Red Hot & Blue
6482 Landsdowne Centre, Kingstowne, VA, 22315
Red Hot & Blue Menu
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Address :
6482 Landsdowne Centre
Kingstowne, VA, 22315 - Phone (703) 550-6465
- Website https://redhotandblue.com/kingstowne/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Drive-Thru : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
Burgers
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Hamburgers are also categorized into two types in the United States. Fast food hamburger and individual hamburgers served at restaurants are two basic types of burgers served in the United States. The individual hamburgers served at restaurants are prepared using everything including lettuce, onion, tomato, and sliced pickles as well as melted cheese on the patty or crumbled on top. American restaurants also serve veggie burgers for those who don't relish meat. Cheeseburgers are also hot favorite in the United States.
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P N.
Giving it three stars - food is okay for a chain restaurant and is consistent with other Red Hot and Blues. Ordered pulled pork, potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans for takeout. Service was fast - however - checkout lady was a little bit confused about my specific order. No worries... We figured it out... Pork was well flavored and reasonably moist. Baked beans were very good with a slightly sweet flavor. Potato salad and coleslaw both very good. Recommend coming here if you are in the neighborhood and need a barbecue fix. If you are a barbecue connoisseur there are better choices in the Washington metropolitan area.
(3)Emily V.
I came here for lunch one day with 4 other folks. They have good affordable lunch specials. I ordered the dry ribs with coleslaw and baked beans. The coleslaw was pretty blah and the baked beans tasted like every other baked beans dish I've ever had but I enjoyed the ribs! I got a lot of them for the lunch special and I enjoyed trying all the sauces on them. I would go back, it's just not the best BBQ I've ever had.
(3)Sara L.
I should have known better. Why would someone who doesn't eat pork, go to a place that mainly serves pork bbq. I was excited though because they had pulled chicken (which I really like). I ordered a Hurricane drink but was told they didn't have oj. Weird but ok. I ordered a Bahama Mama. Guess what? Still no oj so they couldn't make it. I got grumpy and asked for water. Next I was planning for cheese fries but was swayed by the waiter to try their new burnt ends. It was the end pieces of the brisket. What I was expecting and what I got was not the same thing. I didn't care for them. My meal arrived and honestly it was just ehh. Not too flavorful unless you drowned everything in sauce. I don't know if that is typical of bbq places or not. The wait staff were nice but I don't think I will be returning again.
(2)Liz N.
Good service for a corporate lunch of 12. We were rolling in deep, but by 12:30 maybe the crowd rolled out? We got our massive mini-pitchers of drinks, ordered our meals, and got serve all within an hour. Not too shabby. They have a lunch special that includes $7.50 bbq sandwiches. I got the brisket. It was ok, sadly not fatty or moist... just normal. Nothing too crazy or bbq about it either. I enjoyed their hoochi hot sauce b/c it was quite spicy and on the vinegar side. Their potato salad was the all star. Perfectly seasoned and included eggs. All in all forgetful lunch, but decent price and good service.
(3)Phuong O.
Came here on a Tuesday around 4ish and it was sorta packed. We ordered the seafood platter and the pulled pork dish with pulled chicken. The hush puppies were warm and delicious. It had a herby flavored taste to it, in fact it was the only thing I enjoyed. The fish that came with the seafood platter was delish. The breading was tasteless but the hotness of the fish made it great. The fried shrimp that came with it was not all that great. Bland seasoning. The corn bread was so dried and cold, blah. The baked beans we had was salty and OK tasting. The pulled pork and chicken were very dried. There was no BBQ flavoring to it. The pitcher that they used for water and drinks look so damn dirty. The utensils could use a face lift as well. Overall I don't think I would ever come back. I heard other RHB loop locations were better. I take Famous Dave any day over this.
(2)Christy K.
My husband and I love this place! So good we always get the pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwich. The it's huge and the roll that it's served on it so soft and sweet it makes the sandwich delicious! Not the mention the sweet BBQ they have! We also love the potato salad! It's so yummy! My husband also likes to order the onion loaf as a starter, and that's delicious too! Don't forget to order the sweet tea!
(5)Bill D.
Fantastic improvements in an already decadent favorite! Even two years ago, I was limited to a salad and maybe a sausage link. But, the service was always stellar. That made up for the meal. In fairness, everyone else devoured their pulled chicken and damn near licked the plate, the table and the server. So, we started serving their pulled chicken at our annual holiday party: it's a hit and there are no leftovers. Today we pop by for lunch and the menu's been updated. There are dozens of gluten free options. Okay, it's barbecue but it's hog heaven. I'm having sweet potato fries, sausage platter, collard greens and slaw. Slap me, Susie: I'm happy !
(5)Denise M.
Sooooo, I know they're known for their bbq, but I am obsessed with RH&Bs catfish platter! Always perfectly seasoned and dressed! A must try...along with the awesome BBQ, of course
(5)Danielle R.
I was tentative at first to try this place considering many of the reviews. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The food is good and decently priced. My only complaint is that the service was slow even though there weren't many people seated when we first got here. We used the free appetizer incentive for checking in and chose the cheese and bacon fries (we have young kids). Everyone enjoyed this. It is good to share - there is more than enough! I tried the Idaho stuffed pig and my husband had the pulled chicken platter. My husband enjoyed it and said that it was good. My potato was good also - very filling. I wouldn't have minded more pulled pork to compensate the size of the potato. I love their Mojo Mild sauce! Overall, we would probably come back but not during busy hours, due to service today. As of today, they have a sign on their door looking to hire servers.
(4)Brian B.
Awesome service and great food. The wife really wanted fried okra, and it hit the spot. Love this place.
(5)James W.
We went here on a Thursday night and had a really mixed experience. We waited quite a while to be seated and were then seated in the bar with only the bar tender to cover us and the bar patrons. She did an excellent job given the circumstances. The food was slow to come out and it was at best a mixed bag. I got the 5 meat sampler platter. The price was reasonable and the portions were generous. The quality however was widely varied. The chicken and pork were good. The sausage was fair and the ribs were ok. The brisket was very poor. At least the piece I got had obviously never seen the inside of a smoker and was largely flavorless. The sauces were good and helped but it's a poor solution. I really wanted to like this place more but overall wasn't particularly happy. I think 3 is fair. It certainly wasn't a bad experience, just some what disappointing.
(3)Kristen B.
The ribs fell off the bone, but the sauce was terrible. The collard greens were bland, even after I put hot sauce on them. Our server did not bring our food out at the same time, which drives me INSANE! The restaurant just isn't laid out correctly and the acoustics are terrible; you can hear everyone's conversation.
(2)Andrea C.
Went there for lunch today and had very enjoyable experience. I can't say the food was awesome but the service sure was. I got a pulled chicken lunch salad which I'm sure is a smaller portion then the dinner salad. It's served on a small plate and I casually mentioned it to my husband and 2 min later the waitress brought me a bigger plate!!! She was very attentive...just wish I remember her name but thanks for being awesome!!!
(5)MartÃn A.
Human nature is to normally comment on the negative. This place was great! Very attentive and friendly staff. Fast service. The food great, we had wings and they were a good size. Defiantly recommend this place. Very easy going and relax!
(4)Claire H.
Went for dinner with friends who've never been and wanted to try. First, we waited for over 20 minutes to sit the 5 of us, and instead they tried to sit a group that came in after us first. Then we sat at a table that was broken, received drinks after our appetizers, and received silverware not until AFTER our dinner came out. The waiter complained about his hours and how he was quitting. Also, found bone in my pulled chicken.
(1)Shreena L.
Came here for a group lunch and the service was horrible. I was shocked they only had one server for a group of 30. Needless to say it was extremely slow and the sever was actually a bit rude when I questioned why I was charged $3 for club soda. Never seen such a disorganized mess...I will not be back
(1)Rey W.
While on break came here for a quick meal, boy did it fill me up... Awesome food for the price I paid. Pulled pork was really good! Filled me up quick!
(5)Jen T.
I had a great discussion with the owner and manager and they were both very understanding and corrected the issue I had. Everyone was very professional . . .since the food was good- I now say please patronize this business :-)
(5)William S.
I like this location because this location has stores and a public library and more. PARTYS: This location is great for party and going away parties. They have over two location and advance call in holding the space for you. The food was good just like the rest of the Red Hot & Blues. But the location at Arlington VA near Rosalyn location is nicer. PARKING. It ok but like all place need more spaces. Over all I give a five stars for the good food an friendly staff.
(5)Ivonne C.
Update: So I received a call from the district manager and discussed the situation with him. He invited my family to give the facility a chance once again, which we did last week for the dinner hour. We were definitely greeted at the door, but the seating was a fail. The gentleman picked our table; which we were fine with, but as soon as my children were seated and my husband and I were about to sit down a lady walked over and told us we would need to be moved . The woman told us she needed to combine that table with another for an event that was going to occur. Ok fine! So once seated, in a booth, my son had wanted corn dogs off the kid's menu. Answer: they were out. Ok fine! You'd think that on a frozen item to be cooked they'd have it well stocked. Fail #2. My husband decided to reorder the same dish he had last time, as to give it a second chance. I decided to go with the po' boy. Well for myself, the po'boy was average, nothing to scream with joy about. My husband said while his food was a bit better, he'd grade it a C-. We also decided to stick around for dessert. My husband wanted to bread pudding, but guess what.....they were out of that item too. Fail #3. The woman who had moved us from 1 table to the booth only check on us once throughout our entire meal. And that table that she needed to combine with another to make seating for a party of 8, well the entire time we were there just 1 got sat there, ordered his dinner, ate, and went about his way. Fail #4, as we were moved for a false reason. All in all, we decided, we won't be returning. We gave the place a second chance per the request of the district manager and this place, in our opinion needs an over haul in so many ways.
(1)Renee W.
I have to say I was nowhere near impressed by this place, which is disappointing! We had a room all to ourselves for a party of 12 - good service that began with nice cold pints of Yuengling which I have not had in who knows how long. The fried pickles were the type of pickles that fast food restaurants use; I was anticipating something different for some reason. The onion square was just that. A square of fried onion strings that was a challenge to pull apart. Now, onto the BBQ. The Tennessee Triple was your choice of 3 meats, beans and cole slaw. The pulled chicken was good and the pulled pork was also good but the brisket was ok. I was excited to try this place but I will admit I was disappointed...
(3)Jason G.
My coworkers rave about this place, so we figured we'd give it a shot. We stopped by to pick-up dinner for takeout. The service was a little slow, but it was veeeeery busy, so I can't ding them over speed. On the other hand, the staff was very pleasant, so that was a definite plus. The food...we ordered brisket, pulled pork, cole slaw, and baked beans; our meals came with cornbread. Across the board, everything was disappointing. Not much else to really say. It was cooked/prepared fine. We just didn't think it was all that great. Probably won't be back.
(2)Alyce P.
Long wait for food. Waitress was great but the catfish was awful for four of us we had a total of six in our party. Catfish was cooked outside but raw inside. We sent it back and it came back raw the second time. Our meal was completely ruined because our sides were now cold. Asked to see the Manager. he said he left it down 5 min more but he didn't know why it was raw again. He didn't really seem that concerned but he did take off the four dinners that had the raw catfish and 25% off the total bill. We won't go back there just because we spent 2 hours there and left hungry and aggravated and to make things worse it was my husband's 70th BD and he picked this place out for his BD dinner.
(1)Teresa B.
Perfectly good BBQ for a chain restaurant. Actually better than others that I have tried around the United States, except for Jack Stack BBQ in Kansas City! 1. I wanted fall-off-the-bone-pork ribs, with a pink smoke ring, and that's what I got. 2. Memphis rub chicken wings? Yummy! 3. Great creamy Cole slaw. 4. And an option to substitute fries for collard greens? Yes please. We sat at the bar and was given great attention. The food was delivered quickly while we mingled with the regulars, watching the myriad of TVs. Looking at the date of my review, note that we ventured here during the "Hercules Snowstorm". Definitely worth the trip!
(4)Brandon C.
It's a pretty good BBQ place. Being from NC and the South I'd say it's acceptable. Pretty critical of my BBQ but I'll be back.
(4)Joshua S.
I gave this place a second chance, and it was good. Had the regular burger and fries for lunch.
(4)Q A.
Totally not impressed!! The food was not seasoned...My French Fries were good and the waiter was nice...this resturant has a lot of potential maybe bring in the dude from Resturant Rescue and get some tips... I totally stop eating when the dude next to me starting blowing his nose...not the resturant fault...
(2)Ideen S.
REALLY good BBQ is only available in certain areas (like the Southern half of the United States). But for the price, location, and fact that it's a franchise, Red Hot & Blue does pretty well. My server was very pleasant. I ordered the "Five Meat Treat" platter with a side of vegetables and collard greens and it was ready in 5 or so minutes! (Which probably means they had the food prepared and lying around). Can't say it was the healthiest thing in the world, but it was pretty tasty. When it was time for the bill, my server applied the $10 off coupon I had from Restaurant.com . I left a 20% tip and hobbled to my car with a full and satisfied belly.
(4)Jessie H.
My family absolutely loves RH&B! Being Southerners who happen to live in the DC area, this is our go-to place for Southern food. The BBQ chicken is to die for and my husband is in love with the cheese fries as an appetizer. The atmosphere is great and my son enjoys going there. He is a picky eater, but always devours his entire plate when we go here. Great place overall!
(4)Craig W.
Best Bar-B-Cue in the Area! Good Music friendly staff. And nice family atmosphere. I think I'm going to be a regular!
(4)Melanie S.
This review is for carry out only. I was putting together a picnic event for about 100+ people and wanted to try to avoid grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. Its just too messy, time consuming and it forces everyone to eat when the grilling is going on and not when they are ready to eat. So I decided to order BBQ. Being that I am from the south this is a far more common picnic meal anyways. So I ordered Brisqet, pulled chicken, and pulled pork for the event. About 18lbs total. It cost be about $210, which I thought was a deal to feed 100+ people. The meat included buns and BBQ sauce. The event was a hit- I got so many compliments on the BBQ selection. People were also begging to take the leftover BBQ sauce home at the end of the night. I would totally use them again for a similar event!
(3)jack h.
The food is 4 stars. but the service got 2 of 3 orders wrong. A paper was in one of the colas. It came out to about $17 a piece w no dessert so not bad. I recommend the 5 meat platter.
(3)Mark S.
The only positive thing we can say about this experience was that the sides are okay-if they get delivered which my wife's salad was not. I have had barbecue in many different places in this country and I have to say this was the worst. Even the Tony Roma's ribs we get at the grocery store are 100 times better than the ribs here. These ribs are tough and full of gristle. my wife ordered the pulled pork. She did not like it. She said it had no flavor. we will never go back.
(1)Kathryn R.
I've eaten at this chain many times in the past, however, not at this location. After the indifferent service, forty-five minute wait for food, and dry over-breaded catfish and over cooked shrimp, I will never go back. The staff was awful; everyone's attitude seemed to be like we were inconveniencing them with our presence.
(1)Jamie H.
I've eaten at this establishment several times. I was never too thrilled to go there because I lived in Lousiana for 3 yrs and all I ate was bbq. However, there salads, sweet potatoe fries and quartered chicken were amazing.
(3)Jambo R.
Pretty bland compared to most Mom-n-Pop places. The onion cubes are mighty good.
(2)mike m.
I have usually had no problems here - but today - kitchen is confused. I sat at bar, ordered a simple hamburger - special of the day. After I ordered, back wait staff person immediately brought out a cheeseburger to me - which was not mine - not big deal. Then others sat down, ordered and got their food - after I had ordered. If you really want to anger your customers - bring food out to people who show up after you have sat and ordered. I do not have all day for lunch - had to leave - let manager know their kitchen is messing up orders. He apologized and handed me gift cards for next time - which was nice. I do not understand how a restaurant cannot get the food out in the same order as it was placed. These are not difficult items to make - hamburger, fries, BBQ sandwiches, ribs. The BBQ HAS to be made before people arrive for lunch - it cannot be cooked to order.
(1)MJ L.
we walked out (the 3rd table to do that in 30 minutes). It took 15 minutes to be seen by a waiter. then after 30 more minutes he said, your foods on its way. Not even 5 minutes later he came back and said oh your order didn't go in. We left. On top of that the hostess was copping an attitude when people were walking out and letting everyone see it. The tables were sticky nasty and the BBQ sauce bottles were covered in sauce along with labels missing so you didn't know which were which. There was also BBQ sauce on their wall hangings. King Street Blues is now our place to go.
(1)Jeff M.
Pretty decent service. Good price for families ( kids eat free at dinner) . Liked the huge drinks. Big portions. BBQ sandwiches pretty good-- not the best ive tasted but not bad. I thought the ribs were a bit off.
(2)Brandon B.
food was good, service not the best. the sweet tea was very not sweet... and then the waiter said "finish it up and i'll get you a new one, that was probably at the bottom." i push my cup towards him and said I will take water. lol too funny. same good food though.
(3)Ryan B.
Was watching Diners Drive Ins and Dives and was in the mood for some BBQ. Thought I'd give this place a try since it's close. Started off with the onion loaf, an interesting concept, but not that great. It's really difficult to eat and the center onions were raw and lacked breading. For the entree I ordered the ribs and brisket, and my wife got the ribs and pulled pork. The ribs were mediocre, regardless of the sauce you get on them, and I was pretty disappointed with both the brisket and the pulled pork. I'd say their that their lack of a variety of sauces, and the quality of the ones they had was the downfall. Price-wise it's pretty average as far as BBQ goes, but for the same price, I'd much rather make the trek to Famous Dave's.
(2)Rico F.
The food is decent. I've only been there once so far for a work luncheon and had the pulled pork sandwich. It was good, but I've had much better. I like that they bring your drinks in little pitchers.
(3)Marta D.
I've eaten at RH&B a few times, so when I needed a BBQ meal for an event I was hosting, they were one of three BBQ joints in the area that I was considering. Unfortunately, I went with them because they offered collard greens on their catering menu and because they were less expensive than the other two choices. All things considered, I got what I paid for. While the booking process was great, I was just displeased overall with the taste of the food that we got. We ordered a catering menu that consisted of pulled pork and chicken. Neither of which was seasoned beyond the taste of smoke. My guests said, "It's okay when you add the sauce," in my opinion, however, there should be no need to doctor your meat to make it taste like something. The very menu item that made me decide to hire RH&B, the collard greens, were completely devoid of flavor and literally tasted like greens boiled in water. Considering the menu description claims they are cooked with pork and onions, I was expecting a much more flavorful bite. We also had baked beans and potato salad which, besides the garden salad (can you really mess that up?), were the only things that possessed flavor. I don't know that I will go the cheap route again. I don't feel the couple hundred bucks I saved was worth it.
(2)Deanne M.
Great food and customer service. The server was very friendly and kept checking to make sure we were doing ok. The food was exactly what we ordered and tasted great. We will definitely go back.
(5)David B.
I love this place. As a transplanted Southerner living in the DC area, I like a good pulled-pork barbecue sandwich, and Red Hot & Blue serves the best I've eaten around here. This location in the Kingstowne area is the one closest to my home. I've always had good experiences with the quality of the food and service, and I've picked up food from the take-out counter for parties and events several times. Red Hot & Blue is a chain restaurant, and it feels like a chain, but there's blues and R&B music played over the PA system, and vintage photos and posters of blues artists on the walls, and they make it feel a bit homier and more authentic than the average chain.
(4)Gregory K.
Can't get a simple take-out order right.
(1)Jack H.
We live in the neighborhood and have been to RHB many times, either eating in or picking up. Went with a party of eight Saturday night before Labor Day, arriving about 8:15 PM. The place was less than one-third full. We were seated almost immediately by one of the barmen whose pants were hanging more than halfway down his ***. A waiter came to our table 15 minutes later to take drink orders. Drinks arrived ten minutes later. Waiter then took our food orders. Dinner for seven of us arrived 30 minutes later. At this point, we've been at our table 55 minutes and we're just getting dinner. The 8th dinner arrived ten minutes later. I think it's understandable that a restaurant would not be fully staffed the Saturday night before Labor Day with so many people out of town. But service-wise, this experience really was pretty poor. Food was only OK.
(2)Nikki K.
By far the worst barbecue experience of my life. Pulled pork sandwich was dry, the sauce was thick and flavorless and in a cup--not smothered over the meat. The potato salad was warm and the fries were cold. The coleslaw was a disgrace. I may be bias because I'm from Texas but I wouldn't serve this to my dogs. To be honest--my dogs probably wouldn't have eaten this. I'd ask for my money back if I thought the drive 15 minutes out of the way was worth it. Is there anywhere in the Alexandria area I can get decent BBQ?!
(1)Cheryl P.
Years ago when I first moved to Lorton (2000) this was a great place, but sometime in 2010 management or ownership changed. I hadn't been there in a while, I called and ordered take out, when I got there the place did not look clean, there were at least 5 employees sharing a booth and "chilling", none of whom bothered to ask "can I help you". When I wondered over to the bar, because noone was at the take out counter, there was a rude young man who was basically ignoring me and the gentleman that was waiting ahead of me. It was bad but I was getting take out so I did not stress it. When I finally got my food home, it was so cold and old that I had to call to let the manager know. I asked for the manager and a guy answered, when I told him about the poor quality of the food he actually tried to tell me that the food must have gotten cold on my way home "I live maybe 1 and a half miles from the restaurant". When I started to tell him that was not possible, he actually hung up on me (yes, I was more than pissed). That really pissed me off and I got back in my car and went back to RHB. When I got there I asked for the manager and some woman come up to me, I told her I was looking for the male manager I had just spoken to, she stated there was no male manager. Turns out the idiot that was working the bar pretended he was the manager on the phone. Needless to say I was VERY clear in my displeasure. It was such a horrible experience that I actually decided to contact the owner the following week, just to let him know what was happening in his place on the weekends. Honestly, he tried to listen and he offered me a gift card, which I declined. I was not calling to get a gift card, I wanted to let him know how horrible not only the food was but the service as well place...he did not get it. Clearly poor service starts at top and works it way down. As consumers all we have is the power of our purse, mine has been closed to this place since and I'll never go back. You can't hide both bad product & bad service, it will catch up with you. Hence, all the negative rating for this branch. RHB corporate should do "Under cover Boss" on this hot mess of a eatery.
(1)Ashlee S.
I love the pulled chicken sandwich!!! The corn muffins are great as well. The staff is always friends. This is a great places for families and children.
(4)Krista S.
I'm torn on the rating for this place. On one hand, the ribs are easily some of the best I've ever eaten. They just fall off the bone and I like that you can order them with dry rub only. Also, their potato salad is wonderful. But, on the other hand, all other meats I've ordered here have just been OK at best. The chopped brisket is probably the worst I've ever had - they use a strange sauce that is incredibly greasy. So all in all, I give it 3 stars. I will continue to return for the ribs - probably not for anything else.
(3)Bryan P.
What a sad turn of events. It REALLY pains me to do this... but I must re-evaluate my previous review. This was long considered by me to have the best ribs in the world. The last few times I have been back it has been getting progressively worse. It would seem like the typical pattern of what happens to a great restaurant when the ownership changes hands. As far as I know that hasn't happened here. Has it? The ribs which previously held my title for "best in the world" are now mediocre. The last few times they have lost more and more of their flavor (and moisture content). I went with my friends from New York who used to worship this place just as I did. Every time they came down, Red Hot and Blue was always first on our list of things to do. They were shocked and extremely disappointing at the decline in quality. I also ordered the Brisket this time. It was quite simply an abomination against Brisket! The less said about that the better. The sides are all still wonderful (I'm thankful to say). As for the service, this too has gotten worse. A few times I ordered take-out, and they almost always screwed up my order (left things out or gave me the wrong item). During my last visit, the waiter was very attentive but quite inefficient. He would constantly check up on us, but there was no silverware or napkins on the table. We ordered appetizers. He brought them with our main course. Great! Just let me eat this appetizer while my main course gets cold. That's always a recipe for disaster. After leaving the food we realized we needed the aforementioned silverware and napkins. We asked another waiter and he brought them for us (food now even colder). In all fairness I should mention that I can't really fault our waiter. In my opinion the kid was really trying. I blame the management for not training him better. Good service isn't difficult people; it's just a matter of training and having well established procedures. No reflection on the kid here. Despite the egregious decline in quality, I am still committed to RH&B. I will try some of their other locations in the hope that they are still doing it right. I hope...
(3)Amy R.
Ordered food to go... Messed up order... Ribs were so tough... I got half dry and half wet both were same... Tough and not very tasting... Baked potato was old tasting... Chicken on salad w chicken was full of fat and had bones in it... Corn bread was hard ...Only live 2 miles away... I don't recommend...
(1)Brittany L.
Ordered take-out as my family and I just wanted to eat at home. When I arrived at the take-out counter, there was a woman ahead of me who clearly hadn't been serviced. I asked her has anyone come to the counter, she replied "no". Meanwhile, employees were chatting at what seemed to be the bar, audibly using profanity. A gentleman eventually came to the counter and asked us had we been helped. He checked her out and then me next. I had inquired about their banana pudding and if it was any good. He just looked at me and shook his head no. That was the first sign of failure. Finally got the food home... I ordered the meal with two meats (ribs and pulled pork) with beans and fries. My fiancé got the Texas brisket sandwich and my daughter ordered the chicken fingers with fries and coleslaw. Fiancées' meal was complete, although he did not care for it. My meal was missing fries, and the pork and ribs were absolutely tasteless! No amount of BBQ sauce would have made them taste any better. My daughter was missing her coleslaw but she liked her fingers. They seemed to be the best part of my $40 purchase. I called them back to see what they could do for me since we were missing fries and coleslaw, and I was NOT going back up there for that. They said they would refund my card for the two missing sides. I've yet to see that refund, but it was just this past weekend so we shall see. Overall, unless you're getting chicken fingers or something that doesn't take much effort to cook, do not waste your time. This place should not serve BBQ. Famous Dave's has this place beat 10 times over. We will not be returning.
(1)Troy M.
Okay food, and Okay service...still could use some polishing though. (I'll start with customer service, then food) Walked in and here is the conversation The Host (Maria) and Myself had: Host: Hello Me: Hi Host:... Me:... Host:... Me:... Me: So can I sit at the bar? Host: Ya The host was Maria. There are literally only 4 things a host ever has to say: 1. Hello, Welcome to XXX 2. How many people? 3. Would you like to sit at the bar or would you like a table? 4. Right this way. Maria did 1 of the 4..step it up sweetie, its just customer service..not that difficult. So we sat at the bar and Wendy was our bartender. She was good all around, attentive the right amount, polite and professional. Altogether I would have liked to have seen a bit of happiness or a smile or even an energetic demeanor from her. Ordered appetizer of Wings with Memphis Dry Rub, Pulled Chicken sandwich with a side of potato salad. Wings were cheap and rather large for the price. Usually wings go for about a dollar a wing, and this was 10 wings for $8. Dry rub was alright, fairly tasty. Pulled Chicken sandwich was pretty huge...and although the chicken was fairly moist it came across as dry because there wasn't much sauce on it. Which is fine considering I can just add my own table side...I just had to add alot is all. Potato salad was good, I haven't had a potato salad like this one before...it almost tasted like mashed potatoes (and yes I am very certain it was potato salad and not mashed potatoes). Good food and customer service from the host could use some correcting. Might be coming back.
(3)Yvonne A.
Not that bad. The french fried was the best of all we asked. The ribs were to red for me. The coleslaw unflavored. Overall the place is nice, quiet and clean. The service was excellent. Good place for big groups. Very kids friendly.
(3)Gregg M.
The office decided to go out to lunch. Our collective choice was Red, Hot & Blue. Yes, RH&B is a chain BBQ joint and an outlier from the norm in the way too convenient "United Nations of Family-run Restaurants" that is better known as Landsdowne Centre. That said, for a chain place, RH&B does offer decent, quality Memphis-style barbecue in an area with a severe lack of barbecue of any style, let alone barbecue of reasonable quality. For lunch, RH&B offers a lunch menu with sandwich prices at a reasonable $7 a pop and entrees all under $10. Dinner-sized selections are also available at lunchtime. On this Tuesday, the daily special was for any of their four burgers with fries for $5.99. I went all in and had their "All-In" Burger, a 1/3 lb patty piled high with pulled pork, onion ring straws, cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce which normally clocks in at $9.49 but was a part of the daily special. I probably shouldn't have ordered it medium-rare, but it came out cooked to a perfect medium-rare. It was quite tasty, but I'm sure my heart and arteries are hating me right now. Unlike other reviews that cited service as a weak point, our service for a party of five, all separate checks, during peak lunch time was very good. Upon final review, I have to say that RH&B offered great value for lunch without noticeable service or food foul ups. You'll leave satisfied by the healthy portion sizes of unhealthy but tasty food for dirt cheap prices. A 3.4-3.5 star rating...rounding down to 3 stars.
(3)Cindy S.
Food was good. Server Stephanie was very nice!
(3)Watrbb W.
Stick with Famous Dave's! My friend had a deal coupon so we went for lunch. I had a salad (brisket & chicken) which was safe and actually crisp and fresh. My friend ordered the brisket along with vegetables and a side salad. The vegetables looked as if they had been sitting a week and the salad had two rotten tomatoes in it! Her food was lukewarm at best and she asked for a sweet potato in replace of the vegetables. Said the potato was the best part of the meal as it was hot and perfectly cooked. Unfortunately, she has another deal coupon; don't think we will be using it. I can see now why RH&B is few and far between. Perhaps it's just the location; don't know. The waitress was OK but when things were pointed out to her she was just like OH. No agreement nor offer to bring something else.
(2)F. C.
Im a big fan of RH & B and have been eating at this one on occasion for about 3 years now. I have never had a bad experience at this location, so Im surpised at the reviews posted here. We go when they're busy & when they're slow. Its always pretty clean. Our service is always good, at the least. The food is always fresh & tasty. We never wait long and always leave happy & with leftovers.
(4)Frank W.
Don't understand how this is a chain restaurant, food is so bland. Ordered the ribs from them and it seemed like they just popped them in the oven and warmed it up. There was hardly any sauce on it and it was dry. I had to scrape the tin foil to get sauce. The only good thing was the fries. Would not recommend.
(2)Emma D.
Picked this place with a friend who has a restaurant.com giftcard to here. We had a decent experience here, came about about 8pm on a Saturday night and the place was dead. A few other tables with people scattered about were all leaving through our dinner and we were the only table left by the time we got up. Seriously? 8pm is not that late. They started putting the chairs on empty tables to sweep under them. The staff was very nice, attentive, and offered food suggestions when we had questions about the menu Drinks: I think we both got water Food: She got a po' boy and I got a burger with fried onions, cheese, and hot sauce on it. Burger was great, but it was a half lb of meat so I took about 4 bites and was full. Fries were awesome. Crisp and seasoned well. Came with a pickle which adds points in my book. Dessert: She got a cobbler that looked alright, and I got an oreo sundae which was fantastic. I feel silly having them package up my dinner leftovers and then ordering dessert and finishing dessert, but why not. I would have loved to taste more of the options on the menu but there were only 2 of us and we didn't want to order too much food. That being said, neither of us got real BBQ. I was tempted but in a burger kind of mood. I hear their catered food is great and hopefully sometime I will go somewhere that RHB caters.
(2)Troy J.
I frequent this establishment a few times monthly. The Landsdowne Ctr location & they have a mobile site a different locations on Fort Belvoir. The food is decent, there is no consistency. It is hit or miss every time on the quality. There may be a difference in the cooks or prep staff. It is by far the best BBQ in the Fort Belvoir area. Just needs more attention to detail. Ensure you always check your to go orders.
(3)Mike C.
Whew! I had eaten here several years ago when they first opened and everything was consistently good. Sorry to say that is no longer the case. I ordered the Memphis Half Chicken and it was severely undercooked. The skin was soggy, not crisp like you would expect from a decent barbecue place. The cole slaw was neither creamy nor tasty, as advertised. It was more cabbage with a mild hint of seasoning and a side of water. The baked beans were okay, but nothing special. The service was good!
(1)Emily A.
I had a good pulled chicken BBQ sandwich here. Our waiter was kinda short bus because he screwed up my daughters meal twice. And did nothing to make it even appear like he even care that he screwed up not once, but twice. I would get take out from there because my sandwich was yummy but I don't know that I would eat in the restaurant again.
(3)Donna L.
During my first visit, a friend and I ordered burgers and they were delicious. I had fried okra as my side and I was so excited as many restaurants do not offer fried okra. I was so pleased I took my husband one Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, the food was not as good. I had the pulled chicken and my husband had pulled pork. My pulled chicken sandwich was bland and the sauce was just poured on top. All the pulled chicken or pork I have had in the past is infused with flavor and this was mediocre. I would return but not try any BBQ or pulled meat sandwiches.
(3)William T.
I went to this Red Hot and Blue for the first time this past weekend, I believe saturday night. I was surprised that this place wasn't packed wall to wall. We were promptly seated and recieved very good service. My Fiance and I ordered the two meat deal, I had the ribs and pulled pork and she had the brisket and pulled pork. Food was good, not the greatest BBQ in the world, but it was decent. Also, we ordered fried pickles as a starter. The BBQ must have been already made because we got our dinner within five minutes of ordering and had to ask our waiter for the starter, which came about half way through dinner. A little bit of a red flag, I thought. I mean I love it when food comes out fast, but when you are getting BBQ within 5 minutes of ordering it on a saturday night you pause and wonder.... hmmm... how long has this been sitting out. However, Red Hot and Blue gets 4 stars because the food was decent, there was quick service, no long wait to be seated, and the meal was relatively cheep compared to other BBQ places.
(4)Mindy W.
Ok...so I didn't pick this place, and by definition, I am NOT a Barbecue fan... However, chicken tenders should be a decent fallback option no matter WHAT restaurant you are in...mine weren't edible. We (my father and I) went to Red Hot & Blue with my father's best friend from High School. We had a great time telling stories new and old, and everyone appeared to really enjoy their meals. Mine was just awful, I couldn't even force myself to eat it for politeness sake. It was rubbery and peppery and overcooked. The menu stated they were "handbreaded on site"...and maybe they were, 10 years ago...before they were put in the freezer. Ick. We got an onion loaf appetizer which was very tasty, and saved my bacon, since I claimed that I'd eaten too much of the appetizer and was too full to finish my dinner. I asked for a box which I took back to the hotel and promptly threw away. I only did this because I didn't want to offend Dad's buddy who paid for our meal. If you're not a fan of babecue, don't go here, there aren't many options for the "tagalong" friends.
(3)Susan M.
Don't waste your money. Takeout orders are always wrong and never enough servers if you eat in. Just don't bother as the management doesn't.
(1)Arla A.
I've NEVER seen the potato served in the box with the chicken at Red Hot & Blue. I do take out every week and my potato comes in a separate box. Also, I've NEVER seen that much "grease" with the chicken, either. The chicken is, to my knowledge, slow baked overnight and is delicious! Try the smokehouse salad with chicken only....with Parmesan dressing. It's wonderful! Baked beans....to die for. And their sweet potatoes are baked with the meats....YUM! And if you come on Tuesday nights, Arla is face painting for both the kids and adults from 6-8 P.M. and kids eat free! Can't get much better on a Tuesday night!
(4)Nicole B.
Their menu leaves a lot to be desired. The atmosphere and food that we ordered met our expectations, the service was ok and we left happy. Because of the limited menu I'm not eager to return. They close pretty early compared to other chains too.
(3)Rye M.
Wow. For some reason I had a bad feeling going to this place and I should have listened to my instinct. Read some reviews online where people preferred this place over Famous Dave's. Think those reviews came from the staff at RHB apparently. Anyway, no one was there for at least 5 minutes to sit me at a table. Hostess/waitress finally got me a table in a corner. Looked at the menu and wanted to try the 1/3 slab ribs with baked beans and seasoned fries. Came out about 10 minutes later and thinking food would be hot and fresh. Fries had no seasoned taste to them despite being advertised as seasoned, baked beans were hot but tasted like it was out of a can. You can go to the local store and get some Bush's beans for better flavor and enjoyment. The ribs were just awful. I mean really? They were lukewarm, undercooked, and had the worst tasting bbq sauce (if you can call it that) I've ever tasted. I feel nauseous thinking about them as I write this review. To top it off, there was a strange corn muffin like substance served on the side which was cold and hard! I was hungry and tried my best to eat it but couldnt stomach anymore. Asked for a refund and manager offered a coupon to apologize. Needless to say, the coupon was trashed and will never return. I enjoyed lunch somewhere else down the road 20 minutes later. Do not recommend.
(1)Watchdog B.
Wet ribs relied on a sweet pungent sauce. Not relying on the rub, if any, to balance it out. It must've been heavily ketchup based. Faux-Q; beef brisket was bad, pull pork was mostly tugged. The slaw that comes in every meal was generic. More carrots and puréed cucumber would be a good place to start to round off the strong mayo taste. If you're being drag here, like the numerous times that I do, the spicy BBQ sauce on everything improves the taste. Crowded during lunch during the week. Service was mostly okay as long as you make your order with only your waiter. Not the servers or other waiters. Kinda bad if you need a refill.
(1)Aaron B.
I really wish the food had a smoker taste to it, or at least the brisket not to taste like pot roast. I went and I will not be going back
(2)Pat O.
I've eaten here 6-7 times in as many years. Food's good to ok and service is consistently mediocre. Not my go to place for BBQ but it is conveniently located to drop by when we can't agree on another place to eat. A large group of us went there about a week ago - got seated promptly but had to wait a long time for our server to take our order and get our drinks. Had the Carolina Chopped Pork sandwich and it was really good and the potato salad was spot on as well. The coleslaw was horrible...they didn't give me much but what they gave me was really, really bad. The color seemed off so I poked at it with my fork and tasted it gingerly...it was warm, watery, bland and strangely sour. About a year or so ago, I got a rack of ribs with my friends...most of the ribs were good but apparently they left exposed the last couple ribs and it dried out. We ended up having rib-meat jerky in addition to the delicious ribs we ordered.
(2)Marianne L.
Decent food, reasonable prices, and friendly casual atmosphere makes RHB a good candidate for a group of friends or family to drop in for a meal. As the counter-point to Mike T's point, I have to concur with the 3.5 star rating. Too many near misses to bump it to 4 stars. Mike did a fine job summing up our recent dining experience - so I'll only add a few comments. Nachos - I love the "puffy" chips, but then I'm one of those people who get a taco salad mostly for the bowl. The chips are the exact same at that, instead of traditional corn tortilla chips. Agree with Mike that they really skimped on the amount of pulled pork on ours though and overall the nachos just seamed a bit small. For 4 to share - it really is an appetizer (at best). I'd say what arrived at our table was more along the lines of what a couple would comfortably share before the main part of the meal. NOTE: These chips are not good when they get soggy - best to add sauce or the salsa they serve on the side as you go, instead of pouring over the whole platter. Pig Squealin' Combo - This sandwich plate was made for friends who compromise. The onion loaf lost out as we debated appetizer choices - much to my dismay. Not to worry - got this combo and had a tasty sandwich, onion loaf and their awesome potato salad (seriously - I read the menu with an eye to how I can get myself PS above all else here). The "personal sized" onion loaf was nearly as big as the regular app portion - and it would have been nice if the menu disclosed that even though you are going to pay $1 more for the combo, you're actually going to get a sandwich that is 2/3rds the size of the regular one. In the end - I think the smaller sandwich wasn't that bad as it seemed I didn't get that much meat as the full-size version, just a lot less bun and no slaw. Smoked sausage - Oh so yummy, probably my favorite of all the meats the offer. If you want to be away from larger groups or families with kids - try and be seated in the main dining area as opposed to the section in the back. My only real gripes are better aimed at the chain as a whole, than this particular location, but they're relevant to anyone dining here so I'll include them. 1. The menu now gives you beans and slaw with the platters instead of letting you choose from a list of sides. I don't know if they let you sub (I'm sure you can probably do anything for a price), but I think the beans are just ok, and I really don't like the slaw so I'm really peeved at this change. 2. More on platters - The "choose your meats" combo now gives you ribs and your choice of other meats instead of the old option to just choose whatever meats you wanted. If you don't like ribs, well you're just out of luck. 3. Serving sodas/water in individual 32oz pitchers - Ok is it really that much of a savings to not have the servers refill people's drinks? Its a gimmick and well, one I don't like and its wasteful. I don't think I've ever finished more than 1/2 my drink. JUST GIVE ME A FREAKING GLASS PLEASE! (Wonder if I can order a beer, and just ask them to sub diet coke for whatever is on tap?)
(3)Kyle G.
The bbq is pretty good, just nothing special. I don't mind going here for a workday lunch occasionally but I wouldn't be the one to pick it out.
(3)Justin H.
I was craving BBQ food so I decided to stop by red hot & blue. Overall the atmosphere was really cool and the place was pretty clean. As we walked in we were greeted promptly and seated right away. Service here was alright, our server came back occasionally and asked us how we were doing and gave us our refills. Now on to the food, the ribs here were a little dry, so I definitely wouldn't recommend it. Pulled pork sandwich was actually pretty good and juicy. I then got the brownie sundae which I thought was pretty good. Overall service was decent here and food quality is Ok. I wouldn't recommend this place if you were looking for real good BBQ. But if your in the area and had no where else to go you can give it a try. Maybe you will have better luck with the food here than I did.
(3)Random B.
I just ate here and it was "ok." I was considering other bbq places in the area but decided on this one because it was convenient (in terms of location). I ordered the half rack of dry ribs and they weren't too bad (but I've definitely had better). Although the ribs were okay, their beef brisket sandwich was DISGUSTING (I told the waiter to take it back). Overall, I'd come back here if I was out of options and time (not sure if that is really a compliment, lol).
(3)vanessa g.
Pros: Hearty food, delicious desserts & good military discounts Cons: Awful service, rude wait staff, long waits for seating & even for drinks/food.
(1)Rebecca S.
I really really want to give this place more than 3 stars, but I just can't do it. The food is good. In fact, I've never had a meal here that I haven't liked. However, I'd say 80% (or more) of the time I'm here, the service is just not that great. And I attribute this poor service almost entirely to the fact that gratuity is automatically added to large parties, and I'm usually here for office lunches, hence large parties. Today, our server came to the table to get drink orders, drop off drinks, get food orders, drop off food, drop off checks, collect checks, and bring back change and cards. The end. Not a single person was offered a drink refill (or brought one), there was no mid-meal check-in... basically, it seemed as though he knew he was getting his tip, so he didn't bother. This will continue to be where we go for work parties because they accomodate, they're willing to split checks, they take call-aheads for big groups, the food is good and generally liked by all, and the price is right. But I will continue to leave the "additional tip" line empty.
(3)Samantha E.
Decent barbecue nothing too special. I've come by a few times with the family and it has always been pretty good. Lots of food and a variety of sauces to choose from.
(3)Natasha M.
Best potato salad evarrr.
(4)Nicholas N.
Food was good. But ordered dry rub on my ribs and didn't get dry rub. Also the ribs were a little on the rare side.
(3)Michael W.
This place is bad news. The chain is fine in my book, but this location stinks. I've tried carry-out from this location twice now. Both times were total debacles, even by low-hanging carry-out standards. The most recent attempt to get dinner from this Red Hot & Blue was last week. The server was nice enough when I called in to place my order. It made me optimistic about having a pleasant dinner. When I arrived, however, there were several people standing around in the front with Red Hot and Blue uniform shirts doing nothing. I told a man who was standing at the front that I had ordered take-out. He grunted -- seriously, just grunted -- and pointed toward the take-out counter. When I got there, my food was sitting behind the counter. There was no attendant in sight, even though there were other people waiting to order or to pick up food. I waited patiently for six minutes. Then I started to lose my patience. I went back to the grunter in the front (the "front grunter") and told him that my food was ready for pick up. He just stared at me, but a younger woman in a Red Hot and Blue shirt piped up after two minutes of silence and volunteered that she would check with the take-out attendant. i returned to the check-out counter to meet the take-out attendant. Then I waited. I waited another five minutes, with my food sitting behind the counter, just within my reach. I was tempted to throw $40 in cash on the desk, grab my food, and leave, but that would have meant leaving $5 for the absent take-out attendant to keep as a tip. Under normal circumstances, even when there are mistakes, I'll throw a 15% tip at a take-out attendant, just for the goodwill of it all. In this case, though, I couldn't leave Red Hot and Blue an extra cent, on principle. I yelled behind the counter to ask whether anyone was there. Almost immediately, a little guy who looked like the tweaker student from Breaking Bad popped up behind the counter. Instead of saying, "Can I help you?" or "I'm sorry for the wait," or "Good evening," he introduced himself by saying, "What's up?" in a really obnoxious way. I tried to stay polite, but at this point, my food had been sitting on the counter for more than ten minutes, with at least six or seven Red Hot and Blue personnel milling about unresponsively. It felt like a candid camera episode. I was tempted to ask for the manager, but I could tell that I would end up unpleasantly surprised because the manager was one of the useless people standing around while my food got cold. My order was correct, but the food was horrible. Red Hot and Blue specializes in barbecue and fried foods. Neither takes well to sitting around unnecessarily in styrofoam containers. I ended up throwing out the fries, cornbread, and other fried foods, and eating the pulled pork with a fork. By that point, even the pulled pork was dried out and not worth eating. I am not a barbecue snob. I am not from the deep south. I am not from Texas. I like Red Hot and Blue's food, and I have eaten at other locations -- both take-out and dine-in -- without any problems. For some reason, though, this particular location in Alexandria sucks. It seems to be badly lacking adult supervision. It's obvious even when you stop to pick up food that the location is poorly staffed, dirty, and generally unpleasant. Bad service, bad attitude, and (likely as a result) bad food. I recommend staying away.
(1)Marco L.
Would've given it 1/2 a star if I could. Simply put this place sucks!! They have the worst staff and lack of management. I've ordered carry-out from here more than 5 times (the same items each time) and each time I order my food it comes packaged differently depending on who is working. There is no consistency in the packaging of food. Some nights I'll get my hush puppies in a separate box, other times I'll get it sitting in chicken grease in the same box with a baked potato (which makes the pups soggy and not crunchy). Sometimes I get 5 hushpuppies, others I get 3. Sometimes they remember to give me my cornbread, other times they don't. Sometimes they'll actually bake my potato fully, other times I get a half-baked potato. Either way they are ALWAYS MESSING UP the order. When I get home and call the manager they seem careless and almost expect this every night as if they knowingly sabotage carry-out orders! I'm done with this chain because obviously even the regional managers don't care if all the negative reviews and calls haven't done anything to change this place. So if anyone from corporate is listening...PLEASE fire all management at the Landsdowne location and get people in there who care about quality and consistency! You are sitting on a goldmine if you could get your problems straightened out. *****See my profile for pictures of the carry-out boxed food*****
(1)Matt E.
Not as good as I had hoped, overall a bit disappointing and we aren't likely to return. The upside is that the dry ribs were pretty good, tender and flavorful. The pulled pork was somewhat bland but the sauces they offer took care of that issue. The real disappointments were the sides which were terrible. The mashed potatoes, mac & cheese and beans were luke warm at best, and tasted like they had been sitting in the kitchen all day. Soda was unavailable; apparently there was something wrong with the CO2? I found it odd that they couldn't get that fixed. The service was just average and the waitress was disinterested in helping. For example, we got there and she started to seat us at a table, my wife asked if we could have a booth instead and the reply was, "we don't have any available." I pointed to two empty booths that had not yet been cleaned and asked, "what about those two?" The waitress was clearly annoyed by this but cleaned one of the booths for us. To top it off, the bathroom was not exactly clean either. It wasn't filthy, but it needed some attention. Wet paper towels sitting on the countertop, while the dispenser was empty. It just appeared run down. I was really hoping we'd like this place as it's somewhat close and I love BBQ. I'll try some other places instead.
(2)Joy O.
One of our favorite spots. It's usually quiet, normally no wait, service is prompt and accurate. We like the Memphis style BBQ, but the pulled chicken is fabulous, and their chicken tenders are unusually good. I've had the crispy chicken salad several times and been quite satisfied. My husband loves the St. Louis dry rub ribs.The cheesy bacon fries are delicious and the brownie sundaes and the peanut butter pie are also great. The price range is hard to measure. Salads and several entrees will be under $10. But others are over, and if you get a drink or appetizer you'll definitely be over $10 per person. If you sign up on their website you can get coupons and specials from time to time, which are also a plus. We've gone here many times and look forward to returning many more.
(4)Christina C.
Let's get straight to the point. 1. Dry rubbed ribs was a-ok. 2. Wet ribs was gross 3. Coleslaw was delicious 4. I've had better potato salad.. just didn't like the way it was served - you can tell they used an ice cream scoop, blahhh!!! 5. Whole chicken was delicious 6. Sausage was good for the first few bites (had a distinct beef jerky taste), but after eating it for a while, it was gross. 7. Pulled pork was gross 8. Beef brisket was disgusting! what the hell?! 9. Our server seemed drunk; no eye contact, slurrin words, and after asking how her day was, I didn't wanna hear her complaining that she was supposed to be off, and could've decorated her house and take care of her six kids.. gimme some bbq damn. But I felt bad, so we gave her a nice tip. She did her best. 10. We came on a Sunday evening (5:30pm) so there's no excuse for the hostess to take forever to seat us, have a disorganized server, I don't know. Don't bother coming here - if you're trying to look for the same bbq boat, go find a Famous Daves or Smokey Bones dammit. I was too hungry to leave.
(2)Dave B.
We really did not expect a lot from all the poor reviews. But we were surprised. I'm not sure it's 4 stars but I can't do 3.5. The brisket was moist. Not the most flavor but being in VA it's was good. The service was good and fast.
(4)Crystal P.
I hadn't been here before, I saw menu on my TV and said hey let's try it so we went over give a try. Easy to get to and parking was a breeze. We walk in and waited 15 minutes to be seated, no one was there, where was the hostess, they didn't have one because of the manager was around or didn't care that they were short staffed due some oversight in the scheduling. A waiter seated us. He was running around like chicken, after 20 minutes he came back got our order, then forgot our drinks, and then the manager so unprofessional. Here comes the food, his salad was good, the had served my dinner early I had the Stew. The stew by it self was disgusting absolutely no taste, BBQ should have some juice or flavor on its own, it was not seasoned, I dressed it with their sauces on the table it was eatable. When his dinner came it was like they reused the same meat from days ago, it was dry, no mositure, tasteless and one of the worst meals, We have ever had.
(1)Caitlin H.
Jason S. hit the nail on the head. Never again. I gave it two chances, and the first time was mediocre but not terrible. I'm done now. If you want real BBQ, this is not the place: It's the Applebees/Friday's/Chili's of the BBQ world. And yet, I'm not sure they *actually* BBQ anything. There's no telltale pink smoke ring in the meat, and the brisket came out in a messy chipped-beef-esque pile (which, if we're being mildly graphic - and we are - looks like dog food). The "wet" ribs were dry, tough, and tasteless. Seriously. I ate one rib from the slab and couldn't stomach another one. The sweet potato fries, collards, and beans were decent but nothing special and not enough to go back for. I mean, the place was dead on a Friday night. That's gotta tell you something, right? I can't wait for Pork Barrel BBQ to open so there'll finally be a real BBQ joint around here. This is the south right? Where's all the damn BBQ?
(1)Karen W.
I will forever be a Red Hot& Blue customer but today I have to give two stars to this location. I use to live near this location and always had complaints about this location. I use to work at the Clarendon location like 16 years ago before out closed back when you could get a jumbo or regular sized sandwich so I know how things SHOULD BE DONE. The service was great but the problem is the kitchen. I ordered the beef brisket sandwich and it was a few minutes after they opened so I assumed I would get the freshest smoked meat but I guess they just gave me the fatty remnants from last night. The sauces and rub containers were not filled before they opened and my table was missing some things. Management really needs to clamp down on their employees with opening the restaurant and controlling the quality of food that comes out of the kitchen.
(2)Alison T.
If you're from BBQ country, this place will mostly make you think of all the places back home that do it so much better, but if you're in a pinch it really hits the spot. Additional star because now I've tried the one in Herndon and did not know how good I had it with this place.
(4)Brian D.
We've tried their dinner 3x and anything not BBQ isn't good. The only highlight is the loaded fries - we actually love this dish and would go only if we were just getting appetizers for the night. The pulled pork BBQ is average and sufficient if you're craving some BBQ and have realized that there's very few good BBQ places in VA (Alexandria area). We like that we have the option to add our own additional sauce from the table - we don't like that we have to add our own sauce from the table for there to be some flavor. If that confuses you, then we'll say it this way instead, "we like our BBQ drenched in good-hearty sauce and cooked that way. We want it on the plate dripping with flavor and it's a disappointment when it's not; however, if they're not going to make it flavorful at least giving us the option to add some post-BBQ sauce is kind of them." Does that make more sense? Go some where else unless you're craving loaded fries. That's the only yummy you're getting from us.
(2)Bob B.
Absolutely awful. I gor Texas brisket that was as much salt as meat, my friend got a hockey puck burger. Service was, at best, slow. I will not go back.
(1)jason s.
The fried okra was delicious. And the place wasn't terribly dirty. There you have it. That's about the only good things I can say about for this so-called Bar-B-Q restaurant. Having been raised in Texas, I consider myself a BBQ purist, but I try to be open minded about BBQ. I'm willing to try regional "dialects" and even chains. And I'm occasionally rewarded with excellent food. Not this time. I ordered the lunch plate with brisket, fried okra, and baked beans. The okra, as I mentioned, was delicious -- hot, crispy, and just about perfect. The beans weren't too bad -- a bit cloying. But the brisket was an abomination. There wasn't even a suggestion of smoke to the meat. As I choked it down, I couldn't help but envision the industrial-sized crock-pot where the brisket had probably been simmering all day. Let me put it this way -- there was a bay leaf stuck to one of the slices of brisket. OK, the taste wasn't terribly offensive, but it was nothing like proper BBQ brisket. The only way I was able to finish it was by glopping on some of the "BBQ Sauce" of which there were four or five different styles, most of which seemed to be corn-syrup based, none of which were very good. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, and you're starving to death, and you have no idea what BBQ should really taste like, you might give this place a try and not be terribly disappointed. Although honestly, you'd be better off visiting any of the other restaurants in this strip mall. Summary: Red Hot and Blue serves miserable BBQ.
(1)Kay T.
My first time here, the food was basically tasteless. Thankfully, BBQ sauce was on the table to help mask the lack of flavor. I got the pulled pork sandwich,grandma's potato salad, and cole slaw. My husband got a full slab of ribs, mashed potatoes and 2 mini cornbread mufins. My food and his had no flavor. I really hate to send back food because I think's it's a little rude, but I sent back the raspberry tea because it tasted like colored water. The waitress was very nice and said they "were about to change" the tea -- guess she had given me the "old tea" -- and replaced it with a fresh one that was good and tasted like it should. There's a blurb on the menu about "grandma's potato salad." I say if that's the way "grandma" makes potato salad, she needs to go back to cooking school. If was bland and consistent with the rest of the food there -- tasteless. Must say they have these bacon and cheese covered fries that were very good! They're like shaking hands with the devil, at a calorie/cholesterol count through the roof I'm sure, but well worth it if you're ready to indulge!!! Have to give credit when it's due, so if you want some fresh raspberry tea and bacon/cheese fries, go to RHB, but it you want some better food and real BBQ, and you've already given into sacrificing your heart's heath and ingesting a couple of thousand extra calories for the day's culinary experience, I say stick with Famous Dave's or go somewhere else. No need to waste the calories here.
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