DCity Smokehouse

Great bbq, wings, and fries. I really enjoyed every bit my food. Will go back when they reopen! ⁹⁄₁₀.

No longer in business! In transition!
Don’t come to this 8 Florida ave address!
Gentrification came and closed this old favorite —
Wicked Blooms (same ownership) around the corner 1504 North Capitol St. I think will serve similar food DC City Smokehouse in its bar-​restaurant.
I hear the new DC Citysmokehouse carry out location we used to love will be on Florida and 2^nd St NW

This BBQ is blessed. Try the Showstopper platter, wings are amazing and the dipping sauces are to die for. Definitely a must in DC.

After reading all the reviews and the hype about this place i have to say im not impressed. The wait time for our food was over 40 min. The food was not even that hot and it was nearly impossibly for us to get refills on soda.
The food was good. But not amazing, life changing bbq as described. Im from miami so i dont have this bias toward texan bbq or anything! The brisket was decent. A little thick cut for my liking, the bbq sauce was really good and we also had he wings, short ribs and chili. All good but nothing to write home about. The wings really needed some more seasoning and as i mentioned the chili was not very hot. Overall it was good. But a bit upsetting based on the reviews.

Went today based on reviews. If i closed my eyes I wouldn’t know what I was eating; Ribs, turkely, beans and slaw all tasted exactly the same. This is WP barbeque. Bland. Very bland.

A Texan BBQ judgement: Yes, I’m from Texas. San Antonio to be exact. When I visit DCity, I know exactly what I’m ordering: a quarter pound of brisket and some ribs with a side of green chili cheddar grits. The ribs are my favorite in DC, no doubt. They’re smoky, tender and have enough bite off the bone that many rib lovers will enjoy. As for the brisket, the slices are thick, there’s usually a nice smoke ring and it’s smoky. Rob and his crew know what they’re doing.
Oh, and don’t forget the green chili cheddar grits.

I love this place for half smokes and BBQ. My usual go to is the half smoke since the portion sizes of everything else are huge. The meat is always tender and tasty. It helps to be a meat eater at this place.
My only complaint about the place would have been that the pickup and eating areas were tiny. However they recently moved around the corner from their original location into the Wicked Bloom Social Club. Tons of room, full bar, and bathrooms! Check out my picture to see how it looks now.
Come try this place out. If you like bbq you’ll love this place.

I had the brisket sandwich. The flavors were outstanding. There was a good depth of Smokey BBQ flavor in the meat, add the bbq sauce, pickles, crispy onions and buttery Texas toast and you have an excellent sandwich. The texture of the brisket was great but not perfect.
Flavor was on point. I’d love to come back for more when I’m in the area.

For the life of God, get yourself here. Smoked wings are straight up sinful. It’s a dry rubbed wing with such a perfect balance of smoke flavor.
The rib tips are heavenly. Same unique, smokey dry rub flavor that sets this place apart. Squeeze bottles of house made bbq sauce add a great touch.
Crispy sprouts can’t be missed either.

Love this place! Everything we ordered from there (brisket, pull pork, ribs) were delicious! It’s located in a more urban part of DC, but don’t be scared because it’s worth it! There’s a small table that connects to the wall that can sit about 4 – 5 people that you can eat on. But other than that, it’s more of a take-​out kind of place. Staff and cooks were very friendly and the food was just top knotch. Great BBQ place.

If this was just about the meats it would warrant 4 – 5 stars, but since they are merely a part of a larger menu, well, I have to go by the rest of the things I’ve had here as well.
Pros:
— Great meats. The wings and brisket are particular stand-​outs and the pulled pork is fine.
— Good BBQ sauce. Growing up in eastern NC, I’ve always been unenthusiastic about most sauces, but the stuff they whip up here is very good.
— The Meaty Palmer is a damn fine sandwich.
Cons:
— Mediocre sides. The fried brussels sprouts could be great, if they weren’t saltier than a box of Mortons. The slaw is just way too moist and soggy — maybe it should be advertised as flavored creamy mayo-​like stuff with a hint of cabbage. The hush puppies have been overcooked and dry both times I’ve had them. If you get a side, the collards are okay. I’ve had better, but they’re perfectly good here as well.
— The Brisket Champ kind’ve sucks. The problem is the fried onions. They are simply too much. The sandwich was also swimming in sauce. Guys, you make great brisket, why are you hiding it under fried onions and a flood of sauce? When you factor in the two pieces of bread that are dripping with butter, you end up with a sandwich that is too greasy, too rich, and too heavy, all of which detract from the meats. Honestly, if you want a brisket sandwich there, just ask for them to leave off the butter and just serve it on some plain bread, get the sauce on the side, and if they will oblige you, ask for just a few raw onions on the thing.
— Chopped pork is tasty, but it’s hard to taste it in the sandwich since it’s buried under a mountain of soggy coleslaw :(
— The half-​smoke is good but don’t ask for it all the way or you’ll end up with an excellent sausage and some terrific chili buried, once again, under a mountain of soggy cole slaw.
Your best bet here is to good for a meat combo with a side of collards. If you want a second side then the chili is a good bet and the grits are underwhelming but not too bad. But really, just focus on the excellent meats, especially those wings and that brisket.

We stepped into this small place and grabbed the Brisket Champ. At about $ 10, this is not really a cheap sandwich. But by DC standards, it’s not a terrible price point.
This is a nice sandwich. Imagine tender, moist brisket balanced expertly with pickles and the satisfying crisp of fried onions. The bread is quite good, a buttery Texas toast.
I prefer that brisket be falling apart, this was not the case. The meat was firmer than what I consider perfection. This is likely due to the fact that this particular sandwich I got shied away from including fat.
Overall, I’m assigning 4 stars and not 5 because of the lack of fattiness and price point. This place is worth checking out.

I think I have discovered my go-​to BBQ joint in DC. It’s a tiny hole-​in-​the-​wall kind of place, but don’t let that fool you. Everything is jammed packed with flavor flavor flavor!
Personally, I’m a dry-​rub BBQ kinda gal with sauce on the side. My boyfriend and I always end up getting The Show Stopper (for 2), and there are always leftovers. It comes with ½ pound of pork ribs, wings, ½ pound of any meat by the slice (we usually get brisket), and two small sides (brussel sprouts and hushpuppies). I think it’s a great way to sample a bunch of stuff and there’s always more for lunch the following day.
The brisket is probably one of the best I’ve ever had. Smoke rings baby! That’s where the money’s at!
The boring details:
–It’s a SUPER tiny place, like wide enough for a single-​file line, with maybe 3 chairs and a small counter for those who decide to dine-​in (not recommended because you will have people breathing down your back)
–They take card! Hooray!
–It’s not exactly in the safest or prettiest part of town.
–Parking is also a nightmare
–There’s almost always a line and getting your food could take a while.
–Lastly, get the fried Brussel sprouts! They are heavenly.
Kay, I’m a fan.

Went here last night for a quick and small bite to eat since I didn’t want any of the typical fast food (i.e. Wendy’s Mickey Ds, etc). Glad that they were open til 9pm.
Took a look at the menu and noticed that there were lots of choices especially for sandwiches and a la cart items. The ¼ chicken sounded good and was calling out to me, but I really didn’t want anything too big or too heavy. I asked about the Spicy Collard Greens and the Smoked Brisket chili and was told that both of them were pretty good so I decided to give them both a try.
I will say this, I was sad about was that corn bread wasn’t on the menu. :-(But the gentleman who took my order mentioned they lacked an oven, hence– no corn bread. I was also sad that they did have any BBQ chicken combos or one meat combos at that. So for us light eaters it’s a ton of food. I had also asked about the sandwiches, and was told that the sandwiches were also a la cart and didn’t come with any sides **SIGH** :‘-(
I took my order to go cause I was in a rush and really wanted to settle down with a glass of wine. I pulled out my order and I got a nice serving of both the greens and the chili (ea $ 3). The greens I loved and they held up to their name quite well. The chili wasn’t my favorite.
I would definitely come back though, maybe to try the ribs and hush puppies. Maybe by then they will have a working oven to make corn bread :-) lol

As JJ from Good Times would say, «Dyn-​o-​mite»! Cherry wood smoke filled the air. Such deliciousness, I had the Show Stopper. It’s a ½ lb of pork ribs, 6 pit smoked wings, ½ lb of any other meats with 2 small sides. So I ordered brisket for my other meat and for my sides, cajun fries and green chile grits.
My favorite of this meal was the chicken and ribs. Well smoked and tender. The flavor was so good, I didn’t need the BBQ sauce. I wasn’t too excited about the sides. But I can’t wait to go back and try something else on the menu.

The best barbeque in DC, no question. I had the Brisket Champ, which is one of the top sandwiches I’ve ever tasted: near-​perfect brisket, crispy onions and pickles. The brisket is definitely good enough to go sauceless: harmony of lean and fat, great smoke, amazing crust from the dry rub. But the sauce is worth a go!
I’m from Kansas City, and DCity would easily be in the upper echelon of barbeque joints in my hometown. It’s far and away the barbeque (master) class in the District, and a must-​visit.

I was kind of bummed about this. I had heard great things, but:
The first time we stopped by it was closed for Monday.
We stopped by the next night, pipes had burst or something, closed.
The next time we thought about BBQ it was a Monday. And the next.
Finally we got our tastebuds and DCity’s opening hours to sync up. We ordered for pickup a whole rack of ribs, the brussel sprouts, collard greens, and maybe one other side.
The Sprossling ate up the sprouts as intended. The greens were okay, not great, and everything else was WAY too spicy. The ribs had a good flavor, but were pretty dry, and I could not really enjoy them because my mouth was on fire. It was the first time in my life where I said, «No thank you» to more ribs. DCity actually drove me to Google, because I thought, «Is it me or are these ribs NOT the way I would expect ribs to be?»
Granted, I may be into more of a Memphis by way of Tulsa ‘que — I do love pork and chicken, and I prefer a wet sauce, but the Colonel, who, like me, stems from Texas, and loves his dry rub brisket and spicy hot links, was also not impressed. The next week I made my own ribs, and was much much happier.

Them and KBQ are the best BBQ In the DMV. Wings are amazing, as are the sides. I’ve had the chili, beans, grits, and hush puppies and they’re all outstanding. Only drawback is I think their sauce has too much black pepper. Ribs are really good. Looking forward to eating the whole menu.

I had been eyeing this place for quite awhile, drooling regularly over their Instagram posts. My fear of parallel parking kept me away until I realized my friend wanted to go as well. Turns out there’s manageable free weekend parking on the residential street behind this hole in the wall spot.
Was a bit confused by the ordering setup while I debated how long for my habitually late friend would be. Asked the friendly folks outside and they confirmed that there is virtually no inside seating available and most people take their order to go. After squeezing past the door, we realized that we couldn’t leave without trying the whole gamut. We ordered the appropriately named «Show Stopper» with half a pound of pork ribs, half a pound of brisket, and 6 smoked wings with potato salad and crispy brussel sprouts. Added on a quarter pound of pork belly for good measure. While waiting (for 45 minutes, after checking in 2 – 3 times I found that our order had just been sitting there), our hunger-​induced grumpiness was spurred our confrontation with an elderly Asian man who took to loudly guessing what kind of Asian we were. Super awkward.
Went back to my place to eat, died a little as the smells wafted in from the backseat of my car. When the moment finally came, my friend and I dug in:
Pork Ribs and Brisket– heavily seasoned, not as tender as I expected
Pork Belly– very fatty, though flavorful
Smoked Wings– would get these again
Potato Salad– refreshing contrast, almost succeeded in pulling me out of my carnivore coma
Brussel Sprouts– extremely greasy not that crispy, I’m assuming they would have been much better fresh out of the kitchen
Good barbecue? Sure. Have I had better? Yes, but I have yet to explore alternatives in the area.

DCity Smokehouse is bomb-​diggity.
It is tiny and the eat in bar area seats about 5 very close friends. We went after a hike at the National Arboretum, and my wife keeps driving by the Smokehouse so we thought we’d try it out. I’m glad we did.
We parked on a nearby neighborhood street, since there is no parking lot.
Normally, I would get the biggest sampler platter like their Show Stopper (but that’s a meal for two) and then find someone nearby with a wheel-​barrow to roll my stuffed self outta there, but I was good. I ordered the BBQ Sampler Platter, which was pork ribs and I chose the pork belly and crispy (read: sliced, fried and amazing) brussel sprouts. The ribs were fall off the bone good, and had a dry rub on them.
Pork Belly is always good, and it was cooked perfectly. There didn’t seem to be any additional flavoring added to it. The sauce they provide is great. It’s tangy, a little bit of spice and a hint of sweet. Perfect to dip my pork belly in. That last sentence sounds weird out of context, but I digress.
If you’re in the area, definitely stop by. It is worth the time and money. You will most likely have to find your own place to sit though. The place is tiny and has VERY limited seating.

This place is too addicting and wish it wasn’t so close to me because I keep coming back here. This place is pretty small but there are some places to sit inside and outside. Also is a great sandwich to bring to a park or eat at home!
I usually get the Brisket Sandwich!!! Toppled with fried caramelized onions, smoked brisket, perfectly cooked Texas toast. You can’t go wrong. They sometimes serve cold bread so I would suggest asking them to re heat your order! Unless you into cold bread, go for it! And Don’t forget to ask for their sauces. They really compliment the flavor of their BBQ sandwiches!
You can also do no harm with their nice perfectly seasoned Cajun fries !

Rib tips in D. C??? Oh my word. I’d be completely lying if I said they didn’t already have my heart when I read rib tips on the menu prior to going. They could’ve tasted like bits of charcoal and I probably would’ve been happy — luckily they didn’t.
I’m also a sucker for ribs so I wanted to make sure I tried those too. It just made sense to get a sampler. Now after making modifications I have no idea if I actually ordered a meal package they offer so here’s what I got: wings, rib tips, ribs, a side of greens and a sliced piece of Texas toast. Just because I think grits are amazing, I got a side order of them too.
I got home, opened my container and it looked and smelled amazing. I decided to just sampler everything and this is when, I believe, my life changed forever. Everything was positively splendid and that’s an understatement. The rib tips were so tender and, although bite size, they were full of flavor. The ribs — oh they ribs. Now while meat that can’t stay on the bone is impressive, I really like a nice balance of tender meat with a TINY bit of effort needed to pull it from the bone. They were perfect!!! This in NO way means they were tough, they’re not at all. I just think a bone is there for a reason.
The chicken was delicious and had an awesome smoky flavor. It comes with 2 sauces that are good but, trust me, you don’t even need them. The greens have a spicy kick which sets them apart from the traditional boiled or braised southern recipes. The grits. Maaaaaan, who made them? I want to meet and thank them. They are sooooo good. They’re unbelievably creamy and have a chili pepper kick. I’m still thinking about them. Well it’s not hard to still be thinking about this food because I’m still eating it. The portion size was huge that I’ve had 3 separate full meals, so far, out of this one. I’ll likely get one more snack out of it.
Other good things to know: the place super clean (in the waiting area & the open kitchen) and awkwardly located. If you drive, you might have to park a block or 2 over and walk to that corner — totally worth it for the flavor and the cardio you’ll need before and after any one of the meals.
I’d go back but I still have food left sooooo just means I’ll be back soon.

DCity serves up legit BBQ.
The pit smoked wings are really good. No sauce necessary good. I could eat that all day good. More satisfying than going to DC Restaurant Week good. The brisket was decent. The meat was incredibly fatty, with about 30% of each slice being inedible, but it did contribute to the meat staying extremely moist, resulting in the actual meat being tender and flavorful.
DCity offers up two BBQ sauces, with one being spicier and the other being sweeter. I much preferred the spicier one, but I found myself using it sparingly as the meats really just didn’t even need any additional seasoning.
For the sides, we tried the Brussel sprouts. They were fried to the point where they could be fried no more and it resulted in perfectly crispy mini cabbages. The chili was alright, but I honestly don’t even remember how it tasted because I kept going after the sprouts.
Parking is an issue if you’re driving in. We had to settle on some street parking a couple blocks away, so don’t count on a quick pickup with your getaway car camping out close by. I can understand why another review mentioned the area being a bit sketchy to walk through, but that’s likely the suburbanite in me talking. The location is on a main road and a pretty busy intersection.
There’s a counter with about 6 – 7 bar stools if you’d like to eat there, and it does get rather cozy when the entire ~50 sq ft of space is being used for ordering, pickup, and eating. The good part about that is you pretty much have BBQ in your face when you’re inside.

Now being a true G.R.I.T.S. gal (girl raised in the south), I’m pretty skeptical of trying new dishes here on the NE coast that CLAIM to be bomb that are traditionally known for being «make you slap somebody good» down south. And most of the time, my skepticism/​criticism proves true, as these restaurants up north just don’t BRING IT like they do in the south! Nevertheless, I’m always down to give a new spot a try…
So on a random day a couple of weeks ago, I had an undying craving for some BBQ. And not the kind of corporate chain BBQ that I wouldn’t even feed a stray dog… I’m talkin’ about the kind of BBQ you would get from the BBQ man that set up shop every Friday & Saturday night outside the hottest club in city… Where you’d stand in 6″ heels in a mini skirt in the middle of winter waiting in line to get a chopped beef sandwich BBQ at 3 AM. And although my craving was so intense I could almost taste it, my brain kept telling me… ‘girl, you in DC… It’s NOT gonna happen.‘
So after a quick Unilocal search, I ran across this «DCity Smokehouse» place w/​all these great reviews, and my curiosity was piqued, so I decided to give it a go. The restaurant is tiny. I mean shoebox tiny… It’s just wide enough for the people in line to (almost) not have to worry about bumping into the people devouring their grub at the bar stool style, wall-​mounted counter. But even so, the music they play is better than some live DJ’s, so before you know it, you’ll find yourself singing and moving to the beat of your favorite JAMZ and the size of the place will be nothing more than an afterthought. AND couple that slightly smokey smell of the food with the silent smiles of those sittin’ on the sidelines gettin’ down and your anticipation level will be at 1000!
So after ordering the BIG BEEF (it’s a chopped beef sandwich) without the coleslaw and a side of brussel sprouts… my hubby and I snagged a couple of seats to get down to business.
OMG!!! It was LOVE at FIRST BITE!!! And then I realize… after my first hit… my very first hit… I’m addicted… hopelessly addicted… It wasn’t a week later before I’d snuck away to Smokehouse again… HELP! I need an INTERVENTION! On one hand my mind is telling me, «bread makes you SPREAD…» and that’s the LAST thing that I need… But my heart is singing, «if loooooooooovvvvving you is wrrroooong, I don’t wanna be right…»
The BBQ here is the REAL DEAL and is absolutely A — M — A — Z — I — N — G !!!
Lord, help because the struggle is real…
Enter at your own RISK! — Addiction is inevitable… You’ve been warned!!!