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Dave's BBQ & Catering - David Welch's Stand At The Savage MARC Station


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Grab a roll of paper towels and make plans for an early lunch on the side of the road -- if you're lucky enough to work in Howard County.

Right outside the entrance to the Savage MARC station is a guy with a pull-behind barbecue serving up delicious meats at roadside prices.

I ate pulled pork Monday after being clued in by George Berkheimer of the The Business Monthly. David Welch had platters of meat cooking, and he pulled the pork off the bone to build an enormous sandwich for me. Then he left me to doctor it up with spicy sauce and his personal spice mixture.

This is moist, firm meat coming right off the heat. It is a rich smokey flavor, but it's truly just pork. You really want to add spice and sauces -- maybe sauce in the bottom of the container -- so that you can dip and alternate flavors. My $6 sandwich was so large that I couldn't finish it off. I ate until full, then shredded the leftovers into soup tonight.

Dave runs a weekly rotation -- pulled pork Mondays, beef brisket Tuesdays, big pork chops Wednesdays, ribs Thursdays, and chicken Fridays. Six bucks for each except the $9-19 ribs. He also sells kielbasa, half smokes and sodas. He worked originally in upscale hotel kitchens, then started a hot dog stand and moved onto the current deal where he works this lunch crowd and does catering through Dave's BBQ and Catering out of Laurel.

Dave was a generous host, searing a piece of skin into crackling. He talked about his competitive barbecue wins, including a 2006 Maryland state championship. The other customers talked up the brisket and a once-a-month special of jambalaya. Dave starts selling at 9 am. I assume he gets business from the truckers who start their days early between the wholesale markets in Jessup down through all the business parks along U.S. 1. Some days, he is sold out before noon.

This is a perfect spot if you work somewhere near Fort Meade, and it's off-and-on Rte 32 so it's doable from anywhere in Columbia. I'm going back as soon as I can figure out how to be home on a different weekday. Expect posts on brisket, chops and ribs over time! The catering -- which includes sides, utensils, etc. -- seems like a deal starting at $11/13-a-head if you pick it up and running to $21/23-a-head with all-you-can-eat spreads run by a catering crew.

The one flaw in my plan was that I didn't get a napkin from Dave. I ate in a parking lot before my next errand, and I was glad to find a clean rag after chomping through juicy meat that had soaked through the light roll. So get those paper towels and start driving.

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Does anyone know if this dude is still around?

Justin -- I think that he is around.  I wrote about barbecue a few months ago, and I feel like someone recommended Dave again.  His Web site doesn't seem active, but this was his phone number if you wanted to reach him: 240-535-6785

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Has anyone been to RG's BBQ on the southbound side of Laurel (extreme north Laurel, before Rt 1 gets split with a big median filled with businesses). I've heard good reports but it suffers from inconsistency. I have heard the BBQ sauce is worth the price of admission alone and that might make we wander by and try it.

 

You'd be better off going to see Dave out on Dorsey run road by the Marc. His bbq "smokes" all others. Mondays is pulled pork Tuesday is brisket wedsnday double cut pork loin, Thursday is ribs and Friday is chicken breast. They're always 6 bucks except for ribs which are a bit more you can get as a Sammie or not and he also usually has some kind of kielbasa or brat or chicken legs or thighs which are a dollar. I didn't particularly care for RG's.

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You'd be better off going to see Dave out on Dorsey run road by the Marc. His bbq "smokes" all others. Mondays is pulled pork Tuesday is brisket wedsnday double cut pork loin, Thursday is ribs and Friday is chicken breast. They're always 6 bucks except for ribs which are a bit more you can get as a Sammie or not and he also usually has some kind of kielbasa or brat or chicken legs or thighs which are a dollar. I didn't particularly care for RG's.

OK....More info needed dude. 'Dave on Dorsey Run Road by the MARC' is too nebulous. Is he a food truck or something by the side of the road? Is it a restaurant? If so name? I see Dorsey Run Road and I know where the MARC parking lot and staton are, but 'by the MARC' could mean 'he is in the MARC parking lot' or 'within 5 miles of the MARC station, on Dorsey Run Road'. :) Please help me Obiwan, you're my only hope.

I'm willing to look for good BBQ.

Tonight we're giving RG's a whirl to see if we like or not like.

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OK....More info needed dude. 'Dave on Dorsey Run Road by the MARC' is too nebulous. Is he a food truck or something by the side of the road? Is it a restaurant? If so name? I see Dorsey Run Road and I know where the MARC parking lot and staton are, but 'by the MARC' could mean 'he is in the MARC parking lot' or 'within 5 miles of the MARC station, on Dorsey Run Road'. :) Please help me Obiwan, you're my only hope.

I'm willing to look for good BBQ.

Tonight we're giving RG's a whirl to see if we like or not like.

I second this request. Also, what time of day is he there? I see a vet specialist in that vicinity and would be happy to incorporate a stop for bbq into my next trip. :)

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Ok so his name is Dave and he's an awarded champion bbq'r. Pretty sure he's retired and sits out on Dorsey run where the Marc is kinda going back towards the highway. He's there monday to Friday from about 9-12. He sells out fast as there is a lot of trucker traffic early. His bbq pork on Mondays is so good you need to get 2 so you can eat one on the way home and not be upset you don't have any when you wanna sit infront of the tv. He lives in settlers landing right up by me. He makes his own rubs and sauce too. Tomorrow he's got chicken breast which were perfectly cooked last time I went. Actually I was on vacation last year and went all 5 days to try everything. Damn good.

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Ok so his name is Dave and he's an awarded champion bbq'r. Pretty sure he's retired and sits out on Dorsey run where the Marc is kinda going back towards the highway. He's there monday to Friday from about 9-12. He sells out fast as there is a lot of trucker traffic early. His bbq pork on Mondays is so good you need to get 2 so you can eat one on the way home and not be upset you don't have any when you wanna sit infront of the tv. He lives in settlers landing right up by me. He makes his own rubs and sauce too. Tomorrow he's got chicken breast which were perfectly cooked last time I went. Actually I was on vacation last year and went all 5 days to try everything. Damn good.

 

Thanks! So lunchtime only? Damn. Or is it evenings late only?

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