Kenny's BBQ Smokehouse- Washington, DC

Where in the world do members of Congress go to spend their money on BBQ after they vote on spending your money? One place may be Kenny's BBQ Smokehouse on Capitol Hill.

Congress members and their staffers can get BBQ at the cafeterias in the belly of the Capitol complex...but trust me, if you order the pulled pork you might want to grab an extra drink. It's a smidge dry. But don't worry about that problem at Kenny's. They have the BBQ swimming in a sweet-tangy sauce. In fact, you may want to bring some floaties for your ribs and brisket.

The ribs were meaty, the brisket was lean, and the chopped pork was adequate. There's not really more I can say. Did I mention there was a ton of sauce on the BBQ?

If you drag the kiddies out to the Nation's Capital, don't feel you have to make a special effort after seeing the Declaration of Independence to run up to the Hill for BBQ.

Red Hot & Blue Southern Grill- Annapolis, MD

Typically chain restaurants don't always come with the best BBQ effort (with the major exception of Rudy's, of course). But Red Hot & Blue makes a pretty darn good effort.

The only other time I've been to a RHB was back in Colorado Springs almost eight years ago. And what I remember from that visit was the ribs. RHB believes in the Memphis style of ribs. They're seasoned with a dry rub and smoked to fall off the bone tenderness.

This time around I ordered some brisket and sausage along with the ribs. The ribs once again did not disappoint. But I was pleasantly surprised by the sausage. It was flavorful and juicy. The brisket was fine...but nothing spectacular. The intriguing part of the dish was the variety of BBQ styles. The ribs were Memphis, the sausage and brisket were Texas, and the side of mustard suggested a nod to South Carolina BBQ. And I can't forget to mention the cornbread sides. It was very sweet and had kernels of corn.

Wash it all down with some sweet tea out of a canning jar...and it was a pretty darn good BBQ meal for crab country.

Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company- Arlington, VA

"No Gas, No Electricity." That's part of the philosophy at this joint in the heart of Arlington, VA. How can I verify this? The large stack of hickory and red oak logs sitting in the front of the kitchen was a pretty good indicator.

So why the heck has it taken me so long to find this joint right in my own backyard? Better yet, why has it taken me so long to stop in this joint since I see it just about everyday on my way home? My expectations were not high for Rocklands. How could BBQ in the middle of a cityscape be any good? Well they showed me.

I ordered the Belly Buster: two ribs (I got four), sausage, quarter chicken, brisket. I really wanted to order the Texas Corn Pudding, but I feared I'd have little room in the belly for a side dish. Sweet tea...check. Intriguing sauce with onions and garlic....check. Plate...no check. The platter came out on wax paper and aluminum foil. That is a signature move for a Texas BBQ market. Very easy clean-up. Blah, blah, blah...let's get to the real deal.

The brisket had a nice crust and was pretty lean. I prefer my brisket to be on the non-lean side, but it did not bother me at all. The sausage was really good as was the chicken and the ribs. It all had a beautiful deep-smoke taste...a taste that stays with you for hours.

I'm afraid this will not be my last time to Rocklands. I have a "hankerin'" for that corn pudding and some more hickory-smoked meats.

Sonny's BBQ- Concord, NC

Well, well, well.....I finally found a BBQ joint in North Carolina that I can prove does some real smoking. Where's the proof? It's all in the pinkish ring on the edge of the meat cuts. That tells you immediately that the BBQ was wood-smoked.

For my pre-race meal (I enrolled in the Jeff Gordon Racing School at Lowe's Motor Speedway), I ventured over to Sonny's in Concord, NC. As you would expect, the walls were covered with old-time NASCAR pics. Pretty much mandatory when you're based in the real home of stock car racing.

I ordered a combo plate with pork, BEEF, chicken, and ribs. I also threw in some mac 'n cheese, slaw, and cornbread. Before I go on, I have to give big props to Sonny for his cornbread. It had pieces of corn in it and was very tasty.

On to the meat. First, no sauce....good work. The beef brisket was very lean and looked almost like the pork. The chopped pork was pretty tasty. The chicken was moist but didn't have a very strong smoked flavor. The St. Louis cut ribs were nicely smoked and fairly tender. All the meats had a very nice pink ring and there was no remnants of a vinegar-based sauce or marinade.

Despite my normal habits, I did try Sonny's sweet and sizzle sauce on the meats. I'm glad I did. It is one of the best BBQ sauces I've had in a long while. It really complimented the meats. And sorry NC BBQ lovers, it was not vinegar based.

Sonny's is definitely "the different family" in the North Carolina BBQ neighborhood. It felt a tad like a chain restaurant....very similar to a Famous Dave's. But all in all, a nice way to fill my belly before I hit the track for some redneck racin'.

Little Richard's Lexington BBQ- Winston-Salem, NC

Yep, I'm back in North Carolina. My entries are based on places I visit during work trips. And lately, I've spent a lot of time in the Tar Heel State. And we all know that means two things: pork and vinegar.

After seeing the menu at Little Richard's and comparing it to its North Carolina cousins, I'm convinced cows are more sacred here than in India. You just won't see beef on a BBQ menu. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if the hamburger I did see on today's menu was made from pork butt.

On to the review....two things drew my attention when I rolled up. First, the chimney and smoke billowing out. Either a new BBQ Pope had been elected or there was some real smokin' goin' on inside. Second, there were signs all over saying that mini-Rich doesn't take credit cards or debit. Hey, I'm cool with a restaurant staying old school....as long as you tell me that before I hit the register.

The BBQ (aka. pork shoulder) comes in three varieties: chopped, sliced, and coarse. The chopped I saw looked more like "blended". So I went the coarse route with a side of hush puppies (the french fries of NC BBQ) and coleslaw. Thankfully, they kept the sauce to the side and on the table. No sauce gives me a chance to taste the true smoking talent of the guys and gals behind the hot plate. I can say our friends are doing a pretty darn good job. The BBQ was very tender and not overcome by a vinegar-based sauce. I eventually added some sauce to the pig. It was nice. I took a gander at the ingredients in the sauce. Want to take a guess at the main ingredient? Number two was ketchup. Huh? Come to find out that North Carolina BBQ is actually regional. I was told by a resident that eastern NC BBQ is much heavier on the vinegar while western NC BBQ has some tomato parts. But don't kid yourself....vinegar is still the head honcho north, south, east, or west in North Carolina.

Good job, Little Richard, I'll let Miss Molly know she can get some good Demon Deacon barbecue at your joint.

Al And Irene's Bar-B-Q House- Cedar Rapids, IA

No, Cedar Rapids is not considered a hot bed of BBQ. But I would say it is the cereal/oatmeal capital of the world. Quaker Oats operates the largest cereal mill in the world here in Cedar Rapids. So Al and Irene have a tough task filling the air with yummy smoke aroma over the dominating odor of maple/cinnamon oatmeal wafting over from the mill.

The first impression of the joint was the kick-ass El Camino in the parking lot. They should buy that off the customer and just park it permanently outside the door. Without question, it would be the dominating decoration. There wasn't much atmosphere inside. The only thing on the pale cream walls were menus. But who cares, I'm not there for the art decor.

I think our Midwest couple take their cues from the Missouri neighbors to the south. The ribs were fall off the bone tender covered in a very sweet and light sauce. In fact, it was closer to sweet 'n sour sauce than a thick, hardy BBQ sauce. I ordered the Pork Back ribs with a side of potato salad and sweet tea. I don't put a lot of stock in sides, but the sweet tea was good. And the most curious piece on the plate was two slices of white bread stuck together by butter. I guess you'd call it a butter sandwich. I called it the perfect mop to soak up the pond of BBQ sauce left on my plate.

There was nothing spectacular about the ribs. The meat did come off the bone extremely easy. In fact, most the meat was off the rib before it came to the table. The meat had a nice taste but I would have like to try it without the sauce. For $6.30, it was a good portion of ribs.

All in all, Al and Irene are doing okay in CR. I'm not saying after your visit to the Field of Dreams you should make a special detour here. But it was nice to visit another BBQ joint and see a pretty cool ride in the parking lot.

Allen and Son Barbeque- Chapel Hill, NC

When I rolled up to Allen and Son's Pit BBQ, I had renewed hope for North Carolina BBQ. The rickety sign gave off a rustic feel. These people clearly cared more about the food than any superficial appearance.

Yesterday's venture took us to #4 on the Best of the Triangle list for Best BBQ. Allen and his spawn came in at #2. Why did I not hit-up #1? Because it had the word chicken in the name. And we all know that BBQ has four legs.

Learning my lesson about the chopped pork (simply referred to as BBQ here, ie. BBQ sandwich, BBQ platter, BBQ by the pound), I went for the ribs with a side of slaw, potato salad, and the mandatory side of hush puppies. But we don't care about the side shows...it's all about the main attraction.

First impression came from the vinegar-based sauce dripping from the ribs. My philosophy: if you smother it in sauce, you're hiding something. And typically that's a lack of flavor. I like my BBQ sauce sitting in a bottle on the table next to the silverware. Both are there for precautionary reasons; I only use in case of an emergency. But I digress.

Allen clearly makes an effort to hickory smoke his ribs. But he can't quite muster the flavor his Texas or Memphis cousins can.

It was a fair, but messy meal. Definitely better than the Ole House. But suffice it to say, this #2 wouldn't even make it into the top #5 in little ole Lockhart, TX. By the way, Eddie, the convenience store next to Allen's was called Lockhart Junction Store....I shit you not. Coincidence? I think not. Just a reminder of where the real BBQ lives.

Ole Time Barbeque- Raleigh, NC

My venture back to Raleigh/Durham provided an opportunity to try the culinary curiosity that is North Carolina barbecue. This BBQ is so far from the amazing flavor that is Texas BBQ....but not in a bad way.

First off all, it's all about pig. There wasn't an ounce of beef on the menu at Ole Time BBQ. Second, the sauce is heavily vinegar based.

So I ordered some chopped pork and ribs with a side of fried okra, potato salad, and hush puppies. When I bit into the pork, I almost spit it out from the overwhelming vinegar taste. It was quite sour. But after a couple bites, I grew to the taste. It was not bad, but extremely different. The ribs came straight off the grill. But from the looks of it, they spent some time boiling. The waitress said they only cook them on the grill with a dry rub.
But there was no way that was the case because there would have been a resemblance of a rub....and it just had a look of boiling. Nonetheless, it was fairly tasty.

Overall, the BBQ was good. But my taste buds will always belong to the mesquite smoke brisket and ribs from the Lone Star State.