A heaping helping of news & reviews from DFW’s dining scene.
The cuisine: A barbecue map of America, with thumbtacks in Virginia, North Carolina, St. Louis and Texas.
The back story: Virginia Barbeque was started in 2000 in Ashland, Va., by longtime restaurateur Rick Ivey. The restaurant was a success for Ivey, who decided to turn his 'cues-of-the-continent concept into a franchise. There are now 14 Virginia Barbeque restaurants, but the recently opened Arlington eatery is the only one west of the Mississippi River.
The food: Virginia-style barbecue is wood-smoked pulled pork in a sweet red pepper sauce. North Carolina-style barbecue is pulled pork in a vinegar-and-spice sauce. Texas-style smoked brisket you know. Virginia Barbeque also serves St. Louis-style smoked ribs and shredded chicken moistened with that sweet pepper sauce. Sandwiches are the most popular order, but Virginia Barbeque also offers a "novice" platter that's a good way for a first-time diner to sample the offerings. The platter, with sizable portions of Texas, Virginia and North Carolina barbecue, plus two sides and a bread, is a lot of food for $10.99. We liked the Virginia barbecue, which was finely shredded and extremely moist, and we can understand why it's the place's bestseller. The North Carolina barbecue was slightly sour, reflecting the vinegar sauce, which was fine, but we also found it a bit dry. The brisket was nicely tender but had too much fat on it. The coleslaw was tangy and would make a nice foil for the Virginia 'cue (the pulled-pork sandwiches come with slaw slapped atop the meat, if you like). Red potato salad sounded good but had an off-putting dusky color. Loved the mini corn muffins, which were sweet and crusty on top and so hot that there was steam rising from them. The "RotisiQUE" chicken sandwich ($4.99) was exceedingly moist. Banana pudding featured fresh banana slices.
The atmosphere: Virginia Barbeque is a shiny, clean, casual dining/takeout spot in a neighborhood shopping center. Red-and-white walls are a cheery touch, but overall atmosphere is unremarkable. There's a $4.99 lunch special of a junior sandwich, a drink and a regular side (fries, onion rings and hush puppies are considered premium sides).
The details: Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. No smoking, no alcohol, wheelchair-accessible. Major credit cards accepted. Virginia Barbeque also caters.
