Bethesda Barbecue Company

Disclaimer - I wanted this to work. I love BBQ, and recently moved to DC from North Carolina. However this rushed remodel from a restaurant called "Newton's Table" is not a BBQ joint. The Bethesda Barbeque Company looked to fill a need in the Bethesda Row restaurant scene with southern BBQ, but it comes off as un-authentic. The atmosphere is weird (hence the 'rushed remodel' phrasing) and doesn't feel like a BBQ joint. It's stuffy and quiet, which immediately creates a strange vibe.... like you can almost hear the employees breathing. To fit the vibe of a BBQ joint it should be more open with a counter from which to order and open seating options. A bar with more HD tv's to watch the game and hang out, some kind of front porch or outdoor seating. There was a hostess who was older and seemed overly interested in everything everyone was doing. Again... weird vibe. The food was OK, but the BBQ sauces (house made?) were terrible - like experiments in BBQ sauce that should never have left the testing phase. The biscuits were like awful bisquick biscuits - hard and dense with no flavor. The french fries were good. The portion size of the meat was pretty skimpy for what you have to pay $$, but it was smoky and decent in taste. Either a full remodel and new concept of how to run a BBQ joint or this place isn't going to last long in the high price world of Bethesda Restaurants.

It was a good restaurant but super casual in a high-end location, which never made sense. Now closed.