Rockland's Barbecue and Grilling Company (Virginia)

I discovered Rockland’s BBQ during my recent trip to Washington DC. I was actually planning to dine at Red, Hot and Blue which is one of my favorite barbecue joints. I plugged Red, Hot and Blue into my GPS and was given directions to a restaurant in Arlington, Virginia. Upon my arrival at the location in the GPS I found an empty lot. Not to be swayed, I decided to drive around Arlington in search of a nice dinner. As I was driving down Washington Boulevard, I smelled Rockland’s BBQ long before I spotted the restaurant. When the pleasant aroma of the restaurant reached my nostrils I immediately perked up and began looking for the source. I quickly spotted the restaurant on my right and pulled into the parking lot. The building had an interesting mural on the side but appeared to be void of guests. Not normally a good sign, but it was early for dinner so I decided to take my chances.

Upon entering the restaurant my suspicions of vacancy were confirmed. There was not a soul in sight. There was a small bar on the far side of the restaurant, which was longer than it was wide. The kitchen area was off to my left while the majority of the dining area was to my right. There appeared to be outdoor seating outside the opposite door from where I entered. The interior was not overly attractive but appeared to be clean. Along the wall opposite the bar was a large cupboard with a wide variety of barbecue sauces for sale. The eclectic selection of sauce is sure to satisfy any palate. The wooden tables were a mismatched group of various heights and sizes. Along the street side of the restaurant was a large window where diners can eat and people watch. The restrooms were located on the bar side of the restaurant. The Men’s room was utilitarian at best. However, the restroom was very clean which counts in my book. I approached the counter and perused the menu trying to decide what might satisfy my barbecue urges.

I spoke to the cashier who recommended the Belly Buster which is a combination of ribs, chicken, brisket and sausage. I ordered the Belly Buster along with sides of french fries and mustard greens. My meal was prepared quickly and I settled into one of the many vacant tables. I would have noshed on the free peanuts but did not have time...which is good because I had plenty of protein to consume. The barbecue sauce is kept in a large soup pot near the beverages. I ladled some warm sauce into a cup and settled in for some serious eating. The brisket portion in the Belly Buster was a bit slim, but very tasty. The brisket was sliced paper thin but packed a lot of flavor into the thin slivers. I’m not a huge fan of sausage, but I must confess that the sausage was my favorite part of this meal. It was cooked just right and had a nice blend of spices without overpowering your senses. The chicken was a bit on the bland side, which is not uncommon for whole chicken. It was also very dry. I moistened it by dipping it into the barbecue sauce, but it was still only average. The ribs were very tender and had a nice smoked flavor. The ribs were good enough that I would probably order them as an entree, although I was still surprised at how well I enjoyed the sausage...even more than the ribs. Rockland’s also served chopped pork, wings, grilled leg of lamb, fish, rib sandwiches and pulled chicken. I have not tried any of these dishes.

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