The BBQ Joint - Owner Andrew Evans Brings His Easton-Based Barbecue to 14UP and Union Market - All DC Locations are Closed

[Tweaked]

On 9/20/2012 at 2:54 PM, darkstar965 said:

I"m sure many already saw this but I wanted to memorialize it here rather than on the media board. I'm no journalist and, appropriate, am rarely if ever ahead on any "story" but as this just came out yesterday in the post and I started this thread just over a year ago, I'm feeling a bit vindicated...or something...in recommending Andrew and his BBQ Joint.

Washingtonian is reporting that Andrew Evans, of Inn at Easton fame and owner of The BBQ Joint in Easton and Pasadena has signed a lease with Union Market.  Sounds like the bbq will be counter service and the meat is being smoked at the Pasadena location and brought over to Union Market.  Fair warning.  December-ish opening.

It's starting to get smokey around here.

[LauraB]

This is potentially very exciting news, if Evans's BBQ is as fantastic in its niche as his fine dining cuisine was in that category.  One of the best meals of my life was at the Inn at Easton just a few days before he closed it.  Those short ribs and the fig cake are still legend in our household.

[Tweaked]

I've been to the Easton location and remember the BBQ as being perfectly fine but not outstanding.  But that was a couple of years ago and based on one visit. 

[DonRocks]

"BBQ Joint At Union Market: A Place That Smokes In Moderation" by Tim Carman on washingtonpost.com

[darkstar965]

Thrilled to see this new thread and will be sure to head over to the Union Market outpost soon. We've had Chef Evans' 'q in Easton maybe half a dozen times and always thought it excellent. In fact, in reading the Carman review Don posted just above, I started to think I must have posted about one of those visits to the original Easton location here a few years ago but wasn't sure. So, a quick google search and, sure enough, I had, 3 1/2 years ago!

 

[darkstar965]

Finally made it to Andrew Evans' outpost at Union Market today but, alas, too late for ribs as they were sold out.

But, the brisket...wow! Incredibly moist with a perfect balance of fat and meat. And, fabulous flavor between the rub and smoke deeply infused throughout. $11 for half a pound.

[reedm]

I must have visited on an off day. Shortly after they opened, I tried their sausage, and it was unremarkable. The cheese permeated the sausage, but it was in very small cubes, and the texture was much too fine for my taste.

The corn muffins are vastly over priced, even at $1.25, since they are tiny.

Union Market can be pricey, but this outlet does not offer much value, particularly if you know DCity Smokehouse serves up much better barbecue at a better price, and it's a short drive away.

[darkstar965]

If a seriously talented, passionate and even obsessive chef turned his attention to BBQ, we might expect very interesting, and really delicious things, to emanate from the operation. And so it is with Chef Andrew Evans' BBQ Joint outpost at Union Market.

The last time I came here, I had the truly fabulous brisket partly because they were out of the St. Louis style ribs I knew and loved from Evans' original BBQ Joint in Easton.

This past week, I was there when both the ribs and Chef Evans were in the house. But, again, I got the brisket. It wasn't a fair contest really. When I walked up, Chef Evans was slicing some, getting closer to the point I'd be given, for the prior customer. The aroma of hickory smoke and seasoning, along with the visual of an insanely moist and luxurious brisket that had been brined for a couple of days and smoked and...well...I never even thought about getting ribs. Next time, since I know from experience how great those are too.

Thinking about sides, it was suggested I get the collards, braised and infused with pork bits and droppings. Really excellent, tangy and flavorful.

It wasn't really mealtime when I was there so just had a few eye-popping forkfuls, taking the rest home with the instructions to slowly reheat in foil in a 250-degree oven for 20 minutes or so. Sure enough, lunch the next day was fantastic.

Chef Evans has been a serious and successful competitor on the BBQ circuit for years. I'm no judge or expert but I have had a lot of BBQ over the years in all the different regions claiming provenance. Those judges have it right.

If you haven't yet made it to Easton or here to Union Market, and you love BBQ, you really should go. Those pro judges have it right. A trained and long-experienced Chef, with the right motivation, can perform magic with a smoker. That is Andrew Evans. And, this is some fantastic BBQ, however much or little it may conform with one regional variety or another. Just. Great. Eats.

[alexandria1]

Ate at the new 14th Street location recently. Nice-looking space, not very busy early on a weekend afternoon. Service at the bar was friendly and attentive. Brisket sandwich ($16 with two small sides, $11 for the sandwich only) was just okay--brisket wasn't quite as moist as I was hoping for, and was cut into small chunks that were hard to keep from falling from the sandwich. Maybe it would have been better in non-sandwich form. Collards were more on the "meaty" side than the "tangy" side. Baked beans were baked beans. Oliver's Blonde Ale ($6) was a quite good with an unexpectedly bitter finish, reminiscent of De Ranke XX Bitter, although I haven't had that in a while so don't quote me on that.

Need to try the ribs next time.

[zgast]

Got a chance to try the Easton outpost on my way back from the shore today and it did not disappoint at all.  Got the meat sampler (ribs, brisket, pulled pork and chicken thigh.)  The standouts were the brisket and ribs.  Latter were the best I've ever had - without question.  Little bit of tooth, but so soft and tender.  Sides included the beans (good, but I prefer Rocklands), corn bread (kids got the first one, I got one of the next order of three, then one more when we ordered six more to go), and cole slaw.  This will definitely be a standard for future shore trips.

[DonRocks]

I apologize for not having updated the thread title, tags, and Dining Guides before now - I just missed them (and thank you very much to a cherished, long-time member for mentioning to me that I neglected to reflect the 14UP closure.

Keeping everything current is like being a mouse, running on a wheel, but it's the only way to do things correctly.

---

I've searched and searched to try and find this information online, but cannot, with one single exception that took me twenty minutes to find. Unfortunately, it isn't just the 14th and U location which has closed; the Union Street Market location is closed also. 

If you go to The BBQ Joint's website, their Facebook page, their Twitter account, or even Union Street Market's list of vendors, everything implies that The BBQ Joint is still open at Union Street Market; the only thing I found online is this relatively arcane post from eagle-eyed districtcuisine.com.

The only reason I even know is because Google Maps has The BBQ Joint at Union Street Market listed as "permanently closed," so I wrote Andrew and Tricia - their PR rep - to let them know of the mistake, and heard back that it's not a mistake: They are, in fact, closed.

There is some chatter on their Facebook page about working with Scott Drewno at The Source, but considering Scott is leaving Apr 30, 2017, that may be easier said than done. That said, this seems like it could be a really good fit between Scott and Andrew.

I wish Andrew the best in all that he does - The Inn at Easton was, at one time, ranked in Bold - he is an incredibly talented chef, and that was an absolutely wonderful restaurant and B&B.

Think about this: If it weren't for Andrew Evans, how many times would you go to Easton?