Mr. P’s Ribs and Fish

First off, if you love your sides don’t go here. They are not fresh and are most likely made with canned vegetables.
However, if you love ribs, this is the place to go. The ribs have the rings to show that they were properly smoked and the sauce is sweet, sticky, and slathered all over the meat. I’ve always thought NC-​style barbecue was chopped pork in a vinegar based sauce, so their claim that this is «NC style» kind of baffles me. But if you’re not anal about things like that you need not worry about it. Oh, and if you order the half rack, they will give you a mountain of meat.
Finally, if you like being clean, I highly suggest taking your ribs to go. There is no running water in Mr P’s lot, so you won’t have any viable means to deal with post-​meal sticky fingers.

Absolutely horrible. Very dry meat with very little flavor. The woman couldn’t even get our order correct. I heard about the hype but clearly change in ownership ruined a good thing.

This place is located about a block or two from the Shaw Metro station. It’s not really a food truck but it is located in a converted school bus. The service was really quick. I was in and out in under 5 minutes. The employees were really nice and friendly. For the amount of food you get, the price is really good.
Okay so what you really came here to read about: the food.
Keep in mind that this review is only about chicken served here. I don’t eat pork so ribs are out of the question.
I think the food was just okay. I ordered a chicken sandwich. The chicken came in a styrofoam container and then there was a ziplock bag that contained three slices of bread. I thought that was kind of weird but okay. The chicken was kind of soggy and the sauce was average. I’m not a big BBQ person. I probably eat it once a year at my family’s 4^th of July BBQ and I have to say that my uncle’s BBQ chicken is leaps and bounds better.
I’m glad I went to this place because I live in the neighborhood and love to support small business! You should give it a try. I have heard that the ribs are really good!

About a 1 – 1.5: I was really excited to try out Mr. P’s Ribs and Fish, as I’ve had this place bookmarked for quite some time! My husband and I were actually on our way to somewhere else, but seeing this as we drove by, I took it as an opportunity to make a ‘quick’ pit-​stop and get some items to go! This place is actually set-​up in an old school bus, parked in a little corner lot. It’s fenced-​in with an opening, where there are some plastic tables and chairs set-​up for you to eat your food al fresco. There were about 3 employees in the bus; an older guy who was in the driver’s seat who greeted us, and two in the food prep area. The lady who was taking our order was extremely soft-​spoken, so with my extreme deafness, it was a little difficult! Mr. P offers items such as chicken (sandwiches, leg-​quarters, dinner combos), desserts (peach cobbler, cake, and sweet potato pie (6″)), whiting, baby back ribs, short ribs, chittlings, chopped pork, beef ribs, pork ribs, seafood platters (fish and shrimp), as well as a rib & chicken combo (2 pork rib with a quarter leg and 2 sides). I opted for the Rib & Chicken Combo with baked beans and candied yams. The ribs were thick and had a lot of meat, but I wasn’t a fan of the flavor of the meat. The bbq sauce was also sweeter than I anticipated, considering it as this place offers NC-​style. The chicken itself was okay, but it was more on the ‘soggy’ side. I did like the baked beans, as it was a mixture of black, kidney, and pinto beans, and the flavor was quite nice. The candied yams were forgettable, as they were miniature-​sized and did not have much of a flavor to them. Service was sweet, and I love the little concept that they have going; however, I wasn’t much of a fan of the food. I’m glad I was able to try them out, though!
+baked beans

I am so glad this place has moved into my hood. They are usually open in shaw over the weekends., and i hope they stick around for a long time. I always get food to go, like most people — have not seen too many sitting and eating in that lot.
I have not tried the pork or beef yet — i usually get the chicken dinner. Portion is huge — enough to last me at least 2 meals. And its always flavorful melt in your mouth kinda chicken bbq, tender and flavorful. I also tried out the sweet potato pie — which is delicious, and not too sweet (i find the ones overloaded with sugar annoying). It’s a no-​frill budget location, but the food is delicious and plentiful, a real value.

Mr. P’s is not really a food truck, but it is a mobile operation. Working out of a converted school bus that used to be in the Big Lots parking area by the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station, it has recently up and moved to a former rent-​a-​car lot in Shaw. There are a few plastic table and chairs so you can eat on site, but most folks get their food to go. Based on previous reviews I was really looking forward to trying it, but it turned out to be a big disappointment.
I don’t know if things have changed since they moved from NE since I never visited it at its previous location, but with a name like Mr. P’s Ribs and Fish, they should do ribs right. This was not my experience. I got a full rack of BBQ pork ribs (at $ 25 a rack) with sauce on the side, but they lacked any discernable smoke flavor; it was as if they’d just been cooked in an oven (the fact that I didn’t see any smoke anywhere should have been a dead giveaway). Whatever you have to say about Rockland’s BBQ, it least their ribs are smoky!
They also do a slew of sides. I went with the potato salad (which contained peas); it was too mayonaisy for my taste. I also didn’t care much for the the peach cobbler which had a very strong clove flavor to it, but this is just a matter of taste.
Talking to a neighbor who has eaten there several times, he said Mr. P’s is either hit or miss. I’m sorry, but I’m not willing to take a $ 25 gamble on getting good ribs. I’ll take my money some place that shows consistency.

Found this place by accident walking home… and a happy accident it was. the portions are large and the prices are reasonable. i got the full rack pork ribs and split them with a friend and we could only eat half. the food is delicious. would definitely go back again. they are located on the corner of 6^th and rhode island nw

Just happened to passed by this place today, and I’m so glad I did. It’s a very unassuming place, but the pork ribs say it all. I got a half rack with mac ‘n’ cheese and green beans. The ribs were super flavorful and the sauce was finger-​licking. The green beans were good, and mac ‘n’ cheese was pretty standard. Looking forward to going back and trying other stuff on the menu.

ATTENTION: Mr. P’s Ribs and Fish is at a new location: 6^th and Rhode Island Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20 001
NorthWEST! Finally!!! I have been dying to try this place for a year but lugging my way to NE was always such a pain. During DC’s Meat Week in February, I found out that they moved to a NW location and I went immediately! And darnit, I’m so glad I did.
FOOD:
I had such big plans for this place based on all the Unilocal reviews — I was going to order some fried whiting, pork ribs, and a ton of sides. Unfortunately, they were out of most of the things I wanted except the pork ribs :(. Next time I’ll get there earlier or call ahead to check if their offerings.
Pork Ribs: These were so delicious. Fall off the bone tender. Delicious tangy barbeque sauce. 5 stars.
Chopped Beef: I did not want to order this when I initially got there but it was essentially the only thing that was left. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the meat was tender and juicy. My friends loved this dish. I didn’t think the barbeque sauce went as well with the beef as it did the pork. 4 Stars.
Potato salad: This was great but definitely not enough of it when given as a side to a dinner entrée. I wish they had been a bit more generous with their portions. 5 Stars.
Cole Slaw: I’m so sorry Mr. P but this was not good at all. My friends and I all tried some and it was far to vinegary and the cabbage had been very harshly minced to the point that it seemed like a pureed vinegar mayo sauce. 1 Star.
CONCLUSION: Definitely give this place a shot if you are a fan of BBQ. If you’re not a fan of BBQ, you should still be able to claim that you once ordered food out of a school bus in a parking lot…

The ribs were juicy, meaty, with a nice smoke ring, and delicious BBQ taste! Mr. P makes FANTASTIC ribs! The portion size is really good too, you get your money’s worth. Keep it up and I will keep coming.

Their «rib sandwich» is a whole bunch of ribs inside of a folded paper plate, and that’s it. And that’s all you need. One of the great eateries in Washington DC. I love this place.

People, let’s get real. Mr. P’s serves BBQ out of a school bus in a parking lot in Northeast DC. It is not going to offer you some kind of gourmet culinary experience, nor is it going to top what you can get in the south. OK? Good.
The bottom line with Mr. P’s is that it’s a place to get decent, proper ‘cue. I can only speak for the pork ribs, which I’ve had several times. A couple of times they haven’t been quite perfect but most often they are done just right– soft, but with just enough pull and a good smoky flavor. The sweet, tomato-​based sauce is good too if you like that style. I wouldn’t say it’s out of this world or anything, but Mr. P’s is bona fide ‘cue and in the DMV that’s a rare thing. The rib sandwich is a good deal, and swinging by there on the weekend to pick one up always seems like a good idea.

Local BBQ served from a homely bus. Cash only. Located atop an impossibly steep driveway, and you’ll probably have to ask the church parking attendant (?) for directions. Cool, right? Like you’re in the know, in some secret club!
But that’s not enough to overlook the fact that the food’s just not very good at all.
Beef ribs were huge, yes, but dry, tough, and flavorless. The pork ribs were soft and passable… but the sauce was too sweet. Sides were nothing special. And the Wonderbread they stuck in the bag was inedible, o’ course. No free soda. Plus, it ain’t cheap!

After reading all the mixed reviews I decided to try it for myself.
I’m no BBQ connoisseur but I do know a lot about delicious foods, having had a craving for BBQ after a long day of train riding and museum seeing; my sister, cousin and I decided to take a cab from Chinatown to Rhode Island.
Food is served out of a bus, with a small table and three seats outside in a shopping mall parking lot in an almost sketchy area. They also don’t accept cards, CASH ONLY! Not bad so far.
I ordered the half slab of beef ribs, Mac and Cheese and greens. Lets start with the sides…
Mac & Cheese: pretty good I must say, but not the best I’ve had.
Greens: tasted like they came from a can. But I’m SUPER picky about how my greens are cooked so these did not do it for me. SO SALTY and metal tasting.
The beef ribs on the other hand, SUPER SUPER TENDER AND JUICY. But I don’t think the sauce did it for me, I normally like a more thick; Caramelized; smokey and spicy sauce and their sauce was just very mild, a little tangy and that’s about it… If they up the amp on their sauce more; it’d probably make for the BEST BEEF RIBS in the DMV.
I also think its because I ate here on a Sunday, another reviewer stated she did too & it was lacking a lot of things. Same story here.
2 stars for tenderness of meat, 1 star for friendly folks.

Okay. I really wanted to like this place, really. After reading all the reviews and going through their pics my family and I rode over. We were so excited on the way there because I had talked the place up all morning.
Bad
–The prices are different than a few of the pics on here. In reality for a «food truck style place» they are pretty expensive.
–The seafood platter comes with 2 very tiny pieces of fish and 4 not so great pieces of shrimp.
–The coleslaw. Goodness, it was the worst part. The slaw looked like they mashed it up for a baby to eat it.
–The placement of the food in the container was horrible/​sloppy. We literally got our food and walked 20 feet to our car and opened it. The coleslaw and the baked beans looked like they had both been placed right on top of one another. I can understand if they were in a rush and just threw the food in but we were the only customers there at the time.
Good
–If you have a craving for some bbq it will fill that urge but that’s about it.
–The older man was very friendly.
I would eat there again but I would never go out of my way to eat there. I wanted to like this place :(

Ok so I am from the South and probably have a more experienced palate than most folks. If its one thing I know it’s BBQ. I’ve been around the US to taste BBQs of the world and let’s face it it best is in the South. So when I see this Mr. P’s location I double back and go take a look, because I see two trucks and a bus. Weird I know. I tell myself if they have rib tips I am going to stop and they did have them! I was excited. However they didn’t have collard greens… strike 1. I had to wait at the window for like 3 minutes because they were in the back yapping away. Finally they took my ordered. I ordered the rib tips, with baked beans and cabbage. They gave me a free soda which was a Super Chill Orange (real classy) which makes me think they could careless about a customer giving away the cheapest soda on earth. Anyway I got my food rather rapidly and I rushed home to eat it.
The sauce was ok. The rib tips had entirely too many bones and were cut poorly. Therefore there wasn’t enough meat on the bones. It wasn’t seasoned well, but it wasn’t nasty.‘
The sides were great. No complaints.
Not sure if I will be back, but if I do… I won’t get the rib tips.

DEE-​LISH-​US! Good grief! If I could, I’d be there EVERYDAY! Granted there’s only 1 table and 3 chairs there for outdoor seating but hey, it was there and I ate my food because I was hungry. The ladies working the counter are just as sweet as pie!
I’ll be back Mr. P!

Mr. P’s was rated high on Unilocal and they did not disappoint. The pork ribs were fall off the bone and sloppy as all get out, just as ribs are meant to be. My fingers and face were covered in barbecue sauce. No wasting that delicious barbecue, these fingers were licked clean. I purchased baked beans and potato salad for my sides. Both tasted unbelievably delicious; just like grandma’s.
My one complaint: each meal comes with a «free soda». My free soda consisted of a generic can of grape soda. I didn’t get a choice in the selection it was just handed to me in the bag. I don’t really like grape soda. This small flaw will not stop me from patronizing Mr. P’s again and again during my short stay in DC.

It was so good. so good.
I pulled up to the bus thinking, I’ll give them a shot, gotta try ribs served out of a bus once in my life right?
It smelled so good in the parking lot I ended up with a slab of beef and a slab of pork — enough meat for a week.
the pork was juicy with just the right amount of chew.
the beef ribs were fall off the bone delicious.
the sauce was sweet, tangy with just a hint of kick to it
yum yum yum
this is the perfect spot to take your girl to, if she diggs it, youve got a keeper: easy going enough to eat ribs curbside out of a bus, loves meat (giggles), and willing to get down and dirty with sauce and bones
ima go eat some more of this goodness right now

This place is amazing, the meat just falls off the bone. Ordered a slab of pork ribs and a dinner of beef ribs. The pork tastes slightly more jerkylike, both are equally delicious. I don’t have much else to say except that you need to go to there.
Pics uploaded.