mac n’ cheese AND baked beans?!
Food: 5
Recommended dishes: Wings
Erin Petersen
This is a DC establishment! All locations are great! Phenomenal BBQ. Come check it out!
Our favorite location in the chain. Sorry I do not have photos. We have dined in but this time was carryout. My spouse likes the beef ribs. We like the jalapeno cornbread and onions. Small dining in area but comfortable. Also dining outside. Check it out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, BBQ Sauce, Sauce, Brisket
Douglas Siegel
Great food, portions, easy pickup options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, Sauce, Sandwich, Wings, Brisket, BBQ Chicken
Douglas Jordan
The BBQ smell brings back childhood memories. Great neighborhood resonance and tangy food!
We ordered for a staff luncheon. It was fast and easy to order online. Everyone loved it!Parking: When I went there was plenty of parking.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken
John L.
Open since 2004, this restaurant serves barbeque using their own sauce. Their original sauce was INEDIBLE. More on that later. They have 3 locations around the DC area. The first location opened in 1990 on Wisconsin Ave in Washington DC. It's still open. With 33 years of experience, they should be making exemplary barbeque. I have been trying to find a place that sells properly cooked barbeque meats with great flavors. This wasn't the place. My wife and I got 2 platters and a drink. 1) Three Meat Platter It had pulled chicken, chopped pork, beef brisket, 2 sides, a potato roll, and a small cup of their original sauce. A description of the AWFUL sauce is down below. The potato roll was soft and moist with a light sweetness and potato flavor. It was as good as any. They offer 25 sides. We chose sweet potato fries and brussel sprouts. A. Sweet potato fries It had brown sugar with a touch of salt. The brown sugar and sweet potato flavors went well together, but it was a little too sweet. It was slightly crispy and luke warm. If you like sugary fries, get these. B. Brussel sprouts They were cut into quarters and boiled with a few tiny pieces of bacon. It was oily even though it wasn't pan-fried. Go figure. The bacon was soft and mushy with no flavor. At least the brussel sprouts were cooked properly. Skip this side dish unless you want salted boiled brussel sprouts. C. Pulled chicken It was dry white meat with little flavor. So, my wife mixed it with their sweet and smoky sauce. We ate it the next day. It was better in taste and moisture. The sauce was sweet, smoky, tangy, and a little peppery. D. Chopped pork It was moist and very soft, almost mushy. It had good flavors of pork and seasoning, but they were light and easily overpowered by sauce. Needs fixing! E. Brisket It was moist, tender, and savory. It was sliced thin and easily chewed. The amount of fat was just right, and it was distributed well. One the best examples of brisket that I've had in a long time! F. Original sauce It had a strong vinegar and black pepper flavor with light flavors of ketchup, molasses, and spice. The sourness was overwhelming. The smell of vinegar was strong. The sauce at the self-serve counter was the same. This was the absolute worst barbeque sauce that I have ever tasted other than some North Carolina sauces. I hope this flavor isn't the norm. If it is, then call it North Carolina style sauce so people know. It's the considerate thing to do. 2) Chicken and Rib Platter It had a quarter chicken, 2 pork ribs, and 2 sides. We chose chili and beets. There was a choice of dark meat or white meat chicken. We chose dark meat. A. Chicken leg quarter It was moist and tender with some savoriness and a nice roasted flavor. This and the brisket were the best meats all around. B. Pork ribs They were moist, a little chewy, and slightly burnt. The pork flavor was weak due to their overpowering sour sauce. The texture was average, and the flavor needed vast improvement. C. Chili It had ground meat, green peppers, onions, kidney beans, and celery in a tomato sauce. It had well-balanced flavors of sweet, sour, peppery, and savory. The meat was in little chunks instead of a fine ground. Overall, this was tasty and satisfying. D. Beets They were marinated beets and diced onions that were sweet with a hint sourness. The beets were soft and cube shaped. It was a simple tasting dish with no depth in flavor. The service was polite, helpful, and quick. It took only 12 minutes for the food to be ready. The dining area and restroom were clean. The restroom was old and worn looking. They have a large variety of hot sauces and other sauces for sale along with their t-shirts. The drinks were self-serve. They don't have hot drinks. There's free parking in a small lot. Only 3 dishes were enjoyable out of the 9 dishes. This is what they serve after 33 years of experience!! Experience is only useful when it's used. Re-evaluation of the food preparation or ingredients is needed. We won't be back until improvements are made. F
I feel that barbecue is subjective and kind of depends on your personal preference if you like it or not. My idea of good BBQ may not be yours. That being said... I LOVED this place. My brothers and I were in the area and one has been craving BBQ something fierce. Walking in, the place smells like heaven. We probably ordered way more than we should have because if we weren't hungry before, we definitely were when we smelled how good it smells here. We all ordered the pulled chicken sandwich, soda, cornbread and we each ordered different sides: baked beans and corn pudding, yucca fries and fried okra, and onion rings and macaroni and cheese. We also had a side of coleslaw to share since BBQ sandwich + coleslaw = perfection. You order at the counter, stop to gawk at the biggest selection of hot sauces I have ever seen for sale, grab your plastic ware and fountain soda, debate if you want pickled jalapeños, pickled onions, hot pickles, (hot pickles were AWESOME!!!!!) and then have a seat. They brought us the food pretty quickly and we dug in. We found their original BBQ sauce, found on the counter in a giant cauldron thing, a little too sweet and tomato-y for our likings (although I did enjoy digging the sweet marinated onions out of my cup of sauce, because those were great with the pickled onions and hot pickles), but they had a smoky and sweet one on the tables that we really liked. The onion rings were so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and tasted amazing. I dipped one in his macaroni cheese and that tasted pretty darn good too. The fried okra is a huge portion and is also perfectly fried. The yucca fries were also wonderfully crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and not at all greasy. The baked beans are a little savory and a lot sweet. The corn pudding is very soft and fluffy and tastes like a hush puppy without the hard exterior. The coleslaw is delicious. They add super crisp peas and carrots to the normal cabbage. More places should get on this because it adds sweetness and texture and it is fantastic!!!!! The cornbread is amazing! I have no idea how they make it so fluffy and moist but WOW. I may carry honey in my handbag in case there is ever cornbread and I have never been so happy about my weird tendencies because YES!!!!!!! The pulled chicken was juicy and tender and smoky and so good. The buns they use are perfect for standing up to the saucy goodness. We really wanted to try some of their pies and banana pudding, but we couldn't eat another bite by the time we left. The portions were very generous, you couldn't even close the bun around all of the chicken without it jumping ship. You definitely need a fork to scoop up all your fallen chicken, which is also how I like my BBQ... I really wish we lived closer to this place because it was delicious and I would probably feign being too tired to cook dinner at least once a week so we could come here.
Had a great day sitting outside with our grandkids.The food was great and the company grand.Thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pulled Pork Sandwich Platter, Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, Sandwich, Brisket
I have ordered a few times. The food is always consistently good. High quality meats and excellent preparation.Always ready when promised for pick up. Excellent choice for
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great options and quality BBQ at decent price. I recommend full rack of rips and brisket.
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Coleslaw, BBQ Sauce, Brisket
We love the food here and especially the pearl. The service is always excellent.Parking: Parking is tightKid-friendliness: They have accommodation for kids.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, Mac & Cheese
The meat was good but the fries are soft and not crispy at all, the onion rings super-spicy. Wouldn't go there again, the overall experience was mediocre.
Food: 3
Service: 3
You want real bbq this is the place go there at least once a week never disappointed will recommend to everyone this is the best bbq around in va ty Rockland bbq do not change anything ty againVegetarian options: Colard greens the best I ever hadParking: Alexandria RocklandWheelchair accessibility: Ramp up to restaurant outdoor seating as well
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chopped Pork, Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, Sandwich, Brisket
If you have never tried their Rockland Pearl you are truly missing out. It is so delicious! What’s not to like about a container layered with pulled pork, Mac n’ cheese AND baked beans?!
Food: 5
Recommended dishes: Wings
This is a DC establishment! All locations are great! Phenomenal BBQ. Come check it out!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Sauce, Sauce, Sandwich, Wings, Brisket
Great food. Great & friendly people
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Our favorite location in the chain. Sorry I do not have photos. We have dined in but this time was carryout. My spouse likes the beef ribs. We like the jalapeno cornbread and onions. Small dining in area but comfortable. Also dining outside. Check it out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, BBQ Sauce, Sauce, Brisket
Great food, portions, easy pickup options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken, Sauce, Sandwich, Wings, Brisket, BBQ Chicken
The BBQ smell brings back childhood memories. Great neighborhood resonance and tangy food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chopped Pork, Fried Okra, BBQ Sauce, Brisket
We ordered for a staff luncheon. It was fast and easy to order online. Everyone loved it!Parking: When I went there was plenty of parking.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Barbequed Pork and or Pulled Chicken
Open since 2004, this restaurant serves barbeque using their own sauce. Their original sauce was INEDIBLE. More on that later. They have 3 locations around the DC area. The first location opened in 1990 on Wisconsin Ave in Washington DC. It's still open. With 33 years of experience, they should be making exemplary barbeque. I have been trying to find a place that sells properly cooked barbeque meats with great flavors. This wasn't the place. My wife and I got 2 platters and a drink. 1) Three Meat Platter It had pulled chicken, chopped pork, beef brisket, 2 sides, a potato roll, and a small cup of their original sauce. A description of the AWFUL sauce is down below. The potato roll was soft and moist with a light sweetness and potato flavor. It was as good as any. They offer 25 sides. We chose sweet potato fries and brussel sprouts. A. Sweet potato fries It had brown sugar with a touch of salt. The brown sugar and sweet potato flavors went well together, but it was a little too sweet. It was slightly crispy and luke warm. If you like sugary fries, get these. B. Brussel sprouts They were cut into quarters and boiled with a few tiny pieces of bacon. It was oily even though it wasn't pan-fried. Go figure. The bacon was soft and mushy with no flavor. At least the brussel sprouts were cooked properly. Skip this side dish unless you want salted boiled brussel sprouts. C. Pulled chicken It was dry white meat with little flavor. So, my wife mixed it with their sweet and smoky sauce. We ate it the next day. It was better in taste and moisture. The sauce was sweet, smoky, tangy, and a little peppery. D. Chopped pork It was moist and very soft, almost mushy. It had good flavors of pork and seasoning, but they were light and easily overpowered by sauce. Needs fixing! E. Brisket It was moist, tender, and savory. It was sliced thin and easily chewed. The amount of fat was just right, and it was distributed well. One the best examples of brisket that I've had in a long time! F. Original sauce It had a strong vinegar and black pepper flavor with light flavors of ketchup, molasses, and spice. The sourness was overwhelming. The smell of vinegar was strong. The sauce at the self-serve counter was the same. This was the absolute worst barbeque sauce that I have ever tasted other than some North Carolina sauces. I hope this flavor isn't the norm. If it is, then call it North Carolina style sauce so people know. It's the considerate thing to do. 2) Chicken and Rib Platter It had a quarter chicken, 2 pork ribs, and 2 sides. We chose chili and beets. There was a choice of dark meat or white meat chicken. We chose dark meat. A. Chicken leg quarter It was moist and tender with some savoriness and a nice roasted flavor. This and the brisket were the best meats all around. B. Pork ribs They were moist, a little chewy, and slightly burnt. The pork flavor was weak due to their overpowering sour sauce. The texture was average, and the flavor needed vast improvement. C. Chili It had ground meat, green peppers, onions, kidney beans, and celery in a tomato sauce. It had well-balanced flavors of sweet, sour, peppery, and savory. The meat was in little chunks instead of a fine ground. Overall, this was tasty and satisfying. D. Beets They were marinated beets and diced onions that were sweet with a hint sourness. The beets were soft and cube shaped. It was a simple tasting dish with no depth in flavor. The service was polite, helpful, and quick. It took only 12 minutes for the food to be ready. The dining area and restroom were clean. The restroom was old and worn looking. They have a large variety of hot sauces and other sauces for sale along with their t-shirts. The drinks were self-serve. They don't have hot drinks. There's free parking in a small lot. Only 3 dishes were enjoyable out of the 9 dishes. This is what they serve after 33 years of experience!! Experience is only useful when it's used. Re-evaluation of the food preparation or ingredients is needed. We won't be back until improvements are made. F