Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company
| Address: | 25 S Quaker Ln, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA |
| Phone: | +1 703-778-9663 |
| Site: | rocklands.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | 11AM–8:30PM 11AM–8:30PM 11AM–8:30PM 11AM–8:30PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–8:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Dan DeRight
A bit of a mixed bag. The staff was lovely, great beer on tap, and a good selection of BBQ. Their restaurant was easy to find, great parking, and lots of seating. Unfortunately, the BBQ was so-so at best. We got a selection of their meats, and the quality ranged greatly. The chicken was the stand out winner. This is very rare, as most places treat chicken as an afterthought and just smear some sauce on it. This chicken was lovely. The brisket was fairly good, well cooked and nicely smoky. Unfortunately, they shaved it thin on a slicer rather than cutting the usual pieces, so it was the thickness of cooked bacon and had no real texture. Just cutting the brisket thicker would solve the problem. The pork sadly, was flavorless and textureless. It looked absolutely beautiful on the plate, but tasted like nothing at all and was sort of soft and mushy. Good pulled pork is dreamy and rich. This was none of that. We tried some of the sides. The mac and cheese was acceptable, as were the mashed potatoes. The real standout here was the cucumber salad! It didnt fit with the meal at all, but it was fresh and bright and the only contrast to the soft sweet flavors of the rest of the food. Their signature sauce helped a bit, but it was extremely mild and mostly just sweet with a hint of tomato. The most pervasive problem though is that nothing, absolutely nothing was seasoned at all. There was no hint of salt or pepper on any of the meats or sides, and when you smoke meat, it needs lots of seasonings to open those flavors up. If that pork had been seasoned, it would have been three times as good, and the sides would have been pleasing. We heard a lot about Rocklands, and it seems like it could be an amazing place, if they could get a bit more quality control on their kitchen.
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Rico Vargas
I want to disclose first that I am a Texas native and have a high personal bar for bbq. I got the sampler platter and my wife got the ribs and chicken combo. The ribs were so flavorless I wouldnt give that meat to my dog. The brisket was cut extremely thin and doused in a bland sauce/grease mixture. The staff asked me how my meal was as I left and I told them how I felt. They said that a lot of Texans have the same comments about the meat. I should have known something was wrong when they had a table full of various sauces out for public consumption. Any real meat smoker knows bbq should be seasoned and cooked so that the natural meat flavor stands by itself. The fact that the restaurant itself offers a plethora of sauces is an acknowledgement of just how flavorless the meat is. The pig that had to die for my meal should feel ashamed that he was turned into such an awful meal. My wife had 1 rib left on her plate at the end and asked me if she had to take it home. I told her to leave it there as I didnt want to bring such an abomination into my household.
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Michael Valdivielso
A "Restaurant" which makes more business from catering and carry out. In other words it is hard to find and there isnt a lot of space inside to eat. Or outside for that matter - I think about four tables outside, plus lots of flies during this hot weather. I was there with family who all seemed to enjoy their meals. I had pulled barbeque chicken which was okay. But while I was not the one paying for the meal the prices for the sandwiches - sides all cost extra - make me want to compare it to a Hooters. In other words the food would be better if the prices were cheaper or included at least one sides. Drinks seem to have free refills. Also, just a warning, while we were there is was REALLY busy. We got the only empty table there at the time so may I suggest taking your order home and enjoying it in your dining room? Like I said, it was good, but if I was the one picking the restaurant to eat at the day we went I would have likely picked another place and not have missed out on anything special.
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Curtis Scott
I called Rocklands on Wednesday to set up catering for my wedding reception last Saturday and worked with Chris to place my order. He was highly responsive ensuring me the order would be filled and delivered on time. He even called me back the day before to double check my order and we made some adjustments where needed. It was just as expected, delivered on time and very fresh. The food was amazing! I have to admit, usually when you get stuff catered from certain places the food can be not as fresh as going to the place in person and eating there. This was not the case with Rocklands, the food was great, and there was plenty of it! I miss living in Alexandria and being closer to this place, but now I know if I have a party I can count on them to deliver great food at a reasonable price and all my guest will leave happy. Great work guys!
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Luke Hinkle
Ive been procrastinating on going to this place for over a year and a half. I finally went today and tried the Rib Platter. Came with two spare ribs and one beef rib. It is $20 so I thought it was a little pricey until my food came out. I didnt realize how big the beef rib was going to be, and the spare ribs were larger than I expected too. The cornbread pudding and mac & cheese were good sides, but Ill probably forgo the pudding next time, for it was almost too sweet for me. I devoured the plate pretty quickly, as I skipped breakfast and I was pretty hungry. I would say the worst part of the experience, was looking at my plate of empty sides and rib bones. I am definitely going back soon to try some of Rocklands other offerings.
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A Private User
Average at best. Stuck somewhere between Carolina and Texas BBQ. Brisket was tender but came with a sauce that I probably wouldnt have paired it with. Corn Pudding was OK, but not what I expected. Mustard greens were good. Chopped pork was OK . Prices were good, with 5 adults and one chlds meal for about $60. Beers were extra and they have an acceptable selection for a half sitdown, half takeout location; Bud, Miller Lite, Amstel, Rolling Rock, Blue Moon, Longhammer IPA and a couple others. THIS IS NOT A SITDOWN TYPE RESTAURANT (ALEXANDRIA). Tried it on a whim. Glad I did, but Ill move on. Not bad for a takeout BBQ fix, but this place would never survive with even a Bill Miller close to it.
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Robin Laird
Preparing for our catered party with "Flowers" was a real treat in itself! He was an absolute joy! Our whole smoked pig complete with an apple in mouth and sides were delivered to our home on the bay in Annapolis for a nominal fee and our feast arrived right on time! The whole pig was incredibly impressive and still steaming inside an hour after it was delivered when we unwrapped it!!! The coleslaw and potato salads were amazing and the baked beans were also delicious! They also delivered a lot of warm and scrumptious BBQ sauce! Rocklands more than delivered the absolute MOST DELICIOUS party and for a super price as well!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO ALL!!! Thank you so much Flowers!!!
