The Kernel’s BBQ

My family LOVES the food they serve along the roadside on Route 340 near Harpers Ferry. My son thinks it’s the best barbecue on the planet and asked for us to drive out there for his birthday lunch. The service is friendly and quick and the prices are reasonable.
My only complaint is they aren’t reliable or predictable in their hours. Twice we’ve gone out of our way to drive over there to eat at times that they SHOULD be open according to the hours posted on their website and found the parking lot empty. They need to do a better job of posting to FB or Twitter or their website to let people know if they’re closing up shop for the day.

Wow, that was a really good beef brisket sandwich! It was piled high with tender hunks of semi-​shredded beef and smothered with your choice of sauce (I chose the KC sauce). The roll was a glazed onion roll that was soft and chewy, yet held together nicely. The sandwich and drink came to around $ 11. Judging from the traffic, people seem to really like this place, as do I.

I travel through Harpers Ferry every few months, but I’ve never stopped. This time, my road buddy and I decided to stop at this stand on the side of the road for lunch. After this, I will be making a point to wait to eat lunch on my way home until I get to this stop. Such good barbecue!
There are no picnic tables nearby, so plan to take it to go or sit in your car for a few minutes before hitting the road — it’s messy food that deserves your full attention!
I got the North Carolina style barbecue, and although it wasn’t quite right, it was good for what it was. I also got corn bread and mac and cheese, because you can’t eat pulled pork without that, and both were stellar. My friend got the Alabama style, which I had never even heard of, but being from Alabama, she was excited to see it and try it. Based on her expert native opinion, The Kernel’s BBQ stacks up in this category too.
Don’t forget the fries! A regular/​small is large enough to share, and they are not kidding when they say they are fresh. Just hold out a few more minutes past the fast food chains along 340 until you get get some real fresh, deliciously hot fries here.
The one flaw is that since they have so many different options, the sauces don’t get a chance to melt with the meat. So you’re not getting full barbecue flavor. But those sauces are still pretty good!

The best BBQ in Virginia!!! So amazing!!!

It was a surprise to come across this BBQ stand in the middle of no where. Traditional side of the road smoker type BBQ stands are my fav. The people working there greated you with a smile and exerted patience with dealing with lil ol’ picky me. :) You have the choice between 5 different bbq sauces. I tried the KC bbq sauce and had no regrets. Also, I love my meat smoked well well well done and it was cooked to perfection. My beef brisket was suppose to be 6oz., but it looked and felt like 9oz of moist tender love. I also bought apple butter and caramel corn (both of which were made au natural). I will be returning.

My wife and I stopped here after visiting Harper’s Ferry. We ordered Kernel’s half chicken ($ 11.25) as well as two bbq sauces. Kernel’s chicken is covered in a special spice blend before it spends time in the smoker. This combination of smoke and seasoning produces a supremely delicious BBQ chicken! The sauces were quite unique and added a bright contrast to the smoked chicken.

This place is a great little gem on the side of the road. They have the best ribs and we love the pulled pork. They have several sauces to choose from. Stop in, you won’t be disappointed.

Not a fan, the pulled pork was so mushy, way over cooked, and very little flavor. The Kettle corn, and nut were great though.

Three and a half stars. As a brisket zealot, I have to say that Kernel’s is the best rendition I’ve had within short driving distance of DC. Moist, semi-​fatty, and fork-​tender, this meat is done so right that I was tempted to buy a few pounds to go. Gives me high hopes for their ribs and rotisserie chicken.
Set up in a gravel lot just before Harper’s Ferry, alongside Catoctin Popcorn Co’s truck. Service is friendly and efficient. The rest of their offerings aren’t quite on par with the brisket. Mac and cheese made with penne crusted along aluminum tray edges and gooped in the middle. Pulled pork in the BBQ bowl was decent. Basic sauces were offered and the hot version was just a spicy rendition of the sweet sauce. Cornbread is cake-​style, smokey baked beans have bits of shredded meat and onion cooked in. Fries are most disappointing: straight from the potato press to the fryer, so some are clumped and unevenly fried. Doctor them heavily yourself with DIY seasoning table: salt, malt vinegar, Old Bay.

Spent a hot June day floating down the river through Harper’s Ferry, and we were so hungry when we finally got the tubes back up to our car that we went to the second closest place we could find. (The first closest was a gas station. No thanks.) Just a few tents off the side of the highway. No tables, chairs, benches; the whole place sets up and tears down daily. But the billowing smoke pouring out of the meat smoker convinced us to give it a try.
There are 6 or 7 types of BBQ styles you can choose, I chose the Carolina style — a vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper watery sauce that soaks into the pulled pork and bun. Added some cole slaw for a crunch, and maybe it was the heat, but that was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever tasted. The pork melts in your mouth, and the sauce elevates the meat in every way.
It took a while to make, and I had to stand in the sun for a while, sweating and smelling bbq. They should just buy another tent and some folding table/​bench combos to really attract business. I’m docking them down from a 4-​star to a 3-​star for that complete failure to provide any comfort at all. The tent also sells dried fruit, nuts, kettle corn and such; typical roadside booth fare. A-​OK in my book.

Awesome pulled pork sandwich, you can choose what kind of bbq sauce you want on it. Its a smoker on the side of the road; super friendly, great food, you definitely get what you pay for. Pull up your car and eat outside; I always stop on the way to the casino down the road. Highly recommend.

Fries were cooked as we placed our order (so were super fresh). A variety of bbq sauces to choose from (Kansas City was delicious — sweet and hot). I had ½ rack of ribs and hubby had a pulled pork sandwich. Ribs were better. Don’t bother w the mac and cheese — glops of tastelessness. No seats so we ate leaning on our trunk. They also sell a variety of popcorn and kettle corn… All in all a good option when heading out of Harpers Ferry, 4 + stars.

Good pulled pork with a variety of sauces. Terrible fries, not well cooked at all. If we’d skipped the fries or asked for a quick sample, we would have been much happier. Roadside stop just after the service station. We took it to eat at Harpers Ferry before touring. Kids and parents were happy. In hot, hot weather they might be closed so call if it is steaming out. They take cash or cards.

My husband and I were looking for a lunch spot in Harpers Ferry after a wonderful morning hike, but based on the Unilocal reviews we saw, the options in town seemed underwhelming. So we drove a couple minutes outside of town to this place. The smoked chicken was phenomenal, the KC BBQ sauce — homemade — was spot on, the home cut fries were fresh and delicious, and the servers were chatty and charming. Altogether, a simple, delightful lunch. The only thing that wasn’t amazing is the location — just a few tents at a pull off off the highway. So our recommendation: Grab a half chicken and a generous pile of napkins on your way into Harper’s Ferry, and enjoy it at one of the picnic spots along the river. Perfection.