Thursday, February 19, 2015

DCity Smokehouse Food Review

The Brisket Champ

Good things come in small packages; so it stands to reason that good things also come from small places. Take NoMa standout DCity Smokehouse, a five-seat BBQ haven that holds up well... even in delivery (Caviar rocks!) My first visit (well... I had to walk down to my lobby) couldn't have been better: Great price, authentic flavors and generous portions. Heck, even their name is pretty cool.

Ordering was a breeze (in at 2:14, out at 2:29, here at 2:51... a full 34 minutes ahead of schedule.) Why order? The aforementioned five seats, and the fact that it's 19° outside. Of course, you always run the risk of getting cold food; but quick delivery (did I mention Caviar rocks?) ensures otherwise. All three items arrived nice and warm (score!)

Pit-Smoked Wings

Hush Puppies (an astounding seven of them for only $3) were crunchy and well-seasoned. Most importantly, they weren't greasy at all. I was a bit worried, since they didn't come wrapped in aluminum foil, but they were sufficiently warm all the same. Pit-Smoked Wings are another steal at 5 for $5. They come with not one, not two, not even three but four sauces. Fine on their own, they came ALIVE when I added DCity's spicy, chipotle BBQ sauce... one of the better sauces in the DMV. For appetizers, you couldn't ask for more; although I can't wait to try their Red Chile Coleslaw and Crispy Fried Onions (next time.)

Hush Puppies (only 3 bucks!)

My sandwich, The Brisket Champ ($9.25) came smartly wrapped in wax paper. It looks simple (Texas toast, pickles and tons of thickly-sliced brisket) but don't let that fool you. This is a very substantial sandwich (½ is plenty, save the rest for tomorrow.) Mine sadly was missing crispy fried onions, proving nobody's perfect; but even without that added crunch, you can't ask for more from a sandwich. DCist loves it, and I can hardly blame them. Great pickles (house made) too.

With almost a dozen other sandwiches to choose from (in addition to a burger and half smoke) you could literally try them all, and never get bored. The Meaty Palmer is crying out my name; and DCity even sells Chicken and Waffles too. Just imagine if they were bigger.