Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company

We were in need of dinner on our way to watch an Ultimate Frisbee exhibition game in Arlington. (Wow, that is possibly one of the dorkiest things I've ever typed). Instead of planning out where to eat, I just asked B to point the car toward the Arlington area and we'd stumble across something. Just as I began to worry that we wouldn't find anything that sounded appealing, we saw Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company. Rocklands has 4 locations and a big catering operation, so I figured the 'cue had to be pretty good.

Rocklands is a cute, olde-timey-looking order-at-the-counter operation. After perusing the chalkboard menu, we ordered, took our number and waited just a couple of minutes for a kindly gentleman to deliver our order to our perch near the window.

If you like quirky hot sauces, Rocklands is your type of place. In addition to selling probably a hundred kinds of hot sauce, they have scattered various bottles around the restaurant for you to try. You know the kind with names such as Uncle Busta's Slap Ya Sista and Her Friend Sauce? (Note: we don't condone sister slapping or friend slapping here at TwoDC). You name it, they've got it.

B's eyes locked on the appetizer section of the menu. We sampled the cheesy jalapeno poppers (good, but not fantastic) and the BBQ pork stuffed egg rolls. I don't know who thought of taking a crispy egg roll wrapper and stuffing it with barbequed meat and pairing it with an Asian sweet chili sauce, but I want to hug them. What a genius, totally unhealthy, yet completely amazing idea.

To complement the appetizer fiesta, B ordered a single beef rib. I thought he might be hungry with only one rib and encouraged him to order two. That was before I saw this:

Good thing B didn't listen to me! Rocklands doesn't skimp on beef ribs. It's not one of those giant bones with no meat. There was practically an entire steak on that baby.

When it comes to BBQ, you can bet I'm going to order some sort of sandwich. I like the convenience of eating BBQ in a somewhat neat package-o-bread, and I like dousing the bun in sauce and using it to sop up the side dishes. Unfortunately the bun was really average so I ditched it. However, Rockland's pulled chicken sandwich featured some of the best, most tender BBQ chicken I've had. The sauce is a little thinner than I usually like but it had a great smoky kick. The Texas corn pudding lacked flavor and I lost interest after a couple bites, but the shell noodle mac n' cheese was a fun twist on the traditional macaroni dish.

I'm no BBQ expert so can't tell you if this is the "real deal" and to be frank, most of the BBQ places we've tried run together in my head. With Rocklands, I have a feeling that the egg roll will be popping up in my dreams, begging me to return. When it does, I have no choice but to listen.

Second Thoughts from B

Call me a dork but high level ultimate frisbee is a ridiculously entertaining display of athleticism and skill. It is also becoming more and more mainstream. After first learning the game almost 20 years ago and introducing it to many friends along the way, it warmed my heart to see bleachers packed with fans willing to sweat out a Friday night to watch a game.

But I digress... As I aimlessly navigated Arlington traffic on a Friday night hoping that J would finally just pick a place, I set my expectations pretty low. At that point, I was willing to settle for just about anything to get us fed and out of traffic. But patience and persistence paid off in the form of great BBQ. (Thanks to J for not letting me settle for Wendy's)

I love great BBQ. I even love less-than-great BBQ. My requirements are few. I want a good sauce that combines sweet and smoky favors with a tangy kick. I want a large amount of juicy meat, preferably attached to a bone that I can eat caveman style. I want some fresh lemonade to occasionally break up the meatfest and wash down the latest bite that I just tried to inhale. And I want some mac n cheese because I need a few more calories after eating an entire cow. In short, BBQ is a primal experience for me.

So when we got egg rolls filled with pulled pork and the Asian sweet chili sauce, it was a bit of a curveball for me. While not exactly light or dainty, it was a sophisticated twist that didn't immediately jive with my gluttonous meatapalooza idea of BBQ. But wow, did I like it.

When eating BBQ I usually make the "someone just dropped something heavy on my foot" face that the Food Network has made synonymous with culinary satisfaction. (Think about it, everyone eating something good looks like they are in pain) The egg rolls, however, gave me the much rarer "Santa Claus just emerged from the chimney with a new bicycle and my eyes are about to pop out of my head" face. Who knew such surprise and joy could come in a cute little egg roll at a BBQ place?