When Andrew Evans was the owner and chef of the The Inn at Easton, a now-shuttered boutique hotel and 45-seat fine dining restaurant on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, he didn’t expect that his culinary life would take a turn toward barbecue.
Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Evans has worked and dined around the world. So what turned him into a proprietor of smoked meat? A life-changing experience in Lynchburg, Tennessee, while judging the 2004 Jack Daniels BBQ Competition.
“I ate ribs and chicken and I was like, holy… shit. This is incredible,” says Evans. “I’m sure I’ve recreated, easily, that level of barbecue since then, at some point, but I keep chasing that in my mind. That’s what I’m chasing, that memory, all the time, that memory of being so blown away by the quality of barbecue and wanting to recreate it.”
In 2010, Evans opened The BBQ Joint in Easton. He has now opened its fourth location, on the 14th Street corridor: a 50-seat, no reservations restaurant headed by Cody Penton, a 28-year old Le Cordon Bleu graduate from Fort Worth, Texas. The bar program is run by beverage director Brendan Murphy, who also works for Eric Hilton’s speakeasy The Gibson, just one floor up, and Marvin, just a few feet away. In fact, Hilton is a co-owner of The BBQ Joint, an arrangement that allows for a sharing of space and resources, while general manager Liz Szatkowski is also GM for Marvin.
Once inside The BBQ Joint, diners will find little to distract them from their food, drinks, and conversation. The decor is deliberately understated and devoid of the Western/Texas themed kitsch that adorns the walls of similar restaurants. This was a deliberate choice, and one made to help accentuate the feeling that you’re entering a casual, low key place that could become a regular haunt.
It’s not a stretch to imagine coming here on the regular. Entrees trend toward being large, while alcohol prices are low by D.C. standards. The rotating beer list (all cans or bottles, no draft) is, at least for the moment, entirely made up of local brews, with a price range of between $5 to $8 and with most beers around six bucks. The cocktail program includes four custom drinks, all of which are priced at $10. Our favorites during a recent visit were the Daisy Domergue, incorporating reposado tequila, chile liqueur, raspberry, lime, and salt, and the Baltimore Jack, made up of bourbon, maple syrup, apricot, orange juice, and bitters.
Despite our (somewhat weak) protestations, Evans showered us with samples from his menu and revealed that there are quite a few things to get excited about. The Texas Cheese Steak ($13) layers freshly sliced brisket and red onion on a soft hoagie roll baked by Lyon Bakery, the filling bound together by homemade cheese sauce, which has all the joy and authenticity of Cheez Whiz but without the aerosol propellants. Topped with a smattering of house-pickled jalapenos, it’s a sandwich built for late nights and heavy drinking.
The same can be said for house-fried pork rings, which are accompanied by a small cast iron skillet filled with smoked sausage con queso ($6). It’s deeply satisfying in a “you’re going to have weird dreams” kind of way, and I almost single-handedly demolished the serving.
It’s impossible to talk about The BBQ Joint without addressing the meat itself. While pork, brisket, turkey, and sausage are all smoked in-house using pellet smokers, The BBQ Joint has invested heavily in holding ovens made by Alto-Shaam, which are designed to hold food at a steady temperature without a loss in moisture. Despite being held for hours at a time post-cooking, brisket weeps clear, fragrant juices when sliced, and the custom-made beef sausage is tender and perfectly cooked.
Pork ribs, prepared competition-style with a candy apple-red glaze and a snappy but tender texture, are also no worse for wear when held in these ovens. Evans is particularly proud of his ribs, which he says he sources from a purveyor he is unwilling to disclose (trade secret). Competition ribs differ significantly from the typical fall-off-the-bone backyard style rib that is more commonly available; a barbecue connoisseur will tell you that those fall-off-the-bone ribs are overcooked, so competition ribs are tender and moist, yet remain intact for a satisfyingly meaty bite.
With its generally low prices, casual atmosphere, and nicely thought out drinks program, The BBQ Joint is savory and unpretentious, while being absolutely serious about the craft of barbecue—an attractive addition to the neighborhood.
The BBQ Joint is located at 2005 14th Street NW. Hours are 5-10 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; closed Tuesday; 5-11 p.m. Thursday; 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Friday; 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Saturday; 12-10 p.m. Sunday.
