Once upon a college education, a man named John Snedden grilled up whole pigs for his frat house. Sneddenwent on to develop his own blend of sauces and opened up a small store in 1990. Twenty-two years later, employees at Rocklands Barbeque still are barbecueing like it’s the first day the restaurant opened, and trust me, this Glover Park barbeque joint is well worth the walk.
The main event at Rocklands is the flame-grilled ribs — your choice of baby-back pork, spare-rib and evenbarbequed beef ribs. Not a rib fan? Order up some sauce-slathered pulled chicken or chopped pork on a soft hamburger bun instead. Ribs intimidate me, so I opted for the barbeque pulled chicken sandwich. Despite the restaurant’s booming business, it is important to note that Rocklands’seating space is sparse. Bump elbows while you wait and snag a spot at the standing tables if you can, but fear not if your fellow barbequeafficionados don’t budge — Rocklands would be perfect for a takeaway picnic at one of Glover Park’s nearby green spaces. Fingers crossed, we’ll have some more days in the high 60s before spring officially starts, so you can actually do that with a group of fellow Hoyas.
Rocklands is one step ahead of you with platters and by-the-pound servings that will satisfy bigger groups. For the adventurous, there’s also the Rocklands Pearl, which, according to the menu, is a layered serving of macaroni and cheese, barbeque baked beans, chopped pork and Rocklands’ Barbeque Sauce, served “stacked for easy eating.” For such a big shebang, it comes to $6.49, less than a Wisey’s wrap.
Oh, and don’t miss the sides. Throw out your diet plans and go hog-wild (no pun intended). They’ve got a slew of cozy Southern accompaniments for your meaty entree — baked beans, collard greens, mashed potatoes, fried okra, Texas corn pudding and coleslaw. We also tried the macaroni and cheese, which put Kraft to shame and tasted even better with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper on top. While you eat your weight in ribs and sides, cool off in Southern fashion with a tall order of the signature sweet tea or some old-fashioned root beer.
Bottles of diverse barbeque sauces line the left wall of this rib shop so you can pick up some barbeque magic to bring home for later. The only complaint I have about this establishment was a personal one — the sauce could have packed a little more heat, but I run on the very extreme spicy side of the spectrum, so take that with a grain of cayenne.
This might be the only place to get your barbeque fix before you can fire up your own home set, but believe it or not, you might not need your own grill after you get hooked on Rocklands’ own.
