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Authentic Barbecue in a Spanking-New Setting
My tasters couldn't decide whether they liked the Virginia or the North Carolina style best. The North Carolina pulled pork barbecue, which doesn't look as though it has any sauce on it at all, packs a good vinegary wallop and a piquant aftertaste in the back of the throat from the red pepper.
We all agreed that both styles of meat could use more sauce -- an easy option at the restaurant since there are bottles of both sauces on each table.
  John Singletary turned out barbecue on his own long before he opened his Virginia Barbeque franchise, part of a small, Ashland-based chain. At left, a pulled-pork barbecue sandwich with coleslaw and beans. The restaurant opened in September at a Manassas shopping center. (Photos By Dayna Smith -- The Washington Post) |
The Texas beef barbecue, a little stringier and heavier than the North Carolina and Virginia styles, was the least favorite, but that was after seconds all around. The ribs, available dry (that is, with just the spicy rub to flavor them) or wet (doused in Virginia-style sauce), had a strong smoky taste that was greatly improved with the warm Virginia sauce.
The baked beans, smoky and not too sweet, vanished long before anyone had a chance for seconds.
Virginia Barbeque offers several combo platters for those who want to sample the various styles of meat. Barbecued chicken, fried catfish and chicken fingers are also on the menu, along with several dishes for children.
Virginia Barbeque, 9952 Liberia Ave. (in the Davis Ford Crossing Shopping Center), Manassas, 703-369-4227. Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Barbecue sandwiches, $4.25 to $4.50; pulled pork, pulled chicken and beef barbecue, $8.99 per pint; side dishes, $4.99 per pint; rack of ribs, $15.95. Accessible to people with disabilities. http:/
If you have a favorite restaurant that you think deserves attention, please contact Nancy Lewis atlewisn@washpost.com.
