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New to Washington and trying to plan my boyfriend's birthday. It's a family tradition that his mom always makes him a rack of ribs for his birthday. Since mom's not around, I want to take him out for the best rack we can find. Any recommendations?

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New to Washington and trying to plan my boyfriend's birthday. It's a family tradition that his mom always makes him a rack of ribs for his birthday. Since mom's not around, I want to take him out for the best rack we can find. Any recommendations?

Will rack of lamb work? There are a lot of mediocre ribs out there. Could you share what your boyfriend likes in a rack of ribs? With that, we can at least point you to the rib joint that errs in that direction.

Also, where are you and what areas are you willing to head to for your rib fix?

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I'm looking for a traditional rack of pork ribs with a nice, thick sauce. And trying to keep it in the District--we're going after work and it'll be tricky to get home, get a car, then fight traffic to somewhere out in Virginia.

I had some pretty good ribs the other day at Kenny's on 8th and Maryland, NE. They also sell them by the full rack. Others on this board are more knowledgeable about BBQ than I, but I have the impression the best places for BBQ are in the 'burbs.

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I had some pretty good ribs the other day at Kenny's on 8th and Maryland, NE. They also sell them by the full rack. Others on this board are more knowledgeable about BBQ than I, but I have the impression the best places for BBQ are in the 'burbs.

Another good spot in the District is Hogs on the Hill, located on Bladensburg RD, just across NY Avenue. Nowhere to sit down, but for carryout I thought that the ribs were tasty.

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I don't know of any sit-down places that are much good in the District. There is a carryout on 14th St (corner Randolph??) called the Rib Pit which isn't bad, if you don't mind the bullet-proof glass aspect (left over from an earlier era), but again it's only a carryout.

This is far afield from your criteria, but if you're ready to throw in the towel and trek out to the burbs, there there are some places that come to mind, all at a distance. Urban BBQ in Rockville isn't bad, and that might be your best bet--it is even close to the Twinbrook Station on the Red line. There is Willards BBQ which is near the DC Expo Center which is near Dulles Airport. There is Dixie Bones which is down toward Potomac Mills. And if you really want to travel there is Andy Nelson's, which is I believe is in Cockeysville, which is north of Baltimore. Or there is Johnny Boy in La Plata, which gets a lot of favorable comments. Maybe you could delay it until a weekend.

Another possibility is one of the locations of Red, Hot, and Blue, but that is yuppie BBQ. Some like it.

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You aren't going to find great ribs around. For convenience, I like Boss Hogs in McLean. I call, ahead and make sure they have a rack ready. Their sauce is a tomato kansas city style (although they don't call it that). I really am not a fan of Red Hot and Blue and Rocklands so don't recommend them.

There are some rib joints in DC (as noted above, also the Rib Pit up on 14th Street), but not sure if those are convenient for you.

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I really am not a fan of Red Hot and Blue and Rocklands so don't recommend them.

I will second you on this, I also found Urban's ribs to be very close to Rocklands in flavor and texture, and would not recommend them either. While it does not fit the location criteria, and is only available on the weekend, I should mention the ribs at the Mighty Midget in Leesburg as being worth a detour, but not necessarily a special trip.

On Saturday I was talking to a friend of mine who is a detective in the area around Kenny’s, he highly recommended it, whatever that is worth, since he once told me that the sign that you were entering civilization was that a town has an Outback.

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Thanks for the feedback, Everybody! Based on the responses, I've decided to get carryout and some checkered tablecloths and throw a little ribs buffet (his building has a roofdeck). Probably be Rib Pit, although Rocklands is pretty close to his apartment...

And one weekend, we'll definitely trek out in search of the good stuff.

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Hogs on the Hill in Beltsville used to be a favorite. But they moved into newer digs int he same shopping center without seating. Two recent take out trips were less than wonderful so its not off my list. It was my favorite in the immediate area. Too bad...

Still dreaming of Woodley's Sunspot BBQ in Tennessee.......

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