100 Very Best 2023When Fernando González and wife Debby Portillo moved from El Salvador in 2019, they knew what Washington didn’t really need—another pupusa spot—and what it did: good barbecue. Specifically: wood-smoked, Texas-style meats (here served with “a taste of the tropics”), González’s passion. The duo are now turning out the best ’cue in the area at their Riverdale Park home base and Union Market stall—thanks to an obsession with supreme-quality beef from Creekstone and Snake River Farms and to González’s masterful smoking skills. Dig into American Wagyu brisket, snappy housemade cheddar sausages, luscious pulled pork, and crave-inducing sides like Tajín-spiced green beans. Go on Sunday, when brisket-stuffed pupusas might just be the best special in town. Inexpensive.
