Saturday, April 10, 2010

In Search of Q, Inside the Beltway

We've been told not to bother with the Q in the District. The good stuff is in deep far-away Virginia. However, necessity (an empty tummy after a day of moving) is the mother of invention (taking advantage of what's at hand), so this past Monday we tried Kenny's. It's around 8th and Maryland NE in Capitol Hill, so within walking distance of our new abode. We went with chopped pork sandwiches per usual, the standard against which I tend to measure a purveyor of Q. After a little wait and some super-sweet Nestea from the cold drink dispenser, we got massive sandwiches with sauce and slaw on the side. I could have used only about half as much meat, since the bun was so full it couldn't accommodate any slaw.



The meat was decent, not the best quality, but sufficient. (I think it isn't cooked in-house, since there isn't an overwhelming smell of it outside and it was served from a steam table. So it has that warmed-up-leftover taste that not-the-very-best meat gets.) The medium sauce had a little kick and was thin and runny, so it could get down in all the little runnels and rivulets in the meat. The bun was yellow and sweetish, like an egg or kaiser roll (weird). In all, a good place to scratch a sudden and ineffable itch, but perhaps not the place to go for serious, contemplative Q. I wonder how the beef is.....

postscript: Kenny's serves up a full compliment of meat-and-three sides, like greens, red beans and rice, macaroni and cheese, black eyed peas, etc. I noticed on the way out with our porky load that you can get a plate of three sides with cornbread for $7. Since I have recently been lamenting the lack of a good cafeteria around here, this will be m choice next time....

1 comment:

Mike Licht said...

Kenny's does indeed cook at this restaurant. The pulled pork is good, likewise, ribs, greens and trout. Don't order chicken unless you buy a whole bird to go.