We’re not naive enough to think that the best barbecue in Washington can measure up to the magnificence of Kansas City, Memphis, or Texas. The fact is no one place around here excels at everything we look for in a ’cue joint. But if you hit Kerry Britt’s storefront early at lunch, when everything’s coming right off the grill, it does a pretty fair impression of what we pine for.
Britt achieves a deep penetration of hickory smoke, and the zestiness of his spice-and-herb rub gives these ribs, cooked in a smoker and finished on the grill (open pit isn’t allowed in Prince George’s County), lip-smacking appeal.
Also good: Hot country sausage; grilled chicken wings; shrimp-and-potato salad; Key-lime pie.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
