Eat Great Cheap 2015Washington is in the midst of a barbecue boom—more than ten restaurants have opened in the last two years alone—and Rob Sonderman’s tiny Bloomingdale carryout gets the blue ribbon. Sublime ribs? You’ll find them here, smoky from hickory and cherry wood and glistening with a brown-sugar rub. And how about that brisket, with its glorious bark and lusciously fatty, pink center? It’s as good in a cup of assertively spiced chili as it is sandwiched with fried onions on buttery Texas toast. Meats are the main draw—the combo plates let you try a few— but most sides, including a pickle-heavy potato salad and fiery green-chili-flecked grits, do them proud.
Cuisine: Barbecue
Where you can find it: 8 Florida Ave., NW; 202-733-1919
Also good: Half-smoke; chopped-pork sandwich with red-chili slaw; smoked wings; baked beans; hushpuppies.
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.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
