Rick’s NC BBQ

A small hole-​in-​the-​wall place in a non-​descript kind of run-​down 7-​store mall on a run-​down service road off the mighty Rt 4 thorofare between Washington DC and points south in MD. Just south of the intersection of Rts 4 and 301.
So here you have it. A diamond in the rough. Clean, appealing interior with all the normal bill of fare and a fantastic selection of sides. Expensive, but what today isn’t today anyhow? Reasonable, but not exceptional service.
Watch you don’t put the vinegar-​based BBQ sauce in a bag. You’ll have it all over the place when you get to where you’re going.
Frequented by Mr. Sparky, the electrician with the incredible illustrated truck that looks like it just came from the set of OVERHAULIN. If Mr. Sparky likes it, it HAS to be good, right?

Pretty good BBQ pork ribs. Came with an old bay rub. I liked the ribs better than the pulled pork, and the vinegar sauce better than the sweet sauce. The sides were pretty bad. Overall a good stop on a hiking day from DC.

You will not find better BBQ in the DMV. I lived in NC for 20 years. Rick’s is the real deal. The sides are HUGE. Go! You will not regret it.

Tried Ricks tonight for the first time. I’m from Texas and in laws in NC so I’ve been on the look out for good BBQ in MD for a while now. This place immediately has gone to the best I’ve had thus far (been here 8 years) I had the pulled pork sandwich which was fantatsic. Hubs got the beef sandwich which he said was tender and really good flavor (which we’ve found is usually bland at places we’ve tried here) The ribs were cooked very well also. We will definitely be back to try more on the menu soon!

Stopped by after a day of hiking via Unilocal.Grabbed fried chicken, wedges and a big man pulled pork sandwich. Delish! Saw great reviews about the fried chicken. My pieces were a little overdone and tasted like the fryer grease but the lady was kind enough to throw in an extra wing when they didn’t have enough white piece cooked. The wedges were awesome!!! And the pulled pork was some of the best I’ve had in the area. We ate in the car. If they had some some additional tables they would prob have a crowd.

Rick’s NC BBQ is a do-​over! A take-​out restaurant tucked away along Route 4, but worth a «drive by.» My husband and I each had the pulled pork sandwich, because it was highly rated, and we each loved it. Rick included 2 sauces, the NC sweet and the NC spicy, on the side, so we got to try each one. The sweet is my favorite. Not too sweet and just enough bite. My husband liked the sweet sauce as well because the spicy is not for the faint of heart. Rick put a free container of mac & cheese in our bag for us to sample. Smart! Loved the Mac & cheese and will order it in the future. I learned to call ahead to hear about the daily specials. Thursdays is pork chops, which is my husbands favorite. A definite for us. Rick was so nice and eager to satisfy, I hope his restaurant «makes it.» The only draw back is the location. It is on the south (or east) direction of Route 4 in Lothian just across from Wayson’s corner, and there’s really nothing else compelling in the little shopping center. It’s easy to get to, but you have to want to do it and plan ahead. It would be better if Rick put signs along the road advertising the exit. I’ve already recommended it to some of my friends and we will go again.

Rick’s NC BBQ is owned by Mr. Ricardo (who is super awesome and friendly) and also run by Ms. Chrissy and her son, Michael. This small carry-​out place offers BBQ pork ribs, sandwiches (pit beef, chicken salad, chicken breast, rib sandwich, and rib dog), NC pulled pork, fried/​baked chicken, chicken strips, wings, shrimp, BBQ meat by the pint, kid options (nuggets), various sides (cole slaw, wedges, beans, corn nuggets, mac n cheese, collard greens, and potato salad), and party tray/​catering options. The hubs and I came here for lunch, and we tried the following: ½ Slab of Ribs Platter (this is dry-​rubbed, the ribs were pretty okay, but a little too fatty for our liking — we’d probably ask for a leaner cut next time; comes with the NC vinegar sauce as well as the sweet sauce; the platter also comes with your choice of 2 sides (we opted for corn nuggets and collard greens; the corn nuggets were little deep-​fried nuggets filled with cheese and sweet corn — more sweet than savory; the collard greens was fantastic with the vinegar sauce, as it gives that nice little Old Bay kick to it — was pretty addicting!); NC Pulled Pork (cooked perfectly, this was super moist and had some nice exterior crispies — great with the sweet sauce, but the hubs preferred the vinegar sauce); a 4 oz Pit Beef Sandwich (I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED this sandwich! I’ve tried the pit beef in Baltimore, and I was just not a fan; however, Rick’s version was juicy and flavorful, in thick-​cut slices, and the 3 sauces that came with (the chipotle, the creamy horseradish, and the sweet sauce) just pushed this sandwich out to another dimension!!!). The bun that was used (Martin’s Potato Roll, I believe), was soft and fresh, and really held the meat well together. This was super delicious, that I had to get the bigger version, the ‘7 oz Big Momma Pit Beef Sandwich, with extra sauce, of course!!! We also tried the Chicken Platter (this was more of like a baked chicken — thin crispy skin, seasoned well, but very simple and not greasy; I just wished there was some type of a better hot sauce than Tabasco!; this also came with a choice of 1 side, so we opted for the mac-​n-​cheese (I wasn’t a fan of this, as it wasn’t a thick creamy kind that I usually prefer it being). We added some wedges (a little less crispy, but you can request them to be prepared more crispier), beans (slightly sweeter, I enjoyed the little bits of white onion throughout), and the potato salad (more egg-​y and tangy, this was creamy and yummy). To wash it all down, we had their house-​brewed Sweet Tea — this was quite refreshing with the perfect amount of sweetness! Service was super friendly — Ms. Chrissy and her son, Michael, were sooo incredibly sweet and awesome! :D This little gem is worth checking out! I can’t wait to go back to get more of their Pit Beef sandwiches and try out their fried seafood and wings! :D
+deepfried porkchop sandwich: D :D :D
+Pit Beef sandwich with the 3 sauces!!! :D :D :D
+Sweet Tea: D
+Collared Greens with vinegar sauce: D
+Potato Salad: D
+Beans :D
+Corn Nuggets: D
+ask for Ms. Chrissy and Michael: D :D :D
+friendly staff! :D

I stopped here on my way home on a whim not wanting to cook that night. It was a hit. The baked beans were better than my Mom’s. The mac and cheese tasted homemade. Authentic smoked pork. The pulled pork and ribs were some of the best ever. I was also impressed how clean the shop was.

This is the 4^th time I’ve eaten here and I have to say this is one of the best places to pick up lunch or dinner in the area. The «Big Mama» sandwich is a must for any pit beef fans. The Fried chicken is to die for. Rick’s sides are also very impressive. I love the mac n cheese, potato wedges, and greens. The service is very accomodating and the prices are very reasonable. If you are in the mood for top knotch BBQ, Pit Beef or Fried Chicken please try this place. I promise you will not be disappointed

If you’re a NC BBQ fan… stop reading and just go get some food. This is perfect, satisfying BBQ. High marks for all of the meats. Sides are great… although the Mac and cheese wasn’t my favorite (I’m picky… I make great mac and cheese). Rick is clearly using family recipes here. You can taste the pride. Worth every penny.

We have been eating at ricks here at the office for a long time I keep forgetting to check in when I go over. The fried chicken is really juicy get the potato wedges and ask them to crisp them up they are much better this way. Also they have a roast beef sandwich that is really good and this time I got a smokes wing that is very tasty.

The Gentle Family Dentistry team in Dunkirk, MD was blown away by how delicious our lunch was! The team settled in for an afternoon of training, and lucky for us, our boss treated us to lunch at Rick’s! Yum! The food is awesome, and it was prepared with love by the nicest guy around — Rick. We will absolutely be back!

Real NC style pulled pork! I had been searching for proper NC style pork complete with the spicy vinegar. I found it in the form of Rick’s. The pork was moist but not wet, the sides I had (Mac, and greens) were well executed, and the sweet tea was ever so wonderfully sweet! I can’t comment on microwaves as I watched my meal be prepared right from the table behind the counter and didn’t see a microwave. Heat lamps? Sure, because that’s how we keep prepared food warm. Good food and a great owner.

We’ve lived in the MD/​DC area for 5 years. Our quest for good Southern style BBQ had been a sad disappointment. It got so bad that my husband went out and bought a smoker and once or twice a year he stays up on a Friday or Saturday Night and smokes pork butts for 18 hrs straight. We don’t have to do that anymore, now that we’ve found Rick’s.
Let’s be clear, if you are expecting a fine dining establishment, this isn’t it. This is a carry-​out BBQ joint. Walk in, decide if you want fried chicken, BBQ, or both, and order your sides. Go home.
The meat is great, those vinegary sauces go just right with the pork, and that slaw is something else! I’m not always a fan of cabbage slaw, but whatever Rick uses as the dressing is killer. Now about the microwave usage that someone commented on: it takes hours to cook massive cuts of pork. This means that the meat has to be kept cool after it comes off the smoker. They gently reheat the pork so that it’s not cold when you eat it. It doesn’t hurt the flavor or texture of the meat, so simmer down.
Now the sides: I’m not a huge fan or the potato wedges, but the corn nuggets and the mac & cheese are homemade like Grandma used to make. Just get them. Not sure about the beans yet because he had sold out.
Don’t forget about the sweet tea… It’s awesome. If he has some of Ami’s cake for sale, get a slice of that, too.

YES YES YES This is one of if not the best North Carolina pulled pork Bbq places around. This pork needs no sauce. the meat speaks for itself. like collard greens? The best I’ve ever had. I lived in eastern NC for years, and this place is spot on.

Very tasty BBQ carryout. I tried the ribs and pulled pork and I ate them without much sauce, they were SO flavorful. The sides were equally good, I had the mac and cheese and baked beans. The spot also serves a few other items, including fried chicken. Sweet tea was lovely, too. If you are driving to the beach, stop, they have a great menu for both locals and visitors alike.

Ribs are my favorite food, and this is the best. Even better than Kansas City. Pick your sauce, devour! And the fried chicken is terrific. It’s worth the hour drive.