Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Bethesda Barbecue Company confirmed as restaurant being liquidated/closed in auction

Surely you'll be shocked - shocked - to learn that the secretive online auction of the entire contents of an "upscale Bethesda barbecue restaurant" is indeed Bethesda Barbecue Company at 4917 Elm Street. The restaurant's identity was finally disclosed by the auction site last night, so that potential bidders could know where to go for the auction preview today, from 1:00-3:00 PM.

That auction will take place online beginning at 11:00 AM tomorrow, August 26.

This means that, after having its doors locked for over a month, Bethesda Barbecue Company has clearly closed. The future of the space is unknown for now.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

no wonder the food was so bad, a crock pot and a smoker that doesn't use wood.

As they say, if you don't see a wood pile pass it by.

Anonymous said...

That's really true. I talked to the chef and he said it was going to be authentic in every way. What in the world happened? You know, bbq isn't really that difficult. But you can't just open a concept like que without doing your homework. It'll fail every time. When o when is someone who knows what they're doing going to open a BBQ joint? Hard Times location could have been reworked to be such a place. They would have killed it. All other so-called BBQ in the area is crap. Period.

Peter said...

Anon @ 6:53 -- I would disagree, Urban BBQ on Twinbrook is excellent.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad that you like it. I tried it once and wasn't impressed but will have to try again. I travel with a team on the competitive KCBS BBQ circuit and believe me, that's BBQ. Around here, it's not as good as it should or could be put it that way.

Anonymous said...

Rocklands in Glover Park is one of the best around. The smoke coming from the roof lets your senses know they don't fool around. It reminds me of the joint we had in old downtown Rockville in the sixty's and seventy, Little Pigs of Tennessee. That was the real deal. Everything made on the premises, you could smell it for a mile around the place. And the cooks behind the counter were greek, and spoke like Belushi from Saturday Night Live. "Barbeque,chop, Pepsi no Coke."

Anonymous said...

@ 7:15 AM - I have spent my whole life growing up in Bethesda and have always hated how we do not have decent BBQ choices. At one time there was O'Brians (?) BBQ in Rockville - they were ok. Rocklands in Glover Park is pretty good. But if you want really good BBQ got the "The Garden District" on 14th Street in DC. It is an outside beer garden and BBQ place - excellent food. There is also a place in Chinatown that escapes my memory but they are pretty good too.

Anyways, I really like Urban BBQ when it first opened as O'Brians was closing. It was back when Urban BBQ was a small shack in the same building but didn't include the expanded part to have seating. I have had dinner there twice in about the last 3 months and all I can say is - what happened to the quality?

Anonymous said...

All the places you mentioned use steam tables and have many sauces to coat your pulled pork with. Often times the ribs are a day old. If you want a real experience you need to go to place that is cooking todays lunch yesterday and all night long and not the left overs with apple juice thrown on it.

Once you are able to master your won pork and ribs, you will never enjoy eating out again at a place that has them. 7:20 above knows what I am talking about.

Sadly, I don't think Bethesda would allow a billowing smoke stack and the little trailer at Old Georgetown and Greentree just heats food up.

Anyone ever been to Franklin's in Austin to stand in line at 6 am to get lunch? that is how it should be.

Anonymous said...

So looks like the "other website" finally reported on this. They also reported on the Shell station and River Road traffic light thing (nursing home) 1-2 days after Dyer reported it. No credit given to Dyer of course.

But it could be worse. The "other other website" (Patch) finally reported on the car through the lingerie store front window yesterday. It happened last week!

Dyer has his flaws, but he's typically first with all the scoops.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

@10:44 AM this is 5:47 AM - I encourage you to try Garden District on 14th Street.

http://www.gardendistrictdc.com/

Robert Dyer said...

10:44: The senior housing project was in the Planning Board agenda available to all media. However, the Bethesda Barbecue Company was not announced to the public, and I should indeed be given credit for my report on that. Unless they just used ESP like Obi Wan Kenobi again.

Anonymous said...

I sure do know what you're talking about and you're right. New York city was so upset when Danny Meyer opened Blue Smoke because the smoke was bothering people. Solution. He built a towering chimney that carries the smoke away from anything. You don't really need a traditional smoker an Old Hickory gas fired with smoke chamber is more than sufficient. Maybe DC does have some spots but nothing like Franklin's as you mentioned. The BBQ U classes are there for any restauranteur to learn. Without that knowledge, it's tough to make it. It's frustrating.

Anonymous said...

I sure do know what you're talking about and you're right. New York city was so upset when Danny Meyer opened Blue Smoke because the smoke was bothering people. Solution. He built a towering chimney that carries the smoke away from anything. You don't really need a traditional smoker an Old Hickory gas fired with smoke chamber is more than sufficient. Maybe DC does have some spots but nothing like Franklin's as you mentioned. The BBQ U classes are there for any restauranteur to learn. Without that knowledge, it's tough to make it. It's frustrating.

Chase said...

I doubt Bethesda Mag will ever give proper credit. The owner/publisher outright plagiarised several of your articles himself. Most of his bylines have ripped you off. So, I don't expect his hired help to credit you properly if he can't. #sorrynotsorry